Sergei says that they can discuss whatever that is later: "Now, another business." He motions toward Nick with his head. Prop Joe guesses that Nick is "the man with the raggedy-ass Camaro." Nick sniffs that the car was his cousin's, and that it "wasn't all that raggedy." He kind of smiles, like he's waiting for someone to agree with him, but everyone just gazes back at him sort of pityingly, so Nick shuts up again. Sergei swivels back to Prop Joe to say, "Nick is with us," but he rolls his eyes at the idea of Ziggy: "Family cannot be helped." "Who you telling?" agrees Prop Joe. "I got motherfucking nephews and in-laws fucking all my shit up all the time." And probably can't fix a toaster, either, the sorry specimens. "And it ain't like I can pop a cap in their ass and not hear about it Thanksgiving time." Everyone sort of chuckles ruefully. Oh, family -- can't live with 'em, can't pop a cap in their ass.
Prop Joe turns expectantly to Nick: "So what the fuck?" Nick sniffs, and sits. Prop Joe summarizes the situation: Nick's not paying Cheese, so Cheese isn't paying Prop Joe: "I ain't talking about all the money in the world. But it ain't be like Cheese be in a position out on that corner to let your cuz exemplify shit, you feel? The man cut you some slack, and soon every fucking-up white boy be on his titty." Nick says that he and Ziggy want to pay the $2700 they owe, and that they'll have it soon. Sergei interjects to say that Cheese doubled the amount, and Nick adds that he burned Ziggy's car. Prop Joe actually looks like he might be surprised and dismayed at this news. Nick adds that the Blue Book value on the car was $5100, and either that's where he loses Prop Joe, or Prop Joe was faking his dismay the whole time, because he rears up and tells Nick, "Let me get this straight. You gonna come up in here, having fucked up a package, asking me to tell Cheese -- who you fucked it up on -- to pay you out twenty-four hundred dollars." "He gets to keep the Camaro," Nick sneers. Turning to Sergei, Prop Joe asks, "Just how good a friend is this motherfucker to y'all?" Sergei kind of shrugs with just his hands, and Prop Joe looks behind him to a shaven-headed henchman, who reaches into his pocket and starts counting out bills. Prop Joe tells Nick that Cheese won't be happy about having to pay Prop Joe back: "So I would advise y'all to give him some distance." Nick takes the money, sternly telling Prop Joe, "Just so he don't come back on my cousin." Sergei points sharply toward the door, and Nick, on his way, thanks Prop Joe for "being straight on this." Just so there's no doubt, Prop Joe tells him, "Fool, if it wasn't for Sergei here, you and your cuz both would be cadaverous motherfuckers." Nick turns up one corner of his mouth, and expresses entirely too little appreciation for the fact that he's walking out of the shop on both feet.













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