Not much time had passed until I heard the doorbell ring. I sighed, closing my book and setting it aside. I was just getting to the good part, too.

I left the room and slowly made my way down the stairs. Since there was nobody else here to answer, I was the only one left to open the door. I knew it was Tone, since Zhayne had told me not long ago that he would be here. When I approached the front door, I hesitantly undid the locks and slowly cracked it open little by little, eventually revealing the expected guest.

I froze in place, letting my eyes land everywhere but on him. This was awkward already. I soon stepped aside, allowing him to come in without saying anything. I planned on keeping it that way. I didn't want Zhayne to kill me or him if I utter even a single word. He somehow knew Josiah had spoken to me that one time and I haven't seen him since, so he no doubt will know if I speak to Tone without his permission.

When he was inside the house I locked the door behind me and headed for the stairs, avoiding him like the plague. I was paranoid. All I wanted to do in this moment was get back to my book and avoid any trouble.

"Where you going?"

I stopped mid-step with my eyes widened. Is he going to die because he talked to me? What happens if I respond? My mind began to run wild with alarming thoughts as I stood still on the staircase with my heart pounding in my chest. I was fear stricken and couldn't find myself moving. I was afraid Zhayne would pop up at any moment and slit my throat.

I didn't say anything and instead went to go take another step, but I was stopped by him speaking up again. "He gave me permission to talk to you, Angel. It's iight, you can stop being so scared." I swallowed at his words as I slowly turned around facing him. I still didn't speak out of fear for my life and his. I knew I was a coward for this but what else was there for me to do besides be cautious?

He smacked his lips. "Stop being weird bro. Talking to you without him knowing is me basically committing suicide." Antonio says, taking off his snapback and throwing it aside somewhere as he settles down on the couch. "Just because I'm his friend don't mean I get special treatment. Now sit. I wanna get to know the boy who's caught his eye." As he lights up a blunt I hesitantly walk over to the couch, making sure to sit all the way on the opposite side. I really am not taking any chances.

I didn't really know what to say, considering the fact that I'm still very alarmed and because I'm not very good at conversations with strangers. Especially now since I'm still dealing with the trauma of having met Zhayne. The thought of talking to someone I don't know has always scared me. But now it's worse because I fear that they might turn out evil, or because Zhayne might be watching me from a distance. No matter where I was, even when he's not around me physically it still somehow felt like he was here right next to me.

Like now.

"So...you dating Zhayne huh?"

My eyes widened. "W-what? D-dating? I-"

"It's really a yes or no question, B."

No.

"I...really can't answer that. I-I don't know." I didn't want to say the wrong thing around him.

"Oh. Well Zhayne says you his and he runs his mouth about you like it ain't shit so I'll go ahead and safely assume y'all are."

We're not though.

This was making me uncomfortable so I thought of a way to quickly change the subject. I don't ever want my situation with Zhayne to be labeled as something even remotely romantic. It made me sick to my stomach.

"So uh...Do you like..work for him? Do you do what he does?"

"Yeah."

He didn't hesitate to give me a blunt reply which kind of threw me off. "I grew up with him, too. His pops took me in after I got into it with my mama." He looked toward the ceiling, exhaling the smoke. "I used to live with her before I got involved with Zhayne and his family."

My brows furrowed in confusion. "What happened?"

Antonio let out a sigh, rubbing one of his hands over his face. "When I was in middle school she found out I was working for his family. She kicked me out the house that same day." Tone chuckled bitterly, looking off to the side as if he were replaying the memory in his head. "She told me she won't have me get her ass caught up with them bad people." He went on.

"As a matter of fact before Zhayne and his pops became one of the most successful drug dealers in the world, they basically ran Brooklyn. Everybody knew who they was and that they wasn't a force to be fucked with." He finishes with a nonchalant shrug.

