Page 22 of Suleem and Yahzi (D-Ville Projects #1)

Suleem

“You know my brother and Riq are about to embarrass the fuck out of all them teams. We’re winning this shit and I’m cashing out off baby bro.”

The bets on the tournaments reached six figures a game, which meant we would all be cashing out thanks to Kove and Riq.

I nodded at Yoel’s statement but didn’t respond verbally because of the text that came through at the same time

Mano: I’m trying to make money. If that’s not what you’re on, then I’ll just figure something else out.

This muthafucker was really trying my patience…

“Ay, you good, Bank?”

I swiped out of the thread with Mano and opened the one with Yahzi to send her a text.

Me: Meet me at the park in an hour.

After I hit send, I locked my phone and dropped it into my pocket.

“Yeah, I’m straight.”

“You sure? Your face is all twisted and shit.”

“I’m cool. Just trying to decide how I’m gonna handle Mano. This muthafucker is playing with his life.”

“Oh shit, you found out about him over there on Ralph’s blocks?”

I normally would have laughed at one of our people referring to Riz by his government because the disrespect was funny as hell but I couldn’t bypass the part about Mano being in Bedford’s area.

“The fuck you mean being on his blocks?”

Yoel coolly brushed a hand over his head.

“Shidddd, I thought you knew about that shit. Hell, we’ve all been waiting on you and Serious to handle that.

When y’all cut him off, he tried to cop from some of Bedford’s people, but they would only let him get prepackaged with their tag on it.

They wanted him pushing their shit in our area. ”

Riz wasn’t stupid enough to send his people to our blocks but I assumed he thought it was safe to let Mano push their shit if he was bold enough to try.

“He do the deal?”

Yahzi being home meant I wasn’t checking in as much as normal. Most of DP had some fucking sense so it wasn’t necessary.

“Nah, Mano don’t have no heart. That muthafucker’s weak. I don’t even know how he made the cut.”

“A favor that should have never happened.”

He nodded and left it there. Yoel would never question our leadership. I fucking hated that the decision was made to let Mano get inked. At eighteen he was a dumb ass kid trying to follow in his brother’s footsteps.

When Roman took two to the chest at a party, he asked me for two things before he left this earth.

Make sure his son didn’t go without and look out for his brother.

Roman was a solid ass nigga, so his request was honored.

We made sure his son, who was an infant at the time, had everything he needed up until his girl married a square ass muthafucker who stepped up.

They moved out of state a few years ago and they were straight. I still checked in to make sure RJ was cool and he was. Ol’ boy wasn’t gang but he was solid and took care of them. That only left Mano under our care and that was the worst fucking mistake we ever made.

The only way to truly ensure he wasn’t touched was to let him get inked with DP.

Mano wasn’t gang. He was a little boy pretending to be a man.

That was ten years ago and not much had changed.

We had too many issues already. I wasn’t adding the complication of someone from DP having to step up to save his ass behind some shit that could have been avoided.

Mano felt untouchable so he was always running his mouth. In a sense he was, because of the ink he was granted. No one who valued their lives would step to him but that would be ending soon. Kassir and I were going to have to handle that muthafucker sooner rather than later.

If he couldn’t get his shit together, he was on his own. The loyalty only extended so far, and if it wasn’t returned, that shit was nonnegotiable. He could sell whatever the fuck he wanted with Riz’s brand on it, he would just have to do so on their blocks and without our ink or protection.

“That’s Roman’s little brother, right?”

“Yeah but blood don’t guarantee shit. We made Ro a promise and honored it. This nigga just don’t understand the grace and privilege he was given. My conscience is clean.”

“Nah, he don’t get that. On gang, Mano is bitch made. Ro would have cut that nigga out a long time ago.” Yoel massaged his chin and smiled smugly. “My conscience is clean but my hands damn sure ain’t. If you need me to handle your light weight, just say the word and it’s done.”

I chuckled. Yoel was a shooter. Kove would ride if needed and had put in work with his hands checking a few chins. Kove fucked with DP heavy but Yoel wasn’t just riding, he was driving the muthafuckin’ car. He was gutter with no plans of changing anytime soon.

“Nah, we’re cool. He might get stripped of his brand, but unless he pushes too hard, we’re gonna let that nigga live to see another day.”

