Yeah, right. Wallop must be real popular with the ladies what with his big head and Dumbo ears.
As he drove, he went over some rules of being a lieutenant. No business talk on cell phones. No dealing directly with customers. No using a GPS in the car or writing anything down. No shop talk with anyone but lieutenants or execs. When Wallop was done, he didn’t bother to ask if I had questions; he just turned up the music. It thumped through the car, rattling the windows as we cruised down the freeway.
I turned it down. “So why are you switching to the northeast?”
“They need me there.” He turned the music back up.
That was bullshit and he knew it. The northeast was the quietest area of Tony’s territory. I wished I knew why a newbie like me was being put on the most dangerous corners. I hoped it was because Tony thought I was tough enough to handle them, not because I was the most dispensable.
It wasn’t long before I figured it out.
We stopped by the first corner, where Wallop stocked two street dealers, Busy and Steve. They were ranting about a confrontation they’d had with some Bloods last night. Wallop egged them on. He started talking war and guns and revenge and how they were gonna make everybody pay.
When we hit the second corner, Wallop supplied Two-Bit and P-Free with product, along with a totally exaggerated version of what had happened with Busy and Steve the night before. It was clear what was going on. Wallop was a hothead and an instigator. What these corners needed was a cooler. Somebody who knew that Tony called the shots and nobody else. Somebody who knew that street dealers had to stay on their game, not get caught up in the turf war.
It made perfect sense. I was the cooler.
Later that night, I called my dealers together. We met at the stash house once all the money had been taken elsewhere. I asked Marcus to stick around to give me extra street cred.
“Things are gonna change on the southwest side,” I told them. “Tony’s put me in charge now.”
They weren’t impressed. It didn’t help that I was younger than most of them.
“I don’t want to dis my man Wallop, but I’m gonna do things different. First of all, I’m switching you around. You’re gonna work with different partners from now on.”
That got them riled up. Steve started cursing. “Why you gotta do that?”
“Seems to me like you’re all getting too comfortable out there, and I don’t like it.” I told them the new pairs and their locations.
“I only work good with Steve,” Busy said. “We got a system going. I can’t work with P-Free.”
P-Free glared at him. “You got a problem with me?”
“This ain’t open to negotiation,” I said. “Tony told me to get the job done, and that’s what I’m doing. If you have a problem with me, you can take it to Tony.”
At the mention of Tony’s name, everybody went quiet.
That was the thing about being a lieutenant. When I spoke, I was representing Tony. It gave my words a lot of weight. I felt powerful.
I went over some new rules. Most of them were about staying out of trouble. Don’t carry guns. Don’t mess with the neighborhood mamas. Don’t talk back to the cops. Don’t start anything with the Bloods.
“Tony and his executives are dealing with the Bloods,” I said, and Marcus nodded. “If you start something on the street, you’re getting in their way. Do you hear me?”
The guys grudgingly agreed, but I could tell they were pissed off. If they weren’t so afraid of Tony, I bet they’d be spitting in my face right now.
I didn’t care. I didn’t need them to like me, just to follow my rules. The rules were for their survival.
And mine.
The Streets
There’s a pounding in my head
A hammer in my chest
I gotta rise to the duty
Gotta do what’s best
Every night on the streets
I hear a clock ticking away
Bloods could attack anytime
Will I live another day?
MAKING SENSE
Darren? Aren’t you going to school?” Mom shouted.
I checked the clock. Shit. I was going to be late.
I swung my legs over the side of the bed, resting my head in my palms. Getting home at three in the morning and then waking up for school was crazy. But I couldn’t hurry home to bed when all the guys were out partying. I had to be a lieutenant and act like one.
I took a quick shower, threw on some clothes, grabbed my knapsack, and ran out the door. “Bye, baby,” Mom said cheerfully. She’d obviously seen the cash I’d left on the table.
The morning was cold and icy. I almost wiped out twice on my way to the bus stop. It was just me and a lady in a wheelchair. Great. It was gonna take ten minutes for her to get on the bus, making me even later. I wished I had one of Tony’s beater cars—driving to school would be way quicker. But they were only for business. One of these days I’d buy a car of my own.
When I finally got to school, the bell was ringing, ending first period. At least I wouldn’t have to walk in late to my second class. I caught sight of Jessica, who did a double take when she saw me. I hadn’t phoned her all weekend, and I’d replied to her text messages with just a couple of words. She’d be wondering what the hell was going on.
“Jessica,” I called out, going up to her. “We should talk. Meet me in the north stairwell at eleven forty-five.”
She nodded, frowning.
I went to my class on the third floor, darting in the door right before the bell. Ms. Stark was putting up study notes for next week’s test. Good. I didn’t have to think or process information, I just had to write. I hadn’t even had time for my choco-latte, which was probably part of the reason my head ached. The other part was all those drinks at the Velvet Room with the lieutenants.
When I got to the stairwell at eleven forty-five, the rush of students had already gone by, and Jessica was standing under the stairs. She gazed up at me, and the expression on her face said it all. “You’re not getting out, are you?”
“It’s gotten more complicated.”
