Commit To Violence

"This really doesn’t create a problem for us, does it?" Bobby asked.

"Not from where I’m sittin’. Doin’ business with the Russians is a good thing," Nick said. "Only problem is Bo thinkin’ he could get something like this done and think nobody would know about it."

"How’d you find out about it?" Bobby asked.

"Victor’s fuckin’ Sabrina," Nick said and laughed.

"That pillow talk will fuck up a nigga’s program every time," Bobby commented. And he was absolutely right.

"The only time she can get away from Bo is when he got something goin’. She tells Victor, he tells me."

"What you gonna do about Bo?" Black asked. He knew the minute he told Bo that Nick was in charge that this was coming.

"Don’t worry, Black, I can handle Bo. He can’t make a stray nickel with me knowing about it."

"That ain’t what I mean. There are some people whose respect you’ll never earn, Nick. You can’t have a mutha fucka like that in your house. Sooner or later you’ll have to deal with him before he comes after you."

"Mike’s right, Nick," Bobby added. "Just him tryin’ some shit like this, it gives other niggas the idea that they can do it too."

Black thought about Freeze. "You know what Freeze would do?"

Nick laughed. "He would go over there right now and kill Bo."

"I ain’t sayin’ that’s what you should do. You handle Bo any way you want. All I’m sayin’ is sooner or later you’re gonna have to deal with him."

"I understand," Nick said and got up. "I’m gonna go have a talk with Bo."

"You do that. And then I want you to see what you can find out about Kenny."

"I’m on it," Nick said, and Black watched him as he left Cuisine.

"Who do you think’s gonna move first?" Bobby asked.

"My money’s on Bo."

"Word I get is that Bo thinks he should be running things, and he blames Nick for Freeze bein’ dead," Bobby said.

"I heard that too. That’s why I told Nick he’s gonna have to kill Bo. But he needs to decide that for himself."

"You’re right," Bobby said and sipped his drink. "Where you goin’?" Bobby asked as Black got up.

"Goin’ to see if I can find out anything about what happened to Kenny."

"Didn’t you just send Nick to do that?" Bobby said and followed Black toward the door.

"So I wanna ask a few questions myself," Black said. "What else you got to do?"

CHAPTER SIX

When Black and Bobby got outside, they got in Bobby’s car. They had driven for a while and Black noticed that Bobby was uncharacteristically quiet. Since he had a lot on his mind, Black didn’t mind, but there was a question he had to know the answer to.

"What’s bothering you?"

"Nothing," Bobby replied as he drove.

"Nothing, huh? Well, let me ask you this then; what was up with you last night?"

"What you mean?"