Chapter 3

I couldn’t believe I was back in the game. I couldn’t believe that Julius was happy to wear a suit and stand close to me with so much joy in his heart.

“This is the life, boss,” Julius said with a smile on his face. “This is the motherfucking life!”

I grabbed a cigarette and smoked while Julius went through a map showing the territories we were allowed to operate freely.

“When are we going to start selling guns in the open market?” Julius asked me in a way that made me wonder if he was born for this life.

I shook my head, “Not yet, Julius. We need to establish our network first, build trust, and ensure our product is reliable. We don’t want to rush into things and end up with a bad reputation.”

Julius nodded, “I understand, boss. But we can’t waste time either. Time is money. You know that.”

I smiled at his eagerness, “Don’t worry, we’ll start small and work our way up. We need to be patient and think strategically.”

Julius grinned, “Got it, boss. I trust you.”

As we drove around the city, scouting for potential customers and s*****, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of excitement and apprehension. I had been out of the game for a while, and things had changed. The competition was tougher, the stakes were higher, and the consequences were more severe.

But I had no choice. This was the only way I could survive and support my family. I couldn’t go back to my old life, the one that had led me to prison.

As we pulled into a rundown warehouse, I felt a knot in my stomach. This was where we were supposed to meet our s*****, a man I had never met before.

Julius looked at me, sensing my unease. “Relax, boss. We got this.”

I nodded, trying to appear confident. But as we entered the dimly lit warehouse, I felt suspicious.

A man in his forties, with a rugged appearance and a menacing look, approached us. “You must be the new guys,” he said, eyeing us skeptically.

I nodded, “Yeah, we’re here to do business.”

The man smirked. “What kind of business?”

I took a deep breath, “Guns.”

The man laughed. “You think you can handle this? You think you’re tough enough?”

I stared at him, unflinching. “We’re here, aren’t we?”

The man nodded. “Alright then. Follow me.”

As we walked through the warehouse, I was in awe. There were guns everywhere, of all shapes and sizes. I had never seen so many weapons in one place before.

The man led us to a corner of the warehouse, where he opened a crate filled with guns. “Take your pick,” he said, gesturing to the weapons.

Julius walked up to the crate, his eyes widening in excitement. “Damn, boss. This is like Christmas.”

I picked up a handgun, examining it carefully. It felt heavy in my hand, and I could sense its power.

The man watched us, his eyes narrowing. “You guys know how to use these, right?”

I nodded, “Of course.”

The man smirked, “Prove it.”

He took us to a shooting range inside the warehouse, where we had to demonstrate our shooting skills. I had been trained in the use of firearms before, so I had no problem hitting the targets. Julius, on the other hand, was a natural. He hit every target with deadly accuracy, a wide grin on his face.

The man nodded, impressed. “Alright then. We can do business.”

I told Julius to bring out my briefcase, which he did.

“Name your price,” I told the man, frowning.

The man rubbed his chin, considering his options. “For these guns, I’ll need a hundred thousand dollars.”

I raised an eyebrow. “That’s steep. I was thinking more along the lines of seventy-five thousand.”

The man shook his head, “No, no way. These guns are top-notch quality. You won’t find anything like them in the market. And they come with a guarantee.”

I sighed, knowing I had no choice. “Fine, we’ll take them. But we need them delivered to our warehouse by tomorrow.”

The man nodded. “Agreed.”

We exchanged the money and left the warehouse, feeling a sense of relief. We had just made a huge investment, and we had to ensure we could sell the guns for a profit.

As we drove back to our warehouse, I felt uneasy. The man we had just met was a dangerous criminal, and we were now in his debt. We had to ensure we could pay him back or risk facing his wrath.

Julius sensed my unease. “Don’t worry, boss. We’ll make this work. We’re a team, remember?”

I nodded, grateful for his optimism. “Yeah, we’re a team. And we’ll do whatever it takes to succeed.”

As we entered our warehouse, we were greeted by our team of workers, who were busy sorting and packaging d*****. They greeted us with respect, knowing we were the bosses.

I walked up to one of the men responsible for bringing me back into the game, a middle-aged man named Tony. “We just made a big investment. We need to ensure we can sell these guns for a profit.”

Tony nodded. “Don’t worry, boss. We have a good network of customers who are willing to pay top dollar for quality guns. We just have to ensure they’re reliable and safe.”

I smiled, feeling a sense of reassurance. “Good. Let’s get to work then.”

By evening, I was tired. I was really stressed to the point that I told Julius that I had to return to my office to take a break.

“I will be back,” I informed Julius before leaving.

Three minutes of my absence barely passed before Julius entered my office after I granted him permission.

“What is the problem?”

“Nothing, boss,” Julius replied. “I just came here to deliver this envelope for you.”

I took the envelope and opened it. Inside was a piece of paper with a message boldly written on it.

YOU THINK YOU CAN RUN AWAY FROM ME, NICKY BONES?

SADLY, YOU CAN’T.

I HAVE FOUND YOU, MY LOVE, AND I AM HERE TO CLAIM YOU BACK.