Page 83

"No!"
"No, the bitch nigga paid me to kill her."
"Oh my God." I started backing away from the two of them. Tears ran down my cheeks. He was just as bad as she was. The both of them were murderers.
Qianna grabbed me by the arm. "Where you goin’?"
"Let me go," I said, and jerked my arm away from her. "Both of you need to leave."
"I ain’t goin’ no damn where," Qianna said, and came toward me. I backed further away.
"Just get out!" I screamed. My head and my heart were pounding. I could barely see straight.
"Leave her alone."
Devin grabbed Qianna by the arm. "Get your mutha fuckin’ hands off me, nigga."
"Get out! Both of you get out of here! I never wanna see either of you ever again!"
"Fuck that! Ungrateful bitch. Both of y’all ungrateful mutha fuckas. It ain’t goin’ down like this. Not today," Qianna said, and grabbed me with both hands.
"Let her go, Qianna," Devin said, and pulled her off of me.
Qianna broke free from Devin and swung at him. She reached in her purse and came out with a knife. She swung the knife at Devin, and cut him on his cheek.
Devin put his hand on his face and felt the blood. "You fuckin’ bitch. I’ll kill you!" he yelled, and started for her.
"Come on wit’ it then!" As he came toward her, Qianna kept swinging that knife. She cut him on the arm, and again on his face, before he grabbed her. Devin reached back and punched her in the face. Qianna went down from the blow, but got right back up.
"Stop it!" I yelled.
"Shut up," Qianna said, and pushed me to the floor. With her attention on me, Devin was able to grab her.
I watched helplessly from the floor as the two of them wrestled for the knife. I knew I should get up and help him, but I couldn’t.
Qianna got her hands free from Devin and she shoved the knife into his chest as he lunged for her. She pulled the knife out, and stuck it in his stomach.
Devin punched her in the face again, but then he fell to his knees.
I screamed.
Qianna backed away from him and watched as Devin’s body shook a little, and he fell on the floor. She turned and looked at me. I saw the fury in her eyes and the blood dripping from her knife. I got up from the floor and ran in the bedroom. I closed the door, but she kicked it open before I could lock it.
"Now I gotta kill you too," Qianna said, and came toward me slowly.
"Please don’t. Don’t kill me. I’ll do anything you say. I can give you money," I pleaded, and backed away from her.
Qianna pushed me down on the bed and crawled on top of me. She grabbed me by the throat and raised her knife.
Just as she was about to kill me, Devin wrapped his tie around her neck. He put his knee in her back and pulled both ends of his tie. Qianna struggled, trying desperately to get free, but Devin was too strong for her.
I laid there on the bed paralyzed by my fear, and watched as Qianna eyes opened wide, and she gasped for air. She dropped the knife, and then her body went limp. Devin let her go, and Qianna fell on top of me. I pushed her off of me and jumped up from the bed.
I looked at Devin. "Are you all right?"
"Yes," I said, and then Devin fell on the bed next to her.
I screamed and shook him. "Devin, Devin. Oh, God, Devin. You can’t die on me, not now." But he was dead. My whole body was shaking and tears were rolling down my cheeks. I backed out of the room slowly, and then ran out of the apartment.