Who kill my Bestfriend?

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 30

Oʀʟᴀɴᴅᴏ, FL 📍
Sᴇᴘᴛᴇᴍʙᴇʀ 15ᴛʜ

Oᴍɴɪsᴄɪᴇɴᴛ

Imani's Parents' House 📍

As the car pulled up to her parents' house, Imani felt her chest tighten. The past few days had been a whirlwind of fear, pain, and survival, and now, standing on the other side of it, she felt almost numb. The house, a familiar beacon of safety, had never looked so welcoming-yet at the same time, it reminded her of how much had changed.

Detective Harris parked in the driveway and turned to Imani. "You okay?"

Imani swallowed hard, nodding. "Yeah... just trying to process everything."

Harris gave her a reassuring look. "Take your time. Your family is just happy to have you back."

Imani nodded, gripping the door handle before stepping out. As soon as she did, the front door flew open.

Victoria, her mother, rushed out first, tears already streaming down her face. "My baby!" she cried, running straight to Imani and pulling her into the tightest embrace. "Oh my God, Imani, I thought I lost you."

Imani squeezed her eyes shut, letting herself be held. "I'm okay, Mama. I'm here."

Her father, Garrick, was right behind her, his strong arms wrapping around both of them. His voice, normally deep and steady, was thick with emotion. "You scared us half to death, princess."

Imani pulled back just enough to look at him. "I know, Dad. I'm so sorry."

Before she could say more, Zane and Bentley, her older brothers, stepped forward. Zane was pacing, trying to keep himself together, while Bentley-who was always the quiet one-simply pulled her into a hug. "You good?" Bentley asked softly.

Imani nodded against his shoulder. "Yeah."

Zane exhaled, shaking his head. "Damn, Imani. You really had us ready to tear the whole city apart looking for you." His jaw was clenched, his protective instincts still in full force.

"I know," Imani murmured, guilt washing over her. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen."

Garrick placed a firm but gentle hand on Zane's shoulder. "She's home now. That's all that matters."

Zane sighed, nodding, but the fire in his eyes didn't fade.

Victoria cupped Imani's face, searching for any sign of injury. "Did they hurt you? Are you okay? We should get you checked again."

"I'm okay, Mom," Imani reassured her. "Leo and Chris protected me."

At the mention of Leo, Garrick's expression softened just slightly. "That man..." he muttered. "I never liked him, but I owe him for this."

Imani gave a small smile. "Yeah. Me too."

Victoria sniffled, finally taking a breath. "Come inside, baby. You need to rest."

As they all turned to head inside, Imani glanced back at Detective Harris, who was still by the car. "Thank you," she said sincerely.

Harris nodded. "Stay safe, Imani. I'll be in touch."

Imani gave her one last look before following her family inside, feeling the warmth of home surround her. Despite everything, for the first time in days, she felt safe.

Later that evening, as Imani sat curled up on the couch in the living room, still processing everything, she heard the doorbell ring. Before she could even react, her mother, Victoria, was already heading toward the door.