Chapter Twenty One

Koran sat in the living room contemplating the meeting after the Heads left. So much was riding on his shoulders, so many lives, and he wondered if he could handle it. Now college and the square life he once hated, didn’t seem so bad. He was snatched from his thoughts when Serenity burst into the room excitedly.

“She’s up! She’s talking!” she shouted, her eyes brightly lit.

Koran stood up confused. “Who’s talking? What you talking about, Sin?”

“Janet! Mrs. Harris said she was talking.” Serenity engulfed Koran with a hug.

“That’s what’s up. Wow, she’s been out for a minute too.”

“Years! She would have never been messed up if it wasn’t for my evil ass twin brother’s.”

Koran stiffened suddenly.

“What’s wrong?” Serenity asked, taking in his expression.

“Twin brother’s?” he repeated, stepping back. “What twin brother’s?”

Serenity looked at him looking at her strangely. “Hector and Jose.”

“You can’t be talking about the Coco Twins?”

Serenity nodded. “How do you know my brother’s?”

“Oh shit!” Koran staggered back, holding Serenity’s eyes. The same eyes he recalled staring into as a child when he first met Janet. All of a sudden, all of Jahad’s workings came rushing back. Don’t fall in love. Don’t trust a bitch.

“You’re the Coco Twin’s sister?” he asked, a sickening feeling began tightening his gut.

“Yes. Koran, what’s wrong with you?”

He pulled his gun from his waist and slowly started walking towards her. “Say it’s not you Sin. Say it’s not you,” he said, barely getting the words out. Thoughts of betrayal, the death Derrick, and his brother laid up in the hospital flashed through his mind.

Serenity’s eyes widened. “Koran what are you doing?” she asked, eyeing the gun. “Please listen to me. Whatever you’re thinking is wrong.”

“Don’t!” he yelled, placing the gun on the table in front of her. “I pray I’m wrong, but if not, kill me now.” He turned his back expecting her face to be the last thing he’d ever see.

Instead of shooting him in the head, Serenity hugged him from behind and started sobbing on his back.

“How…How could you ever think I would do anything to hurt you?” she cried. “I would never do…”

Koran turned in her arms. “Shhh! I had to know, Sin.”

“Know what?!” Serenity snapped. “You really think I’m that type of bitch? I mean, really Koran?! You think I would betray you?!”

Koran shook his head. “Baby, look at all this shit going on around me. I can’t put nothing past anyone, especially with what Jahad is going through.” Koran paused and his eyes grew wide. “Wait, if Deja’ is your niece and Janet’s her mother, who’s the father?”

‘Boy, I know my grandbabies when I see them.’ His mother’s words rung loudly in his head.

“Jahad,” he said in a low voice.

“Jahad,” Serenity stated at the same time.

Koran stumbled back into the couch and sat down. “This is too much.” He looked up at Serenity. “This some TV shit, Sin. Jah, Janet…me, you. I mean…” He shook his head, trying to cope with all the new information he was getting.

“Yeah, it’s a lot, but you have other things to worry about at this moment.” Serenity sat beside him and grabbed his hand. “You have to find out who’s trying to kill you.”

Koran cut his eye at her. “Well, we know one person is your brother. But none of this is for you to stress over. You need to be getting ready to get you and your sister out of here. Wow Janet,” he said, shaking his head again in awe.

“No Koran. Just hear me out. I think I can help. I can…”

“Stop right there.”

“No, you stop! You’re good at what you do, but not only are you injured, you have no one to trust except me. Yes, Hector is my brother, but I hate him just as much, or maybe more than you. He destroyed my mother and sister. Deja’ grew up thinking her mother was a life size baby doll because of him. So even if you don’t like it, you’re gonna listen,” Serenity said fiercely.

Koran hunched his shoulders. “Aight, I’m listening.”

Serenity nodded. “You’re gonna have to use me,” she held up her hand when Koran was about to speak. “The only way to truly end this is to find out which Head is trying to kill you. Whoever this Head is, he’s using Hector. Hector has no idea that you and I are together. If so, he would have been contacted me.”

“How do you know?” Koran asked sitting up.

“That’s how he works. He did Janet like that. He uses whatever is around him to get what he wants.”

Koran shook his head. “If you went to him and told him you were with me he would know it’s a trap.”

Serenity nodded her head in agreement. “He definitely would because he knows how I feel about him. That’s not my plan. In order to find out who the Head is, you need to tell them that you found out that I’m Hector’s sister and that…”

“No!” Koran snapped. “It’s too dangerous. They’re gonna expect me to kill you or one of them will, just because of who you are.”

“Just hear me out.” Serenity continued unfazed. “Once you tell the Heads about me and that you plan on killing me, whoever the snake is will tell Hector and then Hector will contact me. When he does, I’ll do whatever you need me to do.” She stared directly into Koran’s eyes so he would see that she meant what she said.

“There is a lot of if’s though,” Koran said, not liking the plan of putting her in danger.

Serenity shook her head. “No, it makes sense. Hector likes to manipulate people. This is a mirror situation of what happened between Janet and Jahad. He screwed that up and got Jose killed. He will jump at the opportunity to feel he’s in control again. The difference this time is you and I are in control. Use me Koran,” she said pleading.

“What about the Heads?”

“Only one wants you dead from what we know. Once he’s gone, you can handle the rest.”

Koran held her stare, letting her words sink in.