“Be easy.” Slick waved him back. “Groovy,” he addressed the young driver, “pull up alongside of them. We’ll creep slow and lay his ass down.”

Groovy slowed the car to a crawl, while Slick rolled the passenger’s side window down. Gripping his P89 with both hands, Slick leaned out the window and tried to draw a bead on Jah. Hands shaking nervously, Slick tried to keep the sight trained on the back of the young man’s head. He had shot at people before, but couldn’t say for sure if he’d ever hit anyone. His hands were sweating so fiercely that he feared he might drop the gun as soon as he licked a shot off. Without even looking at them, Slick could feel the eyes of his team watching him judgmentally. He was their leader and had to show and prove that he was fit to be such. Taking a deep breath, he wrapped his finger around the trigger and prepared to handle his business.

Yoshi walked into the IHOP and her mere presence demanded the attention of every man in the room. She paused near the entrance and surveyed the eatery. Toward the back, already seated and sipping orange juice, was the man she had come to meet. Eyes hungrily watched as she stalked through the room on the way to the rear booth. A waiter who had been paying more attention to Yoshi than where he was going tripped over a WET FLOOR sign and dropped his entire tray of food. Yoshi just shook her head as she took the seat opposite Red.

“Damn, you always could make a nigga fall and bump his head.” He smiled up at her. Red was high yellow, with auburn hair and a baby face. Once upon a day he had played football for Kennedy High School, but somewhere along the line he lost his way. Had he applied himself, Red could’ve played D-1 ball, but once he had moved his first pack he decided that he’d rather be rich than educated.

“Just another thirsty-ass nigga,” she said as if it was nothing. “So where the hell you been hiding?”

“You know me, Yoshi,” he said with a smile. “I be in, out, and around. I just came back from NC.”

“Get that money, baby.” Yoshi smiled.

“You know I ain’t never been one to sit around broke, ma.” He sipped his coffee. “So what’ve you been up to?”

Yoshi fidgeted with her napkin. “Trying to keep my head over water, baby.”

“You still working the clubs?” he asked, looking her directly in the eyes.

“A girl has gotta eat.”

“Indeed,” he replied.