“SHORTY IS WILD FOR THE NIGHT,” JAH SAID, AS
the Escalade pulled off.
“On the real, I thought she was gonna stretch your lil ass out,” True teased Lazy.
“Fuck you, man, that shit ain't funny!” Lazy spat.
“True, don't make it worse,” Don B scolded the youngster. “Yo, that was some real chicken-head shit you pulled, Lazy. Ice could've smoked ya little stupid ass.”
“That nigga a pimp, not a killer,” Lazy argued.
“Don't judge a book by its cover. I've known Black Ice for a long time, and he might not be the hardest nigga out, but if you back him into a corner you'll find ya self short.”
“Fuck that, he shouldn't have been out here trying to sport my lady,” Lazy said. “You come between a man and his woman and you get what ya hand calls for.”
“Not for nothing, I didn't see him put a gun to her head to get her in the car,” Jah volunteered.
“And who the fuck are you again?” Lazy flexed on Jah.
“Easy, man,” Don B stepped in between them, knowing full well that, whereas Ice might've just given the youngster an ass whipping, Jah would murder himâand that would be bad for business. “Lazy, you're a good dude, but you
acting real out of order right now. I told you from the gate about playing cat and mouse with these hos. Now, if shorty would rather live in the fast lane with Ice, let her. In a minute you're gonna be a national superstar, and you'll have more hos than you know what to do with.”
“I hear you talking, D. and I'm cool. I just need some time to get my head together behind this shit.”
“You gotta get ya head right, son,” Don B broke his train of thought. “You're gonna be my floor general, and I need you to be on point; so, I don't know what you gotta do, but you gotta get shorty outta ya system and run my team.”
“The Don is right, Lazy. Bitches come a dime a dozen,” True said.
Lazy just glared at the men. It was easy for a man who had never known love to suggest that it be written off like a lost bet. Not one member of this so-called support system could've understood just what type of hell he was going through. Sure, Lazy was a class-A bastard and womanizer, but Dena was the one woman who managed to claim his heart. Those other girls were time fillers, but at the end of the day it was Dena with whom he saw himself enjoying his success.
Though she had never come at him like a sack chaser, Lazy knew Dena was a high-maintenance chick, so he did what he could to make sure she felt appreciated. He didn't have Stacks's or Black Ice's kind of cake just yet, but he was never stingy with the ends he did hustle up. He never thought that when it was all said and done it would come down to a dollar.
Jah was about to get at Lazy about coming at his sideways, but his cell phone postponed the conversation. “Speak on it,” Jah answered.
“Jah, it's Billy,” she said on the other end.
“What's popping? How's my girl?”
“She's a little shaken up, but she's good. Listen, I'm bout to drop her off at the crib, but I can't stay.”
“That's cool, tell her I'll be by there in a few hours, cause I'm on the job right now.”
“So you decided to take the gig with Stacks?”
“Nah, I'm covering True,” he said.
“True? What's that all about?” Billy asked, guessing she already knew the answer. When Jah didn't answer that confirmed it. “You're going after those boys, aren't you?”
“Billy, they popped my boo,” he tried to justify it.
“Boy, ain't there been enough bloodshed already?”
“Billy, just listenâ”
“No, you listen for a minute,” she cut him off. “Jah, I understand the nature of who you are, so it's no surprise that you're out there
hunting,
as you like to call it, but you've got a woman at home that needs you.”
“I know Billy. I'm just trying to make sure that something like this never happens again.”
“Jah, only God can dictate what will and won't happen. For as long as there are ignorant niggaz running around with guns, there will always be innocent people getting shot. All you can really do about it is keep you and yours out of harm's way and be there for each other. Tend to ya lady, Jah.”
“What about True?” Jah asked, looking over at True, who was speaking with Lazy and Don B.
“True will be fine for a few hours, Jah. Get home to ya lady before I come to wherever y'all are at and drag you back, and none of y'all want that!”
“A'ight, you got that,” Jah laughed.
“I thought I would. I left some Spanish food in the fridge for y'all, cause I know ya ass can't cook, and I don't want my girl overexerting herself.”
“Bet. I'll be there in a sec.” Jah ended the call. As usual, Billy was right. Jah had gotten caught up in the thrill of the hunt and almost lost sight of what was really important. Yoshi had almost been killed, and he had been so consumed with revenge that he hadn't really been there for her. It was a mistake that he intended to rectify.
“Jah, everything good?” True asked, dribbling a basketball.
Jah thought about it for a minute. “Nah, I gotta go check on Yoshi.”
“Yo, first Lazy's tweaking over his shorty, now you're dipping off to tend yours? Is this the game, or an episode of
Ricki Lake
?” Don B huffed. Jah just glared at him.
“It's cool, D,” True spoke up. “Jah, do what you gotta do. Call me in a few hours so we can link up. I'll be good until then.” Unlike Don B, True knew how it felt to lose someone you cared about. Though Rhonda wasn't his girl, it still hurt like hell when she was killed. Jah had gotten a second and even third chance with Yoshi, and he wasn't going to keep him from his heart's desire.
FOR A LONG TIME DENA
and Black Ice sat in the car, both lost in their own thoughts. The fight with Lazy weighed heavy on her mind. They had had plenty of arguments, but they never got physical. She understood that he was grieving for his friend, but that still didn't give him the right to put his hands on her.
At first she had been angry with Ice for putting the beats on Lazy like that, but after the way he had carried it, he deserved it. She never took the pretty boy as one to come to the rescue of a damsel in distress, but Ice had surprised her yet again. She was used to Shannon coming to her defense, but never another guy. It both flattered and intrigued her.
