Don't Hurt Yourself *currently editing*

ONE

ʙᴇʏᴏɴᴄᴇ̀ "ʜᴏɴᴇʏʙᴇᴇ" ᴋɴᴏᴡʟᴇs

Danger is something I knew all too well, so there was nothing unfamiliar about it. It was always around me, lurking around every corner, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. I was never scared, shit, most of the time I walk into shadows with open arms. With what I do and with what I was raised to do, it all just seems like something apart of life.

Growing up, I admired the hell out of my father. Even as a kid, I knew I wanted to be just like him. Powerful, strong, and fearsome My father was the type of person who could walk into any room and instantly command attention. When he told me about his enterprise, it sparked something inside of me. Don't get me wrong; I understood perfectly what my father was doing. He was building something that most people would call criminal, but it was much more than that. My father wasn't some thug. He was a man creating an empire for his family to thrive on. Setting his own rules and not taking any disrespect from dumbasses who believed they could step on his family. And this family is known as The Hive.

What started out as a close-knit crew rolling out of a house in Houston grew into something bigger. Little by little, The Hive spread all throughout the South, eventually dominating it entirely. And you can bet everyone knows who we are. Cops, bureaucrats, hell, even the sweet old ladies who sit on their porches minding everyone else's business The thing is, no one knows our faces, only our insignia. They can try as hard as they want, but no one has the balls to uncover who we are. And if they do, these fools won't live long enough to tell our story. The Hive doesn't do loose ends; no matter what, we'll always clean up after ourselves.

With my father in charge, I work my hardest to prove I have what it takes to one day fill in his shoes. In the meantime, I run with my own crew. My two best friends, three close friends, and my sister I only trust running into situations with them behind me. We all grew up together. We know each other's quirks, skills, and personalities like our own. Shit, while working together, we're the best. No one can come between me or my crew.

Of course, there are consequences to our lifestyle. Although I don't care, there are targets painted on our backs along with the many obstacles. But the bad can never overlook the good. Having the ability to obtain whatever it is you desire, whether it's fancy cars, exquisite houses, money, drugs, respect, shit... women! I know I like to indulge in the finer things this life has to offer. Speaking of, "You see that HB?"

My best friend and partner in crime, Michelle, gestures down to the dance floor. It looks like our other friend Kelly was indulging herself: "How do you feel about that man?"

"Solange and Kelly are two grown ass adults; I don't give a shit. Besides, it ain't me they've got to worry about." I kept my eyes on them, though. My sister was all over Kelly dancing. They were so deep in their own world that neither one of them saw me. At this point, all I can really do is shake my head and wait until our dad hears about this.