Page 21 of Butterfly 6, Phase 1

Morgan shook her head and wiped her eyes. “She hasn’t even opened her eyes. Her temperature keeps rising. I just need her fever to come down. I just need God to at least do that. Nothing’s working.” Morgan knew the damage an elevated temperature could cause to a child Yara’s age. The number of pre-med classes she had taken almost made this more frightening for her because she was overthinking. Ethic walked over to Yara’s bedside, and his composure wavered as he bent down to kiss her forehead. “Come on, God, we need another one,” he whispered before standing.

“I thought you were with Alani?” Morgan whispered. “How is she?”

Ethic slid his hands in his pockets. “She’s okay. I checked in on everyone. I’ll go get them later in the morning. Couldn’t stop thinking about this one here,” Ethic said as he kept his eyes on Yara. “And worrying about you.”

He turned to Morgan and Messiah.

“I know this is a bad time, but Einstein is here, Mo. This can’t wait. He’s arranged for you to turn yourself in. We can pick the date and time, but we must get you prepared,” Ethic said. “And we can’t drag it out too long, or it looks like we’re buying time and manufacturing a story.”

“How long will it take?” Morgan asked, worried she might miss something if she left Yara’s side.

“If we do this right, hopefully not long, Mo, but it’s important. Einstein will be in the room with you.”

“Why can’t you be there?” Morgan asked. She knew she would be more confident with him at her side.

“She can’t go in there alone, OG,” Messiah added. “You know how that’s gon’ go. They’ll trip her up. She give ‘em one wrong answer, and they’ll lead her to her own slaughter. This is a bad fucking idea, man.”

Ethic shot Messiah a look of pure impatience before continuing.

“You’re not a minor, Mo. They aren’t going to allow me to be in the room with you…”

KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.

Ethic peered through the glass on the door. “Einstein will protect you. I wouldn’t trust anybody else with your life. Your life is my life. You know that. Trust me to get us through this part,” Ethic said. Ethic opened the door, and Einstein stepped in.

“Mr. Okafor,” Einstein greeted with a firm handshake. “I hate when we have to see each other under these circumstances, but it’s good to lay eyes on you.”

“Thanks for coming,” Ethic replied. “You remember Messiah.”

Einstein nodded, and Messiah nodded in return.

“What if I eat it? I’ll take whatever they want to throw her way. Send me,” Messiah stated.

Morgan looked at Messiah, stunned. She knew he loved her, but he couldn’t sacrifice his freedom for her. She had brought this problem into their lives, so she would be the one held accountable if it came down to that. “Ssiah, no. I can handle this.”

“I’ll never see you locked up, shorty,” Messiah said.

“Nobody’s going to jail,” Ethic interrupted firmly. “Now isn’t the time for grandstanding, Messiah, and this isn’t a democracy. You worry about your children. Let me worry about mine.”

“No disrespect, OG, but she’s just as much mine as she is yours. She gave me two kids. I’ma do whatever I got to do to keep her out the way,” Messiah replied.

If Ethic could trust Messiah to make decisions for Morgan, he would, but Messiah was in an emotional state right now. Logic wouldn’t prevail. He stepped close to Messiah, standing toe to toe with him and lowering his voice so that their conversation was now private.

“Stand down. I need you focused on Yara. That’s your only job right now, no?”

Messiah’s trigger fingers itched, and he rubbed those fingers in circles as his jaw clenched. The thought of Morgan handling this level of conflict without him was unfathomable. Messiah’s instinct was always to resort to violence when it came to her. Nobody was exempt, law enforcement included. Taking the order to sit idly wasn’t one he was fond of, but Messiah knew it was all a test of character. Could he listen? Would he follow? Ethic called the plays. Messiah would comply, within reason. That was the problem when the cub became king of his own kingdom. It was difficult to remember who raised you.

“I’ll go,” Morgan said. “Let’s just go.”

“Mo,” Messiah protested as she headed for the door. She looked at Ethic and Einstein. “Can you give us a minute?”

Ethic led the lawyer out of the room, and Morgan faced Messiah.

“I brought Bash into our lives. I put everybody at risk. I got to finish it,” Morgan said, blowing out a sharp breath. “I’m scared, but it has to be me.”

“It’ll never be you, Mo. If it ever comes down to it, it will never be you. I’ll die for you, Mo. I’ll do time for you, behind you, over you. We made that nigga feel every second of his last breaths, shorty, and I liked it. I’m built to like it; you’re not built for any of this. If this goes bad, know I got you. Don’t even think twice about it; don’t feel bad about it; just go with it. So, whatever you say, don’t ever incriminate yourself. If you get in there and you feel like your back is against the wall, you tell them it was me. I’m your get out of jail free card. Your jealous baby daddy who couldn’t take you being engaged to somebody new. That’s the story you spin if shit goes left. I know Ethic’s got a plan, but if plans fail, do what I say. My way brings you home to our kids.”

Messiah cradled Morgan’s face in his hands. “It was real, Mo. Me and you. I just didn’t know what to do with it. Me fucking shit up don’t take away from what it was, though. I started as your protector. I’ve always been willing to lay a nigga down or get laid down over you. That’ll never change. Ain’t nothing you can do about it.”