Page 7 of Terrez and Shalene (D-Ville Projects #4)

For another hour, Little and I spoke about the situation.

By the time I got up to leave, a nigga was mentally drained.

Street business never stopped. Add that on top of my own personal ventures and I was over it.

All I wanted to do was murk the scary ass nigga behind this bullshit and keep it moving.

I didn’t have time for the hide and seek ass games I felt like were being played right now.

Closing my laptop, I stood from my couch and stretched.

When I made it home a few hours ago, I planned to get some much needed rest. After tossing and turning for a good hour, I decided to get up and make myself useful.

I did a lot of research on stocks and investments.

I had enough money to finance my own business, but learned that getting a business loan was a good start to building business credit.

Plus, if I could use someone else’s money to fund my business I’d rather do that.

I picked up my phone and saw it was eight-thirty and I still wasn’t tired.

I found my way to me and Shalene’s text thread and hit the icon to call her. It was early, but I assumed she’d be up since she had a kid. I had no kids of my own, but I knew kids were always hungry as hell when they woke up every morning.

“Hello?”

The sadness in her tone let me know she was crying or had been crying recently. I had no expectations from this call, but I wasn’t expecting this. Especially this early.

“Why are you crying?”

“I’m sorry. I’m just frustrated right now. I shouldn’t have answered my phone like this.”

“Shalene, what’s the problem? Are you okay?”

“Yes. We’re fine. I was supposed to be moving my things into my apartment today and the movers canceled on me. They said they double booked my time slot on accident and wouldn’t get to me until next weekend. I don’t have another week,” she explained.

“Dude won’t let you keep your shit there until then?”

“No. When I got here an hour ago, I pulled up to my shit being in the driveway already. He’s here, but won’t even open the door so I can come in. It’s been raining, so I’m just sitting in my car. I don’t know how long my things have been out here, but I don’t want my things water damaged.”

“What’s the address?” I asked in irritation.

“I don’t think you should?—”

“Shalene, I’m not about to waste time going back and forth with you. You just told me that lame ass nigga has your shit outside in the rain. I need the address.”

“I don’t want you to do anything crazy. I don’t want him hurt or you in trouble over my shit.”

“The way that nigga is acting his ass definitely needs to be hurt, but that’s not my focus right now.

My focus is you and getting your shit out the rain.

So no, I won’t be doing anything crazy…today.

But what I will say is, if that nigga even look at me the wrong way I’ll knock the fuck out of him.

Now, send me the address and don’t get out the car. ”

Pulling the phone away from my ear, I ended the call and sent a group text to some of the young niggas I was cool with.

Shalene’s ex-husband was nothing short of a bitch.

As a man, there’s no way shit should’ve gone down like this.

I didn’t know the details behind the marriage failing, but that shit didn’t matter.

I wasn’t saying the nigga didn’t have a right to feel however he felt, but Shalene was still the mother of his child.

A certain level of respect needed to be shown at all times, even if he couldn’t stand the ground she walked on.

When my phone went off, I clicked the message and saw the location Shalene sent was only fifteen minutes from me.

Since I showered when I got home earlier, I threw on shorts and a T-shirt after washing my face and brushing my teeth. While in the middle of tying my durag, I’d gotten the call I was waiting on.

“What’s good, Terrez? We got the truck waiting outside,” Mike said when I stepped out of my apartment.

“Aight cool.”

“When you gon’ put me on and let me come work for you?” he asked as we walked to the elevator.

“Every time I see you, you ask the same shit and I give you the same answer. I ain’t putting you on shit. Kassir and Suleem already said they got you when the time is right, so why you keep asking me that?”

Mike was a nineteen-year-old knucklehead.

He was a cool dude overall, but his ass was too immature to be in charge of some shit.

Like me, Kassir and Suleem had his ass doing little odd jobs here and there, to make him feel like he was a part of DP.

He was, but he wasn’t in the street shit.

Kassir put me up on game to not have him in shit when Mike started coming around.

I appreciated the heads up, but was smart enough to know some niggas just didn’t have it in them to handle this life.

Although this was true, Mike still had his own apartment in the building and niggas respected him.

“Man, you know that shit ain’t happenin’ no time soon.

I’m ready to make this money, Terrez. Some real money.

The money I been makin’ ain’t shit compared to what I’d make if I was really hustlin’.

I even asked to be put on the block and they still won’t do it.

Them niggas said I can oversee the food drives and shit for the community.

Don’t nobody wanna do that lame ass shit,” he complained.

“I fuck with you, bruh, but I ain’t hiring right now,” I said as I laughed.

I’d be mad as hell too if I were him, but I also read the room.

