I didn’t raise my voice. I didn’t want to scare the boys in the backseat. But Josh knew me. He knew that tone. And he didn’t ask any questions. I turned back to my phone, heart racing.
“Rich… Imani and Dre were just hugged up on her porch. Arms around each other like they been locked in for a minute. And I’m pretty sure they realized who the car belonged to before we could pull off.”
Rich didn’t respond right away. I heard him breathing. Always controlled and calculated, just like Seth.
S3 leaned forward from the backseat. “What happened, Mommy Stormi? Why did we leave? Mommy was right there.”
Before I could answer, Rich’s voice came through the phone, sharp but loving.
“S3. Put on a movie. Disney Plus. Headphones Now.”
“But Rich?—”
“S3. Do what I said. Right now.”
There was no room for negotiation in his tone. It wasn’t fear. It was protection. S3 did exactly what he was told. Slipped on his headphones, pulled up the movie app, and pressed play without another word.
I turned around and checked Shiloh was still out cold, mouth slightly open, little fists curled up under his blanket. He had no idea the storm we were driving away from. And just like that my fear turned into focus.
Rich’s voice came back through the phone, low and locked in. “Sis, the boys strapped in good?”
I nodded. “Yeah. Both of ‘em.”
“Josh, anyone followin’?”
Josh hit a hard right, tires gripping the curve. I grabbed the side of the seat to keep steady.
“We got a follow,” Josh said, checking the mirror. “Black Audi. Been on us since we left Imani’s block.”
Rich’s voice didn’t shake. “Aight. Stormi, listen to me. I’m meetin’ y’all on 31st. Josh, take MLK. Once y’all cross LaFayette, I’ll intercept and take care of the tail. Just stay with the route.”
He was already moving. I could hear the keys, the door slam, his boots hitting pavement. Rich wasn’t just my husband’s best friend. He was a soldier. A protector. And when it came to us, he moved like war.
Then his tone changed. “Sis, look at me.”
I did. Even though his voice was calm, his eyes showed the evil that ran through his mind.
“You, okay? Y’all gonna be okay. You hear me? Nobody will ever get the chance to try y’all again. I promise you that. I’ma handle this.”
I should’ve been scared. But I wasn’t, because at that moment, I remembered exactly who I married and the people he kept around us. I married a man who finished things. And Imani standing on that porch hugged up with the same man who tried to take everything from us had just chosen a side.
I glanced out the sideview mirror and spotted the black Audi Q5 trailing us. The same car that had been parked outside Imani’s house. You couldn’t see who was in either vehicle. My truck had the darkest tints you could see out, but no one could see in. The Audi’s tints were dark too, but not enough to hide everything.You could make out one person. The driver. A man. I knew it was Dre.
I wondered how I’d feel seeing him again. Would I be afraid, scared, or nervous, but I felt nothing. No fear, no panic. It felt like I was just driving home to my house, to my family. I was making it home to cook dinner, get my boys ready for bed, watch TV with Jo, and end the night lying on my husband’s chest once they finally released them.
Dre wasn’t allowed to take anything else from me. Not anymore. I’d promised my son I wouldn’t miss another moment of his life. And I meant it. Dre wasn’t winning this war, even if I had to fill his body with lead myself.
As soon as the Audi caught a glimpse of the ambush, it backed off hard slamming into reverse and disappearing down the road. That’s when we saw Rich’s Charger and Southside on his motorcycle. They pulled in behind us, forming a wall between us and Dre’s retreating car, and they followed me and the boys the rest of the way home.
The moment we pulled into the driveway, everything moved fast.
Rich was already at my door, yanking it open. “Come on,” he said, voice low but urgent, guiding me and the boys inside like we were under siege.
Josh took S3 straight to his room, promising to find that picture of the cheat code he’d been asking about. Shiloh was all smiles, clueless to what was happening around him... Serena swept in behind us, scooping him up with practiced ease.
“I got him,” she said. “I’ll get him cleaned up and ready for his next feeding.” She disappeared down the hall, her voice soft, humming something familiar.
I barely had time to exhale before Rich was in front of me again, eyes sharp, voice serious. “Stormi… you sure that was Dre at Imani’s house?”
