The Plug's Daughter

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The Plug's Daughter
Chapter 6: Talking Reckless
Houston, Texas

I followed Keisha toward the stairwell, side-eyeing every shadow and sketchy corner of that run-down apartment complex. The flickering light above us buzzed like it was trying to warn me, but I kept walking.

"You got one minute, Keisha," I said, my voice sharp. "If this is another one of your wild stories, I'm out."

She stopped at the bottom of the stairs and spun around, looking at me with wide eyes. "I swear on my mama, this ain't no game, 'Zhà. Somebody's out here moving reckless, and they puttin' yo daddy's name in their mouth."

I tilted my head, crossing my arms. "Who? And why?"

Keisha bit her lip, glancing around like somebody might pop out of the shadows. "It's Kemo," she whispered.

The name hit me like a brick. Kemo was bad news—one of those dudes who stayed lurking, always looking for a way to level up off somebody else's grind. My daddy had warned me about him before: "The loudest ones always the weakest. Watch out for 'em."

"What he sayin'?" I asked, my voice low but firm.

Keisha hesitated, like she was trying to figure out how to break bad news without getting cursed out. "He been tellin' folks yo daddy's plug is slippin'. Like... he ain't got it no more. Word is, Kemo tryna take over."

I stared at her, my jaw tightening. "He tryna play with my family name? Over what? Some clout?"

"It's more than clout," Keisha said, lowering her voice even more. "He's spreading rumors that he got people on the inside. Like... people close to your daddy."

That stopped me cold. "Close? Who?"

"I don't know yet," Keisha said, throwing her hands up. "But I figured I had to tell you, 'cause if it's true..."

I took a deep breath, trying to keep calm. "Why you even know about this, Keisha? How you in Kemo's business like that?"

Keisha fidgeted, avoiding my eyes. "I, uh... I heard it through somebody else. You know how I keep my ear to the streets."

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, you stay nosy. But you better not be playing both sides, Keisha. I mean it."

She held up her hands like she was surrendering. "I'm not, I promise. I just thought you needed to know. That's all."

Before I could say anything else, my phone buzzed in my pocket. It was Zori.

"Girl, are you good? This lookin' real sketchy from over here."

I sighed, typing back: "I'm good. Almost done."

I turned back to Keisha. "Listen. If you hear anything else, you tell me first. Not the streets. Not your homegirls. Me."

Keisha nodded quickly. "Got it. But what you gon' do?"

I stepped back, my voice steady. "I'm gon' handle it. Don't worry about that."

As I walked away, my mind was racing. If Kemo really thought he could come for my daddy's spot, he had no idea what kind of mess he was walking into.

When I slid back into the car, Zori was still recording for TikTok. She muted the sound when she saw my face. "What happened? You look like you about to fight somebody."

"Kemo," I said, buckling my seatbelt.

Zori's jaw dropped. "What about him? Ain't he the one who got jumped at the Galleria last year?"

"Yup. And now he tryna act like he can come for my daddy."

"Oh, he bold-bold," Zori said, shaking her head.

"Stupid-bold," I corrected, starting the car. "But I'm not gon' stress. He's barking up the wrong tree, and when I'm done, he gon' wish he stayed quiet."

Zori raised her brows, leaning back in her seat. "Oh, so we gettin' petty now? What's the move?"

"You already know," I said, smirking. "We takin' this to my daddy. If Kemo wanna play, he better be ready for the consequences."

Zori pulled out her phone. "Let me know when, 'cause I'm finna record the whole thing. If this turns into a mess, at least I'll go viral."

I laughed, but deep down, I knew this wasn't a game. Kemo was about to learn the hard way that when you mess with The Plug's daughter, you're messing with the whole operation.