Chapter 28
PRIME
I broke every traffic law getting to Grits. Ran three red lights. Hit eighty on residential streets. Didn’t give a fuck about cops or cameras or anything except getting to her.
I killed him.
Those words kept replaying. Her voice broken. Terrified.
I screeched into the back lot, killed the engine, and was out the car before it fully stopped.
She was sitting on the floor when I burst through the door. Knees pulled to her chest. Blood on her hands. Staring at the body sprawled a few feet away.
Larry was faced down in a pool of his own blood. Still as death.
“Zahara.”
Her head snapped up. Eyes glassy. Distant. In shock.
I crossed to her, dropped down, and grabbed her face. “You hurt? He touch you?”
She shook her head but couldn’t speak.
I looked her over quick and was pissed to find that her jeans pulled down at the waist and her hoodie twisted.
The rage that hit me was volcanic.
I stood, walked over to Larry’s body, and kicked him in the ribs. Hard. The sound of my boot connecting with dead flesh echoed through the kitchen.
“Prime—”
I kicked him again. And again. Would’ve kept going if she hadn’t said my name.
I forced myself to step back. Breathe. Focus.
Went back to her and pulled her up into my arms. She collapsed against my chest, her whole body shaking.
“I’m sorry,” she sobbed. “I should’ve called you. I didn’t want to bother you and—”
“What the fuck were you thinking?” My voice came out hard and cold. “Coming here by yourself? After I told you not to?”
“I know—”
“Nah, you don’t know. You could’ve died tonight, Zahara. You understand that?” I gripped her chin, made her look at me. “If you hadn’t grabbed that knife when you did, this would be you on that floor. Not him.”
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, tears streaming down her face.
I pulled her back against me, my anger fading into something else. Something protective and possessive that I didn’t have words for.
“Tell me what happened,” I said, my voice low. “Everything.”
She told me. About thinking I’d walked in. About Larry cornering her. Threatening her. Forcing himself on her. Trying to pull her pants down.
Every word made me want to bring that nigga back to life just so I could kill him again. Slower this time. Torture his fat-ass like I used to get paid to do.
“He was on top of me and I couldn’t—” Her voice broke. “I grabbed the knife and just—”
“Stop.” I tilted her face up. “You did what you had to do. That’s it. Let go of any guilt and regret. That nigga tried to rape you and you defended yourself. Period.”
“But I killed someone, Prime.”
“Nah. You survived. That’s all that matters.” I wiped her tears with my thumb. “Now listen to me. You’re going home. You’re gonna act like nothing happened. Send Yusef to school in the morning. Don’t change shit. Don’t call nobody. Don’t tell nobody. You understand?”
“What about—” She looked at Larry’s body.
“I said I got it. Don’t worry about him. He’s already gone.”
“Prime, you can’t just—”
“I can and I will. Question is, do you trust me?”
“Yes, but—”
“Then trust me to handle this.” My hands tightened on her shoulders. “You were home tonight. With Yusef. That’s the story. That’s what happened. Say it back to me.”
“I was home with Yusef.”
“Again.”
“I was home with Yusef all night.”
“Good. Now, you working tomorrow?”
“No. I’m off.”
“Then stay home. Stay with your son. Act normal. I’ll come through when I’m done handling this.”
I gave her the keys to my car and told her to drive home.
“Go,” I said. “I’ll text you when it’s done.”
She nodded, got in my car, and pulled off.
I watched until she was gone, then pulled out my phone.
Called Justice first.
“Yo.”
“I need you at Grits. Now. Back entrance.”
“It’s one in the morning, nigga—”
“Now. Bring about twenty bottles of hydrogen peroxide, plastic, tarps. All of it.”
Silence. Then: “Aight. Be there soon.”
Hung up. Called Quest.
“This better be good.”
“Grits. Back door. Now.”
“Man, what—”
“Don’t ask questions. Just come.”
Click.
Called Pharaoh last.
“Yeah?”
“Need you at Grits with your van. The big one.”
“What’d you do?”
“Just get here.”
“Give me twenty.”
Done.
I went back inside and stared at Larry’s body. At the blood. At the mess.
