The Don

Chapter One

Kai'ree POV

The sun was setting over the busy streets of Kingston, Jamaica, throwing a warm, golden tint over the city.

The vibrant marketplace was alive with activity as vendors packed up their stalls and children played in the fading light.

Amidst the cacophony of voices and laughter, I moved with purpose, my sharp eyes taking in every aspect.

My Pardna dem refer to me as Alka, a nickname derived from their jokes about my alkaline appearance.

Personally, me nah see no part ah me way look like alkaline but me just run wid de nickname cause it bad nuh fuck

I'm a tall, thin man in my mid-20s with a sculpted jaw and piercing, light brown eyes that appear to pierce through the soul. 

I am a force to be reckoned with, a combination of quiet danger and raw power.

unuh mussy think me full, ah me self but jah me ah one confident nigga

Being the notorious Jamaican Don Marcus Williams' son, I grew up in the shadow of his empire, in a dangerous and dishonest society.

I move toward the family's headquarters by maneuvering through the small lanes.

The responsibility of taking up my father's role weighs heavily on my shoulders.

The atmosphere inside this big, ancient colonial estate is unsettling.

With a severe and unreadable expression, my father is seated at the head of a large, polished mahogany table.

Key players in our group are gathered in this room, including Kyshawn Brown, my best friend and the head enforcer in our family.

"We have a problem," Marcus begins, his gaze sweepin' across the room. "Mr. Johnson owes us a substantial debt. It's time we collect."

My stomach tightens. 

Small-time businessman Darius Johnson hails from Montego Bay and is better renowned for his misfortune than his economic savvy.

No offense to him but one man cah have bad luck so

"What's di plan?" Kyshawn asks, his tone calm and measured.

My father's eyes flick to me, a hint of a smile playin' at the corners of his mouth. "We're goin' to settle dis debt in a way dat ensures loyalty and repayment. Alka, you're goin' to marry his daughter."

way de bombo pussy claat he now say they?

A murmur of surprise ripples through the room.

My heart pounds in my chest.

I had expected many things from my father, but not this. "Marriage? To settle a debt?"

My father leans back in his chair, his gaze cold and calculatin'. "Yes. Rumi Johnson is a beautiful, intelligent girl. Marrying her will bind their family to ours and ensure they work to repay every cent."

I clench my fists under the table, my mind racin'. 

I had heard of Rumi Johnson, a young woman with dreams of becomin' a nurse, far removed from the world of crime and violence. 

The thought of draggin' her into my life fills me with a sense of dread.

"Father, there must be another way," I begin, but Marcus cuts me off with a wave of his hand.

"This is not up for debate, Alka. You will do as I say. Dis marriage will secure our future and theirs. It's time you start thinkin' about di family's needs above your own."

I feel a surge of anger and frustration, but I know better than to argue further.

 Defyin' my father's wishes is not an option, not when so much is at stake.

I feel a surge of anger and frustration, but I know better than to argue further.

I wonder what she is like and how she will react to this arrangement. 

Would she hate me? 

Fear me? I couldn't blame her if she did.

The cool evenin' breeze carries the scent of sea salt and spices as I stand on my balcony, my mind swirling' with conflicted emotions. 

I can't shake the image of Rumi Johnson from my thoughts. 

What will she think of me? 

Will she see me as just anotha pawn in her father's desperate game?

Lost in contemplation, I barely notice Kyshawn's approach. 

He's been my closest friend since childhood, a loyal companion through thick and thin. "Alka," he says, his voice soft with concern, "are you okay?"

I turn to face him, the weight of the world evident in my eyes. "Mi don't know, Ky. Dis whole situation with Rumi... It just doesn't sit right with me."

Kyshawn leans against the balcony railin', his expression sympathetic. "Mi understand, but you know how tings are in our world. Sometimes, we have to make tough choices for di greater good."

"I know," I sigh, runnin' a hand through my hair. "But draggin' an innocent girl into our mess? It doesn't feel right."

Kyshawn nods in understanding'. "You've always had a good heart, Alka. But sometimes, di world forces us to do tings we neva thought we would."

As the night wears on, I find myself lost in a whirlwind of conflicted emotions.

The thought of marrying' Rumi to settle a debt feels like a betrayal of everyting I believe in, but at the same time, I can't ignore the reality of our world, where power and loyalty are the currency that rules our lives.

Deep down, I know that my father's world is not my own. 

I long for a life free from the shadows of crime and violence, a chance to carve out my own path but breaking' free from my father's grip will require more dan just courage—it will require sacrifice, and di willin'ness to defy everyting I have eva known.

As dawn breaks over the horizon, casting' a new light on the city below, I make a silent vow to myself. 

Mi will find a way to protect Rumi, no matter the cost, and in doing so, perhaps I will find di redemption mi have been searchin' for all along.

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