A/N:

Boom! I'm here😂💞.

Well, happy new year, new month, and of course, happy thirtieth chapter!!! Whooosh!

Alright, so this chapter should have come wayyyy earlier but I had quite a few challenges writing some sciences that I hope I executed well. Sorry for the long wait, I'll work on an update schedule this year fr✨. 

Thank you for the support mehn, 4k reads already✨✨❤️

Dive in, shall we?😌✨  

~10 - PIECES OF A BIGGER PICTURE °

~AUSTIN

I stepped out of the car almost immediately after killing its engine, the cool evening breeze brushing against my skin in a light caress. 

The dark sky was covered by thick clouds, streaks of lightening gleaming in them as thunder cackled, the sound echoing in the empty, dark street.

I shrugged on my leather jacket, retrieving a cigar stick and a lighter from its pockets. I placed the stick in between my lips, lighting it before taking a long drag.

My nerves automatically relaxed at the action. I let out a short, satisfactory sigh,  causing an overlay of smoke to cloak my face, robbing me of my vision for a few seconds.

I threw the stick down, crushing it underneath the sole of my shoe as I fish my phone from one of the numerous pockets of my cargo pants. I send a text to inform them of my arrival. 

My phone beeped almost immediately after I had texted and I involuntarily tightened my hold on my phone when I saw the ID display that it was a text from Sniper, telling me to chill out. I couldn't. My phone beeped again, and this time his message read, "Turn around." 

I did. I turned around to meet five guys, all dressed in black with balaclavas worn over their heads. Well, except for sniper, who had a scarf wrapped around his neck, covering the bottom half of his face, and white rimmed dark shades, perched on the bridge of his nose.

"Well, look who finally decided to return to the brotherhood," he spoke, his thick baritone voice, echoing on the vast space before a small chuckle eluded his lips. But the sound disappeared as quickly as it was heard.

He took a few steps towards me, his hands tucked away in the pockets of his black cargo pants. "Tell us, Ikenna, what brings you home again?"

"It's Austin," I deadpan, taking a step forward.

"Chill out," he raised his hands in lock surrender, before adding, "Ikenna."

Of course the bastard was going to push me to react, then have me beaten up by the guys he brought along. Which would be impossible, anyway. 

"The money," I spoke, my voice surprisingly calm as took another cigarette out, placing it between my lips, lighting it, then taking a drag. Again.

"Good to know you still smoke," Sniper spoke, bobbing his head in the direction of my cigar stick, paying no heed to my earlier stated demand.

"We're talking about my money here, man. Do not fucking change the topic," I replied and the smokes left my mouth, forming different patterns as my lips opened and closed in speech.

"You're not getting the money," he snickered, using air quotes when he said 'the money'.

"Don't you dare..."

"Oh, I will," he cut me off. "I will dare, Ikenna!" He raises his voice slightly.

Nothing pisses me off than the way he calls me Ikenna. Honestly, I'm tired of repeating that my name is Austin! And Ike-fucking-CHUKWU if you decide to go for my middle name. Because, heck! The fuck is Ikenna!

"When last did you go on an operation, man? Hmmn?" He said, taking of his shades, revealing a pair of green eyes. Contact lenses?—very much, yeah. His left eye had a diagonal mark, running from the skin above his eyebrow, cutting through his eyebrow, running across his upper eyelid, to the lower one, stopping right where his nose his. 

It made him look more intimidating, coupled with the green eyes. He looked just like a villain out of a superhero movie. 

His brows creased, frustration gleaming in his eyes as he glared at me.

"I'm not going to do any more Operations for you. I'm here for the money you owe me," I retort, my shoulders rising and falling in a casual shrug.

He chuckled, the sound, maniacal, reverberating in the darkness. "And how much do I owe you, Austin?"

"Two point five million Naira."

"Fuck, no!" He shouted, throwing away his glasses. "I owe you no such amount, you fucker!"

"If I clearly remember, which I clearly do, after a successful operation, the successor gets 50% of the earnings," I spell out, watching him calmly as the veins in his head ticked like a fine bomb, threatening to burst open his head. "That car I hijacked on my last operation, three months ago, cost five fucking million, and I'm yet to receive my damned fifty percent."

"And what if we refused to pay? Uh? What if we changed our minds?" He asked in between short laughs. "I mean, you have to be one of us, to benefit from the brotherhood."

"My patience is wearing thin, man. Don't test the waters." I warned.

"Oh, Ikenna," He feigned concern, resting against my car with one arm thrown over it. "Forget it. You aren't getting a dime, got it?" He finished, hoisting himself away from the vehicle, throwing a taunting smirk my way before turning around swiftly.

Something went of in my head. The sound screeching,piercing, as the memories of my mum lying in that hospital bed flashed through my head in black and white pictures.

Without thinking, I launched forward, grabbing a fistful of his shirt from behind, and pulling him with it until the sound of his back colliding with the hard surface of the car echoed in the vast space.

He let out a loud groan, falling helplessly and in pain to the ground. The other four guys started to come at me, running at maddening  speed. My heart thumped against my rib cage as it's been a very long time since I was involved in any form of violence. I took a few steps back, bracing myself for whatever was to come.

Two of them approached me at the same time, and my hands—like they had minds of their own, reached out to grab them by their throats, pushing them back so that their heads would forcefully collide With the heads of the other two guys running behind them.

And it did, loud groans of pain eluding their lips, As they held on to their heads crouching down in exaggerated gestures. Fucking weaklings. 