There was a reason behind everything and Mike’s ass wasn’t seeing that.

When we made it out to the parking lot, I spotted the box truck and walked up to it.

After shaking up with them I told them the plan and grabbed my wallet to pay their young asses.

I paid them extra since the shit was so last minute.

By the time we made it to Shalene’s old crib, it had stopped raining and the sun was starting to show.

Parking on the street, I climbed out of my Denali and walked to the car parked in front of me.

There was an Infinity truck parked in the driveway, but I concluded it belonged to that lame ass nigga since Shalene was sitting in the front seat of the Toyota Camry.

I was only a few feet from the driver side door when it opened and she stepped out.

The smile and excitement I’d seen on her face last night was now replaced with red eyes and sadness.

Seeing her like this pissed me the fuck off.

I’d given her my word that I wouldn’t come over here with the intention to start shit, but part of me was hoping that bitch ass nigga would come outside and say something to me.

“Wipe them tears away, man. You too fuckin’ good to be out here cryin’ over a pussy ass nigga.”

“I’m not crying over him; I’m just mad about the whole situation.

I never did anything to this man and he’s treating me like shit.

Has been for some time now and I’m just tired of it.

Yesterday when I came home from work, he all but forced me out the door.

It’s like he can’t stand the sight of me anymore,” Shalene vented.

“Fuck him. The only thing I’m worried about is getting your shit. My lil niggas gon’ load the truck and get your shit in your apartment for you. If you need your furniture put together, their asses can do that too.”

“This is so nice of you, Terrez. The movers sent my money, so I can pay your friends for the work.”

“Don’t worry about no money when it comes to me and don’t call them lil niggas my friends. The shit sound weird and I only have two friends, and even then, I call them niggas my brothers,” I explained before walking off to the driveway.

While I was in the middle of giving instructions, the front door came open and I turned back to see Shalene’s ex nigga standing there.

Even standing there in a wife beater and gray sweats, his scrawny ass still looked like a bitch.

The lil homies I was with ate niggas like him for breakfast, so I knew he wasn’t a match for me.

“Shalene, who the fuck are these people at my house?” he called out.

“Yo, my nigga, don’t address no woman in that tone, especially not her. If you got questions, direct them this way,” I interrupted.

This nigga had been in my presence for less than a minute and was already on strike number two.

I had no respect for men who were only tough with women.

It showed how much of a coward they were.

Had Shalene still been his wife, this whole situation would be different, but she wasn’t.

She was single and I was interested. Making me her protector by default.

“I’m talking to Shalene. I don’t know you,” Dude said as he unfolded his arms.

“Even more reason for you to direct your questions to me. I wish the fuck I would let some niggas I don’t know be on my property without explanation.”

“They’re helping me move my stuff, Brevin. We’ll all be gone as soon as my things are loaded,” Shalene admitted.

When Brevin went to speak, a woman’s voice came from behind him until she was in full view. The lady looked to be in her mid-twenties and she wasn’t bad looking at all. It was clear she and Brevin were in the house all comfortable from the hot pink robe and scarf she had on.

Glancing over at Shalene, I read her body language and knew she was bothered. She may not have wanted to be with the nigga, but I knew it still hurt. She hadn’t even moved out the crib fully and he already had the next bitch in it.

“Riyah, I told you to stay in the house. Let me take care of this and I’ll be back in,” Brevin said to the woman.

She looked between Brevin and Shalene before turning to head back inside. I just knew Shalene would be going off at any minute, but she surprised the hell out of me by staying quiet.

“Shalene, I didn’t mean?—”

“Brevin, leave me alone. As a matter of fact, call my dad whenever you wanna see Amayah. We can do exchanges and communicate through him. Once I get my shit off your property, I’d prefer to never see your stupid ass again.”

“Shalene, go to my truck,” I said sternly as I walked toward her.

“Excuse me, but I’m talking to my wife!”

“Ex-wife, muthafucka. And the next time you use an elevated tone with me, I’m gon’ put my foot so far up yo’ ass this size thirteen gon’ crush your voice box.

I don’t make threats, nigga, so this is your last warning.

I should beat yo’ ass just for having a lame ass name.

Who the fuck names their son Brevin? You were truly destined to be a bitch. ”

Walking past my lil niggas, I made sure they were straight before telling Mike to drive Shalene’s car to the apartment complex.

Surprisingly, she didn’t give me any push back when I asked her for her keys.

When we reached my truck, I helped her inside as I kept an eye on Brevin.

His expression had gone from mad to disappointed.

I could already tell he thought Shalene was supposed to be sick and not move on from his ass, but she was proving him wrong.

If she was willing to give me a real chance, I’d make her forget she even spent time with that nigga.