Yoel tossed his chin. “Offer still stands. I appreciate how you and Serious stepped up for Kove. Ballin' keeps his head straight. I want him to get the fuck up out of here.”

“We didn’t give him shit. He earned it but I feel you though. Cradle to the casket.”

“Cradle to the casket,” Yoel returned, then lifted from the chair he occupied while I finished the installation of the LED lights under the dash, under the seats, and along the door panels of his Charger.

“Come see if this works for you.”

I rounded his car and opened the passenger door while Yoel found his way to the driver’s side. With the doors wide open, we both sat down and I moved through the controls on his system which changed the colors, brightness, and pulse of the LED.

“This shit is on point, Bank.”

“I know what the fuck I’m doing.”

He massaged his chin and nodded. “Yeah, you be on it. Just don’t hook this up for nobody else.”

“If they’re paying, I’mma run that.”

“You ain’t shit.” He smirked.

“With a lot of things, nah, I’m not. But when it comes to my business, I’m the gotdamn truth. Now, you paying or am I stripping this shit out of here?”

“Yeah, you got that.”

He dug into his pocket and removed cash and I shook my head. “Nah, go see Jordie. She’ll close you out in the system and go over your warranties and shit.”

“Yeah, let me go see her little fine, mean ass.”

“Ay, don’t be trying to fuck my employees.”

I could tell from the way he nodded and smiled arrogantly that was exactly what he was about to try and do. “Aight bet, let me go see Jordie and get my paperwork because the first time my lights glitch I’m pulling up on some call the manager shit.”

When Yoel left the garage, I walked to the computer station and closed out his job so Jordie could accept the payment.

I let Bowie know I was heading out and to have Jordie close up later.

I was about to pull up to the courts to watch our team practice for a little while then lay up under my girl for the rest of the night.

As soon as I made it to the park, I knew my day was about to be fucked up. Mano was two spots over, leaned against his Impala with a lil dip I knew for sure was sliding with several other DP members. Based on the way he was smiling all in her face, this muthafucker thought he had something.

When I hit the locks on my car, I decided to issue the one and only warning he would get.

“Ay Mano, let me holla at you for a minute.”

“You trying to let me get some work, ’cause if not, I’m busy.”

“Bruh, you really got shit fucked up. Baby girl, go find another dick to suck.”

She reared her head back and kissed her teeth before she turned to Mano, silently demanding that he defend her.

I wish the fuck he would…

“Ay, give me a minute to handle this,” he mumbled and gently shoved her out of the way, trying to save his ego. She rolled her eyes and walked away at the same time he pushed away from his car and walked up to me.

“You trying to buy that weak ass shit Bedford is putting on the block?”

For about two seconds the surprise of me knowing he was on some slimy shit moved over his face but then he doubled down and his expression set into a scowl.

“I ain’t buying shit from Bedford but I’m for sure about to find something ’cause what the fuck else am I supposed to do when y’all won’t let me get what I need. ”

“What you need to do is follow the gotdamn rules. You’re cut off.

Let me or Serious find out you’re on Bedford’s blocks again and that’s your ass.

Ro’s name doesn’t extend to covering you outside of D’ville and it’s barely covering you inside this muthafucker.

Be easy, nigga. You were given that ink, you damn sure didn’t earn it. ”

I looked him dead in the eyes so the warning was clear before I walked off. Just like the little bitch I expected him to be, he tried his luck.

“The fuck you gon’ do? I’m a grown ass man who moves when and how I want to move.”

No matter how much I hated the reality of this, I knew this day was going to come. Mano wasn’t built for this shit. He didn’t know his place or understand that as much as I respected Ro I only tolerated Mano.

I walked up on him, dropped my chin, and asked, “You can move when and how you want?”

Regardless of how wrong he was, Mano stuck his chest out but the uncertainty was there. I smirked because he was about to see what moving without our permission felt like.

“Yeah.”

“That’s on gang?” I challenged, giving him one last chance to right his wrongs, but this nigga stood on his bullshit.

“On gang, ’cause ain’t nobody gonna check me. Damn sure not you or Serious. Hell, y’all ain’t even out here like that. Your name don’t mean shit anymore. That bitch done made you soft because you ain’t handling your?—”