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“Want us to trail you?”

“Nah, go home for the night. Be with your family, nigga. I know these streets better than you.”

“Aight, I’ll see you tomorrow bright and early,” he said.

“Tell the family I said hello.”

My security was with me all the time. Rarely did they have time off unless it was the holidays. Tonight was probably the latest I had left. The streets were empty around this time. I headed out and hopped into my black truck. The city was sleeping, and I was heading home to get knee deep into my wife. I turned the R&B music up and cruised through the streets heading to my estate.

On my twenty-minute drive home, I spent this time just being thankful for where my life was now. I was raised well and was the oldest of three. I was the family's go-to person and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I set my family up for the rest of their lives. My family knew I remembered everyone’s birthdays. Their likes and dislikes. When anyone was down, it was me that picked them up. I loved to feel needed.

As I got closer to home, I thought about how I never deserved a woman like Kyenna. She was the one that taught me the gambling game. She had been around it her whole life. Kyenna helped me flip my simple gambling house into a full-on social club. Hell, I had doctors, athletes, politicians, and street hustlers grace the doors. They all had to go through high security checks. My simple couple thousand dollars turned into a quarter million overnight.

My three children came to mind as I turned down the long road. They were my world. I went hard to give them the life they deserved. My oldest two came into my life when I was trying to get my own thing started. I loved their mama. Still to this day, I had love for her and she could ask me for anything. My children’s mother, Averie, deserved better. I was a good provider. I just wasn’t a good man for her. My son had a hard time understanding why I left and picked Kyenna over his mama. When he got older, I hoped that his ass would understand not to stay in a relationship for the sake of kids. That shit would drain you.

Wifey:

Another text from Kyenna came through. I tapped at my phone while trying to keep my eyes on the road. All I had was two curves and I would be home. I smiled as I typed the message.

Me: Damn you must miss a…

A deer ran in front of my truck, clipping the headlight.

“Shit, just another thing to get fuckin’ fixed.”

Not even a mile up the road, two black trucks were blocking me. This was a private road. Nobody should've been on this bitch at this time of the morning. I hit my brakes and reached for my gun. One of the trucks turned on its bright lights to blind me. I reached for my other gun because I knew one wouldn’t be enough. I cocked both of them bitches, and opened my door. It wasn't until several shots pierced my windshield that I started shooting back.

“Fuck!” I yelled, when a bullet hit my shoulder.

The burning started immediately, that didn’t stop me from hearing two bodies drop on their side. Way before a nigga got into gambling, I was in the streets heavy. If anything I knew how to do, was pull a fuckin’ trigger. Another round came rapidly, causing me to jar back into my truck. All I thought about was my wife and kids. I was only a couple hundred yards away from my gate.

“Come on, Rah. Eat this shit nigga,” I told myself.

My adrenaline was pumping and though my body was riddled with holes, I emptied my second clip. They were shooting AR’s and the bullets were piercing fast. I was being ambushed. My guns were empty and I knew when karma was coming for my ass. I wasn’t a perfect nigga. Shit, I thought had made amends with all my wrongs. Sometimes that’s not how this shit worked. I didn't have anything left in me. Slowly, I eased down to the pavement. My breathing was becoming shallow. The guns that I was so used to, had now become heavy to the point I dropped them. All I wanted to do was make it home. Had I left earlier or let security trail me until I made it in the gate, this wouldn't have happened.

The sound of glass cracking made me reached for my empty gun. Black Air Forces appeared before I could see the full body. Nobody I associated with wore Forces. It was clear to me that it was a hit. But from who? My home and private road were sacred. Only family and security knew where it was. Seconds later a green beam flashed in my face and the person appeared.

“Nigga,” I said, spewing blood from my mouth.

I blinked through the blood trying to get a better vision of who the fuck would take me from my family. My heart stopped when he leaned in for me to see his face.

“You?”

This shit was unreal. There was no way that I was dying at the hands of this nigga. The bubbles were spilling out of my mouth.

“I can’t” I coughed up blood. “You, nigga?”

I was up the road from my house. So fuckin’ close. Kyenna was probably standing in the kitchen cursing my ass out because I was taking too long. She had no idea I wasn’t coming home.

“Sleep easy, nigga.”

CHAPTER 1

KYENNA KING

It was now after four in the morning and Rah still hadn’t brought his ass home. I grabbed my phone and dialed his number. I let it go to voicemail.

“Rah, I promise on your kids, nigga. If you out doing some snake shit, I’ll go do my time.”