“We good?” I asked.
“Yeah,” Quest said. “But you owe us. Big time.”
“And we collecting,” Justice added. “Starting with you telling us what’s so special about this girl.”
“She just is.”
“Nigga, that ain’t an answer. We was about to go to blows over.”
“It’s the one you’re getting,” I spat.
Pharaoh loaded up. “Aight, I’m out. Body’ll be gone by sunrise. Untraceable.”
“Appreciate you.”
“Yeah, well. You helped me disappear a nigga or two before.” He dapped me up. “But for real, she better be worth all this.”
After they left, I stood alone in that kitchen. Made one final check. Then pulled out my phone.
It’s done. Everything handled. Get some sleep. I’ll come by later.
Her response came quick.
Thank you.I don’t know how to ever repay you.
You don’t owe me shit. Just stay home. Stay safe. I got you.
Okay.
I locked up and headed home.
My brothers were right. I was in deeper than I’d ever been. Doing shit I swore I’d never do.
All for a woman who just fell into my lap.
But I didn’t care.
She was mine now.
And I’d burn this whole city down before I let anyone touch her again.
29
ZAHARA
I barely slept. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Larry’s face. The blood. The way his body just dropped. The sound his head made when it hit that counter. I killed someone. The thought kept circling. Relentless. Suffocating.
“You up?” Yusef’s voice came from the hallway.
I forced myself to sit up, wiping my face quickly. “Yeah, baby. I’m up.”
He appeared in my doorway, already dressed in his school uniform. The bruise on his face had darkened overnight. His cracked glasses sat crooked on his nose.
Guilt crashed over me. I’d been so consumed with my own crisis, I hadn’t even taken care of getting him new glasses.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I’ll get you new glasses today. I promise.”
“It’s okay. I can see fine.” He couldn’t, but he was trying to make it easier on me.
