The sun had barely dipped behind the rooftops when Tisha's phone buzzed. She pulled it from her hoodie pocket, frowning at Lamar's name flashing across the screen. She swiped it open, expecting the usual—some half-baked scheme or a complaint about his day. But his voice hit her differently this time, tight with urgency.

"Yo, Tish," Lamar said, breathing hard. "I need you. Shit's gone sideways."

Tisha's stomach dropped. Lamar getting into trouble wasn't new, but it always carried the same exhausting weight. She stood on the corner outside the liquor store, pausing just long enough to curse under her breath before responding.

"What happened now?" she asked, already preparing for the worst.

"I—I was running that drop for Sol," Lamar stammered. "Over at 44th and Duke. Everything was smooth, but then these fools from Tyson's crew showed up."

"Tyson?" Tisha's voice sharpened. Tyson was a small-time dealer on the outskirts of The Towers, but he had a rep for trying to push into Solomon's territory. "What the hell were you doing over there?"

"They came outta nowhere!" Lamar sounded desperate. "Look, I didn't have a choice. They pulled a gun, took the cash."

Tisha clenched her jaw. "You let them take the money?"

"I was outnumbered, Tish!" Lamar's voice cracked. "I didn't wanna get shot over a couple stacks."

A few passing kids on bikes zoomed by, laughing, completely unaware of the mess Tisha was wading into. She looked around, trying to keep her voice steady as her mind raced.

"Where are you now?" she asked.

"I'm over at the playground, by the swings. Ain't nobody around here now."

"I'm on my way," she said, hanging up before Lamar could say anything else.

By the time Tisha got to the rundown playground, the sky had turned a deep blue, and the streetlights flickered weakly. Lamar was pacing near the rusty swings, his hands shoved deep into his jacket pockets. The minute he saw her, his shoulders sagged in relief.

Tisha marched up to him, her expression ice cold. "You realize Solomon's gonna kill you for this, right?"

Lamar looked away, his face twisted with guilt and fear. "I didn't mean for it to go down like that. I didn't know they'd show up, Tish. You gotta help me out. Talk to Sol—tell him I'll make it right."

"Make it right?" Tisha's laugh was harsh. "You can't just 'make it right,' Lamar. You lost Solomon's money. Tyson's crew is making moves on us, and now you've put me in a corner."

Lamar stopped pacing and faced her, his eyes desperate. "Come on, Tish. We go way back. You always got my back."

Tisha's fists tightened, her head throbbing with the pressure of this endless cycle. "That's the problem, Lamar. I always have to clean up your messes. When are you gonna stop acting like a damn kid and handle your business?"

Lamar winced, and for a moment, there was silence between them. He kicked the dirt beneath his feet, frustration bubbling up. "You don't get it, do you? Things ain't been the same since Imani showed up."

Tisha frowned, her mind shifting gears. "What the hell does Imani have to do with this?"

"You think I don't see it?" Lamar's voice turned bitter. "You all tight with her now, running pickups together, talking like she's your new right hand. I'm out here doing all the dirty work, and you're acting like she's the one who's been with you since day one. We was supposed to be in this together."

Tisha blinked, caught off guard. She had expected this to be about the money, about Lamar's recklessness, but jealousy? She hadn't seen it coming, at least not like this.

"Lamar, this isn't about Imani," she said, her voice hardening. "You screwed up today because you're sloppy, not because of her. Don't try to blame her for your mistakes."

Lamar's jaw clenched, and he took a step closer, his voice lowering. "You don't see it, do you? She ain't like us, Tish. There's something off about her. She ain't from the Towers, she don't know the game like we do. You trust her more than you trust me, and that's gonna get you killed one day."

Tisha didn't back down, her eyes locking on his. "Imani's handling her business. That's more than I can say for you right now."

"Yeah?" Lamar shot back. "And how well do you really know her? You trust her that much? More than me?"

That question hung between them, heavy with an accusation Tisha didn't want to address. But Lamar's jealousy was laid bare now, and she could feel the rift widening between them. Their history, their friendship—it had been strong once, but now it felt like it was unraveling. Lamar had always been reckless, but this jealousy, this insecurity? It was dangerous.

Tisha sighed, the weight of the situation pressing down on her. "Look, we ain't got time for this. You messed up, and we need to fix it before Solomon finds out."

Lamar threw up his hands. "And how we gonna do that? Tyson's crew took the cash. I can't just pull that money outta thin air."

Tisha's mind raced, running through options. "We're going to have to get it back."

"And how you plan to do that?" Lamar asked, his voice shaky.

"Simple," Tisha said, her expression darkening. "We pay Tyson's crew a visit. You're gonna get that cash back, one way or another. And if we don't... well, then you're on your own when Solomon comes for you."

Lamar's face paled at the thought, but Tisha didn't give him time to respond. She turned on her heel and started walking.

"You coming or not?" she called over her shoulder.

Lamar hesitated for only a second before following her, his usual cocky swagger now reduced to quiet desperation. He knew the stakes. This wasn't just another one of his screw-ups. If they didn't get the money back, he'd be facing Solomon's wrath. And that was a death sentence.

They moved quickly through the streets, heading for the block where Tyson's crew usually hung out. Tisha kept her mind focused, but Lamar's earlier words echoed in her head. How well do you really know her?

The truth was, Tisha didn't know much about Imani. She was new, sure, but she'd handled herself well enough so far. Still, Lamar's paranoia wasn't completely unfounded. The girl had come out of nowhere, and Tisha couldn't shake the feeling that there was something she wasn't seeing. But she had bigger problems right now—like keeping Lamar alive.

By the time they reached Tyson's corner, the air was tense. A few of his boys were lounging on the steps of an abandoned building, their eyes narrowing as Tisha and Lamar approached.

"What you want?" one of them sneered, stepping forward.

Tisha didn't flinch. She wasn't here to play games. "We're here for the cash you took from Lamar. Hand it over, and we can keep this civil."

The guy laughed, looking back at his crew. "You serious? You think we're just gonna hand over Solomon's money like that?"

Tisha stepped closer, her voice dropping dangerously. "You've got two choices. Give me the cash now, or I come back with Solomon. And trust me, you don't want that second option."

The tension between the crews thickened, but Tisha stood her ground, eyes locked on the guy in front of her. Lamar was jittery behind her, but she kept her focus.

After a few long moments, the guy spat on the ground. "Wait here."

He disappeared into the building, and for a minute, Tisha thought she might have to pull her gun. But when he came back, he had a crumpled wad of cash in his hand, tossing it at Lamar's feet.

"There. Get outta here before we change our minds."

Tisha snatched the money, not bothering to count it. "Pleasure doing business."

She turned, motioning for Lamar to follow, and they walked away, the tension slowly easing with each step.

By the time they reached the edge of the block, Lamar let out a shaky breath. "I thought we were dead for sure."

"You should've been," Tisha muttered, shoving the money into her pocket. "Next time you screw up like this, I ain't saving your ass."

Lamar looked at her, a strange mix of gratitude and resentment in his eyes. "Thanks, Tish. For real."

Tisha didn't respond, her mind already moving to the next task. Lamar was a problem, but for now, the immediate crisis was over. But the jealousy? That wasn't going away anytime soon. And Tisha knew it.

As they parted ways, Tisha glanced up at The Towers looming in the distance, the weight of the day pressing down on her.

Imani's face flashed in her mind again. How well did she really know her?

Not well enough, she thought, walking into the night.