Page 86 of Collateral Love
Our whole lives, I protected Channy. I protected her from poverty, from violence, from this life, and from men like him. And now he’d dragged her right to the edge of it anyway.
That was the rage I had to control.
Because rage made men sloppy.
“You really think one man can save you now?” Charles continued.
I pictured Zayden’s face.
“He won’t rush here,” I said. “My baby daddy’s harder than all of you Niggas”
That was when Charles lost his smile.
He nodded again.
The woman stepped forward.
She raised the taser.
“Do it,” Charles said.
She hesitated.
I looked at her.
Straight on.
“Whatever you’re about to do,” I said evenly, “you’ll remember my face when it’s over.”
Her hand shook, but she tased me.
The pain exploded.
It was electric and violent.
My body arched against the cuffs, muscles seizing, vision fracturing into white shards. I bit down hard enough that my teeth ached, refusing to scream.
I would not give them sound.
The shock lasted five seconds.
Five seconds was an eternity, but survivable.
When it stopped, my breath came in sharp, controlled pulls. My vision swam but steadied.
I laughed.
A low, broken sound.
Charles frowned.
“You think this shit is funny?”
“No,” I said hoarsely. “I think you’re predictable.”
He stepped closer.
“You’re not as untouchable as you think.”
