Free Animal 2 by K'wan

whacking somebody you’ve known over three decades is just a lil’ business ? What kind of monster are you?” Animal asked heatedly.
    â€œI’m the same kind of monster you’re gonna have to become, considering the route you’re going,” Priest told him. “The law of the jungle is survival of the fittest, and you better damn well learn it if you plan on locking ass with Shai Clark, lil’ nigga.”
    â€œFuck what you talking about, I could never murder a comrade like that,” Animal told him.
    â€œYou don’t know what the fuck you’d do if your life depended on it,” Priest shot back. “Charlie was my main man, but his bullshit was interfering with my plans, much like Ashanti’s riding with King James is interfering with yours.”
    â€œSo you trying to say I should murder Ashanti like you did Charlie to get Shai off my back?”
    â€œNo, I’m telling you not to make the same mistakes I did and find yourself in a position to have to make that choice,” Priest said seriously. “Shai is a cold piece of work, and brute force ain’t gonna beat him. You’re gonna need to be cunning and patient.”
    â€œYou said it yourself that time isn’t on our side,” Animal reminded him.
    â€œTayshawn, you don’t have a reason to, but I need you to have faith in me right now. I’m going to take you back to the church so you can spend some time with your lady. I’m sure she misses you. Rest up, and I’ll come back in the morning to speak more of the plan.”
    Animal did miss Gucci. He didn’t want to sit idle and wait for Priest, but he didn’t have much of a choice at the moment. “Your word don’t hold that kind of weight with me just yet, but I’ll fall back for the time being. Just let me be clear on something. I won’t hesitate to take Shai’s life if given the opportunity, whether your plan works or not.”
    â€œFair enough,” Priest agreed. “While I’m gone, I want you to think about what I said, Animal. In this world, the only person you can depend on to be stand-up at all times is you.”
    â€œI hear you, but there’s an exception to every rule. I can’t speak on what happened between you and Charlie, but I can speak on me and Ashanti. He’s hard as steel. That’s my brother.”

EIGHT
INTERROGATION ROOM A.
    â€œD O YOU KNOW HOW MANY times I’ve dreamed of having you in this position?” Detective Alvarez asked from across the steel table. He and Ashanti were in an interrogation room at the precinct, where they had been since his arrest a few hours before.
    Ashanti gave the detective his most serious stare. “Ain’t you gonna say ‘pause’ after that statement? It sounds suspect as hell.” He laughed.
    â€œVery funny, Ashanti, but you know what’d be funnier? If I jumped across this table and slapped that grin off your face,” Alvarez said in a low growl.
    Ashanti looked down at the shackle that went from his right wrist to the table. “The fact that you got me cuffed to this table and still got one hand resting near your gun, just in case, says you know how I’m built. Blood, the thought of you or anybodyelse putting their hands on me and not getting their face torn off is laughable. What else you got for me?”
    â€œI got life in a cage for you if you don’t tell me something good,” Alvarez threatened.
    â€œDetective, I know it’s a shortage of real niggaz for y’all to lock up, but it’s a sad day for law enforcement when the best you can do to get me off the streets is try to build a case off a bag of weed.” Ashanti laughed.
    â€œI ain’t talking about weed, dipshit. I’m talking about murder.” Alvarez slid several pictures across the table to Ashanti.
    Ashanti was still grinning when he leaned over to look at the pictures, but the grin quickly