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| Day 84 out of 3652 | Days left to pay El Diablo: 23 |
I had touched down back in Boston, and I couldn't lie, it felt nice to be home. The city was what I was used to: the noise, the grit, the familiar streets. I'd parked my car at the airport over the weekend, so after landing, I dropped Carlos off at his spot before heading straight to the warehouse. I would've sped home to my baby so fast if this meeting wasn't necessary. I missed Krystal like crazy. Talking to her daily through FaceTime wasn't enough; I needed to hold, kiss, and smell her little head.
When I pulled up to the warehouse, Hood was already outside waiting for me, leaning against his car like he had all day. I hopped out, my purse slung over my shoulder, and he threw me a quick smile when he saw me.
"Product is here, and soldiers are inside waiting," Hood briefed me as soon as I got close. "I tested it, and it's pure. Same quality as El Diabo's shit, shit maybe even better, so we won't have any crazy competition."
"Word. Let's go get this shit started," I replied, feeling that familiar adrenaline kick in as we made our way into the warehouse.
The moment I stepped inside, the loud conversations that had filled the room died down. It was like someone had hit the pause button. All eyes were on me, and I could feel the shift in energy as I walked through the crowd. They knew I wasn't here to play.
My eyes scanned the room, taking in the sea of faces. There had to be over a hundred people in here. To say I was proud of Hood was an understatement. He'd pulled way more support than I could've imagined. This turnout was strong, and I could feel the respect in the air, even if some niggas were still sizing me up. I knew what I was walking into but was ready for it.
An alpha female can be hard to accept for some, especially in environments where traditional gender roles or power dynamics are deeply entrenched. I've seen it all my life: men feeling threatened, women feeling competitive. They see strength in a woman, and suddenly, it's a challenge. It's like they're wired to believe only one person can lead, and it sure as hell shouldn't be a woman.
I stepped forward, clearing my throat. "First, I wanna thank y'all for being here," I began, and I saw a few heads nod in agreement, a couple of thank yous thrown back my way.
"As you know, Breezy, my husband, is locked up," I continued, my voice steady and clear. "So while he's gone, I'll be running the organization. If anyone has a problem with that, they can walk the fuck out right now." I let that sink in for a moment. Hood stood tall next to me, his presence solid, daring anyone to challenge me. No one moved, and I could feel the energy shift again. This was my show now.
"Alright, here's how we're running shit from now on," I said, glancing around the room. "We're expanding to different blocks, but we gotta stay smart about it. No more reckless shit. I got specific crews set up for the Northside and Southside. Y'all be assigned your blocks, but if there's any confusion, you go straight to Hood. He's your first point of contact for anything."
