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“Yeah, this is him. Who the fuck is this?”
“A nigga that’s two minutes from putting a bullet in your sister’s head if you don’t pull up to this weak ass cafe. We need to talk.”
“Mothafucka…”
The phone drops to my feet. Rayne picks it up as I start towards the door. “Ayo, what’s going on?”
“Some mothafucka has Destiny!” I scream.
“Fuck outta here, it’s up.” Rayne doesn’t even put on shoes; he follows behind me so fast. We both get into my car and I pull off in a flash. I don’t remember the key going into the ignition. Or me even pushing down on the gas. All that’s in my mind is Destiny. And who could potentially have her hostage? The first name that comes to mind is Syren. Somehow, this has to involve her.
My heart is thumping so hard, it feels like any moment could be my last breath. Rayne sits quietly, not trying to show the fear I’m sure that’s cooking inside him. Because I’m scared. I’m scared for the world if something happens to my sister. I’m at the cafe as quickly as the day is long. I park on the side, making it harder to see me from the front window. We both get out, instinctively ripping for the door before I stop in a halt. I grab Rayne by the arm to hold him back.
“What the fuck are you doing, man?”
I dig into my pocket, taking out my office keys. I slam them into his hand.
“Take the back way. Use the middle key. There’s a gun in my safe. Five. Nineteen. Twenty. Twenty five. That’s the combination. I’ll go through the front.”
Rayne nods to the plan. “Aight, got you, bro.”
I watch him take off, making a left turn near the back of the cafe. Now I can focus on keeping my sister alive. Slowly, I take steps to the front door and go through. My mind is haunting me. What if she’s already gone? What if this is a setup and there’s a bullet waiting for me the moment I go through the door? It’s a risk I have to take. I’d rather it be me versus either of my siblings.
They’re right in the center of the cafe. Chairs have been knocked down. One of my cashiers, Brianna, has already been shot. She’s slumped on the floor, unmoving. There’s a long streak of blood leading down to her body from the wall. I make eye contact with my worst nightmare. Destiny is in a chair, teary-eyed and shaking. There’s a gun right next to her temple. The one behind the gun is the same goof I had a run-in with before. Makai.
“Funny…” he says, smiling like the Devil, “When you came into my place of business, you tried to start a war. Now I’m in your place of business, preparing to finish it.”
“Is that what this is about?”
“Nah. This is a little more personal than that.”
“So why don’t you let my sister go and we can talk about it? Like men.”
“Talk? Nah, mothafucka, we’re past talking.” He aims the gun at me, laughs himself back to a calm state, and then puts it back towards the head of Destiny. He’s taunting me at this point.
“See, you don’t get it. This isn’t even about me. You had something that belongs to me. And you ruined it. Just like you tried to take that little hoe who works for me. Niggas like you love having what doesn’t belong to you. You think you run the world, huh?”
“Run the world? Nah, I don’t run the world. I just rule over niggas like you. See, I’m a nigga who stands on his business. I’m sorry you can’t do the same. That’s why it’s easy for men like me to always be superior to niggas like you. You play the part of a boss. I am the fuckin’ boss. I don’t have to show. You feel it. You see it. You envy it. That’s your problem, nigga. I’m sorry you can’t ascend to the levels I can. And I assume by taking something, you mean someone? As in some woman?”
His face changes. “Syren.”
“Ahh, Syren. Of course. I figured. Only bitch made niggas like you would be here right now tender over a woman like that. And so now, you feel like you need to take from me, right?”
Rayne is sneaking into the room, holding my gun. We share a quick look.
“That was the plan,” Makai aims back at me, “Now the only question should be, do I kill you first or her?”
“How about neither?”
Bang. Bang.
Two shots ring out. Two bodies fall. Destiny is in my arms, sobbing. She’s safe. I stand in silence, staring off at the scene. Makai is flat on his back. The gun is near his right hand, still smoking. Near his feet, lies my brother.
“Rayne?”
“Rayne?”
I walk over to him, kneeling down with tears in my eyes. The scene plays out in my head again. Makai sensed Rayne behind him. The crafty mothafucka must’ve seen him through the reflection of the window. He turns and shoots Rayne right as my little brother was able to pop him too. I wasn’t able to see exactly where the bullet landed, but it dropped Rayne in a hurry.
