AS MIA ANDI struggled violently over her phone, her voice rose to an ear-splitting level as she yelled accusations and threats at me. My patience was gone and had been replaced by a fury that pushed me toward the edge. Listening to her threaten to shatter the careful world I’d built made me see red.
She was serious this time. I could see the reckless fire in her eyes that told me if I didn’t do something immediately, she’d ruin everything. I wasn’t about to let Mia tear my world apart, not when I’d sacrificed so much to keep Aviana exactly where she belonged.
“Nigga, I’m telling her everything. It was supposed to be me, you, and our baby. Avi deserves to know. You can’t keep hiding me and my baby.”
I knew that Mia hoped that the reminder that she was carrying my child would soften me, but it had done the opposite. Suddenly, my anger turned violent. My fist collided with her temple, and pain exploded behind her eyes. She looked as if the world had spun around her. Her grip on the phone loosened, and she blinked as if her vision was blurred. She fought to stay conscious, but I watched as the darkness closed in on her.
She slumped to the floor as she passed out from the knockout.
Panic consumed me, pushing me into a rage that was manic. More than my fear of her telling my wife everything, I knew that Mia was so pissed that she would tell the Feds of my involvement with the embezzlement. I couldn’t afford to let her reveal everything to Aviana or the Feds. I was desperate and thinking irrationally. I needed to silence her and to keep my secrets buried.
My initial efforts to try to silence her had failed. Two weeks ago, I had come up with the plan to make an anonymous tip to the twins at Dream Realty. Considering how much money she’d stolen, there was no way that she would avoid prison time. I hoped that once Mia was arrested, she would be so in love with me that she would never turn me in. But then we found out that she was pregnant. She was even more determined for us to be together then. She thought we were Bonnie and Clyde, but I didn’t want to lose Aviana, so I made the anonymous tip. I hoped that once Mia was arrested, she would want to terminate the pregnancy, but she only became more determined than ever.
I dropped to my knees beside her. Her body was limp and unconscious. Desperate, I gripped her neck with my hands. My fingers tightened around her throat. Her skin was warm, but I could already sense her life slipping away. The choking sounds that escaped her lips were the only indication that she was still alive. I squeezed harder with desperation driving me.
Her breathing grew more ragged.
Then it stopped altogether.
My heart drummed in my chest as I realized I had actually done it. But I couldn’t deny the relief I felt. Still, I was shook that I had actually taken a life.
I was still shaking as I stood up. Panicked, I rushed into the bedroom nearby. The only sound in the condo was my unnervedbreathing and rushed footsteps. I dragged the large suitcase from the corner of the room and into the living room.
As I stood over her body, I crouched down to ensure that she was in fact dead. Checking her pulse, I confirmed that she was no longer alive. With trembling hands, I lifted her into the suitcase. The sound of her bones cracking as I contorted her body to fit inside was sickening. I gagged, fighting to keep the contents of my stomach inside. The suitcase seemed too small, but I forced her in.
I struggled with the zipper. I had to sit on it to get it closed.
When I finally did, I stood there, breathless and horrified at what I had just done. I started to question my own sanity. Staring at the suitcase, I knew I had to get rid of it and make sure that no one ever found out what had happened here. My hands were slick with sweat. My mind raced as I tried to figure out my next move.
I wrestled with the suitcase as I drug it out of the condo. Every creak of the suitcase sounded so loud in the silent hallway.
When I reached the elevator, I was already sweating. The metal doors slid open. I was so lost in my own head that I didn’t realize I wasn’t alone until I saw Paul step in behind me. He was an older black guy who lived down the hall. We’d exchanged a few words before, but never anything more.
I tensed up as the elevator door closed behind us. I tried to maintain a casual demeanor, nodding my head in greeting. “What up, Paul?”
“How you doin’, Damar?” He looked at me with kind, but curious eyes. “How’s everything going?”
My throat was dry, and I struggled to keep my voice steady. “Good as they can be.”
Paul’s gaze lingered a moment too long, and he frowned slightly. “You sure you’re okay? You look a bit off.”
I forced a tight-lipped smile. “I’m fine. It’s just been a long-ass day.”
He chuckled sarcastically. “I’ve had plenty of those, and you’ll have plenty more.”
I scoffed at the irony.
The elevator descended slowly, each floor feeling like an eternity. I could feel Paul’s concerned eyes on me. I shifted from foot to foot, trying to distract myself, but the feeling of the suitcase handle in my hand felt like a lead anchor around my legs.
Finally, the elevator came to a stop at the lobby. “Well, this is my stop.” I tried to sound casual as I drug the suitcase toward the opening doors. “Have a good night.”
Paul nodded, but his concerned eyes remained fixed on me. “You sure you’re all right?”
“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine,” I insisted.
I rushed out of the elevator and headed toward the parking garage.
I didn’t look back as I hustled toward my car.
