Page 66 of Widow Mayker

He upped his gun. However, pleased wasn’t the word I felt when my bullet pierced his skull. Like a heap of potatoes, he hit the floor. For a second, I stood over him, filing his deceased body into my rolodex of bodies. Then, I positioned his large body into that of someone being nailed to a firing target. Complete, I looked into Jemell’s dead eyes and hoped Iyana rested now.

As I turned to walk away, something pierced me through my heart. I fell to the floor as blood seeped from the wound in my chest. My hands shook as blood covered them. Eyes wide, I peered at the man standing over me with his gun trained on my face.

“Bitch!” Jemell spat.

I jumped awake, clutching my chest. In the days since killing Jemell, the same dream replayed continuously. I wasn’t sure if it was because of the media and community attention surrounding Jemell’s murder, or the fact that I unintentionally added weight to Von’s shoulders.

Von’s heavy arm tightened around me. Realizing I’d been dreaming again, I relaxed my breathing and snuggled into his bare chest. He brought the blanket up, covering and cocooning us under the weight of it . His eyes opened and focused on me.

Just the other day, I proudly stood next to him and his family while he was sworn in as the new lieutenant of the PPD. Some criticized the move, calling on an investigation into Von and the precinct because of Jemell’s murder. Others praised the move.

“I made a promise to protect you, baby. You made a promise to trust me. It’s time for us to make a promise to each other.”

“Okay,” I replied. My heart had finally settled, and I meshed my body even closer to Von’s.

“We promise to take what we have to the afterlife.”

Heart full of an emotion that caused it to nearly burst, I echoed, “Promise.”

“We promise to fight for each other, against anyone, whenever, however that may be.”

“Promise.”

“We promise to love each other out loud and behind closed doors.”

“Promise.”

“We promise to give our children the unconditional love we’re willing to give each other.”

By now, tears coated my eyes. “Promise,” I choked out.

Von kissed my lips. “You know I’d kill for you, right.”

“Right,” I offered. I was willing to do the same for him.

“I’d die for you, Maja.”

I would do the same—

“But I don’t want you to die for me,” he interjected my thoughts. “I want you to live for me. I want you to live for us. Will you do that for me?”

Tears rolled down my cheeks that he dashed away with his thumb. For once, I wished I could be the woman Von thought I was. Although I was showing him my authentic self, I hid so much from him.

“There are things about me I wish I could tell you,” I confessed.

“One thing I’ve learned with you, Maja, is that I’m willing to wait however long it takes for you to reveal whatever burdens you. As long as I know you’re never leaving me, and I’m never leaving you, everything else will work itself out.”

That was the problem. If everything worked itself out, there would likely never be a future with me and Von. I was the very thing he fought against. I went against his morals and everything he stood for. He was sleeping with the enemy and wasn’t the least bit aware of such.

***

“Genesis and CJ, cut it out!” Mama fussed. Genesis and CJ were running through the backyard, trampling over Mama’s plants as they played dodgeball. Mama shook her head and went after them.

“I got ‘em, baby.” Poppa came onto the patio with a ball of his own. Heir and I burst out laughing at the look on Mama’s face.

“Oh, no, you don’t! Don’t you hit my babies with that thing!” Mama warned him.

Poppa chuckled. This was a rare day that he was home. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think he was out running the streets behind Mama’s back. However, I knew better. Work had Poppa in a chokehold, and it showed in the gray hair he’d started to form in the last couple of years. He had a light-hearted smile on his youthful face, and his eyes shined as he smiled at Mama. Suddenly, Poppa took off, chasing Mama who squealed. It only took him a minute to catch her, and they tumbled to the grass. He perched himself on top of her, kissing all over her face. She laughed and carried on, causing Heir and I to laugh harder. Disgusted, the boys ran past us and into the house.