“Once the Vet stopped bothering you, you should’ve quit right away.”
“I had to wait for the right time. And then Friday night, Tony promoted me to lieutenant.”
“What? Oh my God.” For a second, I thought she might pass out. “And you agreed?”
“You don’t say no to Tony.”
“So there’s no way out anymore. Is that what you’re saying?”
“I can’t tell Diamond Tony I’m not cut out for the job. He knows I am.”
“You are?”
“You know what I mean. It’s business. Anyway, I’ve got the feeling I’m where I’m supposed to be. I have more access now. I can learn a lot about his operation.”
She was gobsmacked. “You’re in even more danger than before. Can’t you see that?”
“I don’t really have a choice. I have to make the best of the situation.”
“Every minute of the last two days I was hoping you’d call to tell me you were out. You have to find a way, Darren. You have to.”
“Jessica.” I couldn’t believe what I was about to say, but as soon as I’d been promoted, I’d known what I had to do. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but I think we should take a break until this is all over. It’s too dangerous. If I get targeted . . .”
“No, Darren.” She put a palm against my cheek. “I’m with you. No matter what.”
I shook my head. “It’s not a good idea. If Tony finds out what I’m doing, you’re guilty by association. He could come after you.” But even as I said it, I squeezed her closer.
“I told you, I don’t care.”
“I care. But—oh, fuck it.” I kissed her. She kissed me back.
Jessica was with me. It was the only thing that ever made sense.
TOGETHER
We cut school that afternoon and went back to my place. Some things couldn’t be denied.
&
nbsp; I took her to my bedroom and we held each other for a long time. I didn’t try to touch her more than that, but holding back just burned me up more. Then she told me she wanted me to touch her. Needed me to.
Hours later, we picked up Kiki from daycare. As soon as he saw Jessica, he raced into her arms. The sight of them together made my chest tighten.
We were a family.
I hoped that would never change.
GAME ON
A month went by. It was school by day, lieutenant by night, and Jessica whenever possible. February turned into March, and there were a lot of springlike days, but I wasn’t thanking Mother Nature. The neighborhood had come out of their homes, and people were hanging around on porches, doorsteps, and street corners. I had to be ultracareful—any group of guys I walked by could be Bloods waiting to spot one of Tony’s lieutenants.
Kessler called every few days on the secret cell. She was different from Prescott; though she asked me questions about Tony’s operation, she never pushed me to dig deeper. As much as she wanted to put Diamond Tony away, she didn’t want me taking any extra risks. I bet if it was up to her, she’d rather have me out of the game than supplying her with information.
But it was too late for that.
I’d finally found my groove as a lieutenant. It was all about problem solving. You got customers being a nuisance. You got loudmouthed mamas trying to shove the dealers off their corners. You got cops scoping the neighborhood. As soon as you fixed one problem, another cropped up. And just when you thought you had it all under control, you were proven wrong.
Like when I found two of my dealers in an alley, beaten bloody.
“They took everything,” Busy said, cradling his arm and moaning with pain.
I crouched down beside P-Free. He was out cold.
“Is he dead?” Busy was panicked.
“No.”
I called 911. Tony wouldn’t like it, but P-Free was in bad shape. I wasn’t going to risk him dying.
“Who did this?” I asked Busy.
“Don’t know.”
“Do you think they were Bloods? Were they wearing colors?”
“No colors. They were all in black. Pantyhose over their faces.”
The ambulance was there five minutes later. I knew the cops wouldn’t be far behind. I helped Busy up. We had to leave the scene before they arrived.
Busy leaned on me heavily as I walked him home. I dropped him off in the lobby of his building, stuffing his pay into his pocket.
Then I headed for the stash house. It was a town house five blocks north of Busy’s building. Sometimes the place was a crack house, but whenever Tony wanted to use it, his guys pushed the squatters out, cleaned it up a bit, and moved in for a few days.
The house was under guard, of course. Three guys were on the front porch, two in the back. They acted like they were chillin’, but they watched anyone who came within twenty feet of the place like hawks. By now they knew me, so when I came up, they let me right in.
Kamal, one of the executives, was inside counting cash. When he saw me, he gave a grim nod. “I heard.”
It had just happened, and he already knew. That showed how good Tony’s pipeline was. He knew all the neighborhood events in real time.
“Did they recognize who jumped them?” Kamal asked.
“No.”
“Must be Bloods.”
“Maybe, but—”
He gave me a look that shut me up. I had the feeling it was going to be the Bloods whether there was proof or not.
The door burst open behind me, and a gust of cold air came in as Tony entered with Marcus and Pox.
“How much did they get away with?” Tony barked at me.
“Couple hundred, tops. I’d done a pickup an hour before.”
“Blood motherfuckers messing with my corner. Cops crawling all over the place.” He paced the room.
“I had to call nine-one-one.” I was more afraid of what I held back from Tony than what I told him. He could see anything as a deception. “If P-Free died, we’d have even more cops coming around.”
Diamond Tony inhaled sharply, but he didn’t say anything. Pissed as he was, he knew it was the right call.
