AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Jimmy has his arms out at both sides to keep us from entering the room any further because Adam is standing in the middle of my kitchen aiming a handgun at us as blood drips from his knuckles where he punched through the glass.
The thumps of Kieleigh’s feet hitting the floor as she runs down the hallway behind us has his attention.
“Kitt, kitty,” she calls as FB darts past my feet.
Thinking fast, Kiesha grabs her baby sister. “C’mere, you,” she whispers.
“Nobody move,” Adam barks.
“Let the kids go and you and I can talk about this.”
“Shut up, bitch. I didn’t permit you to speak.”
“Don’t talk to my mom like that, asshole,” Kiesha snaps as Kieleigh cries.
“See what you did?” He snaps at her. “Bring your sister to me, and no one gets hurt.”
“No way. Creep.”
“You think I’m playing?” He fires a round into the ceiling and I jump.
Jimmy is motionless, like a statue. I can’t decide if he’s frozen in fear or plotting his next move. His cell phone is sticking out of his pocket, and I try to retrieve it without Adam noticing.
“What are you doing? Move to the front where I can see you.”
Shit.
Jimmy presses me back and I know he’ll die to protect us. But he’s too young to take such a risk.
“Where’s Marie?” I decide to distract him with questions that will hopefully give Nav and Kimber enough time to get here, but at the same time I don’t want them walking into this dangerous situation.
“She’s waiting in the car so we can get the hell out of here and start fresh with my girls. Just give me Kiesha and Kieleigh.”
“No,” I shriek. “You aren’t taking either of them anywhere.”
He fires another round in the ceiling, and I pray a neighbor calls the disturbance in. “I’m not playing. Next one goes between your eyes.”
“Okay. Okay. I’m sorry. We’ll give you what you want, but I need you to promise me that you won’t hurt them.”
“I’m not the one who’s hurt them. You kept my kids from me. I came to get them back and give them the family they should have always had, but Marie chickened out when push came to shove.”
“What do you mean?”
“She was supposed to kill you at your fancy pants daycare but wouldn’t go through with it. Said we shouldn’t kill you because if the girls found out, they’d never forgive me.”
Kiesha whimpers as her sister continues to cry. Bile shoots up the back of my throat. I was kind to her. Gave her a job. Found her a safe place to stay. I’m protecting her kid right now from the monster she conspired against me with.
Kiesha nudges me in the middle of my back and whispers, “Jimmy’s gun.”
I didn’t realize he was packing. That should have been a given since he’s here to protect us.
Using the only thing I can, I bring up the past to occupy his mind while I maneuver the gun Jimmy has tucked in the back of his pants.
“You’re sick. You could have had a relationship with my daughters, but you chose booze and drugs over them. They were never safe with you, and neither is Kieleigh. I will never know how someone as ugly inside and out as you made such beautiful daughters. Because they don’t have any of your shitty qualities. It’s embarrassing to admit to anyone that I ever cared about you. That I ever allowed someone so disgusting to touch me. You need to leave this house and stay out of our lives for good, because I promise you, I have a good man in my life who adores me and if he sees you, you’ll be the one with the bullet between their eyes. Leave while you’re still breathing.”
“I’m warning you.”
“No.” I shove past Jimmy and take a step forward. “I’m warning you.” I cock the gun and point it at him, realizing I should have let Link kill him years ago. “Jimmy, take the girls and go.”
