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“Sounds good. See you both in a few,” I smiled, my cheeks hurting, as I waved goodbye and went to grab an organic lime.

Who the fuck truly ate this shit?

I sent a quick text message to Corleon and went to pay for my food. When the woman scanned everything, I almost wanted to stick this bitch up when she told me a hundred and twenty dollars for like eight items.

The milk would have to go bad for this reason. I tossed the bags into my trunk and then headed over to the building that Mercer had pointed at. The doorman looked at me like I didn’t belong, and to be truthful, I didn’t belong here.

Sixteen-dollar juice and overpriced condos would never sit right with me. I saw patients every day, mostly those that lived below the poverty line, so it was hard to wear expensive things when some of them didn’t know when their next meal was.

We had attendings wearing expensive watches and pulling into parking spaces in foreign cars, while being smacked dab in the middle of the hood. They didn’t get into being a doctor to help people.

It was to help themselves.

“Hassan King… guest of Dr. Mercer.”

He nodded his head, as he directed me toward the elevator and told me the floor they were on. I pressed the button and leaned in the elevator while talking myself down.

No.

I wasn’t going to bust up in there and kick Sam in the chest, eat her lemon squares, and then empty my clip into her husband’s body. Things had to be done differently because these were different people, and they had friendships with the high ups.

“Come on in, Dr. King.” She smiled, as she held the pine door wider so I could come into their home.

White people invite any damn body to their homes. Well, at least these white folks did, and it was a grave mistake on their end.

“Call me Hassan,” I smiled at her while she closed the door behind me.

“Hassan.” Her cool hand touched mine as she peered up at me. “Judge Martinez is here. He and Edward have a few things to chat about, so he came early. You can sit in the living area… anything to drink?”

I sat on the cream sectional that matched the cream décor and walls. It was like they didn’t believe in color. The only color in this condo was the graduation robes of their children in the pictures that were on display. Everything was very plain and minimalist.

“We stay here for a few months out the year. With Edward, we’re always off to the next place… I want to come back this summer and truly decorate this place and turn it into a home.”

“Oh yeah? I hear the northern accent, so I assumed that you lived here full time.”

She smiled as she fixed a picture frame that wasn’t crooked. It was a picture of her and Mercer at his medical school graduation.

“We have a place in Boca… Green Acres Plantations. It’s a small golf community that Edward loves... golfing right in his backyard.” She did a slight chuckle, but I could tell the shit got on her nerves.

I didn’t know Sam at all, but being here was what made her happiest. The light faded from her eyes when she spoke on Boca.

“Oh, sounds nice and expensive.”

She snorted. “Very expensive. Our daughter is right in Tampa, and she’s pregnant with our first grandchild… a little boy.”

The vomit tickled my throat when she mentioned they were soon to be grandparents. This fucking monster didn’t need to be around any children.

“Congratulations.”

“Thank you. Let me get you some fresh juice.” She quickly scurried off toward the kitchen while I looked around the living room.

Me: In Mercer’s living room.

Corleon: How the fuck?

Me: *location pinned*

I put my phone away and looked at the story that his family’s portraits told. Vacations, accomplishments, and life. This family lived and loved life, and you could tell from the pictures. Mercer looked less like a creep when he was surrounded by his family.

“Need to find that damn kid as soon as possible.” I heard a man’s voice with an accent, and then Mercer came into view from around the corner.

His face fell when he realized that I was sitting in the living room on his couch. “Dr. King… didn’t know you were here already.”

“Parked right across the street… was quick to get over here.”

He had a tight smile. “This is Judge Martinez… Carlos, this is the young man I was telling you about. He would be a great addition to the organization. I know when I was a broke resident, I would have loved for this opportunity to fall into my lap.”

The judge smiled at me with his tanned skin, peppered goatee, and short hair. “Absolutely. Sammie, rain check on the lemon squares. Carmen would kill me if I packed on the pounds she made me lose. We’re going up to the Catskills this week to get a little rest with the kids.”

“Kids?” Mercer broke out into laughter. “Your children are grown, Martinez.”

