The Path Of A True King.-Chapter 18: Kevin (1)

Chapter 58

The night air was thick with tension, but Kevin sat on a stack of crates, looking completely unbothered.

His men, ten in total, stood around him, their faces a mix of anticipation and boredom.

They were about to hit a warehouse stocked with drugs, an important move for the gang.

Yet somehow, the mood wasn’t as tense as it should have been.

"Yo, Kevin, can I ask something?" One of the guys, a lanky dude with messy hair named Rico, leaned against a wall, chewing on a toothpick like he was in some old gangster movie.

Kevin raised an eyebrow. "Yeah."

Rico "Ain’t you a little young to be running shit like this?"

Kevin smirked, leaning back. "And? Ain’t you a little stupid to be asking that?"

The group burst into laughter, and Rico groaned. "Man, just answer the damn question."

Another one of Kevin’s men, a bald guy with a scar on his jaw named Troy, grinned. "I was wondering that too, though. You’re, what, sixteen? Seventeen?"

Kevin stretched his arms, cracking his neck. "Seventeen, is that surprising."

"Nah, just confused," Rico said. "Most guys your age are still struggling to talk to girls, and here you are leading people into fights like it’s a normal Tuesday."

Another guy, Max—a quiet but sharp-eyed dude who never spoke unless necessary—finally chimed in. "Yeah, we follow you cause you know what you’re doing, but what makes a Seventeen years old move like someone in their 20s?"

Kevin chuckled. "Damn, y’all making me sound old. Look, I don’t got some deep reason for why I do what I do. I just get shit done. That’s why y’all follow me."

"True," Troy admitted. "But why you follow Elijah?"

The air shifted slightly. Everyone knew Kevin was fiercely loyal to Elijah, but nobody had ever really asked why.

Kevin scratched the back of his head. "You all think it’s cause he’s crazy strong or something?"

Rico shrugged. "I mean... yeah?"

Kevin shook his head with a grin. "Wrong. Elijah’s strong, no doubt, but that isn’t why. I just like the dude’s personality."

That got a reaction. The group looked at each other, confused.

Max tilted his head. "His personality?"

Kevin nodded. "Yeah. Most people in this life?

They move a certain way. Some walk for the money, women, or just to have a high status. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

With Elijah, yeah, he needs all that too, but not because he wants to feel above everyone else.

It’s different with him.

He wants to be free from this world’s law, free from the system that chains everybody down.

That’s rare. And the crazy thing?

He doesn’t look at people like they’re beneath him or above him—he just sees everyone the same."

Troy scratched his chin. "But he’s kind of different from you, though?"

Kevin scoffed. "Of course he is.

Why would he be the same as me?

His weird personality is what makes him unique.

That’s why Kai is so loyal to him." He smirked.

"Most people talk too damn much.

Elijah’s got that balance—he’s quiet, but he talks when it counts.

And then there’s that crazy mix—he’s kind, but reckless at the same time.

That’s what makes him dangerous."

Rico chuckled. "So you’re saying he’s like a soft dumbass?"

Kevin laughed. "Exactly. And no. He’s got a soft side, sure, but if you think that means he’s weak, you’d be dead wrong."

The group chuckled, but then Max leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.

"Okay, then what about Tristan? You and him are tight, but y’all couldn’t be more different."

Kevin let out a short laugh. "That’s facts."

Jordan, one of the younger guys in the group, shook his head. "No offense, but that guy is scary as hell.

Even if his just a teenager, he doesn’t talk much, doesn’t joke around, and when he fights... it’s like he doesn’t feel anything."

Kevin’s grin widened. "That’s because you all don’t know Tristan.

He’s just that way with people he isn’t comfortable with. With us?

He’s just a regular dude."

Marcus, another member of the crew, raised an eyebrow.

"A ’regular dude’? Kevin, in training, Tristan took down three guys like they were nothing.

That isn’t regular."

The group laughed, and Kevin shook his head. "Alright, yeah, I get it. He’s a beast.

But outside of fighting?

He’s just like any other guy.

He’s got his own way of messing around.

And yeah... some of that coldness comes from his past."

That got their attention. Jordan perked up. "His past?"

Kevin immediately shook his head. "That’s Tristan’s story to tell, not mine."

The group groaned in disappointment, but they knew better than to push.

Kevin wasn’t the type to spill someone else’s business.

Derrick smirked. "So, basically, Tristan’s the silent, brooding type with a tragic backstory."

Kevin chuckled. "Pretty much.

But don’t let that fool you.

If Tristan calls you his people, he’ll ride for you till the end.

He’s the most loyal guy out there besides Kai."

Marcus grinned. "Damn. Guess it’s good he’s on our side."

The conversation drifted into nonsense after that.

Troy started roasting Rico’s ugly shoes, Jordan wouldn’t shut up about how hungry he was, and Kevin took turns clowning half the group about their bad haircuts.

The longer they talked, the more the tension in the air faded.

Then, finally, Kevin checked his watch.

It was time.

He stretched his arms, rolling his shoulders before cracking his neck. "Alright, playtime’s over."

The group immediately straightened up, their relaxed expressions hardening into something colder, sharper.

Kevin smirked. "We hit them hard and fast. No warnings. No mercy. We leave nothing behind. Understood?"

A chorus of nods and affirmations followed.

Kevin grinned. "Good. Let’s get to work."

And with that, they moved out, disappearing into the night.

As they went to destroy the entire drug factory, Kevin reflected on Elijah.

There were things he liked about him, but also things he couldn’t fully accept.

However, Elijah would never allow something he completely disapproved of.

Sometimes, it was Kai who made the tough calls, seeing the benefits such decisions could bring to the gang.