DÉJÀ VU - Chapter 22: Chapter 22
You are reading DÉJÀ VU, Chapter 22: Chapter 22. Read more chapters of DÉJÀ VU.
BANG!
The shot rang through the house, loud, sharp, final.
Malachi's body jerked violently, his grip on my throat vanishing as he staggered back. His wide, stunned eyes locked onto his chest, where the blood bloomed like dark petals against the fabric of his shirt. He swayed, mouth opening as if he wanted to speak, but no words came. Only the thick, choking sound of air escaping his lungs.
His eyes stayed wide, the shock still evident as he staggered. I could almost hear his thoughts, his disbelief, his confusion, but none of it mattered. The life was draining out of him as quickly as the blood seeped from the wound.
Then, like dead weight, he collapsed onto the floor with a heavy thud, his body a broken mess.
I gasped for air, my chest constricting as I fell forward onto my hands and knees. My throat burned, raw from the pressure of his grip, but I didn't have time to focus on the pain. My heart hammered so hard in my chest, it was as if it would crack my ribs. The sounds of my own breath were the only thing I could hear, and even they felt muffled, distant.
My hands trembled as I slowly lifted my head. My eyes locked onto Xanai.
She stood frozen, her chest heaving with every uneven breath. Her fingers were still wrapped around Kairo's gun, the metal cold and solid, but her entire body was shaking. Her face was a mix of disbelief and fury, her eyes dark, burning with a rage that I had never seen before.
Kairo, still in shock, reached for her. "Nai—"
"Don't," she cut him off, her voice trembling but unwavering. Her eyes were fixed on Malachi's lifeless form, her breath shallow. "Mi tell yuh already, Sade... If him breathe too hard pon yuh or Kae, him a get drop."
The air around us thickened. Silence enveloped the room, and in that silence, the weight of what had just happened settled over me. The man who had tormented me, who had tried to tear my world apart, was gone. And it felt... like nothing, but everything all at once.
Kaeden's soft whimper brought me back to the moment. I turned, my heart leaping in my throat as I saw him, trembling in the corner. I rushed over, scooping him into my arms, desperate to shield him from the nightmare that had just unfolded.
"Shhh, baby, it's okay now," I whispered urgently, rocking him gently. I pressed frantic kisses to his forehead, holding him tighter as he clung to me, sobbing. The sound of his tears, mixed with the silent tension in the air, nearly broke me. He had seen all of this. All of it. And I couldn't undo that.
I turned back to Xanai. She was still gripping the gun, her knuckles white, her whole body coiled with tension. Kairo gently pried it from her hands, his movements slow and deliberate, as though he understood the weight of the moment.
"Nai," I whispered, stepping closer to her. "Look at me."
Her head snapped up, eyes glassy, lips parted as if she wanted to speak but no words came. Her chest heaved with the effort to hold herself together.
"You good?" I asked softly, the question feeling absurd, but it was all I could think to ask.
She shook her head, blinking rapidly like she was trying to wake up from a nightmare. "Mi neva plan fi—mi just—" She swallowed hard, gathering herself. "Well, minuh sorry stills. Him deserve it."
I nodded, my throat tight, my words trapped in the lump that had formed there. "Mi know. Thank you."
Kairo let out a long exhale, rubbing a hand over his face, the exhaustion evident in his movements. "Mi ago deal wid dis," he muttered, looking between us, his expression grim. "Wi cyah stay here. Pack up. Take whateva yuh need. Wi affi leave—now."
There was no time for hesitation. No time for anything but to move, to survive. I didn't argue, didn't even think about it. I just held Kaeden tighter, my arms wrapped around him as if I could shield him from everything.
"It done now, baby. It done," I whispered to him, more for myself than for him. I needed to believe it too.
Kairo's words rang in my head. We had to go. We couldn't stay.
I glanced around the house, the place where Malachi had broken me, where he had tried to control everything. It wasn't my home. It never was.
With a deep breath, I turned to Kairo. "Give mi five minutes."
He didn't argue. He just nodded, his expression unreadable as he made sure everything was in place. Kairo was always calm under pressure, and I was thankful for it.
