Love Trumps Game by D.Y. Phillips Read Free Book Online Page A

the business, there was no such thing as quitting or retirement. Workers who tried to quit came up missing. End of story.
    â€œYo’, man, speaking of Neema, you still thinking about playing wifey with her?”
    â€œShe the mother of my children, ain’t she?”
    â€œYeah, true that but what of it? You gotta kid by that skank, Tia, too.”
    Topps gave him a side look that should have been enough to say ‘stay the hell out of my business.’ “Thought I told you not to bring her name up again?”
    â€œOh yeah,” said Slick, turning on the flat-screen computer on the desk. “I keep forgetting.”
    The subject of Topps’ ex-girl, Tia, had turned sour after Topps discovered the woman had stolen a quarter of a million dollars from him. Tia had been his number one woman before Neema came on the scene. Tia had been more sophisticated, but Neema was more fly in dress and looks. Neither women knew about each other, and Topps planned to keep it that way. Besides, he couldn’t even see his daughter by Tia because her scandalous mama was still hiding out from him. Topps knew it was only a matter of time before he found out where the woman was and dealt with her. Daughter or no daughter, he took stealing personally. No one got away with stealing from him. No one.
    â€œWhat, you got something against Neema?” Topps kept hisback to him. His eyes zoomed in on soldiers, watching for workers who might try to sneak a small rock into their mouth or the rim of their panties. Skanks were sneaky like that. It was in their blood.
    â€œShe alright,” said Slick half-heartedly. “Better than some I’ve seen you kick it with. But once she becomes wifey, she’ll be knowing more about yo’ business. That’s all I’m saying. You think she can be trusted like that?” Slick had his back, but he didn’t know how to tell him that his woman was a b-hopper. Meaning that the girl would hop in any man’s bed. Half of Topps’ army knew that girl was a bona fide freak because they had sampled her juice. Hell, he thought with a smile on his face, I was all up in that pussy two nights ago myself.
    â€œSlick, you bugging, man. Of course I trust her ass. I wouldn’t have her transporting my big-money packages all over the place if I didn’t trust her. Know what I’m saying? Why? What’s up? You have something to drop on Neema?”
    â€œNah, man. I was just saying, I mean, you know how it is with skanks sometimes. They be trippin’ like they all into you, and they love you deep, but they be skimming big time.” Slick watched him go to the sink to wash his hands. The sixth time so far. At least a brother was getting better. Times in the past, Topps washed his hands ten to twelve times in the span of an hour. The cleanest nigga he knew. “I’m just saying we have to be sure. A woman as fine as Neema brings a lot of competition. Niggas be sniffing behind her, and that’s a lot of temptation for any woman. Any nigga try’n to get to you would step quick to her. That’s all I’m try’n to say.”
    He couldn’t mention the fact that he’d caught some feelings for Neema. Throwing out negative thoughts about the woman was his ploy to keep Topps from catching on. Actually, Neemadeserved better. She deserved a man like him, but only if she stopped b-hopping.
    Topps snatched a paper towel off to dry his hands. “Yo, bro, like I said, if you know something you need to tell me, drop it now.” He turned around, adjusting his blue-and-black Sean John sweatshirt, waiting for Slick to say something else, but the man was quiet. “Other than that, I’m handling mine.”
    â€œYeah, you right.” Slick went back to looking at the computer screen.
    The four solid gold chains around Topps’ neck were enough to finance a small car. A smirk found its way onto his handsome face. It irked him when