Chapter 1

1

T yreek

(Mister Teacher)

As a henchman, Tyreek had a lot of information, bodies, and secrets for very powerful, prolific, and private people. From pastors and athletes to drug dealers, rappers, and politicians, Tyreek's clientele knew no bounds. If they needed protection or needed someone punished or killed, Tyreek was the one they called. Now, it was time for Tyreek to give their information to the men he trusted with his life.

"Thank y'all for meeting with me. I know I don't have to say this, but as a reminder, the information you're about to receive should not be shared with anyone outside of this room. This is the kind of shit you die with… or use to make sure you live. In exchange for these powerful connections, all I ask is that I can depend on y'all if I ever need a favor in the future."

All men nodded their agreement as Tyreek stood. He began to give them USB drives.

"These drives are password protected. You will only be able to access the files from one device, so choose it carefully. Nothing can be printed or shared. The files disappear after five minutes of constant use. If anything in here is shared, an alert will be sent to that person's file. How they punish you will be up to them."

Once Tyreek gave each man a drive he asked, "Does anyone have any reservations about what gaining this information means?" His eyes landed on Damien. When Damien shook his head, Tyreek nodded his and continued. "Familiarize yourselves with your clients. When they need you, they will reach out. These aren't the kind of people who exercise great patience. I can promise you, if you miss a call, they will never reach out to you again. We're done here."

Though the meeting was over, Tyreek knew the men wouldn't leave until having a word with him one on one.

He made his way over to Antonne, the one he trusted above all.

"You sure about this, brotha?" Tyreek confirmed as they shook hands. "I don't want this to make you want to stay in the game."

"It's temporary. I'm leaving still," Antonne assured him. "I need to head out of here, though. Crimson just sent that 911 text."

"Oh shit. Aight. Let me know everything's good after you handle that."

Antonne nodded, quickly making his way out. Tyreek had to resist the urge to go with him. That was a true test of his discipline and commitment to getting out of the streets, because at one point in time, he would have been right by Antonne's side.

As Tyreek shook Damien's hand, he told him, "You need to tell your brother about this shit, Dame. This ain't the kind of life that can be kept hidden. Aiyden needs to know the truth."

Damien sighed. "I know I do, but I ain't ready to tell him just yet. When I do, he's going to want me to stop, and I'm too deep in this to do that any time soon."

"Well, you know I got your back. Be careful, brotha."

"Always." Damien agreed before heading out.

Among the four men who remained were:

Cooper, the realtor.

Jue, the postman.

Loki, the officer.

And Nathan, the bodyguard.

Nathan and Piper were still going strong, and Tyreek was glad Piper chose herself and Nathan over her father, Ahmad. If she hadn't, there was a chance Tyreek would have been forced into marriage with her to protect Kahlil instead of having the freedom to marry the woman he truly loved.

Loki was on his and Antonne's payroll down at the Memphis Police Department and had proven himself to be a valuable ally over the years.

Jue had the streets on lock. His nine to five as a mailman positioned him to make deliveries to dealers without ever having to worry about getting pulled over.

And Cooper… well… it was rumored Cooper had bodies buried under the homes and commercial properties he sold.

This team of men that Tyreek had put together, along with Damien and Antonne, had the potential to become the most powerful and lethal organization in the city while maintaining their normal lives and relationships if they were smart.

Tyreek was convinced, only love could make a man turn his back to the streets… and if that was the case for his friends… he would be just as proud the day they retired as he was today.