She laughed it off, thinking it was flirtation, thinking she had the upper hand. She had no idea she was standing inches away from a man who already knew her sins and had planned her ending.
“I feel a little dizzy,” she said, stumbling into the living room like her legs forgot how they worked.
I watched her sway and try and reach for balance. I let her fall. Didn’t even flinch or try and make a move to help her. Just stood there as her body hit the floor with a dull thud.
“Wait… I don’t feel so good,” she murmured, words slipping off her tongue.
She tried to roll, but her limbs wouldn’t follow. Now she was flat on her back, staring at the ceiling like it might save her.
“Can you help me up?” she asked, arm stretching toward me.
I slapped her hand away. “Fuck no, you dumb ass bitch,” I snapped. “This the same way you and Dre left Stormi pregnant and bleeding out.”
Her brow creased. “Stormi?” she slurred. “What she got to do with this?”
“She’s, my sister.”
The words hit harder than my hand ever could. I watched her eyes widen, watched the panic try to rise but her body was already betraying her. Whatever Barbie slipped her had her locked in place, mind screaming, muscles dead.
“Damn,” Barbie said, stepping into the house. “This bitch still alive?”
“Not for long,” I replied, kneeling so I was eye level with Imani.
Her breath was shallow now. Fear finally caught up.
“Guess the cat’s out the bag,” I said calmly. “All that grimy shit you pulled. It helped me find my family. So, thanks for that. You gonna watch Stormi raise your son from hell.”
Her lips trembled. I stood and reached for the piece. Barbie already had the silencer screwed on tight. Quiet neighborhood and it needed to stay that way. I didn’t hesitate. I stood over Imani and emptied the clip into her body.
Barbie sucked her teeth. “Damn. Talk about overkill.”
“She played with my sister,” I said, handing the gun back like it was nothing.
Barbie took it, watching me closely. “Same sister you still ain’t told who you are?”
I grabbed the plastic. “Waiting on the right time.”
“You think she know about you already?” Barbie asked, holding one end while I wrapped the body.
“No,” I said, my jaw tightening. “My father told me Jo hid the pregnancy from her family. When I was born, she dropped me on his doorstep and said I’d be better off with him.”
“Damn,” Barbie said. “I wish some exciting shit like that happened in my family.”
“This shit ain’t exciting,” I muttered, nodding for her to help lift the body.
Barbie laughed softly. “I’m just saying it sound like a Tubi movie. You know I love them shits.”
I shook my head as we dragged Imani’s body into the garage and loaded her into the white van. I wasn’t ready to introduce myself to the family I’d just discovered, but I was more than ready to come behind anyone who ever thought they could play with them.
Chapter
Nineteen
STORMI
“Iain’t never seen somebody throw a party for every life event,” Jo said, her voice echoing through the half-decorated venue as we walked in.
The decorators were still hanging lights and setting up the gold backdrop with “Seth’s Legacy”spelled across the top. It already looked beautiful and we weren’t even done yet.
