“Because I did something like this once. When I was about your age.” I swallowed hard. “There was a boy who was making my life hell. Bullying me every day. And one day I snapped. Beat him with a padlock until he stopped moving.”
Yusef’s eyes went wide.
“I went to prison for it,” I continued. “Spent eight years locked up because I didn’t have anyone to help me. Didn’t have anyone to tell me what to do, how to handle it. My own mother testified against me.”
“That’s…” Yusef couldn’t finish the sentence.
“That’s why I’m here. That’s why I’m helping you.” I gripped his shoulders harder. “You’re not gonna suffer the fate I did. You’re not gonna lose your life over this. But you gotta trust me. You gotta do exactly what I say. Can you do that?”
“Yes.”
“Say it again.”
“I trust you, Prime.”
“Good.” I stood, grabbing the trash bag. “I’m gonna handle this. Get rid of everything. Then I’ll be back tonight.”
I looked at Zahara. She was still crying, but there was something else in her eyes now. Gratitude. Trust. Love.
“Keep him calm,” I said. “Keep him inside. If police come to the door asking questions, you let them in, you cooperate, and you stick to the story. He was home. Practicing piano. That’s all.”
“Okay.”
I moved toward the door, then stopped. Turned back to look at Yusef one more time.
Guilt hit me like a fist to the chest.
I’d been teaching him to fight. Taking him to Pharaoh’s gym. Trying to make him stronger so he could defend himself against whoever was hurting him.
But I hadn’t done it fast enough.
If I’d trained him harder. If I’d figured out who was behind the bullying sooner. If I’d been paying attention instead of dealing with Vivica’s bullshit and Larry’s body and everything else…
Maybe this wouldn’t have happened.
Maybe Nigel would still be alive.
Maybe Yusef wouldn’t be sitting there with blood on his hands and trauma in his eyes that would never fully go away.
I’d failed him.
Just like everyone had failed me.
“I’ll be back,” I said quietly. “I promise.”
Then I left, trash bag in hand, to cover up another murder.
Because that’s what I did.
That’s who I was.
And apparently, that’s who I’d always be.
38
ZAHARA
Prime came back around nine.
