Page 1 of Kasim


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Prologue

DALLAS

It was New Year’s Eve, and Dallas and her best friend, Norah, were looking for something to get into. After an entire week of crying over Big Boy, her make-believe fiance, Dallas was ready to let her hair down. She had done the one thing she vowed to never do and that was go through his phone. She didn't see much, but she did stumble across a message from his homie Tris that read:

We shaking them bitches for New Year’s. It’s gon’ be some bad ones at the Lux Nightclub.

Although Tris's text made her head spin, it was Big Boy's reply that sent her furiously into the living room to curse his ass out.

I'm game. A nigga wanna have fun.

As if she wasn't fun.

For four years, Dallas had brought the New Year in with her man, her man, her man, and now suddenly, things had changed. The mention of bad bitches made her lips purse, wondering if he didn't consider her bad. She knew she wasn't the baddest bitch walking, but she held confidence in her looks and presence.

At twenty-nine years old, Dallas made enough money at her nine-to-five to make ends meet. With the money Big Boy made hustling in the streets, they lived a decent life. They didn't have the fancy cars or lived inside of a mansion, but their two-bedroom condo in Waldsor Hills was nice and cozy.

There were a few times she had heard about Big Boy sleeping around with some locals, but he made sure to cover his tracks by deleting messages. One thing Big Boy didn't do was bring his bullshit home. He kept it far from Dallas, so she didn't have the proof to accuse him.

"I'm in the front," Dallas informed Norah, still agitated that they had nowhere to go.

Norah's big brother mentioned a place called Kingly Dynasty, so they were considering it. It was a casino with a nightclub inside, and the girls knew as long as they gambled, they would drink for free. This was something they often did when visiting Las Vegas, Nevada.

A part of Dallas wanted to rain on Big Boy's parade by showing up to Lux, but with Norah in her ear, she knew it wouldn't happen. Norah was the friend that would encourage her friend to leave the nigga. Because Norah was more into thestreets, she would hear many rumors of Big Boy and the skeezers he fooled around with. Most of the time she would tell her best friend, and sometimes she would spare her the heartache. She knew Dallas wasn't leaving, so it was pointless. Dallas had cried on Norah's shoulders plenty of times about her cheating ass boyfriend, but it was always hearsay. And that was Dallas's reason for always staying.

"Come in real quick. Mama made a seafood boil. Let's eat before we go."

"Well, I may eat a shrimp or two. I don't wanna smell like crab legs."

They both laughed as Dallas climbed out of the car.

She made her way to the front door that Dragon had opened and headed inside.

Dallas entered into the kitchen to find Norah, who had already begun making them a small bowl. She added a few shrimp, some sausage, a couple potatoes, and a piece of corn. She couldn't resist, so she added one crab cluster, ignoring what Dallas had said about smelling like seafood.

"So where you girls off to?" Mama asked as she stirred the sauce to pour over the boil.

Mama was Norah's grandmother, but because she raised them, they all referred to her as Mama. Even Dallas had adapted to the name, and Mama didn't mind one bit.

"We don't know. Dragon, I mean, Drayon mentioned the Kingly Dynasty." Norah quickly changed her brother's name, knowing Mama didn’t play that street shit.

The sudden crash of Mama's pot falling on the floor made them jump.

"I got it, Mama." Norah ran over to help clean up the mess while Mama looked between the two.

"You girls stay the hell away from that place. Trust me, things go on in there that's unexplainable. Them damn Kinglys are immortal. Like some damn devils or something." Mama spoke with a frantic tone as if she knew something they didn't.

"Dang, okay. I mean, is it that bad?" Norah asked because it was really no big deal.

They could have just gone to the Universal City Walk and dined inside one of the bars, but the way Dragon hyped the place, it made them wanna visit. Both Norah and Dallas loved The Saddle Ranch—the excitement of riding the bull, and the food was great, so Dallas was gonna throw that idea out there.

"It's been around for many years." Mama looked out-of-it as she spoke, choosing her words carefully. It was like she was living in the past, and something about the Dynasty tainted her. She gave Dallas this eerie feeling because of the unexplainable gaze in her eyes. "Never set foot in that place. It's not safe," Mama added before turning to finish cleaning up the mess.

The girls continued to eat as a sinister silence filled the air.

Once they were done, they thanked Mama and headed out the door. She still had this uneasy look as she watched the girls from the slits of her eyes. She prayed they would listen, but she was once a disobeying child that got a kick out of a thrill.

"Bitch, we cute," Norah boasted, checking out their outfits as they walked to the car.