Still Hood Read Free Page B

With slow and deliberate motions he took a deep pull of the cigarette, before addressing Don B’s proposal. “That’s a lot of bread on the table, Don. I’d sure as hell hate for them niggaz to be getting their grills upgraded on my dime,” he said seriously.
    Don B looked at him like he had just said something foreign. “Man, I got some of the coldest young niggaz from New York playing on my squad, Ice. Ain’t no way we can lose!”
    Ice thought on it for a second, and then nodded. “A’ight, Don, lets trim these suckers. Twenty-five apiece and we’re partners; but you gotta do something else for me to sweeten the pot.”
    Don B grinned. Ice had a lot of nerve asking for more than he was already getting, but Don B knew that’s what he was used to, so there was no slight. Ice made his money off the backs of other people, so in his mind everyone was a stepping-stone to further his own goals. Don B would’ve been a fool to think otherwise. Ice was pushing it, but for the sake of winning fifty-gees, and bragging rights over the Houston crew, Don B would at least listen.
    â€œWhat you need, Daddy?”
    Ice spoke to Don B, but kept his eyes focused on the swirling clouds of cigarette smoke. “Me and a friend of mine been throwing these locked door events. We get twenty to thirty of the freakiest bitches we can round up and turn em loose on suckers who don’t mind spending for a taste. Every party is thrown at a different location and by invite
only. It’d be nice if you make sure them Texas boys and their money were in the spot Saturday night to spend some of that paper.”
    A broad grin spread across Don B’s lips. “Come on man, I thought you needed a favor?” Don B joked. “A’ight, send the time and address to my two-way and I’ll make sure I get Stacks and them to the spot. As a matter of fact, come through the block tomorrow. Stacks is shooting his video in Harlem and I’ll introduce you to him.” He gave Ice a pound.
    â€œNot a problem. I’ll roll through with a couple of my bitches so these niggaz can see what I’m working with. As far as the twenty-five stacks, Wendy will drop the bread off to you Friday.”
    â€œDamn, you don’t do nothing for yourself, do you?” Don B teased him.
    â€œNot unless it’s wiping my ass.” Feeling a presence at his back, Black Ice spun around on the bar stool. Standing directly in front of him was a five-two, cinnamon thing, with what could only be called childbearing hips.
    â€œWhat’s up, big time?” She took in his red suit and heavy jewels. Shorty knew she had it going on, and was hell-bent on showing the well-dressed cat at the bar.
    In his most sincere tone he said, “Cash, bitch. If you bout that then I’m bout you.” The girl looked at Black Ice like she didn’t know whether to slap him or continue the conversation. Both Don B and Black Ice fell over the bar laughing.
    IT WAS ABOUT FOUR-THIRTY IN the morning when the last few partygoers came staggering out of the club. Traffic was so thick that the cars couldn’t get through the block doing more than five miles an hour. Men and women paired or tripled off in search of whatever other mischief they could get themselves into. True’s listening party had set the summer off properly.
    Across the street, huddled in the shadows, two sets of eyes watched the crowd. The first set belonged to a dark-skinned kid whose head looked like it was too heavy for his gooselike neck. The
second kid was dark, but not as dark as the first. A tattered toothpick rolled back and forth between his large lips. The line of his jaw looked like a stone carving as he bit down on the toothpick.
    â€œYou see that nigga?” Gooseneck asked.
    â€œNah,” Toothpick replied. “But I know the nigga ain’t leave yet, we been watching the door for two hours.”
    â€œSha, it’s