The Family Business 3(23)

Sasha lifted up her dress just enough for them to see her thigh holster and her .45. She popped the strap of leather that held the gun in place, and then touched the grip like she was massaging a dick. I know she wanted to blow the light-skinned one away for not paying her any attention.

“Oh, shit! She’s strapped.” Dude fell backward trying to get away like a little bitch. His chocolate partner looked shook too, but at least he stood his ground.

“What’s wrong?” I chimed in. “Y’all ain’t never seen two bitches with guns?” I lifted my skirt and showed him my 9mm, but got no response.

“Yo, ma, ain’t nobody mean no disrespect.” The dark-skinned one lifted his hands in a gesture of surrender.

“Good, no disrespect taken,” I said then got right to the point. “Now do me a favor and tell Lojack that Paris Duncan is outside. We don’t have time to play with little boys.”

“No problem.” Dude went running toward the building.

I looked over at Sasha, giving her a smile that said See, wasn’t that easy? Of course, as everyone knows, shit ain’t never that easy.

A minute or so went by, which was a minute too long. I looked up and saw someone peeking through the shades in one of the apartments. Getting Sasha’s attention, I patted my gun as a sign to let her know to be prepared, just in case something unexpected went down.

A few moments later, Gerald Mann, aka Lojack, stepped out of the building. Lojack was one of New York’s most notorious thieves, but he sure as hell wasn’t looking confident right about now. His nervousness was due to the beat down Junior and I had put on him about two years ago for stealing one of our cars. He’d pretty much been our bitch ever since, and a great source of information.

He went into defense mode before I could say a word. With hands raised, he started. “Paris, I ain’t stole no cars in over a year, so if y’all shit is missing, it ain’t me.”

“Calm down, Lojack.” I stepped closer to him. “What’s the matter? Can’t a woman stop by to check on a good-looking man like yourself?” I reached out and touched his face, running my hand down his chest, past his stomach, and along the outline of his package. His dick jumped to life. I have to admit that I really like being a woman, a hot-as-hell, ass-for-days, attention-getting bitch. It usually comes in handy in my work.

“Sh–sh–sure,” he stuttered. “But what’s really up? I doubt this is a social call.”

“We thought we’d give you the opportunity to enjoy a little Duncan cash.” Nothing got Lojack’s tongue wagging like a few Benjamins.

Sasha pulled out some cash, peeling off a few bills, and I watched his eyes get wide.

“What you wanna know?” He reached out to grab the money, but she held it back.

“Motherf*cker,” I snapped. “You know the rules. You don’t get paid until we get the information. Come take a walk with us, Lojack.”

I looped my arm through his and nodded for Sasha to follow. We walked to the alleyway behind the building, where Lojack leaned up against the wall, still trying to front like he was all casual. I stood in front of him, planting one hand on each side of him, with my palms flat against the brick wall.

He had a hopeful grin on face, as if the existence of a benevolent God was about to be proven by me getting down on my knees and sucking his dick—then handing him a wad of cash. Poor fool had no idea that a miracle like that would damn sure never take place.

“Tell us what you know about Brother X,” I said.

That grin exited his face so fast I thought I was going to have to catch his bitch ass from fainting. Just hearing X’s name had made him tremble. He made a movement like he was considering trying to dip out on us, but the distinct sound of a round being chambered into Sasha’s .45 made him think better of that.

“L–look, I don’t know shit about X or any of his people.” Lojack always stuttered when he was lying. Did he not think that I knew his ass by now?

I leaned over and took the money from Sasha, waving it in his face. “Then I guess I’m just gonna have to go on a shopping spree with this grand.” I looked into Lojack’s eyes as Sasha raised her gun to his head. “I was hoping to give it to you, though,” I said with a shrug as I went to tuck it away. “I guess we’ll have to give you a bullet instead.”

“Wait,” Lojack said, swallowing hard. His eyes stayed focused on the money. I could see the wheels churning in his head: fear or money? As a girl who loves to shop, I see where he could be conflicted.

“Look,” he started, tearing his eyes away from the cash to look at me. “All I know is that X escaped and is back on the streets. Word is it’s the warden who let him out. Made him a very rich man and shit.”

“You hear where he landed since his escape?” I asked.

He fell silent again, so the same way a dog’s owner gets it to do tricks by waving a treat in its face, I held the cash under his nose. Money is like an aphrodisiac to a snitch. I thought Lojack was gonna bust a nut right through his pants.

“You didn’t hear this shit from me, ’cause I ain’t trying to piss him off, but the word is he’s coming after your brother Junior hard. Now, why anyone would want to go after that big motherf*cker is a mystery to me.”

“Good,” Sasha said, “’cause that ain’t none of your business. Now, where can we find X?”