Chapter 1

If there was one thing a muthafucka was gon’ do, it was try you. It didn’t matter how many stories they heard about you. It didn’t matter what your reputation was. Niggas don’t believe shit until you show them who you are. A nigga like me didn’t do much talking when that became the case. If I had to show you who I am, you were gonna feel that shit and it was anything but pleasant.

Case in point, the nigga sitting across from me right now was smiling and laughing, with no idea he was about to lose his life. Jeremih Peters was my sister’s boyfriend. Mia and I shared the same father. While we didn’t grow up together, that was my baby. I didn’t meet her until five years ago when Pops found out about her. We quickly formed a bond that was just as tight as if we had grown from the same womb. I didn’t play about her, just like I didn’t play about the rest of my people.

Jeremih didn’t know that, though. He had no idea that Mia was my blood. If he did, there was no way he’d be doing the fuck shit he was doing to her, let alone thinking he’d get away with it. He knew who I was, just not who I was to her.

I took a pull from my blunt, then glanced up at the clock. It was about that time. A quick glance at my lieutenant let him know to get shit in order.

He gave me a nod before excusing himself from the table as Jeremih was speaking. When he moved, so did my other two soldiers. That left Jeremih and me alone. He looked confused with that shit eating grin on his face.

“Damn y’all niggas is rude!”

He shook his head as he reached for his drink. When his eyes landed on me, the smile on his face relaxed. Fear entered his eyes when he noticed the room had practically cleared out. I watched him swallow a lump in his throat.

“What up, Deuce?”

I sat up and leaned forward on my elbows. “Let’s play a game, Jeremih.”

He laughed. “A game? Whatchu on tonight, Deuce?”

My hardened expression remained the same. He nervously ran a hand down his face.

“Fine. Humor me.”

“You know who my father is?”

“Everybody knows who Stanley Dillinger is.”

“So it’s safe to assume you know his seeds.”

“Um… yeah. I guess so.”

“You guess or you know?”

Again, he swallowed hard. “I know.”

“Run me their names.”

“What are you playing at? What? You don’t know your own siblings?”

A smirk spread across my face. Now he wanted to insult my intelligence. I rotated the lighter between my fingers. It was one of my favorites because not only was it a lighter, it was a switchblade. With a flock of my wrist, the blade popped out. Before Jeremih could blink, I drove it into the hand he had planted on the table. He screamed in agony, trying his hardest to get me to pull it out.

Leaning in a little further. I twisted the blade as I spoke. “What are their fucking names?”

“M-Mace… Kerrion… D-Devin… Jaeda.”

“Now, was that so hard?” I yanked the knife from his hand and he drew it back. Bitch tears streamed down his face as he rocked himself in a soothing manner.

“How about a little history lesson, Jeremih?”

He jumped to his feet. “What? You just fucking stabbed me! I need a doctor!”

“Sitcho’ ass down.”

“Fuck you, nigga.”

Woody slid over and hit him in the face with the butt of his gun. Jeremih stumbled backward. Blood leaked from his nose down the front of his white shirt.

“Sit yo ass the fuck down,” Wood commanded.

He sat.

I chuckled. “See what happens when you don’t listen? Yo mama never told you that a hard head makes a soft ass, bitch nigga? Now your hand and your face is fuck up.”

I took another pull from my blunt and blew the smoke in his face.

“Now, back to my lesson. Pops ain’t even been a one woman type of nigga. The man has six kids by four different women. That pull out game was weak.”

Jeremih’s voice was nasal as he spoke with confusion. “Six? It’s only five of y’all.”

“I know what the fuck I said, and I said what I meant. Don’t interrupt me again. Back to what I was saying. Niggas don’t really care about who they stick their dick in. You, my friend, you didn’t know who you were sticking your dick in.”

I snapped my fingers and Vinny, one of my soldiers, appeared next to him with an envelope.

“Why don’t you take a look at that.”

