Chapter 1 Prologue

Jazmine's POV

Sirens sounded and I shook my head knowing it was the sign of another lost life as I walked into the store, sad as it was, it was reality, men died every day by the very object they praised, the gun.

The same thing that granted them power left them weak and in need of breath. Many of them got too caught up in the lifestyle, bragging and waving their egos around too blind to see that someone would stomp it to prove their own power and dominance one day.

I sighed as I grabbed a can of Arizona before moving over to the shelf that held the snacks, scanning it for a bag of Cheetos frowning when I came up empty.

"Devin are you out of Cheetos?" I asked speaking to the cashier.

"Yeah, but we're getting some more tomorrow," he announced and I shook my head in disbelief looking for replacements.

"Got an entire store with no Cheetos, shit don't make no goddamn sense," I mumbled grabbing two bags of Doritos.

The small ding that sounded whenever the door opened echoed and I looked up immediately going on guard, my body relaxing when I saw a woman step inside and I couldn't help but stare, a frown taking over my features since I didn't recognize her face, paranoia always made sure I was aware of small details like these, a pair of observant eyes was a mean of survival.

My gaze moved off her going to Devin as I walked towards him placing the things on the counter, reaching into my pocket quickly realizing my dumbass didn't walk with any change.

"Just take payment for me and her, and keep the change if there is any left," I announced handing him a 100 hoping for some good karma from the universe especially after the day I had.

He nodded bagging my things before handing them to me. I took it walking out of the store, dreaming of my bed, my entire body feeling drained.

I watched as a car pulled up a frown greeting my face as the horn sounded, my hand moved to my waist as the window began going down not planning to be the next cause of sirens tonight.

"What's up you short motherfucker?" Dice called out and I chuckled lowering my guard walking over to the car.

"Whose car did you steal?" I joked

"You got jokes huh?" he asked and I smiled.

"Whose car is that?" He asked eyeing the vehicle parked beside mine.

"A woman,"

"A woman, do she got a name?"

"Do I look like the fucking yellow pages?" I asked amused and he laughed slightly as I turned away from him, the sound of the door opening grabbing my attention.

"Is that her?" He asked and I nodded watching as she moved to her car, the tracksuit she was wearing displaying her figure perfectly.

"I've never seen her around here before," he announced his gaze following her and I silently agreed. I turned back to him watching as he drove up blocking her car in.

"Dice chill" I warned since she didn't look like the type to tolerate bullshit.

"Give me your number and I'll let you pass," he called out and she rolled her eyes, letting me know she wasn't in the mood for whatever he was doing.

"Dice," I called out after him as she got in her car. I began walking over to them as she blew her horn resulting in him pressing his as well.

"I got one too," he called out.

"Get out of the way" I ordered hating how childish he could be sometimes, as smart as he was he didn't know how to read the room when it mattered and as a woman I understood the annoyance she was probably feeling at the moment.

Her horn sounded once more and he frowned turning to look in front of him.

"Alright bitch I'm backing up" he replied loud enough for her to hear every word, pressing his horn as he reversed.

"Chill out," I told him firmly before moving over to my car surprised that she didn't drive off yet.

"Thank you," she called out and I turned to see her window winded down and I nodded, actually spending time to appreciate her features finding her quite attractive.

"No problem he can be childish sometimes"

"Let me repay you" she offered out, and I frowned confused since she didn't look like the type to fuck somebody she barely knew, but then again you can never be-

"For inside, the cashier said you took care of it, you didn't have to," she clarified and I chuckled.

"No that's okay, my friend ruined your night anyway so we're even, " I replied getting into my car.

"Are you sure?" She asked and I nodded starting my car.

"Yeah I'm sure, drive safe and welcome to the neighborhood" I replied driving off, blowing my horn at Dice in warning as I left.

I sighed exhausted knowing I had to get some rest since I had to be at my family's cookout early tomorrow.

If my mother could see me now, she would be stuck between disappointment and pride, because even though I did what she feared my brothers getting into, I was different from the other people who pushed drugs in the neighborhood, for one I actually gave back to the community and played it smart, I only did it for two years and stopped the moment I had enough to get on my feet and stay there.

Two I never supplied hard drugs to my people only marijuana, so in ways, I wasn't as bad as everybody else pushing drugs, or at least that's what I told myself to help me sleep at night.

I never planned on this being my future, but life happened, and with life came sacrifice.

My mother died when I was only eight, three bullets to the chest, as a warning to my father, it just comes to show that loving the wrong person will always be your biggest downfall.

Shortly after that my father went to prison for the same thing I was involved in, it's funny how the world works, but the difference is I never let my pride lead me astray.

I made decisions from a place of logic and not greed and got out the minute I could, I saw beyond that life and never got comfortable.

With the loss of both my parents, my siblings and I were left to live with my grandmother who already had six grandkids to take care of, so you know how that went.

But in life, nothing goes as planned you got to do what you have to to survive.

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