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I sat back in my mancave, swirling the last of my whiskey in the glass, watching the ice melt into it. My mind was all over the place, bouncing between satisfaction and frustration. Damier really thought he could call some family meeting and get me to spill everything just by showing me a few pictures? Please .

When Mom called, I could tell she was tired. She only called to let me know Damier wasn’t buying my story—or my absence from his little interrogation.

I smirked, playing with the Cuban link chain around my neck. “So, he thinks I was there?”

Her sigh came through the phone, sounding like static. “Don’t play dumb, Damian. You know exactly what he thinks. You weren’t subtle, and he’s going to figure it out if you keep this up. He’s already reviewed the footage, and the faces were revealed.”

“Footage, huh? Interesting.” I tried to keep my voice calm, but inside, paranoia flickered.

I remembered the five men Troy and I hired to hit Damier’s warehouse. I’d been careful not to show my face, and I never set foot inside. I turned off the cameras, so there was no way he had footage. But maybe it hadn’t been as seamless as I thought. The psychosis started creeping in, whispering doubts, telling me I’d messed up, that everyone was watching, waiting.

“Stop with the games, Damian,” she said. “Damier has ways to find out the truth, and if you’re really mixed up in this?—”

I cut her off. “Mixed up? I didn’t walk into that warehouse with my hands out, did I? Is my face exposed on camera?” My words hung there, half-confession, half-denial. Part of me didn’t even know if I was telling the truth anymore.

She paused, her tone shifting to something softer. “Damian, you need to be careful. He’s my son, too, and I hate seeing you tear each other apart like this over money.”

But the damage was done. I couldn’t stand hearing her defend him. My brother. Golden Bitch Boy. The son who got every break, every ounce of love I wanted. And now, his world was about to come crashing down, thanks to me. Not that I’d admit to anything. Let him suspect; let him dig. He’d find nothing. But the whispers in my mind told me to go further, to make sure he couldn’t come for me even if he wanted to.

“Yeah, I know. Maybe I’ll lay low for a while.” I chuckled, more to myself than her. “Take a little vacation.”

She sounded relieved. “Maybe that’s best, Damian. And don’t leave me in the dark. Tell me where you go.”

“Maybe,” I replied, knowing I’d never tell her where I was going or what I was planning next. The voices told me to keep it quiet, to stay a step ahead. My brother wasn’t going to get the satisfaction of pinning this on me, not in this lifetime.

After I hung up, I paced the length of my mancave, my mind racing faster than my footsteps. Damier was on to me. He had surveillance, proof, maybe even a face or two that he’d be ready to track down. This was more complicated than I’d expected. I realized then that my plan would have to be bigger than a few warehouses. I’d have to stay out of his line of fire altogether. The voices murmured their approval, filling my head with images of distant cities and open borders.

In the meantime, Troy was waiting for me at his spot with some of my money, and I knew it was time to make the call. I couldn’t stay around with him breathing down my neck, and that meant relocating outside of the country. It was a drastic move, one that’d be difficult to explain to Kita—but I didn’t have time to babysit. My brother was more clever than I gave him credit for, and if he sniffed me out, my window to move would be gone.

When I walked downstairs, Kita was sitting at my dining room table, an empty glass of wine in her hand and a few stacks of money next to her.

“Finally, you brought your ass downstairs.” Her voice was soft, laced with something like relief. I’d never understood her attachment to me, but she was useful when I needed her.

“Yeah, I am.” I sat next to her, watching her watch me, already imagining the questions she’d ask.

She had no idea what I was planning, and part of me didn’t want her to know.

I sat down, exhaling. “Listen, I gotta leave out of Cali to make my next move, but I can’t bring you along this time.” I watched her face fall, but I couldn’t care. Attachments only got in the way. If she was smart, she’d get that.

She frowned, trying to keep her voice steady. “But why? I thought we were in this together.”

I sighed, leaning back. “Yeah, we were. But some things are bigger than that. It’s safer if you stay put.”

I could tell she didn’t believe me, and maybe that was fine. It was better she learned now what loyalty really meant to me.