Chapter 4

The words I read on the piece of paper placed me in a strange, quiet mood. Was it Rose, my love, whom I had tried my best not to get involved in this, that was sending me a message?

How did she find me?

How did she know that I was back in the game?

I looked up to Julius, who was still standing there, waiting for a response. “Do you know anything about this, Julius?” I asked, showing him the note.

Julius shook his head. “No, boss, I don’t have any idea. But we have to be careful. Someone might be watching us.”

“You’re right. We have to be careful.” I looked at the note again, trying to figure out who could have sent it. It could be Rose, but it could also be someone who wanted to lure me into a trap. I needed to be cautious.

As I sat there, deep in thought, Julius continued to scan the area, his hand resting on the gun by his side. We were in a small cafe on the outskirts of the city, where we often met to discuss business. But now, it seemed like business had found us.

“I need to call Rose,” I told Julius.

“Why would you want to do that, boss?” Julius was startled. “I thought you wanted to keep her away from this part of your life.”

“Of course I do,” I tried to breathe in. “But this is different. This note I received doesn’t seem like something Rose would do.”

I decided to call Rose. She had always been my confidant, and I trusted her completely. As the phone rang, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of dread. What if this was a trap? What if the person who sent the note was watching me right now?

“Hey, it’s Rose,” her voice came through the speaker.

“Rose, it’s me,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady.

“I know it’s you,” she replied, a hint of amusement in her tone. “Why are you calling me at this hour? I thought you wanted me out of your life.”

I took a deep breath, ignoring her last words. “Did you send me a note?”

There was a pause on the other end of the line. “What note?”

I described the note to her, word for word. As I spoke, I saw Julius tense up, his hand now gripping the gun tightly.

“I didn’t send you a note,” Rose said finally. “But I think I know who did.”

“Who?” I asked eagerly.

“His name is Anthony,” she said. “He’s been trying to get in touch with you for weeks now.”

I had heard of Anthony before. He was a small-time crook who had been trying to make a name for himself in the city’s underworld. I had always dismissed him as a nuisance, but now it seemed like he had a personal vendetta against me.

“What does he want?” I asked.

“I don’t know,” Rose admitted. “But I heard he’s been talking about you to anyone who will listen. He wants to take you down.”

I sighed. It seemed like I couldn’t catch a break. “Thanks, Rose. I appreciate it.”

“Be careful, okay?” she said before hanging up.

I sat there for a moment, staring at the note. It was clear that Anthony wanted to meet me, but I wasn’t sure if I should take the bait. I didn’t want to put myself or my crew in danger.

“What do we do, boss?” Julius asked, his eyes still scanning the room.

I thought for a moment before making a decision. “We’ll set up a meeting with him. But we’ll do it on our terms.”

Julius nodded, his face serious. “Got it, boss.”

Over the next few days, we worked on a plan to set up a meeting with Anthony. We wanted to make sure that we were in control of the situation and that there would be no surprises. We chose a location that we were familiar with and made sure to have a backup just in case.

When the day of the meeting finally arrived, I felt a sense of anticipation and dread. I knew that this could go wrong in so many ways, but I also knew that we had to face Anthony head-on.

As we entered the meeting place, I saw Anthony sitting at a table, a smug look on his face. He had brought along two of his goons, but I wasn’t intimidated. I knew that we had the upper hand.

“Hello, Anthony,” I said, taking a seat across from him.

He smirked. “I’ve been waiting for this moment, boss.”

I could tell that he was trying to get under my skin, but I remained calm. “What do you want?”

“I want what’s mine,” he said, his eyes flickering with greed. “I’ve been working hard to build my empire, and I don’t want you getting in the way.”

I leaned forward. “You think you have an empire?” I asked, my voice low and dangerous. “You’re nothing but a small crook.”

Anthony bristled at my words, but I could see the fear in his eyes. He knew that he was outmatched, but he was too proud to back down.

“I have men on the street,” he said, gesturing to his goons. “I have power.”

“You have nothing,” I said, my voice rising. “You’re a nobody. And you’re messing with the wrong guy.”

As I spoke, Julius and the rest of my crew emerged from the shadows, their guns at the ready. Anthony’s goons tensed up, but I could see the fear in their eyes. They knew that they were outnumbered.

“Now, now,” Anthony said, holding up his hands in surrender. “Let’s not be hasty. We can work something out.”

I shook my head. “It’s too late for that. You crossed a line, Anthony. And now you have to pay the price.”

“Wait!” Anthony yelled so loud that my ears hurt. “I can explain all of this.”

“Explain what?” I was slightly confused.

“I am not the one that wrote the letter,” Anthony informed me.

“If you aren’t the one, then who did?”

Anthony lifted his fingers and pointed at someone behind me.

“She did!”