The man people feared.
Destiny was screaming too, her phone forgotten, her hands covering her mouth.
And that’s when I moved.
I walked up to her, grabbed a fistful of her hair, and yanked her head back.
“You threw a drink on me,” I said, my voice low and steady. “Remember?”
Her eyes went wide. “Truth, I?—”
I punched her in the face.
Not hard enough to break anything.
But hard enough to make her feel it.
She stumbled back, her hands flying to her nose, blood already dripping between her fingers.
“You think you cute?” I said, advancing on her. “You think you won?”
I hit her again.
This time she went down.
And I didn’t stop.
I grabbed her by the hair and dragged her across the pavement, her screams mixing with Phillip’s, the sound of fists hitting flesh, the smell of blood and sweat and gasoline thick in the air.
Behind me, I heard Mama’s voice.
“That’s my baby!”
I looked up.
Mama was standing on the porch, her robe tied tight, her slippers on, and her shotgun in her hands.
She wasn’t pointing it at anyone.
Just holding it.
A failsafe.
But she was laughing.
Actually laughing.
“Put that belt to they ass, baby!” she shouted. “Show ’em what happens when they fuck with a Renois!”
And that’s when I saw it.
Amai had pulled his belt off.
The leather cracked through the air like a whip as he brought it down across Phillip’s back.
Phillip screamed.
Amai hit him again.