"So I don't blame her and I never did. She'd be a fool not to kick my ass to the curb. If I were to ever fuck up, she and the rest of my family would have to pay for my mistakes. I ain't got time to deal with that. I got enough on my plate already."

I bit my lip, trying to figure out the right thing to say. All of this was new to me. There was so much I wanted to know but at the same time I wasn't sure if it was safe for me to ask just anything. I sighed, settling on a more simple question after thinking for a while. "How did you get yourself involved with this family?"

He hummed, taking another hit as he processed my question. "It wasn't something I did on my own free will, to be honest. I was a witness to something I wasn't supposed to see. I just so happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time." The tall man trailed off for a few seconds, causing the formidable tension in the air to thicken between us.

"For some reason Zhayne spared me even though he could have taken my life for sticking my nose in his business. He never told me why either, I just remember him saying 'come with me' after murdering some dude in cold blood." A bitter chuckle slipped from his lips as if he were still in disbelief because of the fact. "I thought he would kill me but he didn't. I still don't have an answer as to why and I probably won't." He told me.

"Maybe because we were still younger, I guess. Back then Zhayne was a lot more...mm...ion know, merciful?" My brows furrowed in confusion. I couldn't help but feel taken aback and slightly angered by his words. Merciful? Zhayne is not merciful. He is a vile monster and always has been.

"What do you mean merciful?"

"Exactly what I said. Back when we was in school together he was somewhat there in the head. From what I could tell he was stable enough to function like a normal human being, meaning he still had a lil bit of a soul." Tone said, putting the blunt out on an ashtray laying on the table in front of us. "But, shit not the same anymore and it never will be. He was bound to become like this at the end of the day."

I was trying so hard to process everything but it was more complicated than I thought. My emotions were all over the place right now so it was challenging for me to gather my thoughts. There was so much I wanted to say but I wasn't exactly sure how it would come out. "Are you saying that he was good?"

He looked at me as if I were stupid, and I immediately regretted asking the question. This was why I preferred to listen rather than speak. "Nah, kid." Tone shook his head. "I said he still had a piece of his soul at a point in time. Never said he was good. That would be a blatant lie worthy of going to hell for telling." He corrected me. "Zhayne ain't a good person. He never has been and he never will be. That's just the reality of it." Tone said truthfully. I couldn't help but have a little respect for him for not trying to convince me otherwise despite the fact that they are close.

He turned away from the ceiling and faced me head on for the first time since this conversation began. "What I'm saying is that he wasn't born evil. He became that way through time, choice and circumstance at a very, very young age. He's a product of the environment he grew up in."

It was true.

I can't and will not expect anything more from Zhayne. It wasn't like I ever did in the first place. Tone was right. He was raised to become this way and there is no changing him. There is no brighter side of this situation in any way. No light at the end of the tunnel. My life now that this man has come in and ruined everything is just a never ending void with no way out.

"How someone like you end up with him anyways?" Tone asks abruptly. "He never told me how y'all met." He adds, looking at me with an odd curiosity dancing in his light brown eyes. I found myself contemplating on if I should tell him or not. It wasn't because how Zhayne and I met was some big secret. It's not.

I just feel as if it's wrong for me to talk about this with him. This is Zhayne's friend. Technically this man is an enemy of mine too. Anyone who has ties with Zhayne is against me, and that is final. But I couldn't deny that there was something about him that made me feel like I could say almost anything, despite the situation I've gotten myself in. After all we both have something in common.

"I-I um..snuck into his club." I told him, already feeling sick yet embarrassed having to think back on what happened. It feels like it was forever ago that I made my life go to absolute hell because of one mistake. But in reality it's been over a month. I felt the familiar feeling of unease settle within me as the memory of Zhayne kissing me for the first time entered my head.

He tilted his head to the side. "How the hell did you get in? Ain't you like 16? It's way too damn obvious you had no business going in there." Tone said to me, looking baffled. This was similar to what Nas had said when I first told him about what happened that night. My heart sank at the thought of him, but I pushed my thoughts aside for a moment.

