Free Fistful of Benjamins by Kiki Swinson Page B

wasn’t speaking to Eduardo enough to even say hello. I was almost past the doorway to the hallway that led to our bedrooms when I heard it.
    â€œAhhh, so this is the famous Gabriella,” I heard a man’s voice say. I had walked right past the living room, assuming it was just Eduardo watching television alone. I hadn’t even looked to notice that someone else was in the house. The voice gave me chills although I could not identify the source. Those chills quickly turned into straight- up panic.
    â€œMommy! Mommy! I want my mommy!” I heard Andrew call out at the top of his little voice. I stopped dead in my tracks. Dread overcame me and my heart raced painfully against my sternum. I turned back and walked into the living room to investigate now. My eyes almost came out of my head when I saw Andrew there looking like he was terrified. He was supposed to be with my mother. I hung my head low with my feet in full view. I had suddenly became lightheaded and my body was beginning to shut down. I felt like my legs would give out at any moment.
    â€œCome join us, Gabriella,” the man said with a sinister smile planted on his lips. I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. Eduardo was sitting up erect on the opposite couch, his face pale as shit, like he had seen a ghost too. I looked at him through squinted eyes, my head tilted slightly.
    â€œGabby . . . this—this is Lance,” Eduardo stammered. I looked back over at the man. I swallowed the tennis ball–sized lump that had formed in my throat.
    â€œMommy!” my son called out for me again.
    â€œI know, baby,” I said, on the brink of tears and hysteria.
    â€œEduardo, how did Andrew get here?” I asked, my voice coming out raspy and hoarse. I already knew the fucking answer. Eduardo had picked up my son from my mother so that they could use him against me. I know my mother wouldn’t have given my baby to anyone other than Eduardo because, just like me, she trusted him. I looked from Eduardo to Lance and back again.
    Lance was a broad-shouldered hulk of a man. His hard facial features, beady eyes, charcoal-dark skin, and glistening, bald head made him look like a serial killer from a scary movie. The long scar that ran the length of his left cheek didn’t help much, either. He was flanked by two big, bouncer type of dudes and he had my son sitting on his lap. I could barely lift my hand to wave, much less say anything else to this monster.
    â€œPlease, this is your home, right? So come join us for a quick minute, Gabby,” Lance said, signaling me to sit down and calling me by my nickname like we were old friends.
    â€œMommy!” Andrew stretched his little arms toward me and tried desperately to run to me. Lance gripped my baby tightly around his waist and he started to scream and cry like he’d been hurt. Hearing his wails ripped me to shreds inside. Tears immediately sprang to my eyes. I had done this to him . . . to us. My fucking greed had done this to my son. I closed my eyes and bit down into my jaw. My fists were curled so tight my knuckles paled. I was a mother watching her child in distress . . . not a pretty picture.
    â€œNot so fast, little man. I need to have a chat with your mommy,” Lance said, his words coming out like snake hisses in my ears. Watching him use my son to get to me made me despise Lance and I didn’t even know him.
    I slowly sat down. My legs were quaking in my work boots. I looked at Lance, trying my best to keep from jumping up and gouging his eyes out.
    â€œSo I hear that one of my packages went missing,” Lance started. I didn’t let him even finish. I immediately jumped up like I had springs on my ass.
    â€œNo way! I always deliver everything! I would never take anything from you or let those packages go missing! I’ve been doing this faithfully for eleven months—almost an entire year, and I never had anything go missing!” I blurted