Page 27 of The Impact (Parachutes #3)

“Daddy!” She dashed from the car when that didn’t work. Good. More time alone with this pussy. Five minutes to brain death, but Vin could have it done in four.

“Dalvin!” He identified the bass in Robert’s tone as Drew’s body gave in.

“That’s right. Don’t fight it,” Vin advised, high on the adrenaline. “Makes it worse.”

He hadn’t choked someone out in years. Guns were lazy, but they were efficient under a time crunch. Feeling someone writhe in struggle, kicking and terrified, life dangling at your mercy…it was better reserved when the revenge was personal. The most gratifying, non-sexual experience.

“Dalvin, get out of that fucking car? What are you doing? What the fuck is wrong with you?”

“Oh, Lord!” He heard Vanessa cry. A second later, pain exploded through his arm.

“Fuuuucccccck!” Vin released his prey, and Drew’s body slumped down in his seat, head falling to the side.

“Oh my God, he’s dead!” Tahli shrieked as Vin clutched his bloody arm. Shocked eyes moved from it to Tahli with the steak knife in her hand.

“I had to! I couldn’t let you fucking kill him, Vin!”

Vin shifted from the small backseat of Drew’s car, scowl on Tahli. Little landmine bombs of possibilities exploded in his brain. She’s been fucking him the whole time... If not, she’s been wanting to…

“Is he dead? Is he fucking dead, Dalvin?” Tahli cried out like she cared. Her panic over another man— that man—made his bones ache.

“His punk-ass isn’t dead. He’s sleeping.”

It was all a red haze. Stupid ass decisions fueled by rage. He could’ve killed him. Would have, if Tahli hadn’t intervened. Vin cradled his injured arm, watching the blood run to his elbow. He didn’t feel the burn of the slice, only the sting of her betrayal.

“It’s still stun guns and steak knives over this nigga, huh, Tahli?” He reminded her of old times. She shook her head like she was disgusted.

“Grow up, Dalvin. Learn how to deal with your emotions. Better yet, learn how to deal with your consequences.”

“Oh, so this is a fucking punishment? You cooking this nigga pasta!” Vin peeped the Tupperware Drew had placed on the backseat while he was counting the seconds until his last breath.

“Are you fucking crazy? You out of your fucking mind, Tahli! You gonna do this shit to me?” Vin boomed in the middle of the street, tears stinging his frantic eyes.

His heart thrashed faster than medically possible.

Death would be a sweet escape from this anguish.

“Hey!” Robert’s tone blared louder than Vin had ever heard. Vin felt him. If anyone yelled at Dali or Terran in his presence, it’d be worse.

“Now I don’t know what the fuck is going on here, but let me start with the facts. That is not your wife anymore. That is still my daughter. And this is my mothafuckin’ house!”

Vin glared past him as Drew finally sat up on the concrete with Vanessa’s assistance.

Dalvin, what the fuck are you doing?” Robert’s voice shifted to a pleading disappointment. For a moment, Vin felt his own father channeled.

“You’re not in them fucking streets anymore.

You’re a 40-year-old father running a multi-million-dollar business.

You trying to kill people in broad daylight over a fucking dinner date after you just escaped going to prison for a second time by the skin of your goddamn teeth?

I thought you were smarter than that. I can’t keep saving you from yourself, Dalvin. ”

“Of all the mothafucking people, Tahli?” Vin ignored Robert to thunder, nostrils swelling. “How the fuck could you be this–?”

Vin jolted from the blow. Dazed because it was unpredicted and had more power than he thought Drew could muster. It didn’t put him down, but it made him stumble. He touched his cheek in stunned silence, then released a deadly, accomplished laugh.

“No!” Tahli blocked Vin’s path after Drew’s sneak blow to his jaw. Homie seemed like he wanted to do more, but Vanessa gripped his arm.

“Come on!” Drew goaded. “You wanna keep pulling this shit every time, nigga? You wanna what? Kill me? Still not gonna make her yours! She divorced you, man. You fucked it up like I knew you would.”

Vin charged, but Tahli had the nerve to hold that knife out like she’d use it again. From the disappointment alone, Vin redirected at her.

“What the fuck, Tahli? Me?” Vin smacked his chest, stressing into her wide and wet eyes. “It’s fucking me!” Vin bellowed, bewildered by her level of wrath. “And him?! Fucking him!” Vin roared, the hand of regret squeezing on his heart.

