Strength

33.

Excuse any mistakes. I haven't updated Sealed yet because I want to finish this book, first. So, bare with me please.

A very short chapter, but possibly the biggest one.

Compton, LA
Wednesday night

"The only way out is through."

—

   Sometimes you just have to let people go because they're not meant to be in the next chapter.

It sucks, but that's life. People come and they go. In some cases, people come and stay until you kick them out. The longer you allow them to stay past the deadline, the worse things get.

    That's something that Shiloh hadn't quite gotten with Travis. Loyalty was everything to him.

At times, he was too loyal. Loyalty was the reason why he was now in a hospital bed, riddled with gunshots, fighting for his life.

    The lights above start to flicker like an old movie reel, but this is no theatre.

Shiloh was waiting on Travis on a corner with too much heat and money in a duffle bag. He was getting anxious because this block wasn't the friendliest. Plus, it was late at night.

   The money could change their fortunes. However, it wasn't about the money to Shiloh.

He just wanted to help a friend.

   Maybe if this was last year, it would have been about the money. But, now he had everything he could possibly want. He couldn't help, but to think why he was standing here potentially risking his life.

When Travis proposed to him about, he denied it initially. But Travis bailed him out of jail and Shiloh figured he owed him one.

  So, here he was.

Shiloh rubs his hands together, checking his surroundings.

   "Come on Trav." He whispers to himself.

Suddenly, a recognizable car pulls up and Travis rolls down the window to let Shiloh know it's him. Shiloh quickly gets in and immediately lets Travis have it.

   "Yo, what the fuck?! Where you been at?!" He yells.

Travis shakes his head. "Relax, I got caught with some other shit."

    "Nigga, it's pounds of cocaine and over a hundred grand in that bag. I coulda easily got robbed."

Travis chuckles to himself as he drives off. "You so dramatic. Nobody was gon touch you."

    Shiloh rolls his eyes and looks ahead, deciding not to say anything else to Travis. He was really having second thoughts about all of this.

He was just gonna help Travis with this and he was finally gonna put both feet in the door.

    His phone vibrated in his hand and he saw that it was Nia. He stared at it while it rang until she finally hung up.