I handed Kaeden to Xanai, who had snapped out of her daze enough to hold him. She wrapped him in her arms, her expression softened with a protective instinct I hadn't expected. Then, I moved quickly through the house, grabbing Kaeden's things, a few of my own. It was a blur—just a few essentials, the bare minimum. I didn't need much. I just needed to leave.
By the time I reentered the living room, Kairo was already wiping down the gun, checking the surfaces for any fingerprints. He was focused, methodical, and it was clear that this wasn't his first time doing this. I didn't ask. I didn't need to know.
A wah kinda sum dem likkle pitney yah been a do father God?
More like Kairo...
Thank God for them though, cause without them, I would've been dead. And Kaeden... I didn't even want to think about what would have happened to him.
"Wi ready?" Xanai asked, her voice stronger now. She was already in motion, ready to leave. Kaeden was still nestled in her arms, his eyes half-closed in sleep.
I looked at Malachi's body one last time. He was still there, eyes half-open, blood soaking through his shirt. A part of me thought I should feel something—guilt, regret, maybe even some twinge of sorrow—but nothing came. Nothing but relief. He was gone. The nightmare was over.
"Yeah," I said finally.
Kairo led the way, checking outside before signaling us to follow.
As I climbed into the car, Kaeden curled against me, his little fingers still gripping my shirt. His sniffles had slowed, but his face was still buried in my chest. His tiny body was stiff with tension, and I rocked him gently, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. My heart broke for him. For everything he had been through.
"Mommy?" His voice was small, shaky.
"Yes, baby?" I whispered, rubbing his back.
He lifted his head slightly, his teary eyes looking up at me. "Dada bad?"
My chest tightened. I swallowed hard, forcing my voice to stay steady. "Yes, baby... but you won't ever have to worry about dada again."
THREE WEEKS LATER
The sun beat down relentlessly on the small group of mourners gathered around Malachi's grave. The pastor droned on, his words sounding hollow, filled with false promises of forgiveness and letting go.
I almost laughed at that.
There wasn't any good to remember. Not for me. Not for Kaeden.
Kaeden rested against my shoulder, his tiny fingers gripping my dress as he shifted in his sleep. He had no idea where he was. He had no idea that the man being buried today was the same one who used to scream at him for crying too loud.
Xanai stood next to me, arms folded, her face unreadable, but I could see the tension in her jaw. Kairo was on my other side, his hands in his pockets, scanning the crowd, his eyes sharp and calculating. Always watching.
"Mi cyaa believe mi baby gone!" Malachi's mother wailed, gripping onto one of his cousins as she rocked back and forth. "Dem kill mi son!"
Why dah witch yah nuh shut the fuck up?
Xanai voiced my thoughts, her voice cold, cutting through the noise. "Lady, shut yuh mouth. Cause everybody here suh know yuh son is NO saint."
Gasps rippled through the crowd. Some people turned to stare at Xanai in shock, while others quickly looked away, clearly not wanting to admit she was right.
Malachi's mother stopped her wailing for a second, her face twisted with fury as she turned on Xanai. "Weh yuh just seh to mi?!"
Xanai didn't even flinch. She stepped forward, arms still crossed, her face hard and unreadable. "Yuh hear mi, ma'am. Every woman him eva deh wid, him beat and kill dem. Why yuh think a only like 15 people deh yah? All a dem except we related to you? No one likes—well, liked him, and you know it. So shut up, cause nuh good book nuh did deh fi try guh inna nuh more. Kai, let's go."
More gasps echoed around us, but Xanai didn't care. She didn't even look back as she turned on her heel and started walking away.
Malachi's mother looked like she wanted to lunge at her, her whole body trembling with rage. "Yuh disrespectful, nasty little gyal! A yuh kill mi son!" she shrieked.
Xanai didn't even break stride. "Mi nuh know wah yah talk bout," she called back, voice dripping with sarcasm. "But mi know seh God finally fix di mistake that was your child."
Kairo let out a low chuckle, shaking his head as he followed behind her.
I adjusted Kaeden in my arms, the weight of everything heavy on my chest. Malachi's mother could scream all she wanted. It didn't matter. It was over.
"Kai?" Xanai turned to him, her voice low, whispering something I couldn't hear.
He nodded, his face hardening. "Guh inna e car wid e baby, and text Nai when yuh reach."
O-kayyyy? That was weird.
