Honey (Editing/Rewriting)

Chapter 2

Kai
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In the peaceful room of the tattoo parlor, the buzzing sounds filled the air, breaking the silence. Positioned on his stool, Kai focused intently, his eyes fixed on his client's back. Every stroke and detail demanded his attention, bringing the work closer to perfection.

Becoming a tattoo artist allowed Kai to fully express his creativity. He vividly recalled the days when he started experimenting with tattoos inside his own room. As his skin became a canvas for his imaginative designs, it didn't go unnoticed by others. People were so intrigued by his artwork that they were always asking about the origins of his ink. Not caring about him being a beginner, they eagerly wanted him to do their tattoos.

Taking the opportunity, Kai started accepting clients, changing his parents' garage into a studio whenever they were away, be it during their church visits or work. This simple space became a place where his artistic skills grew, and he created many memorable tattoos there.

Inspired to start his own business, Kai began attending parties where people were eager to pay for his tattoos. It became one of his first hustles, as he skillfully tattooed those willing to sit for him, each tattoo growing his reputation as a talented artist.

After perfecting his skills, he began his career immediately after graduating from high school, opening his tattoo parlor on his eighteenth birthday last year. It wasn't as simple as people thought even though he was proud of his accomplishments, he did some illegal things to get as far as he did.

Money didn't grow on trees, and a part-time job after school wouldn't suffice to even open his parlor. In need of a quick solution, Kai turned to his uncle, Napoleon, for help. Although he was aware of the dangers of such a path for someone as young as himself, he found himself enjoying the fast money working for his uncle's cartel.

After getting an understanding of the street life under his uncle's guidance, Kai suffered a severe blow when his uncle became ill and died of pneumonia. This put Kai into an unexpected position of power, taking control of the cartel. However, to the street soldiers who worked under him, as well as every client and customer, he remained a ghost. Only his best friend and right-hand man, Omar, knew who Kai truly was.

Keeping a low profile while managing the cartel was a bit hard for Kai. He partnered with business owners to clean his dirty money in order to keep his secret safe. Unknowingly, the owner of the different apartment buildings and the neighborhood laundromat laundered his money. They benefited from this without realizing how closely they were associated with Kai, and they kept his activities hidden.

Making sure that he remained off the radar was important for Kai. The last thing he wanted was to have the feds tailing his every move.

Interrupting his train of thought, the front door swung open, drawing his attention. Pausing momentarily, he lifted the tattoo needle and glanced up. It was his younger brother, Isaac, entering the shop, with his friend, Asha.

Over the summer, their parents had kicked Isaac out of their home due to his chosen lifestyle, which conflicted with their deeply held beliefs. Unwilling to change his identity and conform to their expectations, Isaac refused to be someone he wasn't. Consequently, his parents pushed him aside, leaving him with nowhere else to go. Kai, wanting to protect his little brother from the dangers of life on the streets, couldn't bear to see him left homeless and alone.

"Yo," greeted Kai as Isaac approached him.

"I need the key to the apartment to grab some books. I'm heading over to Asha's place to study," Isaac requested.