King Divas by De'nesha Diamond Page B

the bathroom in the master bedroom. The shower set to steaming hot, I plunge beneath the water and scrub myself raw. I have to get ready for the role of a lifetime if I’m going to pull this shit off. The first thing I have to do is get my damn story straight. I have to explain to Lynch how my ass is still alive.
    A million and one scenarios speed through my head. All of them dumb as fuck.
    Keep it simple. It’s an important rule to remember. Muthafuckas always mess up by talking too damn much. Toweling off, I dress in record time, grab the yellow cleaning gloves and trash bags from the kitchen. Clothes in the bag, I head out the door and travel through the woods. Since I don’t want to risk detection, it’s best that I don’t burn the clothes out here. With no shovel, I need to find a good hiding place to get rid of this shit.When I stumble across a narrow riverbank, I don’t waste a beat, hurling the bloody evidence and gloves into the water below. As I rush back to the house, I hear tires crunching up the gravel road to the safe house.
    Who the fuck is this? The terrifying thought that Lucifer really has found me crosses my mind. No shit. My heart stops as I crouch low and angle to see who has shown up unannounced. I instantly recognize the Range Rover when it comes into view.
    Lynch. “What the fuck is he doing here?” My heartbeat kicks back into gear and then races like a muthafucka.
    Lynch exits the vehicle and then, to my surprise, he opens one of the back doors for my twin four-year-old boys, Marcel and Julez, to hop out. “Are you ready to see Mommy?”
    â€œYeah,” they shout, jumping up and down.
    I slap a hand over my mouth while tears sting my eyes. This shit is about to go south in a real fuckin’ way if I don’t think of something quick—but I draw a blank.
    Don’t let them go in there. My feet refuse to move. The holes in my story suddenly seem big enough to drive a Mack truck through. Rooted to my spot by the tree, I watch Lynch and my kids enter the house. Seconds later, my babies scream at the top of their voices and then race back out. Lynch follows behind.
    Get in there.
    I climb to my feet and run from my hiding spot. “Lynch!” I shout, waving my hands in the air.
    Everyone’s head snaps in my direction.
    â€œMommy! Mommy!” My boys fly toward me.
    I don’t have to fake the joy of seeing them. Before now, Lynch has denied my request for them to visit. He claimed that it was too dangerous with Lucifer on a murderous prowl. I’m glad that he’s changed his mind. I clear the last line of trees, drop and swing my arms open. Marcel and Julez rush into them so hard that I fall backwards onto the grass.
    â€œMommy, there’s a dead body in there,” Julez shouts, pointing back to the house. Tears stream down his face. I’m a piece of shit for letting them go in there.
    â€œShariffa, baby. Are you all right?” Lynch asks, catching up to me and the boys. “Are you hurt?”
    â€œNo. I’m all right,” I say, giving my voice the right shaky inflection. “Did you see what happened to Trigger?”
    â€œOf course I saw,” he shouts. “What the fuck?”
    â€œWhat does it look like? That bitch Lucifer killed her,” I screech. “How did she find out where we are?” I stand and then flip the script. “ You said that we’d be safe out here! How in the fuck did that bitch find us?”
    The color drains from Lynch’s confused face. “I . . . I don’t know. Nobody knows about this place.”
    â€œThat shit can’t be true now, can it?”
    He gives me the deer-caught-in-the-headlights stare while my sons crowd around my legs, crying. “Mommy there’s so much blood.”
    I stare at Lynch like he’s supposed to have the fuckin’ answers.
    Shaking his head, Lynch does the only thing he can do: apologize. “I’m