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T he blacked-out SUV pulled up in front of my high-rise just as the city lights started flickering on and the pretty colors started to paint the sky.

I could feel the trouble in the wind, like the streets were whispering our names or something.

The ride from Dom’s penthouse had been way too quiet and my mind drifted to Dru, but again, I pushed them to the back of my mind.

He was going to want answers, but I didn’t owe him anything at all.

The only reason I even felt just a twinge of guilt is because he simply got punished for trying to get to know the wrong woman.

I sat in the backseat with my arms folded over my chest watching the world watch me.

Everything looked like a blur out of the tinted windows, but something didn’t sit right with me.

I had a funny feeling in my bones like eyes were on me.

I glanced in the side mirror more than one time catching glimpses of taillights that stayed just a little too close for me but when I blinked again, they were gone just that quick.

My mind could’ve been playing tricks on me, but maybe not.

I didn't say a word because I had shadows in the SUV behind me two with me. Just like Dom, I trusted them. Hell, I had to… but still… something in my spirit just didn’t feel right.

When we pulled into the private garage beneath my building, I scanned the concrete corners, then looked up.

The camera lights were still blinking, and security was still intact but that didn’t mean a damn thing if whoever was watching knew how to move in silence.

Inside my place, the lights came on automatically.

I made sure that it was always clean, and quiet.

Sometimes when I was lonely, I felt like it was a little too peaceful.

I kicked off my slides and took off my crop coat.

My Glock was still in the holster on my thigh.

I didn't undress all the way at least not right away. Instead, I stood barefoot in the kitchen and poured myself a glass of Patron because my nerves were wired. I pulled out my buzzing phone staring at Dru’s number once again.

I let my thumb hover over it debating on if I wanted to pick up but after two rings, I answered.

“Aye, Cee?” He said into the phone before I could even say hello.

I hung up and blocked the number right away.

What the hell was I doing? That chapter was dead before it ever had the chance to breathe.

Right then, my door buzzed. I looked at the security monitor and saw O'Shynn posted up in a caramel-colored trench coat, some oversized shades, and a slick low bun. She had her signature Chanel tote in one hand and a bottle of Dusse in the other like she was coming to have ladies’ night because she just read my mind to know I needed one.

If I could be back in Bahamas, I would within a heartbeat.

I opened the door with a smirk on my face. “You always show up like a damn movie scene. What do you want bitch?”

“And you always look like you need a fucking drink,” she replied, inviting herself in. “You good?”

I gave a quick nod, locking the door behind her. “Yeah, but I’m not going to lie… something don’t feel right, O.”

She kicked her heels off and flopped down on the sectional. “We at war, Carmen. Nothing gon’ feel right for a minute. We just have to stay ten toes down like always.”

O’Shynn and I sipped and talked while she asked me fifty million questions about the Bahamas.

I knew what she was getting at, but she didn’t do too much probing, she kept it light and kept the teasing light, especially because it was the first time Dom and I had ever gone away together on that kind of vibe.

Everything with me and O’Shynn always had a real sister type of energy.

We laughed, talked about all kinds of shit including her freaky ass escapades.

Hell, we even danced a little to Mary J.

playing low from my speakers. The vibe was a good one but like any other good vibe in our world it was short lived.

Her phone buzzed, and I saw the look on her face instantly change as she read the message.

O’Shynn was a lot like her brothers the way her facial expressions could go from zero to a hundred.

“What’s up?” I asked.

She shook her head. “It’s the club. One of the new accountants tried to move some funds without authorization and now my name got flagged on a transfer sheet. I gotta handle it.”

I stood up, walked into my room, changed into some jeans, a trench, and a pair of Givenchy boots. “Let’s go then.” I told her when I returned.

O’Shynn raised a brow. “You sure? This ain't your mess sis.”

I grabbed my gun, tucked it under my coat, and looked her dead in the eyes. “Girl please, the family’s mess is always my mess.”

O’Shynn shrugged and headed out the door, of course the driver was already waiting for us, but we didn’t request a shadow, although we knew one would follow anyway. We didn’t ride in my or O’Shynn’s G-wagon either. Of course, we hopped in the truck with the driver because the truck was unmarked.

“Take us to the club,” O’Shynn instructed.

At a little past 2AM we pulled up to the back of the club.

Two hitters from the cartel stood by the door.

One nodded at me, the other kissed his teeth like he wasn’t expecting to see me out tonight…

he always did that when I came around because they knew they would have to work twice as hard making sure that nobody laid a finger on me on their watch.

Oh well, that was too damn bad because that’s what they got paid to do.

Inside, the backroom lights flickered overhead as we confronted the stupid ass accountant who was trembling in front of O’Shynn like he didn’t know what was coming next.

“You tried to reroute twenty racks?” O’Shynn asked, standing with her arms folded. He started mumbling something about payroll. A whole bunch of nothings that O’Shynn didn’t want to hear.

“You don’t even got clearance to breathe in this bitch without my signature,” she fussed.

I stepped forward, opened my tablet, and had the banking logs up within seconds. I confirmed it was a false transfer but it’s easily trackable. “I’ll clean it up now,” I said. “But fire his ass pronto.”

O’Shynn didn’t even blink nor think twice. I knew she would’ve fired him even had I not said it. “Security, get his dumb ass outta here.”

