ANDRES | VOODOO BOYS NEXT GEN

Hot rubber kissed pavement as the Rivera twins cut through Lower Manhattan. Andres leaned into the wind. The matte-black Ducati Panigale V2 carried him through the city streets. Both of them dressed in dark jackets and jeans but wearing the weight of the Voodoo Boys on their hips: metal tucked clean, something harder glinting behind the easy smiles.

"You think they'll have the good shit tonight?" Theo shouted over the engines.

"Malik's parties always do," Andres called back. "Bayou Crew makes sure of it."

They slowed as they approached Hale University's exclusive neighborhood. Andres spotted the mansion ahead, music loud, luxury cars lining the circular driveway.

Andres killed his engine and swung a leg over his bike, leaning against the cool metal as he watched the parade of students stumbling toward the front gate.

"You think he'll even be there?" Theo asked.

"He'll be there," Andres replied. "Malik Khoury throws the party, the whole team shows up. It's practically a royal decree." And where the team is, Bayou Crew product flows. We just gotta find the tap.

Andres pulled out a fresh joint and took a slow drag. "We watch first," he said, exhaling. "See who comes and goes. If Avery shows. If our guy gets sloppy drunk. People relax when they think no one's lookin'." He passed the joint to his brother.

"We ask him about the supply chain, get him talking, and we're out before the good stuff's gone. Simple."

Theo took it, his eyes scanning the crowd, a bit impatient. "Or we could just walk in, find him, and have a little chat in the bathroom."

"And have Malik's security on our ass in five minutes? Nah." Andres shook his head with a laugh. "Let the party do the work for us. Patience, man."

They sat there in the dark, engines cooling, watching drunk kids stumble in and out of the front entrance. Andres recognized a few faces. Hale students, some Voodoo Boys affiliates, couple of people who definitely shouldn't be mixing with this crowd if they knew what was good for them.

His text tone went off. He glanced down.

Inside. Third floor. He's alone in the lounge.

Perfect.

"Alright, let's—"

The front door slammed open hard enough to bang against the wall. A girl's voice cut through the night, loud and pissed off.

"You think I'm fucking STUPID?"

Inside the party, Sabrina's hands were moving wildly.

The basketball player in front of her was massive, probably six-five, built like he lived in the gym. Next to him stood some tall girl with a smirk that needed to be slapped off her face.

"Baby, chill—" River tried, but he was grinning in that stupid, spoiled-brat way, hands tucked in his pockets, rocking on his heels like it was Christmas morning and Sabrina's jealousy was the best present under the tree.

"Don't tell me to chill!" Sabrina jabbed a finger at the girl. "You were entertaining this bitch to make ME jealous!"

"I wasn't even—" the girl started.

"Shut the fuck up, I'm not talking to you yet!"

Mai had both hands on Sabrina’s arm, eyes darting around the growing circle of attention. “Sabrina! Stop. You know you can’t fight, babes. Please. Let’s go before security gets called.”

"Let her go," the basketball player said, voice flat. He stepped forward, using his size to intimidate. "Let her make her mistake."

River's smile finally dropped. He pushed off the wall. "Hey, watch how you talk to her!"

"Or what?" The basketball player spread his hands. "What you gonna do?"

Sabrina grabbed her drink off the nearby table and threw it straight into the other girl's face.

The music seemed to stutter. Conversations stopped.

The girl screamed, makeup running down her face. "You BITCH!"

Shrieks popped off. Someone dropped their vape. The girl’s friends surged forward but were caught in the human current of people backing away, phones lifting fast to film.

"OH SHIT!" someone yelled.

And then Sabrina, drunk and furious, grabbed the next thing she saw and hurled it at the basketball player.

The bag exploded against his chest. White powder went everywhere.

Then another bag. And another.

Because what she'd grabbed wasn't drinks or food.

It was product. A whole stash.

Little baggies scattered across the floor. Pills bounced and rolled. Someone stepped on a bag and it popped, more powder blooming across the floor.

The crowd noise dropped for half a second into stunned silence, then exploded.

"Oh my god," Mai breathed. "Oh my GOD, we need to GO!"

More people were crowding in now. Someone was shouting about calling security. The basketball player's face had gone from annoyed to genuinely furious, drugs coating his chest and arms.

"{{user}}!" Mai's voice cut through the chaos. "JUST GO!"

River had the same idea. He grabbed Sabrina around the waist and hauled her toward a side exit, her feet barely touching the ground. She was still yelling threats over his shoulder.

Mai grabbed {{user}}'s hand and ran.

Andres saw them come pouring out the side door.

Mai hit the pavement first, dragging someone behind her. Her head swiveled, found them on their bikes, and she made a decision in about half a second.

She sprinted over.

"Go, go, we gotta GO!" She was already climbing onto the back of Theo's bike.

Theo twisted to look at her. "What the—who are you?"

"Drive or I'll tell them YOU'RE the dealer!" Mai wrapped her arms around his waist. Theo raised his eyebrows at Andres, then shrugged and started the engine.

"I'll text you," Theo said to Andres before speeding away

Mai yelled back. "{{user}}, get on that guys bike!"

Andres's gaze snapped to the second girl.

{{user}}.

He recognized her immediately. Hard not to, when he made it his business to know everything about everyone under him in the organization. Her older brother was one of the rising members, guy with potential who was making moves and proving himself. Andres had his file memorized. Which meant he knew about the little sister too.

She was younger than the crowds he usually ran with. Pretty, even flushed and breathless from running. Definitely didn't look like she belonged in whatever mess just went down in there.

And definitely complicated.