I let of of the fuckers who thought it was a smart idea to come at me, before slamming my fists into their bodies till they started to sway like they were half alive. I didn't stop, not until they fell lifelessly to the ground.

The other two who watched in horror as I totally brutalized their associates, started to clamber backwards, their eyes mirroring fear that only made me inch closer, hell bent on destroying them to a point where there aren't any remains of them, no traces.

I took two long strides towards them, swallowing up a reasonable amount of distance between us, and just as I took the third, I feel something hard slam hard against the back of my head, followed my the sound of glass shattering.

I raised my hand to the back of my head where I was hit, turning around to meet a familiar smirk,. His eyes gleamed like he has just won a price before he throw the upper part of the bottle he shattered on my head away.

"Missed me, Austin Fucking Chika?" His smirk morphed into a wide grin, his white teeth glittering even in the darkness under the dim moonlight. The motherfucker, Jerry.

My legs couldn't hold me anymore, as the wobbled, dropping me on the shards of glass splattered across the tarred ground. I see Sniper exchange a handshake and bro hug with Jerry before my eyes finally close, pummeling me into a pit of darkness.

"Yo, Aus!"

I could faintly hear in the background as someone called out to me. So faint, I could place The Who the voice that seemed so far away belonged to. My eyelids felt heavy, like bags of cements weighing tons hung from them, preventing me from blinking them open. A sharp pain at the back of my head that drew low winces from my lips, cause me to halt in my attempt to turn on the soft surface I laid on.

"Yo, Austin!"

The voice—that I now am sure belongs to Idris, calls out to me again, and this time, I slowly peel my eyes open, the soft veering of the car's working engine, filling my ears on instant.

"You good?" He asked, his hand moving swiftly on the steering as he craned his neck in my direction at the back of the car at intervals.

I let out a low grunt, disregarding his enquiry as I try to move to a sitting position. The back of my head stings badly and I raise a hand to touch the spot. No doubt, it's a deep slash, but nothing to big to create a visible, permanent baldness after healing.

Memories from moments ago flash through my closed eyes for a few seconds and anger courses through my veins to the marrow of my bones, the temperature of the car rising deadly.

It's the audacity of both fuckers to think they can plot against me and take me out after refusing to pay me what they owe me. A humorless chuckle involuntarily slips from my lips, causing the driver—Idris, to look back at me, brows cocked in  question.

Though, he doesn't ask anything, and I couldn't be more grateful.

"I was coming from the club and saw your car, so I decided to stop by and yunno, ask what's up, but I found you lying unconscious on shards of glass," he answered my unasked question, not darting his gaze in my direction even once.

"Just take me home," I say dismissively, and he nods.

After Idris dropped me off, I walk through the big black gates of this haunting house without as much as a thank you or goodnight, storming to my room, and even ignoring my father's calls as I ascended the stares.

The fucking mad man, my dad, being the cause of the numerous problems in my life, thinks it's okay to roam around freely, dashing out toothed grins to the world, shielding the devil that lurks behind the smiles after confiscating my happiness. Wow.

I push him to the darkest corner of my head and lock him up as I close the door to my room, heading to the bathroom for a cold shower.

Once I'm done, I slip on a pair of sweatpants and a black tank top, packing my miserable curls in a man bun. I waltz to my bedside table to pour myself a glass of water, but my phone's screen flashes on, distracting me for a few seconds.

After downing a glass of water, I pick up the stupid communicating device to see that it's a whole bunch of messages from my class WhatsApp group chat. My brows furrow in a frown as I stare at the time. It's twelve minutes past one in the morning, what could be so important to keep these ones awake?

I open the app.

As usual, no tags for me, so I just scroll through some of the messages.

VAWULENCE GROUP😡🤝❤️

+234*******479: EXTENSION CLASSES START TOMORROW, GUYSSSS!

+234********70: Tolu, we know. Stop shouting.😒

+234*******248: ANNOUNCEMENT O! We're pairing for extension classes, I'll send the pairing list soon. Yours truly, Class captain. 

I could really care less about what they have to bicker about as I search for the pairing list. After almost giving up on my search, I find it and I search for my unfortunate partner.

Austin Chika and Amarachi Asonye

My grip on my phone tightens as I almost crush the device to crumps. What the actual fuck!?

I'm about to throw my phone against a wall when a  new incoming  message grabs my attention.

Toyosi: I'm not pairing with Dare, thank you very much. I might as well not come to school at all.

Replies immediately flood the chat as people complain about their partners. A lot of them choosing their preferred partners. Partners for what exactly? 

A smirk tugs at my lips as I type in a reply to Toyosi's message instead.

Me: You could partner with me instead. 

+234*******450: Oh my days! Did Austin just send a text to the group chat?👀

+234********34: Is this a dream?

+23491******71: I SHIP!! OMDSSSS!😱😱😱

Well she doesn't reply any further, and the final compilation of the list is sent and I smile this time when I see my partner.

Austin Chika and Toyosi Omoniyi.

A/N:

Thoughtsssssssss!? I really want to hear before curiosity haves my head! What do you thinkkkkkkk!? Tell me! Spillllll! 

Well, if you've not checked out the teaser video on my Instagram @toyo.writes, then you better do because every single scene there is about to carefully unfold😌🤝. 

And it is with great pleasure in my heart, that I announce to you that, THIS BOOK HAS OFFICIALLY STARTED!!

Grab your popcorns mehn, you're in for a roller coaster🤭💞.

Till when next! Ciao🤩.