Read Animal 2 for Free Online Page B

gonna play this game?”
    â€œI keep trying to tell you—” Percy’s statement turned into a shriek of pain when Ashanti stuck the shear in his other leg.
    Ashanti drew his gun. “Percy, it’s in your best interest to stop insulting my intelligence.”
    â€œI don’t know shit!” Percy insisted.
    Ashanti sighed. “OK, you wanna go about this the hard way, huh?” He shoved the gun into Percy’s mouth. “Word around town is that you like to suck big black shit in your spare time, so I’m gonna give you something to suck on.” He pushed the pistol to the back of Percy’s throat. “When this nuts, ain’t gonna be no joy juice on this floor, only your brains.”
    Tears sprang to Percy’s eyes. He shook his head back and forth, with his lips still wrapped around the gun.
    â€œYou feel like talking now?” Ashanti asked. When Percy nodded, he removed the gun but kept it level with Percy’s face.
    â€œOK, I know Swann. I run whores, and in exchange for protection on the street, I kick Swann back a taste,” Percy admitted.
    â€œHow does a bitch pimp bitches?” Abel asked. He looked genuinely confused.
    â€œFuck you!” Percy spat.
    â€œFuck me? Nah, fuck you.” Abel aimed the sawed-off at Percy’s face. “I’ll blow those dick-sucking lips off your face, pussy!”
    â€œCool the fuck out.” Ashanti pushed him away. “As you can see”—he turned back to Percy—“my lil’ one is ready to rock you, scrams, and I just might let him, unless you tell me everything you know about Swann, including where he lays his head.”
    â€œI don’t know,” Percy said.
    Ashanti slapped him. “Percy, you must think I picked your name out of a hat. Nigga, I been laying on you for weeks, and I know that there’s more going on between you and Swann than just you paying for protection. You’re Swann’s play nephew. No relation, but he’s been looking out for you since you were akid. There are a lot of nasty rumors floating around about the nature of your relationship, but it ain’t my place to judge. I just want to know where I can put my hands on this nigga. Now, tell me something good, Percy.”
    â€œI can’t betray my family,” Percy said, his voice just above a whisper.
    â€œYou can, and you will,” Ashanti assured him.
    â€œMan, Swann is crazy. You don’t know what he’ll do to me if I talk,” Percy said in a frightened tone.
    â€œAnd you must not know what we’ll do to you if you don’t,” Abel said.
    â€œAshanti, kick back and let me have a go at it.” Cain put his gun into his waistband and tightened the leather gloves on his hands. He went to one of the drawers that held the barbers’ tools and pulled it out of the counter. Cain dumped the contents of the drawer onto Percy’s lap so that he could get a good look at the instruments. From the pile he selected a razor that was sharpened to a fine edge. “Dig this,” he whispered in Percy’s ear. “One way or another, you’re gonna spill your guts before we leave here.”
    His brother, Abel, locked the front door and watched through the window for police, while Ashanti got comfortable in one of the barber’s chairs and listened to the sounds of Percy’s screaming.
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    Ashanti had to admit, had Cain chosen a path other than the streets, he probably could’ve been a master butcher. He started with the razor and then moved to anything and everything in the shop that had a sharp edge to it. Just as he’d promised, Percy had spilled his guts, literally and figuratively. By the timehe was done talking, Ashanti was dizzy with information. He had only come to Percy to get a location but had gotten much more than he expected. It was true what they said about what’s done in the dark