Gangsta Divas by De'nesha Diamond Read Free Book Online Page A

I’ll change him,” I say in order to get him on the other side of the door so I can shut it in his face.
    He nods, but doesn’t move.
    â€œCharl—”
    â€œLook. There’s no other or better way to tell you this,” he says, cutting me off. “Fat Ace fell off the throne last night.”
    â€œWHAT?” I shout above the baby’s wail. There’s no way that I heard him right.
    His head drops. “We thought we had a solid lead on Python’s whereabouts last night, but shit got messy and now most of the city looks like a fuckin’ war zone. Seriously, today is not the day to be flagging colors. We’re expecting some heavy artillery for payback.”
    â€œBut how . . . where—?”
    â€œShort version, there was a car chase and our nigga lost control of the wheel and . . .” Charlie shakes his head. “Lucifer is banged up pretty bad, too. Dougie gave chase, but ain’t nobody heard back from him. It ain’t looking too good.”
    â€œDamn.” I absorb it all in and have to say it again. “Damn.”
    The news plus this hollering baby got me shook. Fat Ace— gone ? That shit can’t be possible. For as far back as I can remember our leader has been larger than life. He has survived more bullets than most could keep count.
    Dead?
    â€œIt gets worse. That muthafucka also took Fat Ace’s body.”
    I’m confused. “What muthafucka?”
    â€œPython.”
    â€œGet the fuck out of here!” I know I heard that shit wrong. “He took the body? What the fuck for?”
    â€œWho knows what’s in that sick nigga’s head? He thinks he’s a fuckin’ snake for Christ’s sake. He’s liable to do anything.”
    The possibilities are endless. “Fuck.”
    â€œTell me about it.”
    For a moment, our usual sibling bickering is put on the back burner as we stare at the floor, reflecting on Fat Ace. He kept the Peoples Nation a unit after his father Smokestack got shipped off to the Big House. He’d been a great leader: hard, ruthless, but also loyal and fair. Niggas respected his gangsta and he was the main reason our people didn’t disintegrate to a bunch of reckless muthafuckas in for self like so many gangs around Memphis.
    â€œSo . . . who steps up?” I ask.
    â€œBy all rights Lucifer . . . but . . .”
    â€œNiggas bucking,” I fill in for him.
    â€œI ain’t saying that her gangsta ain’t tight. She has stepped up plenty of times when Fat Ace was on the mend or out of town on business—but it’s a whole ’nother thing for niggas to accept her as a supreme chief. If you ask me, the throne should go to Bishop. Fat Ace put just as much trust in him as Lucifer.”
    â€œPlus he has a dick.” I shake my head. “That’s some fucked up shit.” I feel sorry for Lucifer. She has more balls than any nigga I know but, in the end, it’s not enough. “What about Profit?”
    Charlie shakes his head. “Ain’t ready. Man got heart, he’d done proved that shit going toe to toe with me and then takin’ that full clip to the chest, but he’s still a rookie who ain’t put in no work.”
    â€œLucifer ain’t gonna step off that throne without a fight,” I say. “A bitch don’t need a crystal ball to see that shit.”
    Charlie nods. “I think that’s what everyone is afraid of—but that’s gonna be Bishop’s fight.”
    â€œFam against fam. It ain’t right.”
    â€œIt be that way sometimes,” he reminds me. “Anyway, me and Red are heading out to the hospital to pick up Profit. Bishop wants our people close, you feel me?”
    â€œProfit is coming home?” I ask.
    Charlie’s lips spread wide at my eagerness. “Figured that shit would cheer you up.”
    â€œNah. Nah. I was just asking.” I shrug, tryna play it