Gwaan ina e car gyal!
Mek mi do dat fi true yah.
Xanai Rylie Billings|18
"Kill e wull a dem." I whisper to Kairo ,my voice emotionless and steady, and he nods before sending Sade-Lynn to the car.
She hesitated, eyes flicking between us, but she didn't argue. With Kaeden still fast asleep against her chest, she turned and hurried toward the car.
A couple minutes later Sade calls me, indicating she's inside.
Kairo and I walked back to the car, controlled, our pace calm even as the tension in the air thickened. The small black remote rested in his grip, thumb poised over the button.
"Yuh good ma?" he asks.
"Mhm, how are you?"
"Mi gov man...."
He exhaled, and just as we were a few feet away from the car, his thumb pressed down.
BOOM! (😂 mia have too much fun with this)
The explosion rocked the air behind us, the force sending a hot wave against our backs as screams ripped through the graveyard. Fire and smoke erupted, swallowing Malachi's mother, his cousins, the pastor—every last person who dared to mourn a man who deserved nothing but hell.
I didn't flinch. Didn't turn back.
Sade screamed from inside the car. Kairo yanked open the driver's side door, shoving me inside before he slid in and slammed his foot on the gas. Tires screeched as we sped away, the raging fire shrinking in the rearview mirror.
My hands shot too my stomach that felt like it was being ripped open, "Fuck." I whispered under my breath so no one would hear, but, of course, Kairo did. He stopped the car, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing, doh worry. Jus drive before police dem come."
Kaeden stirred slightly, but Sade clutched him tighter, rocking him, her face pale. "W-What... What was that?!"
Kairo's grip tightened on the wheel while his other hand trailed the scar on my stomach. "Closure."
Dis need fi hurry up and heal cause this shit hurts like hell.
I let out a breath, watching the smoke rise in the distance.
"No loose ends," I murmured, voice flat. "Malachi gone, now everybody weh cudda come do nun related to him gone too."
Silence filled the car, thick and suffocating.
Sade turned her face to the window, holding Kaeden closer. "Mi just... Mi just want peace."
I exhaled, resting my head back against the seat.
"Yuh have it now," I muttered.
The shot rang through the house, loud, sharp, final.
Malachi's body jerked violently, his grip on my throat vanishing as he staggered back. His wide, stunned eyes locked onto his chest, where the blood bloomed like dark petals against the fabric of his shirt. He swayed, mouth opening as if he wanted to speak, but no words came. Only the thick, choking sound of air escaping his lungs.
His eyes stayed wide, the shock still evident as he staggered. I could almost hear his thoughts, his disbelief, his confusion, but none of it mattered. The life was draining out of him as quickly as the blood seeped from the wound.
Then, like dead weight, he collapsed onto the floor with a heavy thud, his body a broken mess.
I gasped for air, my chest constricting as I fell forward onto my hands and knees. My throat burned, raw from the pressure of his grip, but I didn't have time to focus on the pain. My heart hammered so hard in my chest, it was as if it would crack my ribs. The sounds of my own breath were the only thing I could hear, and even they felt muffled, distant.
My hands trembled as I slowly lifted my head. My eyes locked onto Xanai.
She stood frozen, her chest heaving with every uneven breath. Her fingers were still wrapped around Kairo's gun, the metal cold and solid, but her entire body was shaking. Her face was a mix of disbelief and fury, her eyes dark, burning with a rage that I had never seen before.
Kairo, still in shock, reached for her. "Nai—"
"Don't," she cut him off, her voice trembling but unwavering. Her eyes were fixed on Malachi's lifeless form, her breath shallow. "Mi tell yuh already, Sade... If him breathe too hard pon yuh or Kae, him a get drop."
The air around us thickened. Silence enveloped the room, and in that silence, the weight of what had just happened settled over me. The man who had tormented me, who had tried to tear my world apart, was gone. And it felt... like nothing, but everything all at once.
Kaeden's soft whimper brought me back to the moment. I turned, my heart leaping in my throat as I saw him, trembling in the corner. I rushed over, scooping him into my arms, desperate to shield him from the nightmare that had just unfolded.
