OWN IT.

LIII PART II

They were in the middle of clearing house. No chatter, no wasted movements. Every trace of business that could be traced back was getting stripped from every stash spot Romeo controlled. The mansion itself had already been done and double-checked. Romeo always moved as if someone were coming for him, never leaving anything out in the open. Still, they had to clear even the smallest things.

"Last spot cleared." TJ said, wiping his forehead. "Cash is moved. Guns locked in the truck, moving to the valley. But..." He hesitated, his eyes flicking to Romeo. "I'm gon' be real with you. You shouldn't be here."

Romeo tilted his head. "I ain't leaving shit in nobody else's hands."

"We got you. We can handle this. If you stay, you risk being in the middle when they come through, and you can't afford to be in the middle."

Romeo didn't answer right away. He knew TJ wasn't wrong.

"He right." Meech said. "Look cuzzo, we moving shit faster than niggas can blink. By the time they look, won't be nothin' left to see. Get outta here."

The basement went quiet for a moment, except for the shuffle of bags being dragged and duct tape being ripped. Romeo sighed before looking at TJ and Meech.

"Everything is clean?" Romeo asked, already knowing, but wanting the words repeated.

"Cleaner than before shit was even moved in." Meech said, without hesitation.

"No fingerprints, no crumbs for them to follow. They'll search, but they ain't finding shit. Nowhere."

Romeo nodded once. "Aight, I'ma head out."

"Go somewhere safe. Somewhere quiet. Let us finish. When shit cleared, I'll let you know, and you can head home." TJ said.

Romeo's silence said he already knew. He glanced at Corbin. "Follow me out."

Corbin nodded quickly. "Got it, boss."

Romeo walked through the basement, silently, as he headed for the exit. The basement was deep underground. No one would ever find it or find anything inside, but still, everything being taped and moved was being pushed through a tunnel and to a location that wasn't in Romeo's name. Romeo was always two steps ahead, and he thought plans through, always.

__________

Elijah moved like a man with something to prove, because he did. The weight of the night pressed against him. He couldn't fail. The paper he held could rip through the invisible armor Romeo Caine had been walking around in for years. At least, he wanted to believe that. He wanted tonight to be the night he finally got the king off the board. More importantly, his brother.

On the narrow street, Elijah's SUV had just rolled in, and everything felt quick. The first target was one of the addresses that Dom gave, a modern-looking family home in a quiet neighborhood without nosy neighbors. To the naked eye, it was nothing more than a house. But Elijah knew it was a stash house, thanks to Dom.

"Alright." Elijah muttered, tightening his vest straps as his team piled out of the unmarked SUVs. "We're right on time. Search every fucking thing. Pull off the wallpaper if you need to."

The battering ram hit the front door with a crash that interrupted the quietness of the neighborhood. Wood splintered as the hinges flew off the door, and the team surged inside. Flashlights swept through the dark living room.