“About time you pried yourself loose. I thought he was gonna spend the rest of the night yapping your ear off,” Angelo said when Shai approached. As usual, he was dressed in a gray suit and white shirt. His hair was cropped close on the side with the top growing out only slightly longer. It had once been rich and black, but you could now see the first signs of silver popping up.
“You know Chance likes to talk.” Shai gave Angelo dap.
“More like negotiate. What did he want this time?” Angelo asked.
“How do you know he wanted anything?” “Because a man doesn’t spend twenty minutes whispering about the weather.”
Shai laughed. Angelo had always been very perceptive, which is why he spent so many years as the eyes in back of Poppa Clark’s head. “Pressing me about that expansion again.”
Angelo shook his head. “That Chance King and his dreams of glass towers in the sky. Fool owns damn near every piece of property south of Houston and is still looking to snatch up more land? Greedy muthafucka.”
“That ain’t greed, Angie. That’s foresight. Real estate is big business, and I’m kinda tight we didn’t really dig our claws into it,” Shai said.
“What you talking about? I know for a fact that Poppa owned some buildings uptown and three houses in the Bronx that I can think of off top of my head. Not to mention the spots I didn’t know about,” Angelo pointed out.
Shai shook his head sadly. “Damn near all that shit was in the wind. I had to liquidate most of the properties held by Clark Lansky realty to get up the money to spring Tommy from the can.”
“Damn, I had no idea. What about the lots in Queens that he was planning to build the casino on?” Angelo asked hopefully.
“You mean the three empty acres of concrete foundation that we can’t do shit with?” Shai corrected him. “When my father was killed, most of the people who were in with him on the casino found other shit to do with their money. Even with Sol still at the table with us they feel like it’s too big of a risk for someone who doesn’t know shit about that side of the business.”
“That’s fucked up, with a capital F. Couldn’t we still move forward on our own with it?” Angelo asked.
“I’d thought about it, but to be honest we don’t have the connections or the capital to pull it off,” Shai admitted.
“Listen Shai, I got about five hundred thousand tucked for a rainy day. It’s yours if you need it,” Angelo said sincerely.
Shai smiled at his friend’s display of loyalty. “I appreciate it, man, but no thanks. We ain’t hardly hurting for no paper, we just ain’t got it to make a move that big without feeling the pinch on the backend. Besides, even if we did finish building the hotel and casino, without the gaming licenses and nod from the zoning board that my father’s so-called friends were supposed to take care of, we’d never be able to open for business.”
Angelo shook his head. “What the fuck happened to loyalty?”
“It died with my father,” Shai sighed.
About then, Swann ambled up. Trailing him, scowling at everything moving, was one of his young wolves. Tech was his name if Shai recalled correctly. “I see you crawled out of that hole and finally came out to get some of this love.”
“This ain’t love, baby boy, it’s one big ass hustler’s convention. Half these niggas got a business proposal in one hand and a knife in the other,” Shai laughed.
“I’m glad you’re in a good mood, because I wanted to have a few words with you about my little man, right here,” Swann ushered Tech forward. “You remember, Tech, right?”
Shai studied the young man for a few seconds. “Yeah, yeah… I remember you. The last time we seen each other, you and your man pulled some Wes Craven shit and dropped a body part off to me in the middle of having lunch.”
“My fault about that. My homie Animal can be kinda literal in his tasks sometimes. It won’t happen again,” Tech said apologetically.
“Let’s hope not. We like to move quiet around these parts, but you and your Dog Pound can be a little loud for my tastes. Unnecessary bodies bring unwanted heat.”
“I feel you, Shai, but rest assured we ain’t never put a nigga down unless he had it coming or got too attached to his goods,” Tech laughed. Shai didn’t.
“Well, if you plan on working for me then you need to tone it down. Nobody dies unless I say so,” Shai told him.
Tech’s cheek twitched, but his expression never changed. “With all due respect, Shai, I didn’t hook into Swann because I wanted a job. I’m looking to prove my worth.” The declaration caught everyone by surprise, especially Swann.