"Shhh, baby, it's okay now," I whispered urgently, rocking him gently. I pressed frantic kisses to his forehead, holding him tighter as he clung to me, sobbing. The sound of his tears, mixed with the silent tension in the air, nearly broke me. He had seen all of this. All of it. And I couldn't undo that.
I turned back to Xanai. She was still gripping the gun, her knuckles white, her whole body coiled with tension. Kairo gently pried it from her hands, his movements slow and deliberate, as though he understood the weight of the moment.
"Nai," I whispered, stepping closer to her. "Look at me."
Her head snapped up, eyes glassy, lips parted as if she wanted to speak but no words came. Her chest heaved with the effort to hold herself together.
"You good?" I asked softly, the question feeling absurd, but it was all I could think to ask.
She shook her head, blinking rapidly like she was trying to wake up from a nightmare. "Mi neva plan fi—mi just—" She swallowed hard, gathering herself. "Well, minuh sorry stills. Him deserve it."
I nodded, my throat tight, my words trapped in the lump that had formed there. "Mi know. Thank you."
Kairo let out a long exhale, rubbing a hand over his face, the exhaustion evident in his movements. "Mi ago deal wid dis," he muttered, looking between us, his expression grim. "Wi cyah stay here. Pack up. Take whateva yuh need. Wi affi leave—now."
There was no time for hesitation. No time for anything but to move, to survive. I didn't argue, didn't even think about it. I just held Kaeden tighter, my arms wrapped around him as if I could shield him from everything.
"It done now, baby. It done," I whispered to him, more for myself than for him. I needed to believe it too.
Kairo's words rang in my head. We had to go. We couldn't stay.
I glanced around the house, the place where Malachi had broken me, where he had tried to control everything. It wasn't my home. It never was.
With a deep breath, I turned to Kairo. "Give mi five minutes."
He didn't argue. He just nodded, his expression unreadable as he made sure everything was in place. Kairo was always calm under pressure, and I was thankful for it.
I handed Kaeden to Xanai, who had snapped out of her daze enough to hold him. She wrapped him in her arms, her expression softened with a protective instinct I hadn't expected. Then, I moved quickly through the house, grabbing Kaeden's things, a few of my own. It was a blur—just a few essentials, the bare minimum. I didn't need much. I just needed to leave.
By the time I reentered the living room, Kairo was already wiping down the gun, checking the surfaces for any fingerprints. He was focused, methodical, and it was clear that this wasn't his first time doing this. I didn't ask. I didn't need to know.
A wah kinda sum dem likkle pitney yah been a do father God?
More like Kairo...
Thank God for them though, cause without them, I would've been dead. And Kaeden... I didn't even want to think about what would have happened to him.
"Wi ready?" Xanai asked, her voice stronger now. She was already in motion, ready to leave. Kaeden was still nestled in her arms, his eyes half-closed in sleep.
I looked at Malachi's body one last time. He was still there, eyes half-open, blood soaking through his shirt. A part of me thought I should feel something—guilt, regret, maybe even some twinge of sorrow—but nothing came. Nothing but relief. He was gone. The nightmare was over.
"Yeah," I said finally.
Kairo led the way, checking outside before signaling us to follow.
As I climbed into the car, Kaeden curled against me, his little fingers still gripping my shirt. His sniffles had slowed, but his face was still buried in my chest. His tiny body was stiff with tension, and I rocked him gently, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. My heart broke for him. For everything he had been through.
"Mommy?" His voice was small, shaky.
"Yes, baby?" I whispered, rubbing his back.
He lifted his head slightly, his teary eyes looking up at me. "Dada bad?"
My chest tightened. I swallowed hard, forcing my voice to stay steady. "Yes, baby... but you won't ever have to worry about dada again."
THREE WEEKS LATER
The sun beat down relentlessly on the small group of mourners gathered around Malachi's grave. The pastor droned on, his words sounding hollow, filled with false promises of forgiveness and letting go.
I almost laughed at that.
There wasn't any good to remember. Not for me. Not for Kaeden.
Kaeden rested against my shoulder, his tiny fingers gripping my dress as he shifted in his sleep. He had no idea where he was. He had no idea that the man being buried today was the same one who used to scream at him for crying too loud.
Xanai stood next to me, arms folded, her face unreadable, but I could see the tension in her jaw. Kairo was on my other side, his hands in his pockets, scanning the crowd, his eyes sharp and calculating. Always watching.
