𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐑 𝐊𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐍⠀ᵏᵃʸ ᶠˡᵒᶜᵏ

𝟎𝟏𝟓

𝐉𝐈𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐀'𝐒 𝐀𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓 — 𝐁𝐑𝐎𝐎𝐊𝐋𝐘𝐍, 𝐍𝐘
𝟖:𝟎𝟎 𝐏𝐌

the streets outside were buzzing as night fell, the city lights flickering like the pulse of the concrete jungle. jimena stood by the window, the same spot she found herself at most nights. the view was calming, a small piece of peace in her chaotic life. but tonight, that peace felt fragile, like the calm before a storm she could sense but couldn't see yet.

kay was sitting on the couch behind her, his phone in hand, scrolling through messages, but his attention was somewhere else. she could feel it. things had been tense between them, but nothing they couldn't work through—or so she thought.

"yo, you good?" jimena asked, turning to face him, her arms crossed.

kay glanced up, his eyes darker than usual, like he was carrying something heavy but wasn't ready to drop it yet. "yeah, i'm good. just some bullshit goin on with the guys. nothin you need to worry bout."

she knew better. when kay got quiet, it usually meant something serious was brewing. "nah, tell me. i know when somethins off, kay. you don't gotta shield me from it."

he sighed, running his hands over his face, frustrated. "it's just... jayden. he's been makin moves again. people talkin, sayin he got somethin planned. i don't know what, but i ain't tryna let it slide."

her stomach dropped at the mention of jayden's name. things between him and kay were bad, real bad. kay had killed ethan, jayden's brother, and it wasn't like jayden was the type to let that slide. the tension between the two had only gotten worse since then, and now it felt like it was all coming to a head.

"what you mean 'somethin' planned'?" jimena asked, stepping closer to kay, her voice low.

"i dunno the details yet, but my boys tellin me he's recruitin. tryna get people on his side, startin to build up his numbers again. i don't like it." kay leaned back on the couch, staring up at the ceiling. "he's out for blood, j. i can feel it."

jimena's heart pounded in her chest. the thought of jayden coming after kay, after all the shit that had already gone down, made her feel sick. she didn't want to lose kay—not like this. not to some war that was never supposed to happen in the first place.

"you think he's comin after you?" she asked, though she already knew the answer.

"yea," kay muttered, his voice cold. "and i'll be ready for him."

she hated hearing that, hated the idea of kay getting pulled deeper into this beef. it wasn't just about jayden or ethan anymore; it was about survival. but at what cost?

jimena moved toward him, sitting beside him on the couch. "kay, we gotta think this through. i don't want you gettin caught up in this shit again. you already know how this ends."