He looked up at Vinny then slowly reached for the envelope. With his one good hand, he opened it and pulled out the contents inside. His eyes widened as he laid out several pictures of Mia and our family.

“Mia James-Dillinger. Checkmate, nigga.”

“I… I didn’t… I meant?—”

“The fuck you stuttering for? You got something you wanna get off your chest?”

I stood from my seat and rounded the table. His eyes landed on the gun in my waistband, and he sank into the chair.

“Oh yeah, that’s for you. Before I put a bullet in you, I’m gonna give you a chance to explain why you putting your fucking hands on my sister?”

He was quiet.

“Talk motherfucker!”

“I’m sorry!”

“Oh, you sorry? You have to give me a little bit more than that. Obviously, you didn’t know that was my baby, so you wouldn’t have been stupid enough to put your hands on her in the first place. So enlighten me on why you feel your balls are big enough to hit women?”

He kept quiet, because he knew like I knew that there was no excuse. I pulled the gun from my waistband and set it on the table.

“I’ll tell you what because I’m such a nice nigga, I’m gonna give you a chance to apologize. If it’s good enough, I’ll let you live.”

I signaled to Woody. He gave a nod, then disappeared in the back. Jeremih gave a sigh of relief.

“Thank you, man. I knew you weren’t as heartless as they made you out to be.”

I chuckled. “You heard that, Vinny? He thinks I’m heartless.”

“He clearly don’t know you, Boss.”

“You know, my grandmother used to tell me the things you don’t know will make up a whole other world. Welcome to my world, Jeremih.”

The door opened and Woody stepped in with the guest of honor. I pushed off from the table to create space between us. Heels clicked across the concrete floor as my sister approached us.

“Hey baby girl,” I spoke as she leaned in to kiss my cheek.

Jeremih’s eyes widened. “Baby.”

Mia turned to him with a sinister smile. “Hey, baby. Looks like you’ve got yourself in quite the predicament.”

“You… you didn’t tell me Deuce was your brother.”

“You didn’t tell me you like to hit women you assume had no protection. You’re just lucky it’s my brother and not my father. He would have beaten you to death with his bare hands.”

“Look… I’m sorry, okay? I’m sorry and it won’t happen again.”

“I know it won’t.”

“Please…. Tell him to let me go.”

I handed Mia my gun and the silencer.

“I don’t think I felt the sincerity in that apology,” she said, screwing the silencer on.

“I’m—“

Before he could finish, she pointed the gun at his groin and fired. Jeremih screamed in pain. I brought my foot up and kicked him in the chest, causing him to fall backwards in the chair. His body hit the floor with a hard thud. Agonizing groans poured out of him.

“Shut yo’ bitch ass up!” I snapped. “You can dish out those licks but can’t take a little pain?”

Woody laughed. “I’m pretty sure she shot him in the dick, boss. That’s more than a little pain.”

“Please!” he begged. “I’m sorry!”

“That’s not good enough.”

Without another word, Mia emptied the clip in him. I’d never been so fucking proud. It was a beautiful mess. To say it was her first kill, she didn’t seem nervous at all. She handed the gun off to me.

“Bastard,” she mumbled.

I sighed as I tucked my gun away. “Well, now he’s a dead bastard. You hungry?”

“How can you eat after that, Deuce?”

“Cause a nigga is starving. Woody, call the crew to dispose of this bitch. We’re done for the night.”

“Will do.”

I draped an arm around Mia’s neck and led her out back to my car. The moment we stepped foot in the back alley, she rushed from my side and threw up. I shook my head as I walked over to hold her hair back.

“You know you have to have a strong stomach for this shit if you’re gonna join the family businesses, Mia.”

She stood up straight and wiped her mouth. “I know, Deuce. My mama has been preparing me for this my whole life. I know what I’m getting into.”