This was about to be a long-ass night.
Justice rolled up first with two duffel bags. Walked in, saw Larry, and let out a low whistle.
“Goddamn. Who body is that?”
“Larry. Zahara’s boss.”
“Your girl did this?”
“He tried to rape her. She stabbed him in the eye.”
Justice’s face went cold. “Good. Fuck that nigga.” He dropped the bags. “What we doing?”
“Disappearing him. Cleaning this whole spot. Like nothing happened.”
“Bet.”
Quest showed up next, took one look, and shook his head. “Man, I knew you was gonna get us caught up in some crazy shit. I just ain’t think it’d be over pussy.”
“Watch your mouth,” I said, my voice sharp.
Quest held up his hands. “My bad, my bad. Damn.” But he was grinning. “So it’s like that? Prime Banks ready to catch a body over a female?”
“We ain’t catching nothing. We cleaning up.”
“Same difference.”
Pharaoh pulled up last, backing his van to the door. Came in, looked at Larry, nodded.
“Aight. We wrapping him, putting him in the van, and I know a spot. Way out in the woods. Ain’t nobody ever finding him.” He looked at me. “You sure about this? You willing to risk everything for her?”
“Yeah.”
“Damn.” He shook his head. “Never thought I’d see Prime simpin’.”
“It ain’t simpin’”
“Nah?” Justice was laughing now. “Then what you call dropping everything in the middle of the night to clean up a murder scene for a bitch you—”
I had him by the throat before he finished the sentence. Slammed him against the wall. “Call her a bitch again and see what happens.”
“Yo, what the fuck?” Justice barked.
“Aye chill… we ain’t doin’ all that, lil bro. Justice just messin’ with you.”
“Get yo’ hands off of me,” Justice growled.
I let him go, stepped back. My brothers had never seen me into a woman before. Shit, I had never been into a woman like this before. The Goddess had a nigga wrapped up.
“He’s sensitive,” Quest said to Pharaoh. “The pussy must be fire.”
“Has to be,” Pharaoh agreed. “Got this nigga ready to go back to prison.”
“Y’all done?” I glared at all three of them. “Or we gonna keep talking shit while this body decomposes?”
“We done,” Quest said, but he was still smiling. “For now.”
We got to work. Quest and I wrapped Larry in plastic while Justice cleaned everything. Pharaoh helped us load the body into the van.
“You know you in love, right?” Quest said as we worked. “This ain’t normal behavior.”
“Man, shut up.”
“Nah, for real. Most niggas just buy flowers and shit. You out here disposing bodies like you Tony Soprano.”
“Facts,” Justice added. “Got you acting crazy. I was about to lay you out.”
“You wasn’t gon’ lay shit out,” I replied.
“Nigga, let’s get to work before we all end up in prison,” Quest interrupted.
We spent two more hours scrubbing that kitchen, using the peroxide to clean the floors. I’d learned that it was better to use that than bleach. Blood can still be detected even when a surface has been bleached but peroxide breaks down the compounds in blood.
By 4 AM, it looked brand new.
“We good?” I asked.
“Yeah,” Quest said. “But you owe us. Big time.”
“And we collecting,” Justice added. “Starting with you telling us what’s so special about this girl.”
“She just is.”
“Nigga, that ain’t an answer. We was about to go to blows over.”
“It’s the one you’re getting,” I spat.
Pharaoh loaded up. “Aight, I’m out. Body’ll be gone by sunrise. Untraceable.”
“Appreciate you.”
“Yeah, well. You helped me disappear a nigga or two before.” He dapped me up. “But for real, she better be worth all this.”
After they left, I stood alone in that kitchen. Made one final check. Then pulled out my phone.
It’s done. Everything handled. Get some sleep. I’ll come by later.
Her response came quick.
Thank you. I don’t know how to ever repay you.
You don’t owe me shit. Just stay home. Stay safe. I got you.
Okay.
I locked up and headed home.
My brothers were right. I was in deeper than I’d ever been. Doing shit I swore I’d never do.
All for a woman who just fell into my lap.
But I didn’t care.
She was mine now.
And I’d burn this whole city down before I let anyone touch her again.