Pink Lips (29 page)

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Willow walked into her condo as darkness hit her eyes. Shadows seemed to swirl around at her feet, sucking her in. In a burst of panic, she fumbled for a light switch. She flipped it up and down frantically, but the room remained immersed in darkness.

Fear settled in and deep down, she knew she was not alone in the dark. Something brushed her back. She turned, but there was nothing. Nothing she could see, that is. The room was dark, so dark. She made sure her eyes were open, fearing she had gone blind.
She couldn't see her hand, even though it was literally an inch from her face. She gathered her courage to call out a hello, hoping against hope that someone would answer as she removed her gun from her waist and pointed it wildly in the air. Nobody did.

Outside she could hear the autumn wind howling, and it almost sounded like laughter to her panicked mind. A low chuckle broke her thought process, directly in front of her. She screamed, but heard nothing in the overwhelming blackness.

The lights flickered, then came back on as Willow eyed around. Her eyes stopped when she noticed Kail sitting on the ottoman that went with the imported living room set. Her heart slowed down a little, just a little, as she remembered what her sister was capable of.

Kail smiled as the lipstick on her lips, as red as the blood pumping through her veins, shined with the light that hung directly in the middle of the room. Her all-black attire, skin-tight jeans, a tank top, and heels, hugged her as if they were painted on. Her hair hung forward over her breasts, and her hand, with a gun closed inside of it, rested at her mouth.

“What are you doing here?” Willow asked as she took a step forward.

“Visiting.” Kail stood up. “I'm here on business, sis.”

“We don't have any kind of business to talk about.” Willow pointed her gun at Kail. “This looks like a job to me.”

“It is,” Kail said as she pointed her gun at Willow.

Willow felt like she could pick up a building and break it over her knee as the adrenaline rushing through her intensified. She moved around behind the counter in the kitchen fearing shots would be fired. Her face was serious and her hands were steady as Kail looked at her with empty eyes.

“Just leave, Kail,” Willow begged.

“I was going to tell you the same thing.” Kail pointed toward the front door that had luggage leaning near it. “I've already packed your bags for you. There's a first-class ticket to Hawaii inside. Take those bags and go, Willow. I won't ask you again.”

“What happened to you?”

“I'm trying to spare you and give you a way out. Take it,” Kail screamed.

“I'm not leaving, Kail,” Willow said and then snarled.

“Don't make me kill you, Willow.” Kail's lips trembled. “Please, Willow, I'm begging you. I honestly don't want to hurt you, but I will. Don't make me do this.”

“You've been my sister all my life,” Willow said as her eyes closed a little from the water forming inside of them. “I don't know life without you. We've been through everything together Kail, and you trying to end it for what? For money and power?”

“I guess you're about to find out what life is like without me.” Kail pulled the trigger and opened fire.

Willow released the contents of her gun as the sound of glass breaking and bullets hitting different objects filled the air. The sound of a bond breaking could be heard from a mile away as they ducked and covered and released a bullet when the opportunity presented itself. To anyone who was passing, they would have sworn they were at the bridge watching the once-in-a-year fireworks show that the city put on in July.

Willow heard the bullets stop flying from Kail as she counted how many shots she heard. She knew Kail was reloading her gun, so she took the opening and fled for the door. Bullets chased after her as she dodged down the hallway, her heels turned sideways on her feet from how fast she was running.

She headed down the stairs, skipping a couple as she held the
rail. She burst through the entrance of the building as she ran into traffic, stopping cars from their destinations. Honks from both sides of the road warned her to get out of the street, and drivers hung their heads out of the window cursing her out.

She made it to her car, getting inside as she checked behind her to make sure Kail wasn't following close behind. She put her hand underneath the seat, breaking three of her five manicured fingernails to find her spare key. She started the car and drove off, running over any curb in her path.

Willow felt like she was trapped alone in the darkest abyss with a sword pierced through her heart. Her broken heart was silent; it couldn't be seen, but she bled inside. It was still and for a moment, she only felt numbness. Anger and sadness surged through her with so much power, she knew what she had to do. Her heart stopped beating, for it had only beaten for her. Her mind went black, as did her heart.

Her hands tightened around the wheel, and her fingers dug into her palms until she felt them bleed from her kung fu grip. But this pain was nothing compared to how she felt thinking about the relationship she and Kail had once had. She stopped at a light as she felt lost, not knowing which way to go.

“You look as pretty as always, Willow,” a voice that sounded so familiar bellowed out from the backseat of the car.

Willow looked through the rearview mirror as the light turned green. Her eyes grew to the size of golf balls, and she pulled over on the side of the road. She didn't understand, as if her brain short-circuited and needed to be rebooted. Around her, everything was in fast-forward while she was motionless in the middle of it all.
How could this happen,
she thought to herself as she tried to collect her thoughts.

She pressed the heels of her hands into her eyes until she saw
nothing but sparkle. She tried to turn around, but it was more like a stumble and fall that left her in a trembling heap in the driver's seat.

“Duke, is that really you?” Her lips started to tremble. “I thought you were dead,” she whimpered.

“It's really me, shorty.” He leaned in the front seat and placed a towel over her nose from behind. “Go to sleep, and when you wake up, I'll explain everything.”

Willow looked around the car, and everything was suddenly fading to gray. Her heart sped up so fast, it almost hurt. She slowly tried moving around, but she couldn't. She felt like a ribbon slowly falling to the ground. She didn't feel a hit; it felt like falling in a black hole, and all she saw was darkness.

