Page 35 of Saved By A Small Town Country Boy

Khalif

I sat there in the rider pickup line, waiting for Khali to come out the door. My mind has been fucked up, from the bullshit that Remedi told me to the whole Simone situation. Now I’m gon’ have to figure out who the fuck paid to kill her.

I didn’t have any beef with anyone, so I didn’t understand who would’ve wanted her dead. Whoever killed her, they were gon’ have to see me as well as the nigga that was paid for the hit.

Khali came out the door and ran toward my truck. One of the teachers opened the back door for her and helped her inside.

“How was school today?” I asked her.

“It was good.”

“That’s good.”

Placing the truck in drive, I pulled away from the curb and headed home.

“You got any homework?” I asked her as I pulled into our driveway. That’s when I saw Remedi’s truck. I wasn’t expecting her to be here, especially after the conversation we had the night before.

“Yeah,” Khali finally answered me.

I placed the truck in park and got out. Opening the back passenger door, I waited as Khali grabbed her book bag and got out.

“Go inside and do your homework.”

She rushed onto the porch, and Remedi stood to her feet.

“Hey, Khali,” Remedi spoke to her, and Khali stopped.

“Hey, Remedi! I have to go do my homework. I’ll be back once I’m done,” she said and rushed into the house.

“What are you doing here?” I asked her once Khali was out of earshot.

“I was actually leaving. I came by to say goodbye to y’all.”

“Leaving for what?”

“The police are looking for me, and I made things worse with you. There’s no point in me being here anymore.”

“They’re looking for you for what?”

She sat down on the swing and stared out into the yard. The wind lightly blew. I couldn’t wait ’til it got cold. Winter was knocking on our front door.

“You know what I told you I did. It finally caught up to me.”

“I can handle that shit if you want me to.”

“Handle it how?”

“I got my ways. I just gotta find that nigga Mitchell and take care of that shit first.” Scrubbing my hand down my face, I said, “You can stay here with us ’til the shit is handled. No one will look for you here.”

“I thought you would’ve wanted me to leave.” That’s far from the truth. I was upset last night and needed time to process things and cool off.

“Nah. You’re good. Get your shit and come in the house.”

“You sure?”

“Remedi, don’t make me change my mind.”

“Okay.”

She went out to her truck and grabbed her suitcase. I held the door open for her while she carried it into the house.

“Where you want me to put it at?”

“My bedroom is fine.”

Her brow rose. “Are you sure about that?”

“Yeah.”

She took the suitcase into the room, and I went over to the sink to check on the meat that I had in there.

I was making spaghetti for dinner and had placed some beef in there before I left the house to go pick Khali up.

With everything that’s been resting on my shoulders, I didn’t want to try to make anything heavy tonight.

Removing my phone from my pocket, I checked it to see if I had any notifications from Creed.

He’s been out there searching for that Mitchell nigga.

I figured he was the one I tossed out of town, but I had a feeling that he hadn’t gone anywhere.

He’s sticking ’round looking for trouble, and I’m gon’ give him exactly what he’s looking for.

The only notifications I had were emails. I slid the phone onto the counter just as Remedi came into the kitchen.

“Do you need help with anything?”

“I’m just making spaghetti. It’s nothing hard.”

She stopped beside me and looked over into the sink. “I can make dinner for y’all. It’s the least I can do.” Her eyes bored up at me.

“You sure?”

“Yeah. Gone and relax. I got it.”

“A’ight.”

Peeling away from the counter, I headed into my bedroom and went into the bathroom to take a shower. I didn’t plan on leaving the house any more tonight, so I was ’bout to get comfortable.

Turning on the shower, I stripped out of my clothes and stepped in. I’d been in there for ’bout thirty minutes and got out. Wrapping a towel ’round my waist, I left the room and went into the kitchen to see if Remedi was done cooking.

When I entered the kitchen, Remedi stood there with tears streaming down her cheeks. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

“All of this could’ve been so simple.” That bitch ass nigga Mitchell stepped into view with a gun hanging in his hand.

Khali!

I prayed baby girl stayed in her bedroom.

“What the fuck do you want?” I asked him and scrubbed my hand down my face.

“I’m taking what I came here for.” His hand lifted in my direction.

Pow!

A burning sensation coursed through my abdomen.

“Khalif!” Remedi screamed.

Spinning on my heels, I made a dash for the gun I kept in the living room.

Pow!

Before I was able to reach it, more hot lead hit me in my back. My legs wobbled, and I dropped to my knees. Khali poked her head ’round the corner. I fell face forward, smacking the side of my face against the floor.

Pow!

Another gunshot rang out, and everything went black.

To be continued.