I sat in my room at the hotel thinking of how I could navigate the new phase of my life. Things were going to be a lot different as I knew that from next month, my belly would be protruding, and I might not be able to perform certain things at my optimal duty. I did not like the way I felt about it, but it was just the truth I had to face. I had just gotten a drink from the fridge when I heard a knock at the door.As I opened the door, I was quite shocked to see Uncle Jonah. He stood there waving at me, who seemed like someone who had seen a ghost. He wanted permission to come into the room. Though pregnant, I was still very prepared for anything and all things. I quickly held on to my lap knife.“No need for that, Cassie. I have come in peace and also to make you know something you never knew,” he said.“How did you get my location? That is the first answer that should come from your mouth,” I said.“Like I said, I come in peace and this information I have will benefit you and the fa

"Cassie!" Larry's voice cut through the chaos as he rushed to my side. The gravity of the situation sank in as he saw the blood gushing from my wound. I thought it was my gun hand he had shot, but looking at it one more time through the on and off of my consciousness I could see that he shot me at my upper chest. I just hoped and wished that he had missed my arteries. Blood was gushing down from my chest and my belly."Come on Cassie, don't let go, apply pressure on it," it was Larry's voice I was now hearing from a distance, though he was about to carry me in his arms.In a flurry of urgency, Larry scooped up me in his arms, his eyes flickering between concern and a steely resolve. Without hesitation, he carried me out of the warehouse, the weight of the consequences settling on his shoulders.I did not know whether I had killed Rose's husband too as I was in and out of consciousness by the time we got to the hospital and everything changed. Doctor Jake seemed frightened for the firs

The next time I woke up in the hospital, I was very different. I felt better, but it was like the old me with little hurts here and there, but I was refreshed and better. Marvin and Larry sat on opposite sides of my bed. They had refused to go home, and it now looked like a competition about who cared the most. I loved the attention, I loved it, that anytime I woke up, I saw them by my bedside, but I knew it was selfish to let them keep acting up and acting strong.“Marvin, please, I need you to go and take your bath and get refreshed. You also need to keep the company going. When you come back, Larry will leave for the gang’s headquarters to assess what is going on there. We may lose at both ends if we do not act quickly. As you can see, I am getting better,” I said, trying to ease off the competition and get us going before any more damage.While Marvin was gone, the dim light of the room cast a subtle ambiance as Larry and I reconvened to discuss the Martinez Gang. The weight of ou

Staying in the hospital has its effects. It made me realize how useless I could become if I was incapacitated. I decided I was not going to allow any part of my body to get hurt again. I was going to train so hard to make this happen. I started feeling the restlessness that often accompanied hospital stays, and I expressed my desire to be discharged. The sterile scent of the medical facility and the constant hum of machinery served as a stark reminder of the challenges I faced.I could not bear it anymore, it was like I was facing a firing squad in the hospital as the smell of the place acted like bullets shot at me from every corner. I wanted to see the outside world again. I wanted to do so many things that it seemed like I was being caged. It made me realize what those in the prisons are missing and what they feel being inside. I was in the hospital for goodness sake and I am almost running mad.Doctor Jake, understanding my sentiments, approached with a reassuring smile. "Cassie,

Larry came to the safe house to see me. He was furious as he narrated the attack on the Martinez Gang Table members by the Contractor. We lost a lot of our table members. I was not surprised at the attack, but something did not add up. Someone among the table members must be working for the Contractor. I do not think that the contractor had that much access to our inside details to cause such harm to us.It was a deadly attack and no one saw it coming. I heard that Sancho blamed me for lying to him about killing the Contractor. The Contractor had left a message that he would be back to finish what he started.I was sure it was because of me that he came after them. It was a good thing that Marvins took me into his safe house. If I was not attacked, it meant he did not have my location, and so did the table members including Sancho.“What are you going to do? It seemed that the Martinez Gang and the Contractor all want your head,” said Marvin.“I can deal with the Martinez Gang, but wi