Page 209 of The Ninth

Kenzie hopped up, snatching me further from the drive thru. Before the two niggas could up again, I did. I ran backwards while letting Kenzie’s shit go.

POP! POP! POP! POP!

They both dropped down as I finally turned forward, running. Despite us making it out of the car, I could still hear niggas shooting into it. It sounded like Poncho was shooting back. There was no sign of him or Tati anymore. Well, the only sign was my sister screaming to the top of her lungs.

My hand wrapped around Kenzie’s wrist, pulling her through the woods and closer to the car lot on the other side. My heart ached that I didn’t have Tati with me, G. It felt like I went out with my sister and we got into some shit and I left her ass. I should’ve laid my life out making sure she came with us and not that nigga.

“AHHH!” Kenzie called out. She lifted her foot, showing a piece of glass sticking out of her shoe.

I spun around and started shooting even more since they were still following behind us.

POP! POP! POP! POP!

I didn’t feel nervous like when I was with Juan. It didn’t feel wrong or scary. At this moment, it felt right. Because it was right to kill one of these niggas before they killed us. Before they took me from Kenzo, Devyn, Duke who already lost so much. I can’t let Devyn become a mother alone.

Kenzie got the glass out of her foot. I turned, throwing her arm over my shoulders as we ran into the car lot. There were only janky ass cars back by the woods. I seen a line of trucks and headed that way.

“DON’T LET THEM BITCHES LIVE, FOE!” someone yelled behind us.

“Get under the truck, Kenzie!” I whispered to her.

She got under one as I ran, getting under another a couple of feet down.

The side of my face laid against the cold concrete. Despite feeling dizzy and winded, I still held my breath, scared they were going to find us. Their feet broke the brush of the woods, running out onto the concrete.

“Please don’t let me die, Mama...” I whispered with my eyes closed. “Deddy, please....”

I braced myself while taking in the noises all around us. There was the sound of tires screeching by the restaurant. A few seconds later, someone started letting their pole bark. It was the loudest and quickest I’ve heard in all the gunfire. There was shouting, windows breaking, niggas yelling out. It’s like the niggas following us was taken aback as well. No sound came from them...until they ran directly towards my truck.

“GET UNDER THERE, TWIN! GO!”

“NAH, FUCK THAT. COME ON. COME THIS WAY!”

Just as one of them bent their knees to drop down right beside me, the other snatched him up. Their feet hit the concrete until the grass concealed their footsteps. I listened to the sound of leaves rustling and twigs breaking get further and further away. I finally let out the breath I was holding.

“Thank you...” I whispered to my angels.

I could see Kenzie underneath a truck a couple down. It was too dark to make out her facial features or hear if she told me something, but she was there. And she was alive. My mind immediately went back to Tatianna. I hope that goofy ass nigga go—

“No...NO! NOOOOO!”

“CASSIE!” Kenzie yelled out.

Hands clamped down on my ankles, pulling me from beneath the truck. Letting go of my phone, I used my freehand and the arm of the hand that was holding the gun to try to claw my way back underneath. A couple of my acrylics popped off, fingernails bleeding onto the ground. It was useless. The person stopped pulling briefly and with one big pull, I was snatched from beneath the truck.

My heart thumped as my arm went behind me, pointing the gun. Before I could even fully aim at whoever, they grabbed my wrist tightly, twisting it in a way that caused the gun to fall to the ground. My body felt too exhausted to fight back. I felt sick and dehydrated. The emotions and stress of the night got to me.

Sobs started to rock my body as the person grabbed beneath my arms, yanking me from the ground and onto my feet. I refused to open my eyes. Deep within me, I was terrified to see my own fate.

I took a deep breath in and...smelled him.

My eyes flew open. Kenzo was standing just an inch away from me. He was breathing quickly. Every vein in his body was visible. His face...I don’t know. He was angry, obviously. But there was a look of fear. Terror even. And deep...deep sadness.

His hands stretched forward, taking my face captive. I licked my lips, preparing to explain. Preparing to apologize. Instead, he leaned down, pressing his lips into mine. I immediately collapsed into him, recognizing for the first time in the night that I was safe.

Chapter 41: Behind Our Backs

Duke’s POV