In My Hood Read Online Free Page B

still out looking for him.”
    “Get the word out that as soon as he’s located that I want him brought directly to me.”
    “Yo, Ish, let me push that nigga’s wig back,” Damon said eagerly.
    “Easy, D. Never let your emotions get the best of you. I schooled you about that before.”
    “Yeah, I know, Ish, but—”
    “But nothing,” Ishmael interrupted. “You wanna hand in your stripes? So what, you wanna be a part of security now?”
    “Naw, Ish, it ain’t dat,” he said, lowering his head.
    “Listen, D, you the last of the best clique I ever had. You know the game. Slow your roll. You the student and I’m the teacher. You feel me?”
    “No doubt, Ish. I feel you. Good looking.”
    “You straight?”
    “I’m good, Ish,” Damon said as he gave Ishmael dap and moved on.
    Derrick returned from the store and handed Ishmael his requested purchase. A hunter-green Cadillac hugged the curb as it turned onto the avenue. It came to a full stop in front of the bodega where Ishmael and Derrick stood. The back window lowered, and Ishmael approached the car.
    “OG, what’s good?” Ishmael asked with a wide grin.
    “Ain’t nothing, youngblood, I’m just struggling and striving, tryna survive. Whatchu know good?” The husky voice filtered from the backseat of the car.
    “You, OG. I’m tryna get where you at,” Ishmael stated.
    A hearty laugh boomed from the car.
    “Get in, youngun. I want to rap with you for a minute.”
    Ishmael gave Derrick the sign to look out for him until he got back. Derrick nodded and twirled his toothpick.
    Derrick was about the same height as Ishmael. He was much bigger than Ishmael was in size—whereas Ishmael was the running back, Derrick was built like a line backer. He sported long dreads, which he kept tied in a knot in the back of his head. He had brown skin and bore a striking resemblance to actor Duane Martin. He kept his face shaved clean. He liked it like that because no one knew his real age. He looked to be about twenty-three but in actuality he was thirty-five.
    Derrick seemed to be the quiet type. He always looked like he was in deep thought, contemplating things. His body size and humility created the illusion of him being a gentle giant, but in reality Derrick was any human being’s worst nightmare. His low, quiet demeanor and captivating vibe caused people to underestimate him, and that very same thing had cost many victims their lives.
    He wasn’t always Ishmael’s right-hand man. He use to have his own crew called the Mob Squad. They weren’t stickup kids, but they were enforcers. They were paid by different organizations to go collect debts, security, and clean-up crew. If you wanted someone to disappear then the Mob Squad was the crew to do the job. If there was a body to get rid of, they came and cleaned up the mess, leaving no traces.
    Derrick and Ishmael hooked up when they met in the county when Ishmael was booked on a drug charge and Derrick caught a gun charge. The two hit it off instantly, and the rest was history. They’d been friends for more than twelve years. They had a tight bond. Ishmael was the only person who understood Derrick’s demeanor and his strange ways.
    Ishmael climbed into the car and settled into the soft, plush seats. The hog pulled away from the curb like a graceful ballerina.
    “So you still hanging out on the corners, huh, youngblood?”
    “Well, you know how that goes . . . I gotta keep my eye on my operation.”
    “What I tell you about that, son? That’s what you got lieutenants for.”
    Ishmael sat in thought as the smooth sounds of Marvin Gaye crooned from the car’s speakers.
    “Leroy, I was thinking about what you told me the other day . . .”
    “Yeah?”
    “Yeah, I think I’m gonna pass on that, man. I got my own thing going, and I like the way it’s flowing. I been in this game for a long time.”
    “You said it right there, youngblood,” Leroy said. “You been in this business a long time, and you still