Page 11

T he Mexico heat had a way of creeping into your bones, making the hours stretch long and slow, like some sick countdown that I was the only one watching. I looked around the small beach house I’d rented for the night, its walls thin, the air thick with the smell of salt and tequila. It was a decent hideaway, but I wasn’t here to relax. I was here to plot—had all the time in the world for that now.

I leaned back, lighting my blunt as I stared out over the empty coast. The beach stretched out in front of me, quiet and still, no one around for miles. That’s how I needed it. Two days, then I was off to Canada where nobody, not even my shadow, would find me.

I pulled out my phone, checking for messages from the man I came to see in Mexico, then thought back to when I’d cornered Dream a few days ago. I chuckled to myself, remembering her nervous stare, that attempt to keep it cool. The things I could’ve said to her… The woman didn’t strike me as much—ginger hair and all that softness didn’t do it for me. Still, I’d fuck her just to get under Damier’s skin. Wouldn’t mind seeing him seethe again over a bitch. Hell, I’d do more than that if it meant watching his world crumble. My laugh was low and humorless. Dream would do whatever it took to protect him, and she’d learn that her loyalty to Damier would cost her in the end.

“Thinkin’ about fuckin’ little miss perfect, huh?” the voice said, that same familiar one, mocking me in my own damn head.

“That bitch ain’t perfect,” I muttered under my breath, running a hand over my head. “She’s just in the right place, wrong time. But a little collateral damage never hurt anyone.”

The voice laughed back, satisfied for now.

I turned my attention to the call I had to make. Kita’s name popped up on my screen, and I pressed the button, glancing over my shoulder at the empty beach. I’d told her to wait for my instructions, and now, it was time.

She picked up on the first ring. “I was starting to think you forgot about me,” she teased.

“Kita,” I said, voice flat. “Listen. I need you to do something at that bitch nigga’s club. Can you get in?”

There was a pause, her voice slightly hesitant. “I don’t have access to it anymore since I left. But… I can call one of the girls. She’ll do it for a few bills.”

“Good,” I replied, the wheels turning in my head. “I need some product planted behind the bar. Just enough to stir up some shit.”

Another pause. She knew what this meant, but she played along. “Alright,” she finally said, her tone shifting. “I’ll handle it. But when can I see you?”

That question again. She wanted a little piece of me, wanted what I looked like more than who I was. I could sense it. “Soon,” I muttered, cutting the conversation short. “Get it done, Kita. We’ll talk later.”

She sighed, sounding almost disappointed. “Fine. But when I call back, I need answers about us.” She sounded like she had a point to prove, but I wasn’t in the mood. I ended the call, chuckling to myself. She was useful, but I wasn’t fool enough to get tangled up in whatever obsession she had with me just because I looked like Damier.

As I walked into the dimly lit back room of the bar, the familiar smell of smoke and whiskey hit me. I spotted Felix lounging against the bar, his expression a mix of surprise and curiosity as he caught sight of me.

“Damian? Is that really you?” Felix said, pushing himself off the bar with a grin. “Haven’t seen you in years. Thought you were the twin who stayed in the shadows?”

“Yeah, well, I took a little detour,” I replied, trying to keep it casual as I leaned against the bar beside him. “But I’m here now because there’s something you need to know.”

Felix raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. “Oh?”

I leaned in closer, lowering my voice as I spoke. “It’s about Damier. He’s got heat on him. That’s why I am out here.”

Felix straightened, the playful vibe shifting to one of caution. “Heat? What do you mean?”

“The pigs are watching him, Felix. He’s going to be on the run soon,” I said, letting my words hang in the air like smoke. “Thought you should know before you get dragged into whatever shit he’s in.”

His expression darkened as he processed this. “You think they’re tailing him?”

“Fuck think… I know,” I confirmed, letting a smirk play on my lips. “He’s been keeping it quiet, but the word is out. And about that warehouse…”

Felix leaned forward, his interest piqued. “What about the warehouse?”

“Got flocked,” I stated bluntly. “Somebody cleared that shit out. And if I remember right, that was your product, too.”

The silence that followed was thick and heavy. I could see the gears turning in Felix’s mind, the realization settling in. “What the fuck? How did this happen? And why hasn’t he called me about it?”

“Don’t ask me how or why. Just know that it did, and you might want to reconsider your loyalty to him,” I suggested smoothly. “He’s slipping, and it’s only a matter of time before it all comes crashing down. He is nothing like the boss my father was. Damier is a coward.”

Felix crossed his arms, his demeanor shifting to one of suspicion. “Why are you telling me this, Damian? What’s your angle?”

“Simple,” I replied, holding his gaze. “Loyalty only goes so far when it’s not returned, and I figured you’d want to be on the right side of this when it blows up.”

Felix sighed, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly as he processed my words. “Good to know. What do you want in return for this?”

I shrugged nonchalantly. “I ain’t hurtin’ or nothin’, but just a little something for the info. Maybe a few stacks?”

He chuckled, shaking his head, then nudged his bodyguard, who was holding a duffle bag. He pulled out fresh stacks of American money and handed them to me. “Alright, alright. Here. Take a few grand for the trouble.”

I pocketed it with a satisfied grin. “Appreciate it, my guy. You know I’m always looking out for family.”

“Just remember who your real family is,” he warned, his tone turning serious. “Don’t get lost in your own shit. You’re a Knight, and you should know how your family is when you play with fire.”

With a nod, I left the bar, the thrill of the game igniting my senses. I had what I needed to set my plan in motion.

As I drove back to the beach house, my phone buzzed. It was Kita, her message brief and to the point:

It’s done. Now call me, nigga. I don’t like how you play with my emotions.

A part of me wanted to celebrate, to drink to my success, but there was more to come, more pieces to move before my brother felt the full weight of my revenge.

I hit her number, and the sound of her voice was smooth and eager as she answered. “Hey, it’s all taken care of. So… now, can you tell me when I can be with you? I’ll go wherever you go and won’t say a word.”

She was persistent. I felt a mix of irritation, and I had to tell her something that left me on edge. “I told yo’ ass soon, Kita. Don’t get on a nigga’s bad side. But let’s keep it a stack. You’re not interested in me—you’re interested in the fact that I look like that bitch ass nigga. You was all on TV with him just a few months ago, in love and fighting over him. You are obsessed with my twin.”

Her tone shifted, defensive. “That’s not true, Damian. I like you for you, and the show was to just win money. Damier’s got nothing to do with this.”

I scoffed, shaking my head. “Yeah, a’ight. Keep telling yourself that.” I ended the call. No need to linger. She’d done what I needed. That was all that mattered.

Finally, with everything in place, I made the call I’d been waiting to make—a direct line to a detective who had been dying to catch my family slipping. I disguised my voice, the words slipping out in a calculated whisper, planting the idea like poison.

“They’re hiding dope at his club. The Knight Family pays your crooked officers and city managers to stay quiet, right? But how long can you keep looking the other way?”

The line went silent before the detective spoke up. “Consider it handled.”

With that, I hung up, my work for the night complete. Tomorrow, the storm I’d set in motion would reach Damier, and he’d know exactly who was behind it. My private flight to Canada was waiting, and as I boarded, I felt a dark satisfaction settle over me. Soon enough, Damier would pay—he’d pay for everything.