Chapter 1
Seojun 5 Months Ago
Isat on the couch in my living room for a few moments after getting off the phone with my little cousin, Ayzo and booking my flight to Philly. Taking another sip of the vanilla Crown I was babysitting, I took in a deep breath. As much as I wanted to down the sweet beverage and enjoy the burn across my chest, I couldn't. After Ayzo told me everything that had happened since he left, I had to keep my head clear. Well, clear enough to be prepared for what I knew was coming my way. To be honest, I had my bags packed from the moment he called and had me freeze Denice’s accounts. I had a gut feeling that some shit was about to pop off and I needed to be ready.
Stay ready so you don't have to get ready.
"Thanks for the advice, Dad," I huffed out a chuckle as I remembered my dad’s constant reminder.
The motion detector pinged on my phone with an alert that a car had entered on my street. You heard that right, my street. I had the entire housing community fully equipped with cameras while the remaining houses were being built. So far, five of the houses were just about ready to go on the market, not including mine. Of course, when everything was ready to go, I’d take down the cameras, but while I was living here, alone, the cameras were staying up.
After I lost my chain of massage parlors and group homes, I decided to switch things up. Not the group homes that you are thinking of, but more like upscale brothel houses. I still had some money saved and used that to become a buy-and-hold investor. I built homes from scratch or renovated properties before having my realtors sell them to families in need. Unlike most of the greedy realtor companies I’ve come across, I made my houses luxurious, yet affordable to low income families. If they could afford the mortgage without living paycheck to paycheck, they were handed the keys.
I knew what it was like growing up in a crowded apartment because my mother and father couldn’t get into a house due to poor credit. I remember my dad arguing with the lender that they had the money to pay the mortgage months in advance, but were always denied. No bank would offer them a loan because of past mistakes they were continuing to pay for. So, when I started up my business, I made sure to not turn away those in need.
With that said, I wasn’t a dummy about it. I knew how some muthafuckas would try and take advantage and lie their way through the system. Too bad for them, I knew all about it. I could smell bullshit a mile away and didn’t hesitate to kick a fucker out of my office.
I took a long drag from the black and mild I was smoking before putting it out. I shook my head at the wood tip sitting in between my fingers. My dumb ass was going to have a nasty ass headache later, but I didn’t want to light up a blunt – trying to quit that habit. Yeah, yeah, I know, black and mild’s ain’t no better. Shit, I needed something to prepare me for my journey to Philly and, from the four men hopping out the all-black Escalade across the street, this ass whooping I was about to hand out.
Standing up, I cracked my neck and rolled my shoulders before walking through the kitchen and down to the basement. I entered the four digit code on the door to reveal my stash of guns.
Tapping my index finger on top of my lips, I clicked my tongue. “Hmm, which one do I want to use tonight?”
I started to hum Archie Eversole’s “We Ready” as I examined each of my guns. I wouldn’t say I was a gun enthusiast, but I had my favorites. Personally, I liked to go old school and fuck somebody up with my hands, but since I had to be at the airport in a few hours, I didn’t have time to waste. Picking up my Glock with the extendo, I walked over to the circuit breaker and switched off all the lights.
“What the fuck?” I heard someone yell out.
"Nigga, shut the fuck up!"
I shook my head and laughed. Of course, T sent some young boys to try and handle me. Either he didn't give a fuck that he was about to lose four bodies, or he was dumber than I thought. How could he figure out where me and Ayzo were hiding, but didn't know how dangerous I was? I mean, my family dominated the Midwest and parts of the east coast. Everyone knew who the Jaguars were, but then again, I guess he thought I was soft now. Yeah, everyone that was once aloyal Jaguar abandoned me and is now a Cobra, but that didn't change the fact that I knew how to handle my own.
I walked up the stairs and leaned against the door frame as I watched one of the boys rummage through my refrigerator. He wore all black and had his ski mask lifted up, exposing his sienna, brown face. I didn't have a good view, but from his profile, I could tell he was no older than nineteen. I cocked my head to the side and saw the Cobra tattoo on his neck and frowned. T definitely sent him. I contemplated on not killing these idiots in my house. I didn't like having to take someone's life, especially when they were this young.
"I'm about to tear this shit up!" the intruder murmured.
I tilted my head to the side and realized what the muthafucka was doing. First, he broke into my house, now he was in my shit. There were five things I didn't play about:
God
My family
My money
My trust
