07/24/2025
Later that night…
Curtis was home, sitting on his couch in a tank top and sweats, halfway through a blunt and watching an old action flick. The volume was up, but not enough to drown out the sudden sound of knocking. Not a polite knock either. Three hard bangs. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. Curtis froze, glanced at the door, then at his phone. It was almost midnight.
“Who the hell—” The door banged again. This time louder. He grabbed his phone and edged toward the peephole. All he saw was a hooded figure standing still. Calm. Waiting. “Man… what the f**k,” he muttered, opening the door with the chain still on.
Cairo tilted his head. “That’s how you answer your door now, Curtis?”
Curtis squinted, confused. “Yo… who the f**k is you?” Cairo took a step forward then kicked the door opened in one try. BOOM. The door chain snapped like nothing. Curtis stumbled back as Cairo stepped inside uninvited, slow and casual like he lived there. “Yo! What the f**k?!”
Cairo closed the door behind him, locking it. His eyes scanned the room, then settled on Curtis. “Where the money at?” he asked, like he was asking for the remote.
Curtis was shook. “Money? Man, you can’t just break in my house!”
“You broke the rules,” Cairo said, stepping closer. “Now I’m breaking in your s**t. Fair exchange.”
Curtis backed up a few steps, his mouth running but making no real sense. “Look, I told that girl—”
“That girl?” Cairo repeated, voice suddenly sharp. “That girl you tried to play is Kali-cane, motherf**ka. Say her name right.” Curtis paused, clearly regretting everything at the moment. Cairo walked deeper into the living room, looking around like he was deciding what to break. “You had the chance to settle this like a man. She came to you direct. You pulled up on her talkin’ reckless. Disrespectin’ her like you own her or some s**t.” He turned to Curtis. “So let me show you what happens when you f**k with Kali-cane, nigga.”
Cairo grabbed him by the neck and slammed him down onto the coffee table. Glass cracked beneath Curtis’s weight. He gasped for air. Cairo landed several strong blows to his jaw, causing his lip and nose to bust and drip out blood. “Now… listen close,” Cairo growled, leaning down. “You got two options. Either come up with that money right here right now… or I’ll send your ass to hell my damn self.”
He stood up, brushing his sleeves like nothing happened. Curtis struggled to get up. He wiped the blood off his lip. Without saying a word. He walked over to the next room which appears to be an office. He unlocked the safe and handed Cairo two stacks. Cairo put a finger up for him to wait so he could count the money.
“It’s all there-”
“Nigga I didn’t ask you.” Cairo snapped. He started counting the money. Minutes later he looked at Curtis as he tucked the cash in his sweater. “If I have to come back here, don’t expect it to go this way.” He started to make his way out. Just as he approached the front door. He looked over his shoulder and yelled. “Stay the f**k away from Kali-cane, nigga.” Seconds later he was stepping in his car. He shot kali a message that read: It’s done.
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