Page 29 of A Toxic Redemption

"Speaking of that," Jake came in around the corner, "Kira, you have company."

"Who?" she asked as she eyed him curiously. "Everyone is here."

We followed her back into the living room, and I couldn't help the disdain on my face as I locked eyes on Allison, Alicia, and Persia. They were dressed as if they were about to head to Magic City in their skimpy and revealing clothes. I found itdisrespectful to not only be dressed that way around my people's men but our parents as well.

"What the hell are they doing here?" Khalil frowned and looked from them to Kira. "You invited them knowing my kid was here?"

"Kid?" Persia asked and looked around. "You have a son?"

"When did you have a child, Loon?" Allison asked as she became teary-eyed. "You really made a baby on me? On us?"

"On us?" my father asked as he looked around the room. "All the young ladies are with this young man?"

"Hell naw," Khalil immediately answered. "I don't even fuck with these hoes like that."

"Khalil!" His mother shouted and stood from her seat. "Act like I raised you to be respectful and to have manners. Don't let me tell you again."

"I apologize mama," he looked to his mother and then my father and Sasha, "I apologize to you as well. I'm pissed because I don't like random people around my son."

"We're not random." Alicia stepped toward him. "You've been dealing with me, my sister, and Persia for years now, and we can't be around your family? Your son?"

"Sister?" Sasha gasped. "Oh my goodness."

"What are y'all doing here?" Kira stepped in between them and asked. Khalil appeared to have smoke coming from his ears, and I knew it wouldn't end well for these ladies if they didn't leave. "I didn't invite y'all here tonight."

"Well, I figured it would be okay since we were friends and all that." Alicia crossed her arms and glared at my cousin. "Since when do we need an invite to pop up?"

"Since I'm the one paying the bills here," Jake chimed in. "This is a private event for the family only, so y'all have to dip. Keep that hostility out of your voice when you're talking to my girl. These are problems y'all don't want."

"Debin, you got cakes?" KJ came running in from the kitchen with a cupcake in hand. "I get it myself."

"Hey, Bubba." I picked him up when he came to me. "How did you get that?"

"The table." He smiled as he licked the icing. "It's good."

"Is that your son?" Allison asked as a tear slid down her face. "She can be around your son, and we can't? You just met her. Is she the mother?"

"Aight, Y'all have to bounce," Bino intervened. Khalil had yet to take his eyes off of them. "It's the holidays, and bro got that look in his eyes." He tried his best to usher them out of the living room, but they refused to move. "So fuck your lives, huh? Bet."

"Loon, is that your... oh my gosh!"

"I'm about sick and tired of y'all delusional ass bitches thinking y'all have claims on a nigga." He placed his gun to Alicia's forehead. "I have told y'all time and time again that you all are nothing more than a nut to me. To pop up at my people's house uninvited while my son is here is the final straw." I handed KJ to Lori because I didn't want him to see his daddy like this. "From this day forward, don't call me. Do not text me. Do not come to this house anymore. I don't give a fuck about y'all being Kira's friends. I will kill you and deal with her and Jake later. Get the fuck out before I kill you where you stand."

"Son," my father stood from his seat and slowly approached him, "put the gun down. You don't want to do something you'll regret."

"Who said I'll regret it?" He smirked as he looked at the ladies. "I will kill these bitches right here, right now, with a smile on my face and in the same breath ask your daughter out on a date. Trust me, I will regret nothing about my actions."

"Khalil." I placed my hand on his arm and stood in front of him. I cupped his face and brought his eyes to mine. "Put the gun down and let's enjoy the night. Let them go, or you can let themstay, and we can go out to eat. Just me, you, and Bubba. Don't waste any more time and energy on anything that doesn't serve you purpose."

Khalil continued to stare at all the ladies for a moment, and I never took my eyes off him. For some reason, I felt his energy and the power of what he was saying. Something was different about him, and my spirit was telling me that tonight was the night he would actually kill these ladies.

"So you're going to let me take you on a date for real?" He brought his eyes to mine even though his gun was still trained on them. "Tonight? Me, you, and my boy?"

"Yes." I nodded. "Come on and let's go."

"Y'all really need to thank this girl." He chuckled as he lowered his gun and placed it behind his back. "She just keeps saving you hoes when all I want to do is leave you all stankin' in a ditch." He dropped his head and shook it before he gave his attention back to his harem. "I want to apologize for anything you think I may have done to lead you on. In the beginning, I made myself perfectly clear about what it was with all of you, and now it's hard for you all to understand that I don't want any of you."

"Allison and Alicia," he looked toward the goofy ass sisters, "I had no business messing with both of you even though you both knew what I was doing. You lowered your standards to a man that used you for nothing more than a nut drainer. And Persia," he looked toward the other one, "I don't even know why you're here. I cut you off the day you trashed my truck, so you've been dead to a nigga for weeks. I'm telling all three of you today," he motioned and pointed to all of them, "do not approach me anymore. Do not think you're welcome in my space when you see me out because you're not. This is my last time telling you all this because the next time, Lucky or nobody else won't be able to save you."

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