Mish didn’t respond. Quietly, she pulled a straight razor from her pocket, squatted down over Nichelle’s back, pulled the woman’s head back, and, with precision, sliced Nichelle’s neck wide open.

“What’s the total?” Kisa asked Eisani, who had just run the last stack of cash from the duffel bag through the money counter.

“Two hundred seventy-five stacks, mama.”

“Two hundred seventy-five thousand? That’s all? Shawn said it was supposed to be like six hundred Gs. What the hell did Nichelle bum-ass spend three hundred twenty-five thousand on that quick.”

“That car, that house, and all that expensive-ass furniture. Plus I told you, the bitch was balling out of control in the club.”

“I got to get some work and flip that immediately.” Kisa sighed. “Santangelo wants one hundred stacks for the info on the witness.”

“One hundred thou? Are you serious?”

“Yeah, man, he got my back against the wall. He know I’ll do anything to get Sin outta this shit. Sin better be glad I’m not no fucked-up bitch, ’cause if I was I would leave his ass out to dry.”

“Why would you say something like that?” Eisani asked, eyeing her like she’d lost her mind.

“I forgot you were upstairs when Nichelle basically said she’s been fucking Sincere and Butta.” Kisa filled Eisani in on exactly what Nichelle had said.

“And you believed her?” Eisani quizzed.

“I don’t know.”

“Come on, Kane, what you mean you don’t know. That bitch said that just to get at you.”

“But what if she didn’t?” Kisa said, thinking of those nights over the past months when Sincere had stayed out with Butta. Kisa picked up her vibrating Boost phone. “Speak of the devil.” She got up, went into the bathroom, then answered the phone, “You gonna live a long time.”

“That means you must’ve been talking about me,” Sincere said. “I hope it was good.”

“It was what it was,” Kisa said cynically.

Sincere picked up on the cynicism and the dryness in her voice. “I don’t know what that mean. Anyway, what’s going on now? You made any progress?”

“A little, I got that paper from Nichelle. Over half of it wasn’t there, of course.”

“So what else you gotta do?”

“I’ma try to flip it once or twice, then holla at Santangelo.”

“Did Mazzetti say when he’ll be able to get the bank accounts unfrozen?”

“He can’t. He said the judge’s order is airtight. They’ll unfreeze them in six months, or if and when they catch you. Whichever happens first.”

“What’s going on with you? How you holding up?”

“I’m good, yo,” Kisa said, voice dripping with attitude. “Yo, what’s really wrong with you? I been peeping ya lil’ snotty-ass attitude since we got on the phone.”