Martinez sheepishly smiled. “Always will be my babies. Things have been rough with Lucia… you know that. Just want to cheer her up, and Carmen has the weekend planned. You know how women are.”

“Excuse you, Carlos,” Sam came into the living room with a smile on her face and swatted him playfully.

“I’m kidding, Sammie… you know my love is deep for you.” He kissed her cheek, stole one of the lemon bars and nodded at me. “Nice meeting you, Dr. King. I hope to see you very soon.”

“Likewise, your honor.”

“Oh, stop… Carlos is fine. We’ll be working together… Alright, I’ll check in with you later this week, Mercer. Don’t drive Sammie too crazy… she’s a saint, and you’re a devil.”

“Got that right,” I mumbled and pretended to clear my throat.

Mercer walked Martinez out as I sat back down and accepted the water from Sam. I held onto the glass as I watched them both. I couldn’t trust her ass yet, especially knowing what her husband was capable of.

Corleon: Go near that computer on the desk… I need to be closer to it.

I didn’t even question his techy shit and stood up and pretended to take in the pictures around the living area. Aside from the lack of décor, Sam made sure that her family was plastered everywhere.

There was a laptop that was sitting on the small desk in front of the window. I had to admit, it was the perfect view to get some work done. Sam looked excited that I was into the family pictures.

“That was in Monte Carlo… we go every year for a gala that is held on a private island. Edward and the owner of the island are great friends. I enjoy myself every single year… look forward to it the most.”

While she was chatting about the damn trip to Monte Carlo, I was watching the arrow on the computer screen move around as if someone was actually on it. Files were quickly pulled up, and I watched as things moved around on the screen with ease from wherever the hell Corleon was.

When I heard the front door, I continued to listen to Sam ramble on and stood in front of the computer just as Mercer reentered.

“Shall we have some drinks and light bites?” He clapped his hands together, almost too excited that he may have gotten me to join his side.

Corleon: Done.

I smiled and followed behind them, already planning my exit up out of here.

When Corleon sent me the GPS link to his house, and then the shit disappeared the minute I turned down a single street with thick ass greenery on both sides, I thought I was tripping.

What tripped me out the most was when I stopped midway, confused, thinking I had taken a wrong turn, his voice came through my damn car’s speakers, telling me to keep driving.

As instructed, I continued to drive, and the greenery eventually thinned out and opened to a view of a mansion with black iron gates surrounding the house and property.

There were no initials on the gates or a damn call box.

Just a gate and my confused ass wondering how I was going to get onto the other side of it.

As I was fishing in the passenger seat for my phone to call his ass back, the gates automatically opened and I drove up the winding driveway that acted as curtains to the main attraction – the house.

My tires crunched against the gravel as I continued, and the structure came more into view piece by piece, revealing the house. With my window down, I could hear my engine humming lowly as I drove slowly.

The quietness of the property reminded me of when you first came from out of the water.

Everything was silent, yet your eyes took everything in for you.

In those brief seconds before you could hear, it was your eyes that listened for you.

The only sound that could be heard aside from my engine was the gravel underneath my wheels.

Silence was wrapped around this property.

Shit.

Corleon’s house didn’t just sit there, the shit stood there.

Tall and important, like it knew it was worth whatever he paid for it.

The warm tones wrapped around the stone, hugging the corners, while sleek black window frames broke up all the beige in the stone.

There were three balconies on the second level with iron railings.

The arched windows and French doors probably led to rooms that were even more grand than the front of this house.

I lived decently, but I ain’t never lived or been to a crib like this one.

The more my wheels rolled, I spotted these security poles that rose slowly from the ground and snapped pictures of me and my car as I inched closer to the house.

The only reason I knew they were there, was because I was going so slow. Any regular person speeding up to the house wouldn’t catch them.

I killed my engine and hopped out the car, my sneakers crushing the gravel beneath them as I walked up the stone steps to the front door. By the time my foot hit the top step, Core was opening the door.

His ass stood there holding a bowl of cereal in his hand, looking like his older brothers. It was freaky how much he resembled them, but he still had his own vibe about him.