Page 126 of Science Project

Hands covered in blood, I stood in front of Imani’s mother and father, who Mom’s guards had bound and gagged an hour ago. Blood seeped out of their wounds, their eyes were swollen, and bruises had already formed on their bodies.

I hoped—to a god that I didn’t believe in—that Imani wouldn’t get home anytime soon.

But as luck would have it, headlights shone through the living room windows. Mom chuckled darkly and sashayed in front of Imani’s parents, shaking her head and clicking her tongue, as if to taunt them.

After tightening my grasp on my gun, I stared down at her parents with as little remorse as I could muster. Imani’s mother sobbed uncontrollably and stared at the door, shaking her head. Mom smacked the side of her gun against her temple, silencing her.

My gaze flickered up to Mom, then to all the guards around the room, who hadn’t taken their eyes off me since I had walked into my own living room two hours ago. I gazed back at Imani’s parents, trying to come up with something quick.

I was doing this for Nicole, but could I kill my friend’s parents in front of her? Was that what Mom would make me do? Would Imani hate me after that? Would she understand? Why was she here right now? She should be with Poison.

Suddenly, the front door knob jingled.

“Mom!” Imani shouted.

Mom looked at Imani’s mother and gestured for her to respond.

Imani’s mom squeezed her eyes closed and shook her head. “In here, sweetheart!”

One moment, Imani walked into the room while texting on her phone. The next, she looked up and let out a piercing scream that shook me to my very core. I tightened my grip on my gun and realized that this was much bigger than me.

That tonight someone was going to die, and it might be someone that I cared about.

“Wh-what’s happening?” Imani asked, looking at me.

I averted my gaze, unable to hold eye contact with her. I was doing this for Nicole.

To keep her safe and to keep her alive.

“Cooperate with us, Imani,” Mom said. “And I’ll only kill your parents.”

“Kill them?” Imani whispered.

“Kill them.”

Hot, rage-filled tears welled up in Imani’s eyes. “What do you want?”

A long, heavy silence filled the air, then Mom stepped forward. “Join me.”

My gaze shot up to Mom, and I furrowed my brow. What the fuck was she …

“I’m not giving you—” Imani asked, then mirrored my confused expression. “What?”

“Join me,” Mom said, lowering her gun and stepping toward Imani. “I want you to work with me, Imani. Your mother and father have betrayed me these past few years. They’re backstabbing assholes who can’t follow orders. But you …”

She stalked around Imani like Imani was some sort of prey and pushed some hair back behind her shoulder with the barrel of her gun. I tensed and swallowed hard. Was this one of Mom’s sick games?

“You interrupted Poison’s agenda. You’ve pushed them to do more than they thought capable. They are nothing but loyal to you, as you are loyal to them. You’re stronger than you think. And”—Mom walked all the way around Imani and stopped right behind her, her lips dangerously close to Imani’s ear—“you’ve done some work on my son too.”

My eyes widened, and I finally looked at Imani.

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“I mean that my son would’ve never held a gun and shot at someone before you,” Mom said, which wasn’t true. And she knew it too. “I’ve tried hard so many times. I’ve relentlessly tried to inspire him to join us. And tonight, he told me that he would.”

While glancing from me to my mother to her parents and back a handful of times, Imani teetered from foot to foot. Mom placed her gun into Imani’s hand and wrapped her fingers around the grip. I swallowed hard and gripped mine tighter.

What should I do?

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