“Penny for your thoughts,” Ice offered.
“Nothing, I'll be okay,” she said flatly.
“Look, if you want me to take you home, its cool?”
“Did I ask you to take me home?” she snapped. She hadn't meant to, but she was still feeling the rush from getting into it with Lazy.
Black Ice slowed the truck and looked at Dena. “Baby girl, I know you're uptight over what happened with ya peoples, but all that hostility you sending my way is uncalled for. Now, I ain't been in the way of being talked down to by anybody, woman or man, so give me the same respect I give you.”
His sternness surprised Dena because he had always been so laid back, but he was right. “I'm sorry, I guess I'm just running off emotions right now.”
“You wanna talk about it?” he asked sincerely.
Dena shrugged. “There's really nothing to talk about. Lazy is my ⦠well,
was
my boyfriend. We had a falling out.”
“So I saw.”
“Nah, this has been going on before we even met. He thinks that he can run around with anything sporting a pussy, and I'm supposed to sit back and take it.”
“At that age a nigga'z hormones are in overdrive. You know how young guys are, Dena.”
“I'm not concerned about young guys, Ice, I'm concerned about the guys that are supposed to be with me. If I'm with a dude and we have an open relationship that's one thing, but if we're supposed to be committed, then I expect him to act like it.”
“So, you've never stepped out on Lazy?” Black Ice asked, catching her by surprise.
“Well ⦠yeah, but only after he did it to me.”
“So you knew he was cheating, but stayed with him; now you're leaving him for it?” Ice asked, pretending to be confused.
“No, I mean ⦠I don't know what I mean.” She folded her arms and flopped back in the seat.
“Dena,” Ice began, steering the truck north up Harlem River Drive. “Men are closer to animals than women. Whereas women use logic, we move off base instinct. It's like, if you see a guy you like, you ain't just gonna jump out the window and act on it; but a dude ain't gonna rest until he gets that pussy. Men think with their dicks, not their heads.”
“Does the same hold true for you, Black Ice?” Dena asked.
“I ain't no man, baby. I'm a freak of nature,” he said playfully.
Dena was so wrapped up in the conversation that she hadn't even noticed they were going to New Jersey until she saw the signs for the turnpike. “Why we going to Jersey?” she asked, now quite suspicious.
“We ain't going to New Jersey, we're going to Philly,” he said, before falling in line with the southbound traffic.
For a girl who had never been out of the city, the short ride down the turnpike was fascinating. Before taking the trip with Ice she'd never realized how big New Jersey was. They passed towns she'd never heard of and still hadn't left the Garden State. Everything seemed so much fresher and greener outside the iron walls of her city.
When they finally hit Philly, she found herself in awe of what looked like a miniature version of New York, with a more classic feel.
Black Ice first took Dena through the mall where they did a little shopping. Dena picked out some dynamite outfits for herself and even picked up something for Mo. Other than a Stacy Adam's hat, Ice didn't buy anything for himself. He seemed to just be enjoying watching Dena shop, which suited her just fine. When they left the mall, Ice took Dena to a cute little spot called Ms. Tootsie's. Technically, it wasn't even the right day for the spot to be opened for business, but after a well-placed phone call they opened their doors for Ice and his guest.
“I take it you come here a lot?” Dena asked, checking out the décor.
“Only when I'm in town,” he replied, pulling her chair out for her.
“And how often might that be?” she prodded.
“As often as necessary,” he said, before calling the waitress over. Ms. Tootsie's didn't serve alcohol, but they managed to scrounge up a bottle of Pinot for the Ice Man. Black Ice excused himself from the table to use the bathroom, which he had been doing throughout the day. Dena chalked it up to all the vitamin water he had consumed on the way down, even joking that he had a weak bladder. When he returned, his movements seemed more sluggish and there was a sleepy look in his eyes. Something was out of place, but Dena didn't dwell on it.
Black Ice and Dena sipped wine and made small talk under the dim lights of Ms. Tootsie's. A few times during the conversation Ice's words trailed off midsentence, but he recovered gracefully. They compared notes on each other's lives and gazed passionately into each other's eyes until the food came. Ice had liver and onions with white rice and gravy, which he just picked at, while Dena selected steak and mashed potatoes. Dena didn't even know they made steaks as big as the Porterhouse in front of her. It was safe to say that Black Ice had her thoroughly impressed.
They both left the restaurant feeling like stuffed pigs. Black Ice was telling Dena about the history of the city, but she only half-listened. When Ice realized he was talking to himself he called her on it.
“You still thinking about homey?” He touched her arm.
“Nah, Lazy is yesterday's news,” she assured him. “I'm just thinking about our little road trip.”
“What, you didn't have a good time?”
“No, that's not it at all. I actually had a great time. It's not every day that a man whisks you off to another city for dinner.”
“It could be,” he said seriously. “A nigga could see himself spending some heavy time with you, Dena.”
“Ice, you got too many hos on your plate as it is,” she told him.
“Who, Wendy and them? Nah, its more of a business relationship than anything.”
“And your business is flesh peddling, right?” She finally put it out there.
Black Ice gave her a comical look. “Dena, I haven't pedaled anything since I fell off my bike in the seventh grade. I'm a manager for adult entertainers,” he told her. She gave him a disbelieving look, so he explained: “What I do is all about supply and demand. See, sex does and always will sell. I don't put a gun to those girls' heads and make them climb on them poles; they do it because they want to. Hell, the majority of them were in the life when I found em, all I did was show them how to manage their money.”