“Don’t,” she shook her face, lip quivering. “Don’t you fucking dare act like I owe you an explanation or consideration, Dalvin. You kept so much out of my control, keeping me in the dark for almost our entire marriage. You do not get to control how I get through this.”

With her waterlogged eyes, Tahli landed a kill shot.

“I don’t care if I wanna fuck everybody up and down this street, in this mothafuckin’ street…

” she pointed at the concrete, shutting Vin’s eyes temporarily.

“You will stand there and you. Will. Take that shit.” She jabbed a finger in his chest with each word.

Vin’s body rattled with twisted, maddening thoughts. Saw his children’s faces flash at the thought of turning Robert’s street into a bloodbath. Didn’t even nurse his arm anymore. Just clenched his fists at his side as his wound bled onto his knuckles—right over the letters of her name.

“You hear that? Get the fuck out of here, Dalvin,” Robert muttered of the distant sirens approaching. Likely, a neighbor had called in the disturbance. Vin had brought more chaos to Robert and Vanessa’s peaceful home in the past year than they’d seen in a lifetime.

“I ain’t going no fucking where, and neither are they.” Vin was determined to stand there for the rest of his life if it meant Tahli didn’t drive off with this bitch.

“Don’t. Be. Dumb,” Robert warned, stare burning into him.

“You got four fucking kids to think about. And if they take you, they’re gonna take Tahli for assaulting you.

At least care about that enough to get in the fucking car and drive yo’ crazy ass off before they lock both of you up,” Robert hissed.

“And let me convince his ass not to press charges,” Robert mumbled even lower about Drew.

Vin’s chest heaved as the sirens drew nearer.

“I know it hurts,” Robert shockingly whispered, barely audible. But Vin’s languid and pained stare tuned in, watching his brown lips move. “I know it’s brutal. But you’re a man. Walk away like a man. Think. Then fight another way. Like a man.”

Stubbornness delayed him, but eventually, Vin moved his feet. Not without parting words.

“I don’t wanna see you again,” he made clear with an incensed glare aimed at Drew. “And you definitely don’t wanna see me again.” Tahli ran fingers through her locs, tugging on the ends.

“You took this shit too far, Tahli.”

Her red eyes snapped up at Vin’s audacity, like she had something to reply. But Vin was in his car, turning off the street, as the police pulled up before she could.

Dr. Larry Taylor pushed his half-eaten lunch away, leaning back in his roomy leather chair; the kind that looked way more comfortable than the couch Vin sat on, elbows still on his knees, bouncing with angst.

“So, you wanna kill Drew?”

Licking his lips with a meditative gaze out of the window at a blue jay dancing on a tree limb, Vin nodded.

“I do. I wanna level that soft-ass, possum-faced nigga.”

“Then, do it. Kill Drew.”

Vin’s eyes snapped to Larry, measuring him for sincerity. He was supposed to talk him out of his reckless notions, not condone them.

Larry folded his cocoa hands, uncomplicated stare behind wiry glasses. His already long face, longer in a grave expression. Vin already knew he was a father by the photo of twin boys on his desk. But even without the photo, he would’ve guessed it.

“I’m serious. Kill Drew. Go kill Drew, come back, and I’ll buy you lunch before the police get here.”

Vin was too angry to laugh. He only snorted, shifting his infuriated eyes away.

“Matter of fact, this session’s on me, since it’ll be our last one. Make sure you swing by, say goodbye to your kids while you’re at it. But yeah, that…that sounds like the answer.”

Vin rejoined the eye duel.

“Look. Let’s do the math. You spent five years in prison, and almost went back for being accused of killing the woman you made a secret baby with.

Your wife left you when she found out about the secret baby.

And worse than any of that, a man violated your son, and you blame yourself because you weren’t there for him. ”

Vin could burst.

“Wasn’t there for him the way your parents weren’t there for you.”

“My pops was around.”

“I’m not sure you believe that,” Larry challenged.

“Around doesn’t always equate to there .

No disrespect to your pops. You speak very highly of him.

You speak very highly of him despite his issues with infidelity which we will revisit because I think it has a lot to do with how you view the scale of infidelity.

But back to my point. You kill Drew…maybe you go to prison for it.

Maybe you don’t…but what happens to all of those problems? You think they disappear?”

Vin lowered his eyes to the worn green carpet. Greenish-brown. It looked like vomit. Vin could vomit. Vomit all over on the images of Tahli laughing with Drew playing on that carpet. Probably still laughing with him. Laughing at Vin. Splitting tiramisu, or some shit.

How could she break him like this? Yes, he hurt her. Never with malice.

This shit destroyed him.