Read Down by Law for Free Online Page A

cigarette.
    â€œWhat?” He frowned and then laughed. “Stop playin’, son.”
    â€œWord to the mother, I’m not playing.” I took a chalky pull and blew a puff of powdery smoke into the air. “All the times I asked you to let me ride and you played me for your boy K-Rock.”
    â€œK-Rock is my homie.”
    â€œWell, then ride out with him. I’m good.” I crossed my legs and stuffed the rest of the cigarette into my mouth, turning the chalky stick into stiff gum.
    â€œHe’s already on the drop. And he agreed that you should ride out with us. You would be our element of surprise.”
    My eyes grew wide and my heart thundered in my chest. K-Rock did what? I almost drooled. “Oh really.” I mustered up a fake frown.
    â€œYeah. Plus you ready. You handled your business the other day without hesitation so I think you can handle this.”
    â€œYou think so?” I nodded. “A’ight, so what you want me to do?”

7
    You be illin’
    A t 11:47 PM , Face looked at me for the third time and said, “You sure you ready? ’Cause, word is bond, you cannot be freezin’ up. You said you wanted to be a big girl so I need you to be about this big money.”
    Me and Face was in the cut, parked in a small alleyway. We sat in his black Monte Carlo, with the lights off, and I promise you I wanted to take my fist and throat bust ’im. Make ’im cough his tonsils up. And yeah, I was scared as heck. It was one thing to imagine what a drop would be like, but it was a whole other level to be about it in real life.
    However.
    I didn’t need Face sweating me like this. I needed him to hype me up. Make me feel like I was that chick. Instead, he made my stomach queasy, like I had diarrhea.
    Sweat bubbled on my nose and brow. I wiped it with the back of my hand, then turned and looked straight at Face. “First of all, I don’t like how you comin’ at me, all wild and crazy, like you doubtin’ me. And second of all, if you didn’t trust me then you should’ve left me at home. ’Cause me and Yvette got a bag of weed to smoke. And I got school tomorrow. Now either you wanna do this or you don’t. ’Cause you gotcha boy up the street.”
    I pointed through the windshield at K-Rock, who’d just stepped outta his car and was kickin’ it with one of the Down South dudes who’d moved in on Face’s block. “And he’s all ready for the kill. But you sittin’ here and sweatin’ me like you on your period. You need a maxi pad or somethin’?”
    â€œI don’t know who you think you talking to, but I ain’t Schooly. So you better watch yo’ mouth and chill wit’ all that. I’m just making sure you know that once we get outta this car, that this not a game.”
    I swallowed the nerves I felt tingling my throat and twisted my lips. “Yo, look, is you ready?”
    â€œI’m ready.”
    I tossed Face his ski mask and slid mine over my face and neck. “Well, let’s go get ’em.”
    We eased out the car and tipped a few steps down the block. I was doing my best not to give in to the nerves dancing around in my stomach. I squeezed my inner thighs tightly, as we walked up behind ’em. There were three dudes, including K-Rock, chopping it up and handling business. K-Rock was to pretend that he was buying the pounds of weed and that he was just as surprised as the other dudes when we snuck up behind them.
    Click-click! Pop-pop!
    Face bust two shots in the air and er’body froze.
    â€œER’BODY HIT THE GROUND! FACE DOWN!” Face yelled and they all hit the concrete.
    â€œIce,” Face spat quickly. “Run the car real quick. Check the glove compartment. Under the seats, the sides of the doors, and the trunk. Take everything you see!”
    The car was a silver Audi 5000, kitted up. Truthfully, we should’ve just taken the