Kay was right. I almost fucked up, but I knew I didn’t. I could tell by the way she looked at me that I could still work my plan. One of the officers came back to get us. He had his gun aimed at us as he snatched the van door open.

“Get out! Turn around. Place both hands on the van and spread your legs.” He patted Kaylin down first. “Don’t move!” He kicked my leg, motioning for me to spread my legs wider.

As he used one hand to pat me down, he mumbled, “She is talking about calling the meeting off. If she does, Don Carlos said you are a dead man. Fix it. All he needs you to do is get him to come to the meeting, then you go home to your family.” He grabbed me roughly and yelled, “Move! Go inside now.”

KAYLIN

I ain’t never seen no shit like this before. Niggas wouldn’t believe in a thousand years, that we went through this. This was a dangerous game and we were playing with the big dawgs. If we got out of this, our resume was going to be lit. Don Carlos had a man on the inside. That made me feel a little better. Having all my eggs in one basket—Trae— that shit was bleak as fuck! I swear, I’ma kill him myself if he fucks this up.

When we entered the building, we all took the stairs to the second floor. We were led to a huge office set up like a suite in a 5-star hotel.

“How long will we be here?” I asked one of the men.

He shrugged. “Give me your cell phone.”

“It’s not charged. I can’t use it.” He snatched it from me and checked it. He gave it back.

“You. Come with me,” he said to Trae. They left out. Leaving me alone. I went to open the door, but it was locked. “Fuck this shit!”

TRAE

Kaylin was pissed off. I’m glad they did separate us. But even gladder that Don Carlos had a man on the inside. I was taken across the hall from Kay and I wasn’t surprised that Charli was sitting in there waiting on me.

“Have a seat, Mr. Macklin. We need to talk.” The goon stood by the door as Charli remained seated at the small coffee table.

“I’m not doing anything until I take a shower. And Charli, give us our shit.”

“We need to talk now, Mr. Macklin.”

“Get our shit, Charli. If you need to talk now, you are going to have to talk to me in the bathroom.”