"I'm 18."

Antonio's eyes slowly darted left to right awkwardly before he shrugs."My bad B, I'm buggin'." I quietly told him it was okay. It's very common for people to mistake me to be younger than my actual age. I can't blame them, after all. I've had the same baby face since my freshman year of high school.

"That's still underage though. You supposed to be 21 and over." He informed, but then soon waved his hand in mid-air as if saying 'hold on.' "Fuck that I'm still tryna figure out how you came across the man himself, though. Zhayne don't even attempt to go on the main floor unless it's to pick up some random bitch to get his dick wet."

I didn't even know what to say to that. "I-I don't know. I was on my way to the bathroom and there he was, walking down the hallway." I said, noticing that my voice progressively lowered with each word I spoke. I can't even begin to describe the heavy weight in my chest every time I think about the moment I locked eyes with that psycho for the first time. I had no idea that Zhayne would be the cause of my downfall.

"Damn." He said, looking at me with pity clear as day in his stare. It made me look away momentarily. I don't want to see that. I already know things are awful enough. I don't need something pathetic like pity. It made me feel weaker than I already am. I don't want a silent reminder that I'm hopeless. Which was what he was practically telling me without actually saying it. "I've known Zhayne for years so I'm very familiar with his ways. I'm surprised you held on for this long."

"There's a reason for that." I mumbled.

"I'm all ears, kid."

I released a long breath I didn't even realize I was holding. "I-I um. Well, a uh...friend of mine had gotten dragged into this as well." I swallowed, thinking about how Nas was holding up. "Zhayne is keeping him away somewhere. He told me that every time I mess up that I have to...um...cut off a limb from his body." Tone didn't look surprised at all.

"He also knows where my mother is too, who is the only family I have left. He has all of her and my information. In a nutshell he's going to kill her and make me kill my friend if I mess up...I..I'm just doing what I can to make sure they don't die, especially because of me. I don't know if I'd be able to live with that guilt. So many other people have gotten their lives stolen from them because of my mistakes." I told him. "So, yeah. That's why. I...haven't been trying to run away and I don't want to do anything to anger him." I said. His expression basically screamed 'typical Zhayne'

"What would you have done if none of your loved one's lives were on the line?" I knew immediately. That was a simple question with an even simpler answer. I would do anything to ensure either him or I die.

"I...don't know." I lied with a straight face.

"Hmm. Well either way you smart." He praises me. "It would be stupid to keep provoking him despite your obvious disadvantage when it comes to him. I'm glad you ain't selfish enough to put your friend and mama in danger."

I bit my lip, speaking lowly. "T-that's not it though...Sometimes I fear I will put them in danger if I act without thinking. There are moments where I feel so o-overwhelmed that I could just do anything stupid right then and there. I-I forget about everything and the only thing on my mind is to..." I didn't finish that sentence, deciding it was best not said. "Well...if I did decide to do something irrational without thinking- I don't think I'd get anywhere. I'm...weak. I'm practically nothing compared to Zhayne."

"Mmm." He stops to stare at me for a moment, narrowing his eyes. "You don't really strike me as weak." He shrugs, averting his gaze as he rolls yet another blunt and lights it up. "Actually I lied. Yeah you do. You're weak, considering the kind of environment and people you up against." He took a long hit, relaxing on the sofa. "Even though that's the case, I see something else in you too."

I shook my head, no longer wanting to talk about this. I could feel a headache starting up just from this conversation. I'm thinking too deeply into things I probably shouldn't and it's causing me physical pain. I never even thought that was possible. I sighed, pushing my self off of the comfortable sofa and heading towards the stairs.

"It's only a matter of time before you get it. You a ticking bomb." He said as soon as I reached the first step. I hesitated, turning my head to meet his gaze. He smirked, releasing more smoke into the air. "My intuition ain't ever wrong." Having nothing else to say, I politely bid him goodbye and went upstairs. As I reached the top he shouted for me to remember to be down in time for dinner.

