Prince of the City by Jason Poole Page A

across his face.
    â€œYou probably are. I just hope you ain’t taking no money out the kitty for that shit.”
    â€œNah, slim. I only do it when I got play money. My stash is my last.” Sam once again lied to his best friend, but he knew that Michael was no dummy. Sooner or later his wrongdoings would come to light.
    As soon as they got home, Frank sent down ten kilos of pure heroin, which he called China White. Sam and Michael sold a few kilos straight up to some of Big Luke’s old customers, and they stepped on the remaining bricks and put it on the market. For the next six months, Michael and Sam were getting so much money that they exceeded their four-million-dollar mark. They’d begun to move up in the game, and themore money they made, the more Michael’s plans became crystal clear.

 
    Chapter 7
    -LION’S SHARE-
    Â 
    Six months later . . .
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    O
    ne day as Michael pulled his pearl white Jaguar into the car wash on Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, a silver 735 BMW pulled up. Butter was behind the wheel and Linda sat in the passenger seat. They all exchanged greetings.
    â€œWhat’s up, Butter?” Mike had just asked the question that gave him the perfect opening for his proposition.
    â€œAin’t nothing,” Butter replied. “Just picked up Linda from your house.”
    â€œYeah, I was getting tired of your lil bad-ass son, so I took him home to his mommy,” Linda added, still seated in the passenger seat.
    â€œWhat he do?” Michael asked with a curious expression.
    â€œOh, nothing.” Linda waved her hand. “Malik’s my angel. I just had to do something.”
    â€œThanks anyway for keeping him.”
    â€œAnytime. You know I love my nephew.”
    â€œMike, can I talk to you in private?” Butter asked, stepping out of his car.
    â€œYeah, what’s up?” Michael leaned against his car and folded his arms. He knew that talking with Butter would be a potential meeting about making money.
    â€œLinda, go get the car washed while I talk to Mike,” Butter instructed and then walked over to Mike’s car.
    â€œOkay, daddy.” Linda hopped over in the driver’s seat and pulled into the car wash. After formerly greeting Mike with a handshake, Butter got right down to business.
    â€œI know we ain’t ever dealt with each other before. Although me and your partner Black Sam is cool, I thought it would be better if I hollered directly at you.”
    â€œTalk then.” Mike shrugged.
    â€œLook, I’m tryna open up Fourteenth and Clifton with some of that China White you got, but I need you to sell it to me raw. How much can I get it for?”
    â€œI can give it to you for a hundred fifty a key.”
    â€œGot damn!” Butter yelled out in complaint.
    â€œShit, nigga. The blow can take a fifteen. I should be giving it to you for a hundred seventy-five, but on the strength of Linda, I cut you twenty-five thousand.”
    â€œA’ight then, I understand. Right now I only got a hundred thousand. Can I owe you the rest?”
    â€œI don’t know about that. I gotta call my partner first to see if we got enough left to do that.”
    â€œOh shit! That’ll be a blessing to call Sam, ’cause he owes me fifty thousand anyway.”
    â€œOh yeah? What he doing owing you?” Mike tilted his head in curiosity.
    â€œI busted his ass shooting craps last night, and he turned around and borrowed it back, just so he could lose it to another nigga.”
    â€œDamn. Well look, here’s my pager number. Call me later, and I’ll set it up for you.” He then quickly paid for his car wash and walk toward his Jaguar. Before leaving, he turned to shake Butter’s hand, not out of friendship but for the information he indirectly gave him.
    â€œThanks Mike,” Butter yelled as he walked away.
    â€œAnytime. See you later, Linda,” he called out as she got out of