CHAPTER 18

response, "You know, it's a terrible thing for a man to be alone. I heard it can do several ones mental health"

It was at that moment that the sound of the door being opened slowly was heard.

"Dominic?" Halo's voice called out to her brother and he almost threw up. No, no, no. She wasn't supposed to be home early. He opened his mouth to yell out for her to run but King Jamal signalled for him to keep his mouth shut. "If you're in here, you really shouldn't leave the door open."

Dominic wanted to cry. She shouldn't be here, she shouldn't have to see this. He heard her footsteps as they approached the living room and he watched her expression morph into one of horror when she saw the men in the room and the gun pointed to his head. He saw how scared she looked and when one of the men pointed a gun to her head he felt the same fear that she did.

"Leave her out of this! She had nothing to do with this, please!''

Halo looked at him with so much shock in her eyes. Leave her out of what? what had he done? Did he get involved with the mafia? She felt like falling into a hole and never coming out again. She already had so much going badly in her life why did he have to go and involve the mafia?

The older man and the large man that stood beside him looked at her like they had seen her somewhere before and all it did was make her uncomfortable.

"Young lady," the older man called out to her with a smile on his face and his legs crossed. "So happy that you could join us," he gestured to the couch where Dominic sat. "Please, take a seat. There is much for us to discuss."

Halo was too scared to move a muscle. She just kept staring at the man who had his gun pointed at her head.

"Where are your manners? put that gun away this very instant" King Jamal said to the man and he obeyed. Halo was still unable to move but King Jamal threw her an unexpected kind smile that she had believed to be false.

"No need to be scared, my dear. Take a seat next to your brother"

Dominic shot a surprised look in the man's direction.

"Don't act so shocked my boy. We found out where you live. Did you think that we wouldn't find out other things about you?" King Jamal chuckled, "A liar and a thief," he turned to Halo, "take a seat. Don't be scared of the men with guns. They won't hurt you"

Halo finally managed to drag her feet over to where Dominic sat and took a seat right next to him. She had held his hand for comfort and he squeezed it reassuringly just like he had done when she was scared that the court would not grant him custody of her and she would have to be sent to another foster home.

"Dom, what the hell is going on?"

"Everything is going to be okay Halo. Just trust me"

"Trust you? there are men with guns in our living room," Halo pulled her hand away from his and placed it over her mouth, "You got involved with the mafia? are they going to kill us?"

"Not if your brother provides me with what he stole" King Jamal piped in.

"Stole?" Halo looked to Dominic, "You stole? from these people?"

"We needed the money"

"We had jobs!"

"Which coincidentally, was where he stole from," King Jamal leaned forward and glowered at him, "from the job that I gave him"

Job that you... you gave him?" She looked from Dominic to King Jamal and then back again. The realization hit Halo harder than any rock ever could, "Oh my God. You...You're...you're the owner of Lima"

King Jamal smiled. "That would be me"

Halo buried her head in her hands."Oh, dear baby Jesus. Dom, what have you done?"

"Go ahead Mr Johnson, tell your little sister what it is that you have done" King Jamal urged.

"I stole a ring from Mr King's office"

"Then fucking return it Dom!"

That's the thing. I... I... I sold the ring"

Halo stared at him while King Jamal and Adnan laughed.

"You sold Mr King's ring?" one of the armed men asked and chuckled, "the balls on this one"

"But, I can return the money they gave me and you'll have the ring" Dominic said.

"And how much was the ring sold to you for Dominic?" King Jamal asked.

"He paid me a million and five hundred thousand"

Halo let out a long whistle as soon as she heard the amount of money that was in her brother's possession.

"You sold my ring for a million and five hundred thousand?" King Jamal asked and shook his head, "you really are a special kind of stupid dear boy. That ring was worth a lot more than that silly amount"

"I...it was?"

"Adnan" King Jamal called out to his nephew.