Eventually the rest of the lieutenants showed up to make their drop-offs. Everybody talked revenge, war, murder. Tony waved his hand, which meant the discussion was over. He would retaliate, but he wasn’t going to tell us how.
When the lieutenants were done for the night, we went to Chaos. I was surprised that Jessica was working. Usually she only worked weekends, but she must’ve picked up a shift. I went over to her and gave her one helluva kiss.
The guys cheered and snickered when I sat down at our table.
“Last time I touched a waitress like that, I got slapped,” Wallop said, taking a swig of beer.
“She’s my girlfriend.”
“Looks serious,” Ray-go said. He and Abdul were the lieutenants who’d been at the mall with Vinny when we’d encountered the Bloods. Ray-go was as clean-cut as they come, while Abdul seemed to have a new tattoo every time I saw him.
“Darren’s gonna give her something serious when she’s done her shift, all right.” Abdul pounded fists with Ray-go.
“Why wait till she’s done? That’s what the VIP coatroom is for.” Wallop smirked. “She’s fire hot, that one.”
It was just as well that Jessica was working the other end of the club—I hated her anywhere near the VIP tables. On the whole, the lieutenants weren’t bad, though. They talked tough, a lot like the guys in juvie. But unlike in juvie, these guys had my back. Diamond Tony’s lieutenants were loyal—to him and to each other.
“The Bloods are gonna hear about what happened tonight,” Ray-go said to me. “Even if they didn’t do your dealers.”
“I was thinking the same thing.” Tony would use this as an excuse to continue his war with the Bloods. If he struck soon, it would appear to be payback.
“Tony’s a master of neighborhood PR. He’ll make this work for him.” Ray-go’s voice was full of admiration.
Ray-go reminded me of a young professor, and it wasn’t just because he wore glasses. He had a razor-sharp mind and took the game seriously. The other lieutenants looked up to him. If there was anyone to imitate, anyone who could show me how to walk the line, it was Ray-go. But I also knew that he was the one to watch out for. Of all the lieutenants, he was the most likely to sniff me out.
My phone buzzed in my pocket. It was a text from Busy.
@hospital. Doc says pfree got concushion + broken bones but will b ok.
P-Free would live after all. But someone else wouldn’t. The war would continue. Diamond Tony would make sure of it.
HERE
The lieutenants stuck around until Chaos closed. I waited for Jessica to do whatever waitresses did at the end of the night, then she grabbed her coat and we left together. I held her close as we waited for a cab. Her hair smelled like liquor and cigars, but behind that was her natural scent. A few minutes before, I’d thought I was exhausted. Now my whole body was wide awake.
The cab dropped us at her building, and we went to our private place on the top floor. We curled up together on a couch.
Jessica yawned against my shoulder. “Let’s stay here all night,” she said, snuggling into me.
“Don’t you have to go home?”
“I told my parents I was staying at Natalie’s. I’d planned to . . . until you showed up.”
“Sounds good to me. Don’t forget you have class in the morning.”
“So do you.”
“I’m used to not getting much sleep. You’re not.”
“I’ve got first period free. And we’re watching a movie in Randall’s class. I can sleep.”
“Okay. You comfortable?”
She smiled sleepily. “You’re so caring. It’s one of the things I love about you.”
“Oh yeah? What are the other things?” This could be priceless. If I knew exactly what I was doing right, I’d be sure to
keep doing it.
She lifted an eyebrow. “You want your ego stroked?”
“That ain’t the only thing.”
“Ha-ha. Seriously, though, you’re a sweetheart. When I see you with Kiki, I can tell you’ll be a good dad one day.”
I smiled. I was glad she’d noticed that.
“You’re really smart,” she went on. “I don’t mean school smart, though you’re that, too, when you want to be. I mean smart like you see things for what they really are. You’re not living in a dream world. And I don’t want to sound superficial, but I love your muscles.” She curled a hand around my biceps.
I tried not to pull away self-consciously. My arms had been pretty good when I got out of juvie, but I needed to work out more to keep them that way. “I used to hate my chicken arms.”
“You never had chicken arms. Not compared to the other guys, anyway. But you filled out.”
“Thanks. Are you finished stroking my ego?” She could go on like this all night with no complaints from me.
“No, there’s one more thing.” She angled her face to look up at me. “I love your intensity, Darren. You’re so determined. That’s how I know you’ll go places.”
It was ironic, maybe. The same intensity that made her think I’d go places had also got me stuck in the game. Still, it felt good, real good, to hear her say those things. I’d wondered what she saw in me when she could have her pick of any guy.
We talked a little more, then faded into sleep. It felt great sleeping with Jessica in my arms, even if my neck was cranked the wrong way. She held me tight, despite being asleep. She held me like she thought I could disappear at any moment.
I didn’t want to disappear. I didn’t want to be anywhere but here.
REVELATION
When I got home the next morning, Tasha was on the couch watching TV. Usually she was in class by now.
She shot me a glare over her shoulder. “Oh, so you’re finally making an appearance.”
“Huh?”
“Staying out all night? Is that your thing now?”
I closed the door. “I was with Jessica. Is that a problem?”