The days following their reconciliation were filled with a mix of hope and unease. Marcus and Liam had promised to change their ways, and Nia believed in their love, but she couldn't shake the nagging feeling that something still wasn't fully revealed. There was a certain weight in their eyes, a tension that seemed to deepen whenever she brought up their plans for leaving the gang.
One evening, as the three of them sat in the living room discussing potential neighborhoods where they could start fresh, Liam's phone buzzed. His face darkened when he saw the name flashing on the screen. He quickly declined the call and slipped the phone into his pocket, but Nia had caught the change in his demeanor.
"Who dat?" she asked, her voice steady but laced with suspicion.
"Nobody important," Liam replied too quickly, standing up and heading toward the kitchen.
Marcus glanced at Nia, his jaw tightening. "It's... complicated," he said cautiously, as though trying to protect Liam from her inevitable questions.
"Complicated?" Nia's voice rose, her patience wearing thin. "Marcus, mi tired of di half-truths! If we supposed to be moving forward, yuh haffi tell mi what's going on!"
Liam returned from the kitchen, running a hand through his hair. "She deserves fi know, Marcus."
Marcus sighed and nodded, his expression resigned. "Nia, mi and Liam... we not just part of di gang. We di leaders."
The words hit Nia like a freight train. She stared at them in disbelief, her mind racing. "Leaders? So, all dis time, yuh've been running tings? Di same gang yuh seh yuh trying fi leave?"
Liam stepped closer, his eyes pleading. "It's not what yuh think, Nia. We didn't choose dis life. Di leadership was forced on us after di old boss got killed. We've been running tings, but not because we want to. We been tryin' fi make di gang legit, turn it into a real business."
"And how long mi supposed fi live wid dis danger hanging over our heads?" Nia snapped, her voice breaking. "Zion's life in di balance because of yuh choices!"
Marcus moved to her side, placing a hand on her shoulder. "We've been doing everyting fi protect yuh and Zion, Nia. Di reason we even stayed in di gang was fi make sure nobody else come after us. But we almost out. Just a few more moves, and we can leave di whole ting behind."
Nia looked between them, her chest heaving with anger and fear. "And mi supposed fi just trust yuh again? Yuh been lying to mi, hiding dis from mi, and now yuh telling mi yuh di leaders? How can mi even believe anything yuh seh?"
Before either man could respond, Liam's phone buzzed again. This time, he answered reluctantly, turning away as he spoke in a low voice. Nia caught only fragments of the conversation, but one name stood out like a sharp blade.
"Kayla."
Her heart sank. She didn't know who Kayla was, but the way Liam stiffened and avoided her gaze told her everything she needed to know.
When he ended the call, Nia folded her arms, glaring at him. "Who's Kayla, Liam?"
Liam hesitated, his eyes darting to Marcus as though seeking guidance. Marcus gave him a subtle nod, urging him to come clean.
"She's... someone from mi past," Liam admitted, his voice heavy with guilt. "Before mi met yuh, Nia. Kayla and mi were together. She was part of di gang too, but mi left her behind when mi and Marcus took over."
Nia's heart pounded. "And now she back? Why?"
"She heard about us trying to leave," Liam said, his jaw tightening. "She's not happy 'bout it. She still have connections, still have people loyal to her. If she decide fi make trouble, it could ruin everyting we've been working on."
Nia shook her head, her emotions spiraling out of control. "So, what? She want yuh back? She want yuh fi stay in di gang? Or she just want fi mash up mi life?"
"It's not like dat," Liam said quickly. "Mi have no feelings fi her, Nia. But Kayla... she dangerous. And now dat she know we trying fi leave, she might try fi use yuh and Zion against us."
The mention of Zion sent a chill down Nia's spine. She couldn't believe how deep this went, how tangled their lives were in this dangerous world.
"What are we gonna do?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Marcus stepped forward, his expression firm. "We're gonna handle it, Nia. Mi and Liam will make sure Kayla don't come near yuh or Zion. But yuh have fi trust us."
Nia looked at them, her heart heavy with doubt and fear. She loved them, but could she really trust them to keep her and Zion safe? Or was this the moment she needed to walk away for good?
---
The next day, Marcus and Liam called a meeting with their most trusted allies within the gang. Nia stayed home with Zion, her mind racing as she tried to process everything. She wanted to believe they could handle Kayla and leave the gang behind, but the fear of what could go wrong consumed her.
Meanwhile, at the meeting, Marcus and Liam laid out their plans to transition the gang's operations into legitimate business ventures. But their allies weren't entirely convinced, especially when news of Kayla's return surfaced.
"She not gonna let yuh walk away so easy," one of the men warned. "Kayla nuh fi play wid."
"Den we'll deal wid her," Marcus said coldly. "We not backing down. Dis is di last move. Either yuh with us, or yuh not."
---
As the night wore on, Nia sat by Zion's bedside, watching him sleep peacefully. She couldn't shake the image of Kayla in her mind-a woman from Liam's past who seemed to hold the power to destroy everything.
When Marcus and Liam returned home, their faces were grim but determined.
"It's handled-for now," Liam said, sitting beside her. "But Kayla nah go down easy. We have to stay ready."
Nia nodded slowly, her resolve hardening. "If dis is what mi life is now, then mi have fi be strong. For Zion. For us. But yuh need fi promise mi one ting."
"Anything," Marcus said, his eyes meeting hers.
"Promise mi dat when dis done, when yuh finally leave di gang, wi'll leave dis life behind. Fi good."
"We promise," Liam said, his voice steady.
But deep down, Nia knew that promises wouldn't be enough to protect them from the storm that was coming.
---
In the next chapter, Kayla makes her presence known.
