Astraea

-13-

A/N: I was supposed to have an assignment due for Public International Law but we got an extention so i managed to write a bit.😩 This is super unedited. Enjoy🖤

"Felipe?" I questioned even though I knew it was him because I was the one who had called him. "Astraea? Are you looking for Luxane I can call-" "No dummy I called you for a reason I wanted to talk to you. Can we meet up. I just want to have a frank conversation with you. I need to make a choice and move on with my life, I have been stuck in this place for like 6 months and it hasn't been fair to Xylo or Luxane but I need to know what I am getting myself into if I fully commit to being in Luxane's world. I need to see the worst of it before I can a well informed decision." He sighed from his end.

"Why the fuck do I feel like you want me to involve me in some shit that's going to make Luxane want to castrate me?" I giggled.

"I really need this."

"Okay, I am flying to meet up with the Distro, product isn't moving well in that city numbers have gone down."

"I am there."

"It will be dangerous and if anything happens—"

"Teach me how to use a gun and shit".

"You have never taken a life Astraea and I have heard that you advocate really hard for human rights."

"Then lets take a team. I need to see the worst of it and then decide on whether or not I can stomach it."

"Fine. I leave in a couple of days. I will double up on security."

"Thank you", I told him before hanging up. Even I could not believe to what I had agreed to do. This shit was reckless but I had to know.

I had told my parents to let Luxane know that I was going to Paris for a bit to do a job and some shopping and they all bought the lie. I arrived at the airport with my bag in tow and saw Felipe waititng surrounding by some thuggish looking men. "Hey", he greeted me.

"Hey," I greeted back.

"I half expected to see Luxane here with his classic scowl. I thought you would snitch on me", I said wryly.

"I had half a mind to. But I think it will help us all if you decide on what you want. He hasn't been the same bastard since you left. Khloe tried to move in and replave you but he wasn't interested." I couldn't help but laugh at this.

"Oh chlamydia, always making moves. I can't be mad though because I expected it." He laughed. "What the fuck did you just call her?" he asked me in between laughs.

"That's my code name for her, when she used to mess around with Lux when I was pregnant that's what I called her. It was that damn purple hair". He continued laughing and walked up the stairs of the Jet. We settled in and the pilot took off.

"Okay so the thing is that this place has its bougie area and the ghetto area. Operations run in the ghetto which is where we are landing. There is less policing there and we can move product up and down freely. Here is a bullet proof vest".

My heart started pounding.

He sighed, "This is it, what you have been begging for Astraea. Luxane has only shown you the pretty side of this shit but this is the real stuff you said you wnted to see it all. If you are not ready, I can get the jet to turn back once it drops me off." I exhaled sharply and closed my eyes. "Don't be such a dick Filipe. Anyone being told they suddenly need to wear a bullet proof vest would be scared, I have never been exposed to this type of stuff so give me a break. I just need a moment to adjust."

"Sorry. You when Luxane and I got into this shit we didn't have any protection of any kind." "What?" I questioned. "Yeah, you get into the drug business as kids you start at the bottom. I'm sure you saw how young Luxane's parents are. They really did love him as he was growing up and he loved them back. They struggled and lived in a house with his grandparents and all kinds of extended family when he was born. They were still kids still growing up themselves. He started moving product when he was 12."

"What the actual fuck Felipe" I shouted.

"Astraea just because you had a pretty upbringing doesn't mean that's how it was for us all." "Sorry" I apologised feeling like a dick. I was acting so judgmental but I hadn't had a clue about Luxane's history. Somehow, we never spoke about our childhoods. "Sorry please continue", I urged him on.

"We actually grew up in this neighbourhood that we are going to. We are trying to make things better but you know how some of these ... well you wouldn't know. The hood will always be the hood. It's the spirit that people put there. We built a school a few years back and it was torched by some gang. We have built another one now because you cant give up on the kids you know. Its got a lot of security unlike the first one. We are just trying to give back because this line of work is very lucrative. Anyway Luxane started making money and managed to move them out into their own apartment. They continued working ordinary jobs and then eventually quit when Luxane and I moved up the ranks so that they could help us. They were good people back then, they took me in when I ran away from home. There is no sob story there I was just another kid in a house that had 10 kids."

"Fuck, your parentswere busy". He laughed lightly. "Yeah imagine having 11 kids that were all wereblood related. I think they were happy when I left. You know one less mouth tofeed. Anyway, we are about to land so strap up." We were silent as the jetbegan the descent. I looked out the window and saw 4 SUVs waiting for us in asmall air field. "We will be back in 4 days", Felipe informed the pilot as wewent out. I took in the sight around me. There were houses surrounding the place.I couldn't help but think about a little Lux growing up in this dreary place.We went into the middle car and pulled off. There was no proper road. Thehouses seemed dull and ordinary as we drove around. Some had broken windows withplastic over them it was all so run down. We then left the area once we gotonto the roads, I knew that we were headed to the suburbs. We got to the intercontinentaland went to the penthouse suite. We had barely exchanged a few words and I wastired from the long flight. We went to our separate rooms and I slept.