that’s when he gives me an offer. To make a long story short, he said if I came on board, I can make twenty mil in three years.”
Kay looked at me as if to say, Nigga, have you lost your mind? He opened his food container and fixed himself a plate. He then said, “That’s all fine and dandy, if you live to spend it. How do you expect, just like that”—he snapped his fingers—“to go from one organization to its rival organization?”
“They aren’t rivals, Kay. They both have different hustles, different territories.”
“You told the Dons you wanted out. Now you’re going to sign on with somebody different? Trae, I don’t think you are thinking clearly.”
“Just like before and always, to answer your question, I’ll go to the Dons out of respect. Nobody owns me, Kay. Fuck all that! We’re talkin’ twenty mil in three years? Seven a year. Come on, son, that’s a no-brainer.”
“You gonna let him lock you in for three years? Nigga, you dumber than I thought.” He looked at me, laughed, and then ate a little of his food.
“Whatever, nigga.” I sat down in front of him to look him in the eye. “He’s making my charges go away. And you know I ain’t tryna go visit nobody’s prison. Especially since California is a death-penalty state.”
“Trae, he knew the perfect carrot to dangle in front of you. Can’t you see that?”
“So are you in or what? You making the move with me? My mind is already made up.”
Kay took a deep breath. “Let me be clear. He dangled that carrot because he needs you. Up that 20 mil a little. Make it worth your while. And if you make that move, ain’t no turning back. You know you’re claiming MOL.”
“MOL? What the fuck is that?”
“Money Over Life, nigga.”
I pushed my food away from me, stood up, and went over to the window to peer out over the Manhattan streets. Kaylin was right, and I knew it. If I made this move, there would be no turning back. If I took the offer I would be back in the game. I knew that was a huge risk. Death or prison. Either way I was rolling the dice. Then there was the matter of Don Carlos. What would he say? More important, what would he do? I knew that if I ever decided to get back in, it was supposed to be with the same team. Especially since I bitched so hard to get out. And then there’s Tasha. But all I could see was twenty mil in three years. All I needed was those three.
Kay wasn’t finished trying to make sure that I knew what I was going up against. “I’m telling you, Don Carlos ain’t gonna want to hear this shit. And the wives? Whenever they find out, they gonna shit bricks.”
I grinned, not at the truth of his statement but at the shitting of bricks part. And he’d said “wives.” Meaning his, too. He was in. But ironically, I thought about what his punk-ass brother had said. “Yeah, your brother said we got soft.”
“Man, fuck Kyron! He crazier than a muthafucka. We spent damn near twelve years in the game, walked away without a long sentence, still breathing, and legit. Sheeit. That ain’t soft. That’s genius! Now you at my door talking about going back in?” He looked at me. “That’s not genius, that’s fuckin’ crazy.”
“Kay, I’m telling you, this here game is on a whole ’notha level, though. You’re telling me twenty mil in three don’t excite you? Then cool. I can respect that. Maybe I will get him to up to thirty. You know I want my right arm to ride with me, but if you feel you gotta do your shit legit, I understand. But I gotta do me.” I started for the door but stopped. “Do me one favor. I’ma need you to take it to Don Carlos. Coming from you, he’ll more than likely go for it.”
I also started to tell him out of respect that it was time for me to handle Kyron. But I thought better of it. I needed him to keep his mind on talking to Don Carlos for me. I’d deal with Kyron later.
12
JAZ
Oni had them dig up Lil’ Faheem and bring his body back to the funeral home. I had never heard of such a thing, but Faheem wasn’t having it any other way. We suspected that she had an insurance policy on his