Mia’s mom and our dad claimed to have had this whole whirlwind romance type of shit. They met on a mission and while they got their targets, they got a little more than they bargained for with baby sis. Ms. Maddie, her mother, ended up going off the grid when the mission was over. Pops said he looked everywhere for her, but it was like she didn’t want to be found.

Five years ago, she showed up on his doorstep with Mia in tow. She was only fifteen at the time. Being an only child, she was excited to meet Pops and us. He couldn’t deny her and didn’t try to because she looked just like him. After a shit show and a whole blow up about her keeping Mia a secret for fifteen years, she was welcomed into the family.

There was never a secret about what our parents did for a living. Mia thought she was just gonna jump headfirst into this life when she turned eighteen. Pops put a stop to that. Nobody fully joined the organization until they were twenty-one. The years in between were spent training. Of course, Ms. Maddie trained her, but Pops insisted on training Mia himself.

She was more than capable of handling Jeremih, but as her brother, it was my responsibility to have her back. Most of us had different mothers, but my relationship with my siblings was as solid as they come. It didn’t matter what they could handle. There was no way I’d ever not be behind them.

“You did good, kid,” I said, slapping her shoulder.

“I’m not a kid, Deuce. I may be the baby of the family, but I’m not a baby. I’m twenty-one.”

“A fresh ass twenty-one. No matter how old you get, you’ll always be my baby sister.”

She rolled her eyes. “Whatever.”

I chuckled as I looked down at my vibrating phone. It was my father asking if things had been handled. I let him know that it was done and he told me to bring Mia to him.

“Come on. Pops wants to see you. We can stop for food on the way.”

“Fat ass.”

“I’ll be that,” I said as I unlocked my car. “Don’t throw up in my whip, either.”

“Fuck you.”

We shared a laugh as we both climbed in. I cranked up the car and pulled out of the alley. As we pulled into traffic, I sent my lil’ bussit baby a text, letting her know to meet me at our spot. Hopefully, my father didn’t take too long. After the day I had, all I wanted to do was eat, slid up in some good pussy, and lay my black ass down.

T wenty minutes later, Mia and I scrolled into the main house of the Dillinger estate with a bag of greasy burgers and fries in our hands. The family compound sat on sixty acres on the outskirts of town. There were several generations of us living comfortably, but not so close together that we were right on top of each other.

The main house belonged to my great-great-grandfather. It was where all family meetings and gatherings took place. We were like our own little community. This was private property and if anybody entered, that wasn’t supposed to be here, there was no guarantee that they would leave. Nobody fucked with us, though, and they knew better than to try.

Behind that huge iron gate was a family of highly trained assassins, drug dealers, gun suppliers, and Diamond miners all ready to put a bullet in anybody’s ass if they stepped out of line. One thing about us, we rode hard and ten toes down behind each other at all times.

“It’s about time you niggas showed up,” Mace said as we strolled into the meeting room.

The space was large with several throne-like chairs strategically placed in a circle. Each chair has a small table beside it. The walls were lined with pictures of our family and ancestors. Above the fireplace was the family crest and motto.

“Revenge is an act of passion, vengeance is an act of justice.”

Those who knew us and our ties knew that when a Dillinger sought vengeance, shit was personal.

“Oh, you had something better to do?” I asked, slapping the back of his head as I walked past.

He swung at me but missed.

“What’s up old man?” I dapped my father. “Sorry we’re late. A nigga was hungry.”

He shook his head as I plopped down in my seat and began rummaging through my bag.

“Hey, baby girl.” He pulled Mia into a hug. “You good?”

“I’m good.”

“She threw up,” I revealed, popping a fry in my mouth.

Mia frowned at me. “Thanks, Deuce. Just embarrass me, why don’t you?”

“That’s my job as your oldest brother.”

She rolled her eyes as she took the seat next to me. “The bane of my existence.”

“I love you, too.”

Pops clapped his hands, and the room fell silent. “All right, all right. Let’s get down to business. The baby of the family had her first kill tonight.”

