Dom leaned against the cold, unforgiving wall, his eyes fixed on the ground, his mind a whirlwind of frantic thoughts. The phone buzzed in his hand, a pointless repetition of Nina's unanswered calls, each ring a fresh jab of frustration. His fingers clenched into fists, rage simmering beneath the surface.
'What the fuck do you mean?' Shakur roared, his voice thick with fury. He had the guard pinned against the wall, the man's fear palpable. 'You had one job, protect my sister, and you didn't do that shit!'
Shakur, always the hothead of the group, was on the verge of unleashing his anger in a way that would leave the guard nothing but a stain on the wall. Nas, ever the voice of reason, pulled him back, knowing that violence wouldn't bring Nina back. They needed answers, the whole story, before they took any permanent action.
Nas, more than anyone, wanted for his twin sister's return. 'What happened?' Nas asked, his voice tight with anxiety. 'We were at the outlets, me and the other guards following her, cautious in every store,' the guard stammered, his voice barely a whisper. 'The last store was Chanel. She was looking at bags, we had every entrance covered. I was by her side the whole time. Some guys came up to her, I'm assuming she knew them. They talked for a bit, he even walked her out to the car. He didn't seem suspicious, but I kept my eyes on her. Then, another truck pulled up, before we could react, they started shooting. They hit Cortez and the others, I fired back, and that's when the feds came. When I turned to grab her, she was gone.'
'So you left?' Nas pressed, his voice laced with disbelief. 'I looked for her,' the guard insisted, his eyes pleading for understanding, 'but the feds were coming!'
Rakim's voice was a low, menacing growl as he stared down at the lifeless guard. 'When it comes to my sister, I'm not taking any of this shit lightly.' he spat out. 'You knew the job description when you signed up to work for us. It was an easy choice. Protect Nina or sit in a cell for a couple of hours and you chose the second option, like an idiot!' Rakim sneered, cocking his gun. 'You know the strings we could've pulled; you would've been out of that cell before nightfall."
A single gunshot echoed through the room, sending the guard's body crashing to the floor. The other cartel guards watched in silent horror, their faces a mixture of fear and resignation. They all knew the risks involved in working for the Banks family.
Rakim's cold, piercing gaze swept over them, and they couldn't help but feel a shiver of dread. They had no idea if Nina was still alive, but they knew they had to assume the worst. If she wasn't answering her phone and wasn't at home, then something terrible had happened.
'I need everyone on the streets,' Rakim barked. 'Find out anything you can about Nina. The word on the street, the gossip, they'll know something.' He paused and turned to his brothers. 'I want two teams at the estate, guarding my mom. Make sure there's no repeat of what happened here.'
'Someone needs to stay at Nina's place, in case she ran and went there,' Dom suggested. Nas immediately volunteered, taking his leave with a couple of bodyguards. It was the best move; although he wanted to be with his brothers, he knew he couldn't afford to get his hands dirty.
'It's time we ended this,' Rakim said grimly. 'For good."
The remaining cartel members nodded in agreement, loading their guns. Rakim had always admired his father's ruthless efficiency, and now it was time for him to show that he had inherited that same ruthless streak. They were going to find Clad, and they were going to make him pay for what he had done.
As the others headed out to hunt down Clad, Rakim took a detour with Chole in the passenger seat, not wanting to risk her safety at his cost, he wanted to make sure she got back to the estate safely. He had a plan, a plan that would finally put an end to this madness.
