BLOODLINES AND CROSSFIRE
838 Words
The man beside Amaka leaned forward slowly, like he had all the time in the world.
I couldn’t breathe.
My father — the man who l thought was my uncle all these years — was right here, his presence as solid and undeniable as the table between us.
“Hello, Ada,” he said. His voice was warm, almost casual, as if he hadn’t just detonated the entire foundation of my life.
I didn’t sit. My hands were locked at my sides. “You’re dead.”
A faint smile tugged at his lips. “Not quite.”
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The Shock
“Why?” The word came out jagged, too small for the weight of the question.
“Why fake your death? Why let me believe—” My voice cracked.
He glanced at Amaka before answering. “Because if I didn’t, you would have been next. You were a child, Ada. The people I crossed… they wouldn’t have hesitated.”
“And she?” I jerked my chin at Amaka.
Amaka swirled her drink lazily, eyes locked on me. “I’m just the messenger. He’s the one with the sins to answer for.”
My father leaned back, his gaze steady. “She’s not wrong. I’ve made enemies, and Amaka’s family was one of them. We traded favors, betrayals, and blood over the years. But every choice I made was to keep you breathing.”
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Amaka’s Play
Amaka set her glass down with a soft clink. “You think that’s noble? He left you to grieve while he played spy games with the Archivist. All while your dear Femi was running errands for him — keeping tabs on you for a price.”
I froze.
“That’s not—” my father started, but she cut him off.
“Oh, come on. You think Femi just appeared in your life by chance? He was hired. Groomed. Fed your favorite coffee order before he ever asked you out.”
The air in the room thickened. I remembered the way Femi had shown up in my life, how easily he’d known my rhythms.
Amaka’s smile turned sharp. “I can make him disappear. I can make your father disappear again too. Or you can walk away from both of them and live.”
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The Father’s Truth
I looked at him. “Tell me she’s lying.”
“She’s twisting it,” he said. “Yes, Femi and I crossed paths. Yes, he was near you before you knew him. But he kept watch because I asked him to. Because I couldn’t be there myself without painting a target on your back.”
“Convenient,” Amaka murmured.
He ignored her. “The night your uncle — my brother — died, Femi came to warn us. We didn’t listen soon enough.”
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The Attack
The glass in the window shattered before I could respond.
Gunfire tore through the bar, sending splinters of wood raining down. My father moved instantly, grabbing my arm and shoving me toward the back. Amaka ducked low, cursing under her breath.
Figures in black poured through the front. The smell of gunpowder bit at my lungs.
“Move!” my father barked.
We darted through a narrow hallway, bullets splintering the doorframe behind us.
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Femi’s Arrival
We spilled into the alley behind the bar — and nearly collided with him.
Femi.
He took one look at me, then my father, and something unreadable passed through his eyes. No time for words. He shoved us behind a crate as two gunmen rounded the corner.
The three of us fought like we’d been rehearsing it for years — my father’s heavy blows, Femi’s precision strikes, my quick, desperate jabs with a bottle I’d snatched from the bar.
When the last one fell, panting filled the alley like smoke.
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The Breakthrough
Femi’s hand gripped my shoulder. “Are you hurt?”
“No.” I hesitated. “But I need to know everything. Now.”
He didn’t flinch. “Fine. You want it all? I met your father years ago, on a job I shouldn’t have taken. He asked me to watch over you when trouble started circling again. I didn’t plan to fall for you. But I did. And when I realized Amaka was circling too, I stayed — not because I was paid to anymore, but because I couldn’t walk away.”
His voice cracked just slightly. “I’d rather you hate me for the truth than love me for a lie.”
My chest ached. “I don’t hate you.”
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The Hook for the Finale
My father stepped forward. “This isn’t over. Amaka still has files — proof that could bury me and destroy anyone tied to me. Including you both.”
Femi met my eyes. “Then we take her down together.”
I nodded, the decision settling in my bones like it had been there all along.
No more running. No more doubt.
We end this.
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