Page 3 of Certified Pressure

He froze mid-step with his eyes wide and put his hands up.

Renza moved quick, posted by the front door like he’d been assigned that position hours ago. Kay’Lo went to the back and locked down the kitchen exit.

Donovan’s eyes locked on mine, and whatever high he had goin’ vanished in a second.

“P-Pressure?” he stuttered, tryin’ to stand up but slippin’ on glitter and ass oil.

I stepped closer and tilted my head.

“This what you on? Got your whole face in booty the night before you supposed to say ‘I do’?”

“Look, bro… please,” Donovan said, his hands raised like he was in front of the law. “This ain’t even—this ain’t what it look like. I was just chillin’. You don’t gotta?—”

“I don’t gotta what?” I cut him off, pushin’ the barrel closer to his temple. “Don’t ever tell me what I don’t gotta do, nigga. I don’t follow rules, I break ‘em, and I damn sure don’t negotiate with goofies who wipe their face off in between ass cheeks.”

He looked like he wanted to cry, but the fear kept him just still enough.

“Pull out your phone.”

Donovan blinked, confused. “What?”

I cocked the hammer back a lil’.

“I said pull out your phone.”

He fumbled in his pocket, pulled it out and unlocked it with his tremblin’ thumb.

“Now call Ka’mari.”

“She… she might be asleep?—”

“I don’t give a fuck if she in REM sleep dreamin’ ‘bout her dress, call her. And when she pick up, you gon’ tell her y’all not gettin’ married tomorrow.”

Donovan hesitated.

“You gon’ make up somethin’. Tell her you had a realization. Tell her your spirit ain’t right. Tell her God spoke to you through a stripper’s twerk pattern. I don’t care. But if you value your life more than that fake-ass tuxedo you wearin’ tomorrow, you’ll do it.”

Donovan’s thumb hovered for a moment, then he tapped her name.

The phone rang once…Twice…Then she answered. Her voice was faint on the other end, but I heard it.

Donovan’s throat moved, but no words came out.

I pushed the gun closer. “Talk.”

“H-Hey… Ka’mari, baby…I been thinkin’ and I… I can’t go through with this.”

There was silence on the other end.

“I just… I’m not ready. I got some things I need to figure out. I… I think we need to call the wedding off.”

I let him finish, then after he hung up, I slowly lowered the gun. I took a step back and gave him a lil’ slap on the cheek. It wasn’t hard, but just enough to remind him who he was dealin’ with.

“Good boy, Donny.”

He flinched, still starin’ at the floor.

I glanced around at the room. It was still frozen, full of confused and half-naked people.