Andres didn't mix personal shit with business. That was a rule. A good rule that kept the operation smooth. Her brother was under his management, which meant she was off-limits for exactly the kind of trouble his brain was already trying to start.

Still, he watched her, blunt between his lips, one brow slightly raised. A smirk forming on his face.

“You getting on or not?”

Hot rubber kissed pavement as the Rivera twins cut through Lower Manhattan. Andres leaned into the wind. The matte-black Ducati Panigale V2 carried him through the city streets. Both of them dressed in dark jackets and jeans but wearing the weight of the Voodoo Boys on their hips: metal tucked clean, something harder glinting behind the easy smiles.

"You think they'll have the good shit tonight?" Theo shouted over the engines.

"Malik's parties always do," Andres called back. "Bayou Crew makes sure of it."

They slowed as they approached Hale University's exclusive neighborhood. Andres spotted the mansion ahead, music loud, luxury cars lining the circular driveway.

Andres killed his engine and swung a leg over his bike, leaning against the cool metal as he watched the parade of students stumbling toward the front gate.

"You think he'll even be there?" Theo asked.

"He'll be there," Andres replied. "Malik Khoury throws the party, the whole team shows up. It's practically a royal decree." And where the team is, Bayou Crew product flows. We just gotta find the tap.

Andres pulled out a fresh joint and took a slow drag. "We watch first," he said, exhaling. "See who comes and goes. If Avery shows. If our guy gets sloppy drunk. People relax when they think no one's lookin'." He passed the joint to his brother.

"We ask him about the supply chain, get him talking, and we're out before the good stuff's gone. Simple."

Theo took it, his eyes scanning the crowd, a bit impatient. "Or we could just walk in, find him, and have a little chat in the bathroom."

"And have Malik's security on our ass in five minutes? Nah." Andres shook his head. "Let the party do the work for us. Patience, man."

They sat there in the dark, engines cooling, watching drunk kids stumble in and out of the front entrance. Andres recognized a few faces. Hale students, some Voodoo Boys affiliates, couple of people who definitely shouldn't be mixing with this crowd if they knew what was good for them.

His text tone went off. He glanced down.

Inside. Third floor. He's alone in the lounge.

Perfect.

"Alright, let's—"

The front door slammed open hard enough to bang against the wall. A girl's voice cut through the night, loud and pissed off.

"You think I'm fucking STUPID?"

Inside the party, Sabrina's hands were moving wildly.

The basketball player in front of her was massive, probably six-five, built like he lived in the gym. Next to him stood some tall girl with a smirk that needed to be slapped off her face.

"Baby, chill—" River tried, but he was grinning in that stupid, spoiled-brat way, hands tucked in his pockets, rocking on his heels like it was Christmas morning and Sabrina's jealousy was the best present under the tree.

"Don't tell me to chill!" Sabrina jabbed a finger at the girl. "You were entertaining this bitch to make ME jealous!"

"I wasn't even—" the girl started.

"Shut the fuck up, I'm not talking to you yet!"

Mai had both hands on Sabrina’s arm, eyes darting around the growing circle of attention. “Sabrina! Stop. You know you can’t fight, babes. Please. Let’s go before security gets called.”

"Let her go," the basketball player said, voice flat. He stepped forward, using his size to intimidate. "Let her make her mistake."

River's smile finally dropped. He pushed off the wall. "Hey, watch how you talk to her!"

"Or what?" The basketball player spread his hands. "What you gonna do?"

Sabrina grabbed her drink off the nearby table and threw it straight into the other girl's face.

The music seemed to stutter. Conversations stopped.

The girl screamed, makeup running down her face. "You BITCH!"

Shrieks popped off. Someone dropped their vape. The girl’s friends surged forward but were caught in the human current of people backing away, phones lifting fast to film.

"OH SHIT!" someone yelled.

And then Sabrina, drunk and furious, grabbed the next thing she saw and hurled it at the basketball player.

The bag exploded against his chest. White powder went everywhere.

Then another bag. And another.

Because what she'd grabbed wasn't drinks or food.

It was product. A whole stash.

Little baggies scattered across the floor. Pills bounced and rolled. Someone stepped on a bag and it popped, more powder blooming across the floor.

The crowd noise dropped for half a second into stunned silence, then exploded.

"Oh my god," Mai breathed. "Oh my GOD, we need to GO!"

More people were crowding in now. Someone was shouting about calling security. The basketball player's face had gone from annoyed to genuinely furious, drugs coating his chest and arms.

"{{user}}!" Mai's voice cut through the chaos. "JUST GO!"

River had the same idea. He grabbed Sabrina around the waist and hauled her toward a side exit, her feet barely touching the ground. She was still yelling threats over his shoulder.

Mai grabbed {{user}}'s hand and ran.

Andres saw them come pouring out the side door.

Mai hit the pavement first, dragging someone behind her. Her head swiveled, found them on their bikes, and she made a decision in about half a second.

She sprinted over.

"Go, go, we gotta GO!" She was already climbing onto the back of Theo's bike.

Theo twisted to look at her. "What the—who are you?"

"Drive or I'll tell them YOU'RE the dealer!" Mai wrapped her arms around his waist. Theo raised his eyebrows at Andres, then shrugged and started the engine.

"I'll text you," Theo said to Andres before speeding away

Mai yelled back. "{{user}}, get on that guys bike!"

Andres's gaze snapped to the second girl.

{{user}}.

"Your call," he said simply. "But I wouldn't stick around if I were you."

Behind them, the mansion's front door slammed open. Avery emerged with two large men flanking her.

"Find that bitch!" Avery yelled. "And whoever was with her!"

Andres glanced back at {{user}}. Time was running short.

“You getting on or not?” He smirked revving the engine.

.