I didn't respond.

Zhayne had not gotten back until much later. Apparently according to what Tone told me, he had some business to take care of regarding his hotel company after he'd gone out to meet with his mother which was why it took him so long. If I'm being honest I'd forgotten he had a whole other business.

He usually tends to focus more on taking care of his private affairs involving the cartel first before anything else. And that itself is time consuming. I wonder how he was able to handle all of it at once. Zhayne is a mysterious man after all so, I'll probably never know.

"You've said more to him in an hour than you have to me in a month, love." I heard his voice speak up from less than a couple of inches behind my head. My body froze and my breath caught in my throat. Zhayne and his sneaking up on people. I tried to regulate my breathing as the large and intimidating man suddenly leans down forcefully grabbing my face in his rough calloused hand, attaching his lips to mine.

I dropped my silverware and clenched the tablecloth in my fingers. The air was literally being snatched out of my lungs from how hard Zhayne was kissing me. And I couldn't pull away because his grip was so strong, forcing me to sit here and take everything he gives.

I opened my eyes as I felt myself getting ready to choke on his tongue, but the sight I was met with had chilled me to my core.

The shocking and terrifying image made me pull away with the help of Zhayne letting me go. I breathed heavily as I turned back around and faced my meal, embarrassed and frightened out of my mind.

Tone awkwardly chews on a piece of shrimp as he watches us with a perplexed expression. Zhayne however was not paying him any attention. He was still leaned over, staring directly into the side of my head. "Ain't we at the dinner table? Ion think it's polite to be sucking people face off while I'm eating." He said, throwing the shrimp tail on the plate.

Zhayne released a dark chuckle and proceeded to kick me out of my own seat and made himself comfortable in it. I was going to go to a different chair but he glared at me, silently telling me I should know better. Without saying a word I situated myself in his lap, facing him.

Tone sighed in the distance. "Ion even know why I said anything. How'd it go with ya mama?"

He asked as Zhayne found himself stuffing his face in my neck, planting small kisses on the sensitive and bruised skin all while looking up at me with this unsettling twinkle in his eyes. "Fine." He mumbled, tightening his arms around me.

"That means it didn't go good. What happened this time?"

Zhayne didn't answer right away. He seemed to only be focused on me even though Antonio was trying to communicate with him. I still didn't look down at him. The look in his eyes as he kissed me still freaked me out. For some reason it made my stomach twist up in despair. "I almost killed her again."

"I'm not surprised." Antonio immediately replies, not sounding phased the slightest bit. "This like the 4th time. You need to chill out for real. You and her supposed to be close."

"I don't need to do shit." He was still looking at me. "And we're not close. Don't ever say some stupid shit like that again. I just tolerate her more than some others."

"What exactly do you mean by 'tolerate'?" The other tall man in the room asked. "You know your mind works completely different than normal people."

"The bitch is still breathing isn't she?"

I heard the caramel colored man sigh again before changing the subject. I didn't listen to what they were talking about. The only thing I could do was sit in his lap frozen like a statue. For some reason I felt like something was off, even though Zhayne hadn't exactly said that there was a problem.

For the next hour and a half I tuned them out, patiently waiting for their talk to come to an end. The way Zhayne's attention had been directed solely on me the while he was still talking with Antonio made my heart pound in fear. That wasn't normal.

When their conversation did wrap up, Zhayne and Tone dapped each other up before Zhayne briefly leaned in to whisper something in his ear. Since I wasn't facing them nor could I hear what he said to him, I had no way of knowing what happened between the two. All I felt was a pause after Zhayne said whatever he said, and Antonio making his way out of the house.

As the door shut Zhayne tells me to get up from my seat and follow him. I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep myself from crying. There was a certain edge to his voice that I couldn't put my finger on. But something told me that I was right earlier, he was definitely upset about something.