I was put down outside, realizing whoever grabbed me just took the exit no one else thought to take. I didn't even care to see who grabbed me as I quickly tried to open the door to get back in, just to be yanked back. I looked up, tears still running down my eyes as my eyes met Jose's. I took him in as his breathing was hard and his mouth was busted so blood was trickling out of from the side of his mouth.

"My brother!" I cried out.

"He a grown ass man, he can handle himself" he sounded as if he was out of breath as he held onto his side.

I shook my head, "no, there was shooting!" I yelled as I turned back towards the door, only to realize we were locked out.

"He was the one who shot." He breathed out, "go the fuck home Johanna, stop being so fucking stupid all the time."

I looked at him, as I used the back of my hand to wipe some of the tears falling down my face. He started walking off as he held onto his side. My phone started ringing, causing me to tear my eyes away from him. I saw Yuri calling, I let it go to voicemail realizing I had seven missed calls from her and five from my brother, clarifying that he was indeed okay.

"Why?" I yelled out as I started walking towards Jose. "Why did you stop me? Why did you carry me out?" Tears were still falling that I couldn't stop as I now stood in front of him, blocking his path of walking. I didn't understand why he cared to save me. "Why Jose?" I screamed out, I pushed him, and then pushed his arm off of his side and in that instance I realized one of the bullets hit him, his black shirt covered it well but his hand was full of blood.

I widened my eyes in shock, "Jose," I whispered out. I reached out where the wound was and he quickly smacked my hand away. "Move, I'm fine."

"No you're not." I quickly retorted.

His phone started ringing and he quickly answered, telling whoever it was exactly where he was as he moved to the right of me where I was no longer blocking his path. He finished his call then started directing his conversation towards me without looking my way. "Bullets don't have names on them, and you were the only dumbass going towards the shooting instead of away from it. That's why I fucking grabbed you. No telling if he was going to keep shooting." He stopped, turning to look at me, "you can't save everybody. Keep trying to do that shit, it's going to get you killed."

My phone started ringing again, this time I answered as I️ watched him walk away and listened to Yuri go crazy on the other line.

--

I was in the car with my brother as he headed to Isabel's, I thought it was the dumbest idea ever to be going into her neighborhood after he let off bullets at her party and the fact that one of them hit Jose. I knew niggas would be gunning for him, so I opted to ride with him. Apparently Isabel was the one who even let him get in with the gun, making me think she really was holding some type of loyalty to my brother. But also making me realize how stupid she was. However she was mad at him for a few days, ignoring his calls and all that but apparently he made his way back into her good graces. We pulled up to her house carefully checking the surroundings before getting out the car, he called and let her know we were there so she could have the door unlocked.

We quickly got out making our way into her house, she was all smiles when we walked in. I carefully took in the surroundings making sure she wasn't trying to set us up, my brother grabbed her hand making his way to her room. Isabel pulled away, "Joel, that's rude." She said flirtatiously. I rolled my eyes, not caring. "Man," he started, "she the one that wanted to roll. That ain't stopping what I came here for."

Isabel smiled at me, "your brother is too much."

I nodded my head, "He is, but I'm fine, go ahead."

"You sure? You know I –"

"Isabel, go!" I demanded. She looked at me a little suspiciously before she walked over to the table picking up the remote and turning on the TV, "here," she started as she handed me the remote, "make yourself at home, there's drinks in the fridge too."

I took the remote from her as she made her way to her room. I flipped through the channels not seeing anything appealing, but deciding to just leave it on animal planet.

I sat there for a minute actually intrigued by what was on eventually pulling out my phone to scroll through social media when a knock on her door interrupted. I ignored it as another knock came through, I got up looking through her peephole seeing Jose standing there. I walked back to her room knocking on the door. "Jose's at the door." I yelled out.

I heard commotion going on before she opened the door, clear that she quickly threw something on as she closed the door behind her. "It's just me and you here." She stated

"Obviously," I stated, a prime reason I rode with my brother because what the hell would she have said if I didn't come? She opened the door when he started banging again.

"What the fuck took you so long?" He asked with a snare on his face.

"I didn't hear it," she quickly retorted. She stood with the door open midway. Not allowing him to see me. The way I was positioned I could see him but he couldn't see me, he had a look of skepticism on his face. "Whose car is that?" He asked as he looked and pointed back.

"Johanna's here." She opened the door wider so that he could see me.

I gave a small smile and waved. I thought it was so weird how he clocked her. There was definitely some shit up with that.

He looked me up and down, nodding his head then looked back at Isabel, "cinco" he ordered.

She nodded her head saying okay. Five? What the hell did that mean?

He started walking away from the door as Isabel began closing it, "wait," I hollered out as I made my way towards it. He stopped in the middle of her driveway turning around to face me as Isabel looked at me like I was crazy.

"Can I talk to you?" I asked as I approached him, slight shyness all of a sudden taking over me.

He just looked at me, crossing his arms. Showing that I had his full attention. I turned around seeing Isabel still standing there watching us. I turned looking back at him, lowering my voice so she couldn't hear us "can we walk?"

He looked from me to Isabel, then back to me keeping his voice at the same volume as mine "walking around in this neighborhood with you?" He shook his head. "Nahh."

I was taken aback, slightly embarrassed by the rejection. "Okay .." I dragged out. "Well can we sit in the car or go to your house?" I didn't want Isabel in our conversation and walking clearly wasn't an option.

