The rain intensified, each drop a rhythmic drumbeat against the pavement. The tension between Ochieng and Derick was thick enough to suffocate. The air between them crackled with unspoken history—one built on betrayal, secrets, and a past that refused to stay buried.
Shalom shifted uneasily, her gaze darting between them. She wasn't blind to the danger in Derick's smirk, nor the cold steel in Ochieng's eyes. "Someone tell me what's going on," she demanded.
Ochieng didn't take his eyes off Derick. "You should leave, Shalom."
Derick let out a chuckle, smooth but laced with venom. "Yes, sweetheart. Run along. This is men's business."
Shalom's nostrils flared. "Excuse me?"
Ochieng placed a firm hand on her shoulder, his grip gentle but unyielding. "Go."
For a moment, she hesitated, her lips parting as if she had something more to say. But then, the realization hit—she was not safe here. With a sharp breath, she turned and walked away, but not without casting one final look over her shoulder.
Derick watched her leave, then turned back to Ochieng, the smirk never leaving his lips. "I see you still have a soft spot for trouble."
Ochieng rolled his shoulders. "Say what you came to say, Derick."
Derick took a slow step forward, his polished leather shoes splashing in a puddle. "You were supposed to be dead."
Ochieng didn't blink. "Disappointed?"
Derick sighed dramatically. "More like… inconvenienced."
A second car pulled up behind Derick's, sleek and silent. The door opened, and Gideon stepped out—a man whose name alone sent chills through the underworld. A former government enforcer turned mercenary, Gideon wasn't the kind of man who showed up for casual conversations.
Ochieng's fingers twitched at his sides. "You brought backup?"
Gideon adjusted the cuffs of his suit. "Not backup. A reminder."
Derick leaned in slightly, lowering his voice. "You know why we're here. The past is catching up, Ochieng. You can't outrun it forever."
Ochieng exhaled slowly, scanning the area. They were in public, but that didn't mean they weren't in danger. He needed to be smart.
"Tell your boss," Ochieng said, voice low and measured, "I don't owe him a damn thing."
Gideon smirked, but his eyes were dead cold. "That's not how this works. You don't get to walk away from the life you were born into. Your bloodline won't let you."
Ochieng's stomach clenched. He had spent years running, carving out a new existence. But now, they were forcing his hand.
Derick tapped his watch. "You have 48 hours. Make your choice."
With that, they turned and left, their presence vanishing into the mist as if they had never been there. But Ochieng knew better.
This was just the beginning.
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