"Mi cyaa believe mi baby gone!" Malachi's mother wailed, gripping onto one of his cousins as she rocked back and forth. "Dem kill mi son!"
Why dah witch yah nuh shut the fuck up?
Xanai voiced my thoughts, her voice cold, cutting through the noise. "Lady, shut yuh mouth. Cause everybody here suh know yuh son is NO saint."
Gasps rippled through the crowd. Some people turned to stare at Xanai in shock, while others quickly looked away, clearly not wanting to admit she was right.
Malachi's mother stopped her wailing for a second, her face twisted with fury as she turned on Xanai. "Weh yuh just seh to mi?!"
Xanai didn't even flinch. She stepped forward, arms still crossed, her face hard and unreadable. "Yuh hear mi, ma'am. Every woman him eva deh wid, him beat and kill dem. Why yuh think a only like 15 people deh yah? All a dem except we related to you? No one likes—well, liked him, and you know it. So shut up, cause nuh good book nuh did deh fi try guh inna nuh more. Kai, let's go."
More gasps echoed around us, but Xanai didn't care. She didn't even look back as she turned on her heel and started walking away.
Malachi's mother looked like she wanted to lunge at her, her whole body trembling with rage. "Yuh disrespectful, nasty little gyal! A yuh kill mi son!" she shrieked.
Xanai didn't even break stride. "Mi nuh know wah yah talk bout," she called back, voice dripping with sarcasm. "But mi know seh God finally fix di mistake that was your child."
Kairo let out a low chuckle, shaking his head as he followed behind her.
I adjusted Kaeden in my arms, the weight of everything heavy on my chest. Malachi's mother could scream all she wanted. It didn't matter. It was over.
"Kai?" Xanai turned to him, her voice low, whispering something I couldn't hear.
He nodded, his face hardening. "Guh inna e car wid e baby, and text Nai when yuh reach."
O-kayyyy? That was weird.
Gwaan ina e car gyal!
Mek mi do dat fi true yah.
Xanai Rylie Billings|18
"Kill e wull a dem." I whisper to Kairo ,my voice emotionless and steady, and he nods before sending Sade-Lynn to the car.
She hesitated, eyes flicking between us, but she didn't argue. With Kaeden still fast asleep against her chest, she turned and hurried toward the car.
A couple minutes later Sade calls me, indicating she's inside.
Kairo and I walked back to the car, controlled, our pace calm even as the tension in the air thickened. The small black remote rested in his grip, thumb poised over the button.
"Yuh good ma?" he asks.
"Mhm, how are you?"
"Mi gov man...."
He exhaled, and just as we were a few feet away from the car, his thumb pressed down.
BOOM! (😂 mia have too much fun with this)
The explosion rocked the air behind us, the force sending a hot wave against our backs as screams ripped through the graveyard. Fire and smoke erupted, swallowing Malachi's mother, his cousins, the pastor—every last person who dared to mourn a man who deserved nothing but hell.
I didn't flinch. Didn't turn back.
Sade screamed from inside the car. Kairo yanked open the driver's side door, shoving me inside before he slid in and slammed his foot on the gas. Tires screeched as we sped away, the raging fire shrinking in the rearview mirror.
My hands shot too my stomach that felt like it was being ripped open, "Fuck." I whispered under my breath so no one would hear, but, of course, Kairo did. He stopped the car, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing, doh worry. Jus drive before police dem come."
Kaeden stirred slightly, but Sade clutched him tighter, rocking him, her face pale. "W-What... What was that?!"
Kairo's grip tightened on the wheel while his other hand trailed the scar on my stomach. "Closure."
Dis need fi hurry up and heal cause this shit hurts like hell.
I let out a breath, watching the smoke rise in the distance.
"No loose ends," I murmured, voice flat. "Malachi gone, now everybody weh cudda come do nun related to him gone too."
Silence filled the car, thick and suffocating.
Sade turned her face to the window, holding Kaeden closer. "Mi just... Mi just want peace."
I exhaled, resting my head back against the seat.
"Yuh have it now," I muttered.
End of DÉJÀ VU Chapter 22. Continue reading Chapter 23 or return to DÉJÀ VU book page.