He looked around like he was scoping the scene as if that would determine what choice he would make. He turned and looked at Isabel and then me.

"That ain't your car, whose is it?" He questioned. His eyes on the car. I damn sure felt like I couldn't say it was my brothers. "A friend's." I responded.

He looked towards Isabel as he dropped his arms. "We'll be back," he said as he turned around to start walking. I took it I was supposed to follow him.

"Where are you two going?" She asked with a look of confusion. I looked at her and she looked at me with pleading eyes, as if I was about dish out information about her. Jose didn't respond to her question as he just kept walking.

I followed behind him, turning around to see Isabel still standing at the door, watching us walk away. "So we are walking?" I asked.

"That your boyfriend car? Your brothers?" He asked ignoring my question as he steadily watched the neighborhood. Attentive as hell.

"Why you assume it's a guy?" I questioned back.

"The rims, the tent job, the style of it. Don't see a lot of girls in it." He responded as he looked over at me for a second. "Why you driving they car and not yours?"

He was asking a lot of questions. "My car is in the shop." I lied. He didn't respond as he turned down the driveway of a house, the landscaping looked good. It was clear they kept the house up.

We easily walked up to the door, and I figured it was his house my nerves started to rattle though with the thought that he could be setting me up and we'd be walking into a room where his whole gang was. But then it dawned on me that he didn't want to be seen with me so he wouldn't do that.

He pulled out his keys letting me know it was for sure his house as he unlocked the door and walked in. I looked around, taking in how beautifully decorated and clean it was. Black with a gold accent in his living room. Big TV mounted perfectly on his wall. Could definitely tell he had some type of money, but I didn't even know he had a job, if he even had one. "This is nice." I let out as my eyes continued to linger around the house.

He didn't say anything as he began walking down the hall leading towards what I assumed was bedrooms and bathrooms. He began taking his shirt off in the process, allowing me to see how cut his back was. He was fit as hell. He stopped turning around to face me, allowing me to see his abs and cut arms as well as the tattoos that danced around him. I saw a bandage covering up the area he'd got shot. I shouldn't have been admiring my brothers worst enemy the way I was right now. But he was beautiful and that was something that couldn't be denied.

"I'll be right back, don't touch shit" he said with a slight scowl on his face, his hand was on his bandage as if he was taking it off, most likely about to change it. I nodded as I finally brought my eyes up to his. He gave a slight smirk as he shook his head, making it known he'd noticed me admiring his body. I blushed with slight embarrassment as I turned so I was no longer facing him.

I walked to take a seat on his couch, a few minutes later he came back out with his shirt back on, taking a seat on the opposite couch of me. "So what's up?" He asked as he put his complete focus on me. His stare was intense, he was sitting there looking good as hell and I found myself getting slight aroused from it. I broke away from his gaze as I cleared my throat.

"I just wanted to say thank you, you've saved my ass a thousand times when you really didn't have to and I want to apologize for the shit my brother did." My eyes went to his side where I know he was shot.

"You came all the way over here to tell me thank you and apologize for some shit you didn't do? You could have did that at Izzy's." His voice was nonchalant almost like this was a waste of his time.

"So you want her to know you saved me multiple times? That we've had plenty of run ins?" He didn't say anything and his eyes were no longer on me, "exactly," I started "and what my brother did was some fluke shit, I'm just happy you're okay and wanted to see how you were holding up as well."

He looked over at me, eyebrows brought in, "why?"

I shrugged my shoulders, because he held my interest but I couldn't say that but I decided I would try and lighten the mood with my response. "Because whose going to save my ass when I get myself in bad situations?" I looked at him with slight smile on my face.

It got a small laugh out of him, "shit I don't know, cause I'm done doing the shit. Third times a charm."

I laughed. "Nahh, don't act like that now. Honestly though." I started, "why do you keep on looking out for me?"

He looked at me his hazel eyes burning into mine once again, causing my body temperature to rise. "I don't know." He stated truthfully. "I feel like you so innocent and naive." He shook his head, looking like he wanted to say more but he opted not to. He was no longer focused on me but the TV that wasn't on. He chuckled, his dimples pulling in. Another attractive trait about him.

I was fixated as I looked at him, fantasies playing in my head that shouldn't have been. He turned looking at me, catching my stare causing me to shift in my seat.

I racked my brain for something to say, anything to make the moment last longer. "I'm surprised you let me come to your house, knowing that you know who my brother is and all." That was probably the dumbest thing I could have said.

I saw the switch in his eyes and his body language. He went from chill to quickly on guard. "So if anything happens to my house then I know who to come for." Seriousness all in his voice as well as on his face.

My eyes widened, "I-I didn't mean it like that." I tried to quickly stutter out. "Jose I wouldn't —" I didn't even get to finish my statement before he jumped it.

"You done with your fake ass reason for wanting to talk to me in private?" Slight attitude in his voice, clear that my comment bothered him, which I should have known it would. That was so dumb Johanna, so dumb to say. I thought.

"Jose I didn't mean anything by the comment." I furthered defended as I turned my body more towards him, "you really think I would do some shit like that?" I asked with slight attitude.

He stood up. "I don't fucking know you. You made a stupid ass comment, that shit ain't nothing to joke about when in all fucking honesty I owe that mothafucka a bullet."

I stood up, knowing this conversation would go nowhere good. "I'm going to go."

He nodded his head, "yeah, that's your best bet."