Page 73 of Science Project

The right tires came off the ground by a couple of inches, and I grabbed hold of any handle I could find, shrieking and still in shock from what I had done. Imani slammed her foot to the floor, making the car accelerate.

After a few more moments, Imani finally pulled up to João’s house. Once she parked, she literally dragged me from the car and marched up to the front door, banging on it with the side of her fist.

I stood beside her with wide eyes and muttered, “No. No. No. No. No. No.”

“Stop it, Akio,” she snapped, banging on the door again. “You’re giving me anxiety.”

When João didn’t answer, she searched under the doormat and in the bushes for a key. I ran a hand through my hair and shook my head. If that man worked for Mom and Mom found out that I had shot one of her guys again, she wouldn’t be happy.

“Imani, we should go,” I said again, desperate to get out of the slums and back home to clean up my mess before Mom could hear about it. I wrapped my arms around myself and rocked back and forth on my heels. “We should go, get out of here. You’re not saf?—”

Before I could finish my sentence, the door swung open. A middle-aged woman that resembled João’s mother stood inside with a cheap plush robe on and tired eyes. Imani furrowed her brow, then stepped into the house, uninvited, and pulled me along with her.

Imani and the woman exchanged a few words in Portuguese. The more they chatted, the more Imani seemed to get pissed. I didn’t know what the fuck was wrong with her, but we needed to go.

Now.

I needed to get back home, and so did she.

Suddenly, Imani stomped off into a back room while I stood in the front with João’s mother. She returned a moment later with her arms crossed and steam nearly smoking from her ears while continuing to grill João’s mother about something.

Then, because she had lost her sanity ever since she’d started hanging out with Poison, Imani walked right out of the house. I forced a smile at the woman, muttered an apology, then followed Imani back to the car.

We were going home. I wasn’t going to fight with her.

When she started the car, I climbed in and clicked on my seat belt.

“I’m dropping you off,” she said, starting back toward the ritzy part of Redwood. She tapped her fingers on the steering wheel. “I need to find out what’s going on, but I can’t bring you to Landon’s house. Kai’s probably there.”

God, Kai was the last person I wanted to run into right now.

Instead of dropping me off at my own house, she parked in her driveway, which was fine by me because I could walk home and I really didn’t want Mom to confront Imani, especially after what had happened during dinner.

“Sorry, I’m not going to drop you off at your house. I don’t want to see your mom.”

Good.

“But I’ll get you an umbrella.”

After blowing out a breath, I followed Imani up the front walkway to her house. She shoved her key into the door and then pushed it open, tugging me into the house and out of the rain.

“Mom!”

No answer.

Once Imani locked the door, she released me and turned on the foyer lights. “MOM!”

Nothing.

She muttered something under her breath and turned the corner into the living room, freezing. A piercing scream escaped her lips, and she suddenly collapsed onto the hardwood floor. “Akio! Akio! What did your parents do?”

I scrambled to the living room and spotted Imani’s parents lying on the couch—beaten, bruised, and bleeding. Blood drenched their floor. Without thinking, I ran toward the bathroom and rummaged through their closet for medical supplies.

Fuck, this is my fault.

I had been pissing Mom off more and more lately, killing one of her men and spending time with Nicole instead of getting information from her. And then Imani had had to open her big mouth today at dinner.

“Fuck!” I growled, running back to the living room.

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