Chapter 9
Troy
“Yo, I got the wings, nigga. You had lemon pepper and sweet barbecue, right?”
“Yeah, and my order had better be fuckin right.” I snatched the container from my runner's hands.
If it was one thing I ain’t play about, it was my food. I once shot a nigga who got my deli sandwich order wrong. Niggas should’ve known I don’t fuck with Swiss cheese. Fuck around and look like Swiss cheese playing with my food.
I leaned back against the hood and tapped on the windshield where Maleka was sitting inside the car with her arms folded tight across her chest. She had run to my spot yesterday, swearing Crew pulled up on her, and ever since then, she hasn’t wanted me to leave her sight.
She was mad now because I wouldn’t go home with her, but I wasn’t moving at her beat; she was marching at mine.
I had too much shit going on in the city right now to take it in early.
With the way shit was going, my ass didn’t have time to do anything but eat, sleep, and fuck.
I tried explaining to her scary ass that if Crew really wanted her dead, he would’ve shot her in the back while she was running away.
They ain’t call that nigga the Slim Reaper for nothing.
He was probably just bringing his sister to talk to her.
After all, she and I were keeping us fuckin with each other strictly in house, being lowkey with our links and shit.
If you weren’t in my circle, you didn’t know I was fucking with the girl.
“What is it, Troy?” She turned her lips up at me with an attitude.
“You want one of these wings? These shits good as a muhfucka.”
“Troy, it’s late as hell. I don’t want any damn wings.”
“Food doesn’t have a time limit but suit yourself. More for me.”
We were posted up at the basketball courts because the heat had gone, the basketballs were put away, and the park was now meant for a different kind of gathering.
A couple of dudes in my camp were still shooting around under the lights for some money.
This was just another piece of my territory.
Vivo picked the right nigga in me to sell product through because I’m taking over.
I was tearing into my wings when Sky and Webb walked up toward me. I ain’t dap them up because my fingers were covered in sauce, but I acknowledged them with a nod.
“Yo, so we got some news about that stash spot that got hit up earlier,” Sky said.
“We caught up to both of them niggas. Unfortunately, one of them was already dead when we hit his street.”
“Ain’t shit unfortunate about that,” I replied without hesitation. “They told me two hundred thousand got taken from that spot. That’s two lives that need to be gone. Shit, five if you ask me. Do them niggas got family we can touch?”
“I’m sure they do.”
“Then fuck them up to. I don’t have sympathy for none of these niggas no more.”
“I feel that,” Sky replied before patting my chest excitedly. “But peep this though.”
“What?”
“Peep who one of the little niggas we caught up with is claiming who his brother is.”
“Who?”
“Amir. Quatar nigga. He says he’s Mecca’s long lost son.”
That made me stop chewing for a second.
“Word?” I slowly wiped the sauce off my fingers. “Thought all them niggas were dead and gone.”
“Yeah, I know, but he’s claiming he can help us get even more money than what got taken if we let his ass live.”
“Oh yeah?”
I licked the sauce from the back of my fingers before dropping the cleaned bone onto the pavement near my feet.
“If that’s the case, then I need to speak to this nigga personally. Where is he at?”
“We still got him in the whip right now. Wanted to see what you wanted to do before we made any moves with his ass.”
“Alright. Take him to the house in the Bronx, and I’ll come holler at him over there.”
“Bet.”
They hurried off, leaving me with more than a little bit on my mind right now.
If this nigga was telling the truth, then we can be up at least five hundred thousand, but if he's lying? His ass is dead the second I find out.
I set the empty plate of wings on top of the car and turned to Maleka, who was still standing near me, mid-yawn at the moment.
“I got something important to handle, so get in the car and drive back to my spot. I’m about to roll out with these niggas.”
Her face twisted up immediately.
“Handle like what? What the hell are you doing now?”
I looked at her, already feeling irritated.
“Does it matter? Just do what the fuck I told you to do.”
She let out a hard breath through her nose before pushing the car door open.
“Okay, damn. Give me the keys then.”
I dug into my pocket and dropped the keys into her hand, but the second she snatched them from me with an attitude, my temper really flared.
I grabbed her arm before she could even turn away.
“Why the fuck are you snatching shit from me?” I snapped, squeezing tighter. “You lost your mind?”
She tried pulling her arm back, but I held onto her.
“Because you got me out here all damn night after promising me we were going to spend time together at your crib. Then you're sending me home by myself when you know I’m scared. That’s dumb as shit.”
The second the words left her mouth, I felt heat rush straight through me.
Not just because of what she said, but because of where she said it. Right there in front of my niggas. I’m about to show her ass. I don’t play that shit.
I drew my hand back and slapped the shit out of her.
The sound cracked through the park loud enough to turn every head around us. Her body stumbled sideways into the hood of the car while one hand flew up to cover her face.
“What the fuck is wrong with you?” I barked at her, stepping closer while she looked up at me, shocked.
“Get your ass in my car and do what the fuck I said. Instead of making shit hard, you need to be figuring out how to make shit easier for me! Figuring out how to make more money around here and not be so fuckin useless.”
She held her cheek, staring at me like she couldn’t believe what had just happened. Her eyes started watering immediately, but she didn’t say anything else this time.
“Now get your ass in the fuckin car and act like you know who's running shit over here!” I barked at her, letting the whole park hear me reprimand her ass. She was going to learn quickly; no bitch of mine is talking back to me.
After I took the wings off the car and watched her drive off, I turned to Sky and Webb.
“Now, show me where this nigga is.”
“For sho, follow us this way,” Webb replied
Time to see what this little supposed Quatar nigga talking about and if I’m going to slap another mutha fucka before I put a bullet in his ass.
Speaking of the bitch I just slapped, I just thought of a way that Maleka could help get some money around here too.
Make me not have to work for anyone anymore and not even Vivo.
I can start my own enterprise if she listens to me.
After all, women and children are supposed to be left out of war, but not where I come from. They are the greatest casualties and can make the other side weak. That’s exactly what I want Crew and them to all be. Weak, broke, and grieving if they don’t comply.