Total pages in book: 176
Estimated words: 167257 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 836(@200wpm)___ 669(@250wpm)___ 558(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 167257 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 836(@200wpm)___ 669(@250wpm)___ 558(@300wpm)
“Oh. My bad.” I dropped my hand to tuck my gun away, and he turned around to face me, creeping me out with those blue eyes. His skin was so translucent I could see his veins through his skin, and his white hair made him look like he’d disappear at any moment. Motherfucker looked like a ghost. He even moved like he wasn’t quite of this world. “What’s up, B?”
Britain shrugged and scoped the scene before slipping me the stolen goods.
I had him take it from that rude bitch who came to the shop and talked down to Atlas like she was beneath her. Mrs. Naomi Irving had us both fucked up.
I couldn’t really explain my need to punish anyone who crossed Dream, but I was going to defend her honor nonetheless. After meeting her mother, I knew Atlas believed she didn’t have anyone left in her corner.
“Thanks,” I told Britain as I slipped the pearls in my pocket. “I’ll talk to the others and discuss if we’re willing to sit down. You won’t get much warning, so stay ready, be prompt, and don’t bring me no bullshit.”
Britain nodded, and I shook his cold hand before sending him on his way.
I watched him jog across the street and hop into the back of a Pontiac G8. The driver’s window rolled down, and that Korean motherfucker’s mug appeared a second before he flipped me off and attempted to drive away.
I guess he still felt some kind of way about me snatching his ass up. Too bad I didn’t give a fuck.
For the second time tonight, I pulled my gun.
Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop!
With perfect aim, I shot out his windshield, both rear tires and the trunk, for good measure.
It would suck if they had someone in there.
Ky lost control of the G8, spinning several times before stopping in the middle of the street as the few people around this time of night screamed and ran for cover.
I got in my own whip, cranked it, and busted a bitch before pulling up alongside them with my fist over my mouth in mock surprise as the four of them gaped at me like I was crazy. I guess that little deejay bitch who’d been eyeing my girl a little too closely had sat this one out.
Ky gripped his hair and looked like he was seconds away from bursting into tears while the other two—Malik and the one who always looked like his dog died—had gotten out to inspect the damage. Britain was the only one calm as he spoke softly to Ky, who glared at me.
“Tell your bitch to come by the shop, and I’ll give her a good deal to fix her car.”
“This is my car, asshole!” Ky screamed at me.
“I wasn’t talking to you.”
Britain’s gaze shifted to me, and he nodded to indicate he understood. Checking the time, I cursed and sped off to the sound of Ky switching back and forth between English and Korean as he cursed me out.
Britain and his crew wanted a meeting with the Kings, so the pearls had also served as a test to see if he was worth my time. Our approval was a requirement if anyone wanted to set up shop in Idlewild. It didn’t matter what you were selling—ass, drugs, guns—no one ate unless we said so.
Word on the street was that Britain and his crew had returned to their old stomping grounds with every drug one could imagine and enough of it to land them an automatic RICO charge if caught. They had a product they needed to sell swiftly and a supplier they needed to pay even faster.
I’d meant it when I told Atlas I was legit now, but once you played this game, you were never truly free of it. I might not get my hands dirty anymore, but that didn’t mean they were completely clean, either.
And neither was the mayor’s, the police commissioner, half the force, and more than a few key judges for this district.
Joren, Roc, Golden, and I had the city on lock and possessed the power to make or break any crew.
I made it home in record time to shower and change before heading back out to pick up Atlas. Even though I didn’t live far, I wasn’t a fan of my girl staying at that motel alone. Each time the urge rose to demand she find somewhere else to stay, I talked myself out of it for fear of sending the wrong message.
Funny how getting Atlas to understand that she was mine was the only message I wanted to send now.
As I pulled into the parking lot of Montrose Inn, I caught the eye of Fancy Mack, who was walking to his car with two of his top hoes flanking him. He nodded in deference, which I ignored.