“Ah, Shai, I don’t think he meant…” Swann began, but Shai cut him off.
“Nah, let him speak,” Shai insisted.
Tech could feel the tension between them. It wasn’t what he had intended, but it lingered nonetheless. Shai was a man who could have him and everyone he had ever come in contact with wiped off the map with one phone call. He had to choose his next few words wisely. “What I mean to say is; we would be honored if you could find a seat for us at your table. Your bloodline is official and your family is like hood royalty, but at the same time you already got enough hands in your dinner plate. The Dog Pound has always operated independent and I didn’t realize that rocking with y’all was gonna change that. For as much as we would appreciate you feeding us, we’d rather you showed us how to fish.”
Shai looked at Swann, who appeared embarrassed, before turning his attention back to the young man. “And what makes you think I’d even consider teaching you anything?”
“Because you’re familiar with the Pound’s body of work,” Tech said honestly. “No slight to any of your people, but when the shit hits the fan, you want a nigga like me standing in between you and whatever the other side is planning.”
Shai stood analyzing Tech for what seemed like an eternity. In his eyes he could see that the young man believed everything he was saying. There was a conviction to Tech’s words that reminded him of how Swann carried himself at that age, which was the only reason Shai didn’t dismiss him like he would have any other soldier trying to get close to him. “You got a set of balls in you like I haven’t seen in a long time. If Swann is smart, he’ll keep you close.”
Tech wanted to smile, but instead he just nodded. “Thanks, Shai. That means a lot coming from you.”
“Thank me now, but you might hate me later,” Shai said prophetically, before patting Tech on the shoulder letting him know their conversation was at an end.
“Tech, go grab us a few shots. I’ll catch up with you in a few,” Swann said, picking up on Shai’s signal.
Tech was rough around the edges, but smart enough to know when he was being dismissed. “That’s what it is then,” he gave Swann dap. “Congratulations on the baby, Shai. Hope we get to talk again real soon.” He walked off.
“That little nigga is a headache,” Angelo said once Tech was out of earshot.
“Yeah, but he’s also incredibly vicious, which ain’t a bad trait to have during these troubled times,” Swann said.
“God forbid,” Shai chuckled.
Angelo’s cell phone rang in his pocket. He fished it out and looked at the screen before frowning. “I need to take this.” He excused himself and answered his cell.
“Tech is a knucklehead,” Shai continued, “but tolerable. It’s his little crime partner that creeps me the fuck out. That boy has got some very deep issues - issues that I don’t want anywhere near me or my family.”
“No worries, Shai. Tech got all them little niggas in line,” Swann assured him.
“For their sakes I hope so. I won’t have another Amine poisoning this family,” Shai said. Amine had been one of the youngsters on the come-up when Shai had first gotten kicked out of school and first started dabbling in the family business. He’d been one of the first examples Shai had to make when he came into power. His big mouth and disloyal nature had cost the Clarks a great deal, and as a result Shai had adopted a policy of whacking weeds as soon as he noticed them sprouting.
Angelo was heading back in their direction. He had a worried expression on his face.
“Everything good?” Swann asked before Shai could.
“Nah, man.” Angelo extended the cell phone to Shai. “It’s Sol,” he answered the question in his eyes.
“Yeah?” Shai spoke into the receiver. Within a few words his expression matched Angelo’s. “Wait, not on the phone. I’ll be there to handle it personally. Give me an hour,” he ended the call.
“What’s good?” Swann asked once Shai had gotten off the phone.
“I gotta out by the airport and handle something real quick. Angelo, go find Big Doc. I need y’all with me. Swann, you keep the party going and tell Honey I’ll be back shortly,” he tossed the phone back to Angelo.
“Shai, if it’s drama, I’m going with you. Don’t leave me here to play host,” Swann said.
“Ain’t no drama, my nigga. Just another headache to deal with,” Shai told him and walked off.
Swann watched his friend walking away, shaking his head. “A boss’ work is never done.”