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I place my hand onto him, causing his body to jump. All of a sudden, he sits up with his hand pressed to his left shoulder.

“Ahh fuck,” he groans, “This feels worse than when a bitch keeps sucking after I nut.”

“Bro? You alright?” Destiny screams frantically.

“Nah, Destiny, I just got shot in the shoulder,” he says sarcastically, “Do I look alright? The shit went straight through, though. On some GTA shit.”

Even in pain, Rayne can’t wait to be an asshole. I help him to a chair as Destiny runs to get something to hold against his wound. She stops for a moment to look down at poor Brianna, the real casualty of this whole thing.

“Her birthday was tomorrow!” Destiny cries.

“Fuck,” I mumble in regret, looking back over at Makai. We got so lost in the chaos, he’s gone unattended. I stand up and walk over to his still-shaking body. Somehow, he’s still kicking.

I stand over him like the Grim Reaper himself, emotionless. He looks up at me, eyes glazed, with a bullet hole steaming from his chest. Coldly, I kneel down and place my hand onto his throat.

Choking him until he’s completely gone. I might not have caused the wound, but I’ll ensure death. Once he’s gone, I glance back over to my siblings. Destiny is holding the towel close to Rayne, not letting go. Showing unity. And that’s what it’s all about for me. Family. Unity.

Watching them makes me realize just how much I could’ve lost here. My sister. My brother. Myself. Not to mention losing a young woman who now has to be buried before her parents. It’s too close a call. All over a tender nigga and a crazy bitch. Again.

This can’t happen again. It won’t happen again. Once this situation is handled, I have some changes to make. And a better person to become. After we find Syren, at least. Because her ass is fuckin’ grass.

Three weeks later

McGovern Park is surrounded by silence. The strong stench of pine is in the air, making it hard to breathe. I sit alone, watching the sun glisten over the waves of the lake. I’m wearing brown shades, a black tee, and shorts. The heat is picking up. I can feel it hovering over me like a plague. I can’t wait for the damn Fall, that’s for sure.

I think over the last few weeks in between puffs from my blunt. Destiny’s been in therapy since the hostage situation. Seeing one of her good friends get killed right in front of her really did a number on her. Skizzy is right there with her. Taking her to and from therapy with dinner waiting. Like a real man. After her death, I donated money to Brianna’s family and paid for her funeral. Her mother won’t have to worry about her mortgage for a long time. It’s the least I can do.

We tried to find Syren. Immediately after they took Makai’s body out of my cafe. We pull up, only to see this trick left a note in her apartment that says she’s out of town for the foreseeable future. Yeah, aight. I’ve got people trying to track her down. She won’t breathe for too much longer. On everything, I’ll see her ass again.

I toss the rest of my blunt to the ground, blowing the last bit of smoke past my face. I start to hear footsteps behind me, causing me to turn my head to the source of the sound. Rayne is coming down the stairs, holding two beers. He just got his sling off two days ago.

“Took you long enough,” I say, taking a beer from his hand. “Shit, I couldn’t find my keys.”

Since the shooting, we’ve spent the last few Sundays here. Talking, bonding, and planning for the future like brothers instead of opposing figures. It’s amazing what a bullet can do to the psyche of a man. The doctor told him that an inch higher and the bullet would’ve severed his artery. An almost guaranteed death. He heard that shit and started adapting to a different mentality. Slowly. It’s still a work in progress.

“So, how’s life, little bro?”

“Your little bro has a big plan.” “Yeah?”

Rayne takes a sip of his beer with a smile. “Yup. I finally know what I want to do. Well… what I’m going to do.”

“Which is?”

“Me and Dime are starting a porn channel.” My eyes grow big.

“Nigga, what?”

He smiles confidently. “Yup.” “You’re bullshitting.”

“Nope. We settled it last night. We figure, if we’re going to live together, we need to start a real hustle or two together.”

“And that’s what y’all came up with?”

“Why not? Her pussy is amazing. I’ve got great dick. We’ve got a camera. And strong Wi-Fi. It’s a win-win. Easy money. Plus, we’re going to wear ski masks so people won’t even know it’s us. You should be happy, bro. You and Morgan inspired us.”

“You know, of all the things I’ve ever wanted to hear my brother say I inspired him to do, this isn't the one I had on the Bingo Card. And you’re sure about this?”

“Sure? Shit, we already started. We set up our account and everything.”