He looked hopeless as the big dudes escorted him out while all eyes were glued to him wondering what happened.

He was paid good every single night and had possibly just fucked up the biggest bag he’s ever seen in his life for a simple mistake that he should’ve known better.

We left through the same door we entered thinking that we were in the clear and had cleaned up tonight’s mess, but we were wrong…

that’s when the real show happened. A black Crown Vic whipped around the corner and screeched to a halting stop right in front of us as the doors flew open before we even touched the concrete good. What the fuck? I thought to myself.

“FBI! Hands in the air!”

The lights flashed and the guns were drawn aimed directly at us.

One wrong move and they would’ve been ready to light us up and we hadn’t even done anything.

I barely had time to breathe. O’Shynn’s coat flew open, but her piece never made it out because a red laser beam sat on her chest before she could even lift a hand.

They didn’t want us dead, because they would’ve shot first without questions.

This was deeper than that. I stepped between them like a reflex with my hands up, as my eyes burned through the agent’s.

“Who authorized this?” I asked, in an ice-cold voice.

“It’s a federal sweep. Your names came up on new financial laundering investigations,” the woman agent said. She was a blonde head and slim built. It looked like she was trying to play good cop.

“Really?” I asked. “A sweep without warrants? This illegal as fuck.”

“You want to test me in court?” She hissed.

“You better pray it gets that far.” I shot back. They took our guns before we were cuffed. “I want my shit back after this. Those guns are clean, registered, and Florida is a stand your grown state so it’s not illegal to be carrying a weapon.”

O’Shynn and I were finally cuffed… they weren’t rough, but it didn’t matter.

This was deeper than a regular raid. This was surely a message, but for what?

I wasn’t sure yet. As they led us to the cars, I saw one of Dom’s street runners’ men posted in the alley.

He gave a little nod, and I knew he’d get word to Dom.

I didn’t have to say anything at all. Inside the SUV, cuffed next to O’Shynn, I kept calm, but my mind was already in strategy mode.

Dom was going to blow a hole through somebody’s city for this bullshit because now they weren’t just coming for the empire, they were coming forhis Queen.

The car rolled down the rugged streets of Miami with the sirens wailing low in the distance.

The scent of cheap leather and stale cologne tickled my nostrils.

I sat cuffed with my back straight and a cool as a fan expression on my face, but my blood was literally boiling underneath my skin.

The female agent riding in the front kept glancing at me in the rearview mirror like she was waiting for me to fold or something, but she had the wrong bitch.

I broke the silence giving her the same exact energy she was giving me. “You do realize that this arrest is illegal as hell, right?”

The man sitting on the other side of me was some corny looking ass Fed with a badge that probably came with a handbook he never read before… hell they usually didn’t. scoffed. “You can explain that at the station, ma’am.”

“I’m not ama’am , I’m an attorney and you’re going to be out of a job by the time my lawsuit is filed.”

He chuckled trying to play it off, but I saw the uncomfortable shift. Yeah, I had him nervous alright. I turned to O’Shynn and she too looked cool as ever, and unbothered as her eyes were locked out the window like she was simply bored. She surely wasn’t scared.

“They think we’re soft,” I mumbled enough for her to hear me.

She smirked and shook her head. “They always do.”

I slightly leaned forward and said something again.

“You violated my civil rights the moment you laid a hand on me without a warrant. You’re transporting me to a station with no charges read, no Miranda rights stated, no call to counsel, andno explanationfor this little circus.

” I explained letting them know that I knew my rights.

The blondie in the front simply cleared her throat.

I continued, “Oh, don’t get shy now,” I added.

“Because by tomorrow, I’m going to own your badge, your pension, and whatever dusty little retirement beach house you’re saving up for. ” I winked.

O’Shynn chuckled. “Not the beach house, sis.”

“Nope, she’s going have to Airbnb that shit out just to pay legal fees.” I replied.

The car grew quiet once again except for the sound of the engine and the occasional crackle of one of their radios. However, my honest feelings, I was so pissed I could strangle somebody. I ‘am’ the law so how the hell was I know handcuffed like a criminal without even knowing why?

“This is a scare tactic,” I said. “You think because we’re women, we’ll fold, cry, or beg just so we can tell you whatever you want to know so we can be let go.

Well, let me put you on crooked assholes on game.

You’re not looking at the weak ones. We don’t fold for the streets, the Feds, the courthouses, or your fat, sloppy, donut eating, ass bosses either. We don’t rattle; we retaliate.”

O’Shynn finally turned her head toward him allowing a small grin to form on her lips. “You sure you wanna keep this energy? Because ourbossdon’t like this kind of play and believe me when I tell you, you don’t want to see him on a bad day.”

They weren’t replying to anything we said. However, that didn’t stop the look of discomfort on their faces. I locked eyes with the woman in the front. “You really think this little grab and snatch going to get you some kind of intel? Please… you’d get more info trying to interrogate a brick wall.”

She didn’t respond, but I knew I struck a nerve and that’s when it clicked.

This wasn’t even protocol, and they weren’t looking to charge us.

They were fishing for information and maybe trying to figure out who the hell Carmen really was to Dominic Royal outside of a piece of paper…

or if O'Shynn was more than a pretty face running a club. They thought they’d catch us slipping or snitching but it was too bad. They kidnapped the wrong women.