Animal by K'wan Foye Read Free Book Online Page B

“I’m glad y’all got time to play video games instead of doing what the fuck I’m paying you to do.”
    “C’mon, King, we had money on that game,” Dee whined.
    “Nigga, fuck the money on that game. We got money on the streets, and y’all need to be worried about that instead of that fucking game.”
    “It’s slow right now. Ain’t nothing going on outside,” Meek said, propping his feet on the coffee table and lighting the weed clip he and Dee had been smoking.
    King James slapped Meek’s feet off the coffee table and snatched him up roughly by his shirt. “Ain’t nothing going on, huh?” He dragged Meek to the window and pressed his face tothe glass. “What is that?” King pointed to a Direct TV van that was parked near the bus stop.
    “It’s a cable van, B. Somebody is probably getting their cable hooked up. Why you acting all paranoid?” Meek babbled.
    “This is the projects. You’re not allowed to have those dishes, so why would they be here, you dumb muthafucka?” King released him. “Keep your eyes on that fucking van. If they’re still there in fifteen minutes close shop for the day. And you,” he turned to Dee, “since you ain’t got nothing to do, grab a razor and help these bitches finish chopping and bagging my shit.”
    “I ain’t no bitch,” one of the girls at the table spoke up.
    “For as much as I pay you I can call you what the fuck I want. If you don’t like it, get yo monkey ass out, and I’ll get somebody to replace you,” he told her. King crossed the living room and saw that the apartment door was open, which angered him more. Everybody in the spot knew that unless you were coming and going, the doors were to be closed and locked at all times. “Who the fuck is that?” He snatched the door open, startling Fatima, the girl who had been holding the door ajar.
    When King first went away, Fatima was a kid playing jump rope in the park, but when he came home, she was a young woman and had hung up her jump rope for grown folk’s games. If you had to describe Fatima in one word, it would be BAD. She was a young redbone piece who stood just a hair over five-five, with more curves than a roller coaster. More than a few people were waiting for Fatima to turn eighteen that year so they could officially make their bids for the beauty. She had offered herself to King and for as much as he wanted to hit it, he passed. He had known Fatima all her life and trusted her like asister, so bringing sex into the equation would’ve complicated things.
    “That ain’t nobody but Beans.” Fatima nodded at the addict standing outside the door holding two shopping bags. “He’s selling bottles of champagne half price,” she explained.
    “I don’t care who is selling what. If he ain’t here to buy drugs, then get the fuck away from the door.” King slammed the door in Bean’s face. “Fatima, how many times do I have to tell your hardheaded ass not to open this door for nobody who ain’t a part of this team? That kinda stupid shit gets niggaz’ cribs ran up in.”
    “A’ight, I heard you,” Fatima said with an attitude.
    “If you heard me, then I wouldn’t have to repeat myself. Get ya shit together Fatima, or your ass is outta here, feel me?”
    Fatima’s eyes narrowed to slits. She had always been King’s favorite, so for him to talk to her like that in front of the other workers threw her off. “You got it,” she said slyly and left the apartment, slamming the door on her way out.
    “What good is having a team if you gotta do everything yourself? Word to mine, if y’all don’t get ya shit together, you will all be looking for somebody else’s operation to fuck up!” King shouted.
    “Fuck is going on out here?” Lakim came rushing from one of the bedrooms with his gun at the ready and the flap of his dorag blowing behind him. Lakim was a short, stocky dude, with a slight overbite that he capped with gold teeth. He was King James’s right hand and best