Total pages in book: 118
Estimated words: 120336 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 602(@200wpm)___ 481(@250wpm)___ 401(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 120336 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 602(@200wpm)___ 481(@250wpm)___ 401(@300wpm)
My heart hammered in my chest.
I knew there was no turning back now.
No matter how much the idea of taking another person's life horrified me, I couldn’t escape the reality that lay before me.
We got to this blue one-level structure that seemed more like a warehouse than lodging.
Barely twenty feet ran between us and the building.
Leo stopped us. “This is as far as we go.”
Next, this harsh sound of laughter echoed from inside.
The man with the bag walked up and handed it to me.
Oh God.
Freaked out, I took the bag.
With it so close, the stench was horrific.
I almost vomited.
“This is where it counts, Monique.” Leo’s voice went low and deadly calm. “Remember where to aim and who to strike first. The leaders, the ones who rush to speak, the ones who instantly rise or try to attack you. Kill them before they kill you.”
I swallowed hard. “And if they don’t step up or be quick to say something?”
“Then you make them.” He placed his hand on my shoulder.
Song cleared his throat.
Leo frowned and moved his hand away. “Monique, stay courageous. You’re more capable than you know.”
Song stepped closer. “We’ll be here. Outside. But this is your fight.”
A cold shiver sliced through me.
I wanted to scream at them; to tell them this was madness, but I knew it wouldn’t matter. They’d already made up their minds, and deep down, a part of me had, too.
I was already standing at the edge of this cliff.
All that remained was my stepping over to fall.
Leo pointed at me again. “Show them who you are.”
My hands trembled as I gripped the bag tighter.
“I. . .will. . .” I forced myself to breathe.
“Good.” An odd smile spread across Leo’s face. “Now go.”
I froze.
They all watched me.
Song gave me a sad smile. “Monique.”
My bottom lip quivered. “T-there’s got to be another way.”
“There is.” Leo gestured to a blade that just fucking appeared in his hand. “But let’s not go that way.”
I stared at the glinting threat in his hand and then lifted the bag. “Alright. . .”
And just like that. . .I walked, terrified out of my mind.
You’re going to kill people. That’s that.
Blood drained from my face as my body went numb.
Point and pull the trigger. That’s it. And just. . .we will never think about this again.
My palms went slick with sweat as I clutched the bag tighter.
You can do this. You have to.
For Jo, Chloe, TT. For every Black woman who had to square their shoulders to silence the fear in their mind, and stare down what everyone else would run from.
Come on.
I pushed forward.
This isn’t the first time you’ve done the impossible. Remember?
The memories surged up, quick flashes of nights spent shielding my sisters from the storm, when the power would go out, and all we had was each other’s warmth.
Those were the nights I learned how to turn fear into courage, how to take the tremor in my voice and make it steel.
Tonight will be no different.
I felt a pulse of warmth at the base of my spine—a surge of adrenaline, like fire in my veins.
Steadying me.
Preparing me.
I forced the fear into a corner, locking it away.
It wasn’t welcome here.
We don’t get to flinch. We don’t get to pause. We shoot. We kill. We get the fuck out of this situation.
The canvas entrance to the massive tent loomed ahead.
The flaps rippled in the night wind.
I swallowed hard, fighting the bile rising in my throat.
I let out a shaky breath and focused on pumping myself up in my head.
Black women have carried the weight of the world for centuries, holding it up on their backs while daring it to break them. You’re not just Monique tonight. You’re every fighter. Every survivor who chose life, even when it was hard.
Then, Leo’s last words rang in my head like a battle cry. “Show them who you are.”
I stopped in front of the flap and reached for that fire, that relentless part of me that refused to break. The part that learned resilience the hard way.
I knew what I would look like to them—a weak ass Black woman, powerless, unworthy, face tight with fear, a lamb to be easily led to the slaughter.
Every man inside that tent would be measuring my worth, calculating their chances of outmatching me before I could act. They’d see me as nothing more than an intruder to be conquered, but I’d make them realize their mistake before they had the chance to move.
They would soon learn otherwise.
Fuck them. It’s me or them. And it damn sure won’t be me.
My fingers pushed the flap aside and I stepped into the space where death and destiny were tangled together.
This is it. No turning back.
Chapter fifteen
Blood and Loyalty
Moni
Once I stepped inside that tent, the scene unfolded fast before me.
Each detail was vivid and sharp.
Closest to me, a dozen Chinese men sat around a rectangular table, moving Mahjong tiles here and there, completely caught up in their game.