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“I see business been good.”

“If I ask again, we gone have a real problem.” He thought the tough shit was going to move me.

“The last three months, you been averaging a little over four hundred thousand a month between your spots.” His silence caused me to smile. “I see that got your attention.”

“Man, I don’t know what the fuck you talking about.”

“That’s your first problem.” I clicked on the folder Key had pulled up for me. “You got six locations moving product. Three doing what they’re supposed to do, two making enough noise to make you think they’re doing better than they are, and one of them got a nigga shaving money off the top every Thursday before your count ever reaches you. That’s your second problem.” His eyes narrowed and you could see him trying to decide if he should take this call seriously. I gave Key the signal. “Check your phone.” His ass didn’t move. “You can check it now, or I can end this call, and you can spend the rest of your time trying to figure out how me and a nigga on your team robbed you blind.” That got him to move. His face hardened as he read over the evidence I sent. I didn’t send him everything, just enough to prove to him that I was speaking facts.

“How did you get this?” I ignored his question and continued.

“You’re making too much money to have this many holes in your operation. All your people know where you keep the money, and too many people know who moves it. Your rotation is predictable, and one of the niggas you got watching your main spot owes somebody enough money that eventually his problem is gonna become yours.”

“Who?” I smiled.

“See, now you understand the point of the meeting. Welcome to your audit.”

“My what?”

“Anybody making noise and bringing in the big money eventually gets audited. Congratulations.” Key snorted beside me.

“So, what does that mean?”

“I find the holes. I tell you which ones are costing you money, which ones can cost you your freedom, and which ones can get your ass killed. Then you fix them.”

“And what you get?” I smiled again.

“There you go. Now you’re asking the right questions.” I paused before I responded with the price. “Seventy five thousand.” That nigga actually laughed.

“Man, get the fuck out of here.”

“A month.” His laugh disappeared.

“You out your fucking mind!”

“Depends on who you ask.”

“I’m not paying you no seventy five a month.” I shrugged.

“You don’t have to.” I could see that confused him. People always expected a threat. I didn’t threaten anybody. Threats gave a nigga time to prepare. “I showed you what I know. You can do whatever you want with that information.”

“Okay, then imma have to decline.” I looked over at Key and nodded. The man leaned back in his chair like he thought he won. My silence confused him. His phone rang, but he silenced it. It rang again, but he still hadn’t picked up.

“Answer it.” He just stared at me as if we were in some kind of standoff. When it rang this time, he snatched it up.

“What!” I didn’t need to hear what was being said on the other end because I already knew. “What the fuck you mean? Look again.” He hung up and now his attention was back on me. “What the fuck did you do?”

“Nothing you weren’t just told I could,” I said smugly.

“My money better-…” I cut him off.

“Your money is fine.” I let that sit first. “For now.” He slowly looked up at me, and now we were having the meeting I had scheduled. “I wasn’t showing you how easily I could steal from you. I was showing you how easily anybody could. Unlike me if our meeting goes well, they probably ain’t giving it back. The more holes I gotta keep people from crawling through, the more you pay.” He thought it over.

“Seventy five?”

“Every month.”

“And my guarantees?”