I
F YOU LIKED
“P
INK
L
IPS
,”
WE HOPE YOU WILL PICK UP TITLES BY OTHER
S
TREBOR ON THE
S
TREETZ AUTHORS
. P
LEASE TRY

BY
S.K. C
OLLINS

A
VAILABLE FROM
S
TREBOR
B
OOKS

CHAPTER ONE

Early Spring 2004

“D
amn! I can't be late for work again!” Zeek cried as he slammed the door behind him and sped off down the street. He had only two minutes to catch the 8:35 a.m. bus, so he ran desperately to the bus stop. His heart raced as he broke out into a heavy sweat, praying he would reach his destination in time. His red Staples shirt blew in the wind as he forced himself to run faster knowing his job was on the line. He made a sharp left and took a shortcut through a vacant park. He knew taking the detour would give him the best chance at making the
bus. He tucked the back of his shirt in so he wouldn't get it snagged on the fence he had to get over. He jumped the fence, but he somehow managed to bang his knee on one of the raised rusted posts. He ignored the pain and rushed and made it to the corner.

Zeek's pupils enlarged as his eyes zoomed in on the last passenger stepping onto the bus. He knew he only had seconds to make it there before the bus pulled off. “Hold the bus, please! Miss, can you please hold the bus?” he yelled as he ran desperately.

The woman rolled her eyes and let the doors close behind her. “Yo, driver! Hold the bus!” He immediately started to wave his hands in the air, hoping to obtain the driver's attention.

Unfortunately, the driver never checked his rearview mirror, so the bus proceeded to pull off, leaving Zeek utterly down and out. While holding his knees in an attempt to catch his breath, Zeek hopelessly yelled, “Aww, come on, man! Come on! Damn…I know you seen me… How the hell could he not see me?”

Now with the bus gone, he had to think fast. He knew he could either wait for another bus or run another twenty blocks to Brookline Metro Station and catch a train. Right then a bus that ran a different route pulled up in front of him. He knew it wouldn't take him to his job, but he would be close, at least in running distance. Without a second thought, he ran up the steps and sat as close to the front as possible. He wiped his clammy hands off on his shirt as he thought about being late.

“I hope there ain't no traffic,” he said nervously to himself as the bus pulled off.

The twenty-minute ride into town felt more like hours as Zeek sighed heavily. Before the doors of the bus were fully open, he squeezed out of the tight space and took off running. He dodged and weaved through crowds of people who were on their way to work as well.

“Sorry!” he yelled as he ran out in front of a taxi as the driver smashed down on his horn in anger.

He checked the time on his phone and became even more nervous as Staples was now only a short distance away.
What the hell am I going to say this time?
he thought hopelessly. He'd pretty much run out of excuses for being late.

Zeek quickly entered the store and tensely peered around for his manager. “He must be in the back.” He sighed in relief as he headed for his register.

His co-worker, Tara, was finishing up with a customer when she looked up and saw Zeek trying to creep in. She shook her head and waited for the customer to be out of earshot before she spoke. “Boy, why you late again? You know Dan gonna go off on you, right?”

“Dan can kiss my ass,” he said in a hushed tone as he tried to clock into the register.

“If he can kiss ya ass, then why you whisperin'?” she said after sucking her teeth.

“I ain't whisperin' shit. Dan's tight shirt-wearin' ass know what it is. Fuck. . .why can't I clock in?”

“Boy, you always be fakin'. You are such a bama.” Tara quickly cut her eyes to the back of the store and happened to see Dan making his way to the front. She smiled and looked back over at Zeek. “Here come Dan. Let's see you talk that shit now.”

Zeek's eyes widened as Dan made his way over to his register. Dan's yellow, overly round frame walked tall in his snug-fitting shirt as he had Zeek in his focus. Zeek's lips started to quiver as he thought about what excuse to use. All he could do was tap his shaky fingers on the cash register keys as Dan moved closer.

Zeek swallowed hard and said the first thing that came to his mind. “Hey, what's up, Dan? I've been trying to clock in for the longest time, but it's not working. Is there a problem with the system?”

“Nope. Ain't no problem with the system. The problem is you,” Dan said as he stared at Zeek with his hands placed firmly on his hips.

Zeek swallowed hard as the realization of what was happening started to set in.

“I decided to let you go.”

“Come on, Dan. I need this job. Just give me another chance.” Zeek begged.

“I'm sorry, Zeek, but you brought this on yourself. I can't give you any more chances,” Dan said, standing his ground.

Zeek knew Dan was overly tired of his call-offs and late-to-work routine. It was clear to him after being late this morning that it was his fault that he was fired. He looked over at Tara and became even more embarrassed after he saw that she had been laughing at him. With nothing else to be said, Zeek lowered his head and slowly walked toward the door. He looked back at Dan one last time to see if there was any slight chance he could salvage his job, but Dan had already walked off. He shook his head in disappointment that he had to move on.

Zeek forcefully pushed through the doors and started to walk fast down the busy street. He tightened his lips and balled up his fists as he thought about what had happened. “Damn, I shouldn't have been late! I can't do shit right!” He cursed himself after failing to try to be more responsible.

He'd intended to stretch his twenty-first birthday weekend until the crack of dawn and still get up for work on time. He had hoped this morning would have been the start of a more mature Ezeekiel Harris, but yet again, he was dead wrong. “What the fuck am I going to do now?” Zeek said as he wiped his eyes.

His mind was racing a mile a minute and he couldn't help but feel worthless. He headed back to the bus stop and looked enviously
at everyone who drove past him. The summer hadn't even begun and with the money he would've made working, his mind was set on buying a car in September. Now losing his job had ruined his plan. Zeek needed to come up with another way to get a car, but for now, he wanted to go home and sulk in his sorrow.