A lite applause went up around the room.

“Baby girl, you dominated your training. Even though you wanted to jump in headfirst, I’m proud of the way you soaked up everything I taught you. I’m sorry your first kill had to be someone you once cared for, but it had to be done. You’re a Dillinger. We protect ourselves at any cost and eliminate threats before it’s too late. Understand?”

“Yes, Daddy.”

“As tradition follows, tonight you’ll officially be inducted into the organization.”

He pressed a call button, and in walked Ms. Maddie with her fine ass. The woman was in her fifties and didn’t look a day over forty.

I swear if she wasn’t Mia’s mom and my Pops wasn’t tapping that, I’d put dick all in her. Tonight, she was dressed in a long, red dress that hugged those thick ass curves and red heels showing off her pretty ass feet. My brothers grinned as she sashayed into the middle of the floor. Jaeda rolled her eyes at them.

Pops stood to greet her with a kiss and a slap to the ass.

“Damn,” Kerrion mumbled. Pops threw him a dirty look. “My bad.”

Ms. Maddie shook her head as she picked up the box on the table next to my father.

“Come here, baby,” she said to Mia.

Mia stood and took a stance in front of them. She was about to be presented with three gifts, just as the rest of us had. I chomped on my burger as Ms. Maddie lifted the platinum chain with the family crest emblem from the jewelry box and placed it on Mia’s neck. Next, Pops presented her with another box. She lifted the top, exposing the solid gold beretta that was engraved with her initials.

Mia grinned. “Finally!”

“You be careful with that,” Pops warned. “You shoot when necessary.”

She admired the gun. “I hear you, Daddy.”

“Good. Now, as you know, this is the family compound. This is where we are the safest and you are no exception to that.” He pulled out a set of keys and handed them to her. “This surprise was intentionally kept from you until it was completed. Find the lot number and you’ll find your house, completed and ready for you to decorate as you wish.”

Mia’s lip trembled. “A house?”

“All yours.”

Mia threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly.

“Thank you, Daddy!”

“You’re welcome, princess.” He called his hands together. “Now! It’s time to celebrate. Everybody out back. Deuce, I need to speak with you.”

I groaned internally as everybody left the space. When we were finally alone, Pops occupied the space where Mia had been sitting.

“I have a job for you.”

“What is it?”

“The details are in a file on your desk.”

“You just be going in my house, Pops?”

“Nigga, I built and paid for that house. If I wanna set up camp in that muthafucka, I will.”

I grinned. “I’m just fucking with you, man. You’re always welcomed.”

“I know. But look, this is a delicate job. No casualties outside of your targets, if you can help it.”

I kissed my teeth. “You know how I am when guns get to blazing, Pops.”

“Trigger happy ass nigga. For real, Deuce. This is an underground pedophile ring operating out of a very popular club. You and Mace are tasked with taking out the owner and any participants you find. There may be children there, and I need them unharmed. Take care of your targets. Once you tell me it’s done, I’ll alert the local authorities. In and out.”

“Pops, how the fuck am I supposed to gain access to something like that?”

“Again, it’s all in the file. Read over it tonight?—”

“I have plans tonight.”

He shook his head. “I’m sure you can put off getting your dick sucked.”

“It’s been a long day, Pop. I need more than getting my dick sucked.”

“Just read the damn file. Bring your ass on out here and speak to the family before you leave.”

“I’m coming, I’m coming. Let me finish eating.”

“Fat ass.”

“I’ll be a fat ass. You make sure Maddie’s fine ass makes me a plate to go.”

“Ima beat yo’ ass if you keep looking at my woman.”

“So, you are claiming her now?”

“Been claiming her.”

“Ima tell my mama about this shit.”

He waved me off. He didn’t think I knew that him and Ma Dukes were still hooking up. I wondered if Maddie knew that shit, too.