Chapter 3
Kove
As soon as I made it back to my suite, I yanked my hoodie off and face planted into the bed.
I was exhausted, which was evident by the decision I made to cop the first house Xiah showed me.
It was nice, had all the things that mattered, but the responsible thing would have been for me to check the other properties to be sure that one we toured was truly what I wanted.
I just didn’t have it in me, so while we did the tour, I watched her reaction to everything she pointed out and enjoyed the way her pretty ass got excited about details that didn’t really mean shit to me at present but one day might make or break my experience living there.
That sealed the deal. I decided that since she loved the damn house it couldn’t be all that bad.
She did this shit for a living, which meant she knew what to look for. Even though I had a feeling she was either new at this or not all that great—which also spoke to how foolish my decision was to drop two million on the first spot we checked out—I still went with it.
I only had about half a million in the bank from playing overseas, which meant paying cash for the house was going to come out of the advance on my contract.
My pockets weren’t deep like that yet, but I didn’t lie when I said I didn’t need much.
The season would be my focus and that meant all my time would be invested on the court and training.
Sovoya promised some deals would be coming my way and prayerfully they would be decent. Xiah was too damn excited about making the sale, even though she tried her best to hide it, and I wanted to bless her. Something in my spirit said she needed it and I trusted my gut.
I also needed a few solid hours of sleep before chilling with my people for the rest of the night. If I spent the day looking at houses, that wasn’t happening. I only had to hand over two hours of my time to officially become a homeowner and that was cool by me.
By the time I peeled my eyes open, my entire suite was dark.
I sluggishly grabbed my phone and checked the time, cursing under my breath when I realized it was after six and Fadez would be closed when I made the ninety-minute drive to Diamond Falls.
I needed a shape up bad, so I scrolled through my phone and found my boy’s number.
“You official?” was how he answered and I smirked.
“Yeah, fam, signed that shit yesterday.”
“Congrats, Kove. It’s been a long time coming.”
I nodded even though he couldn’t see me. “Yeah, it has. I don’t know how much time they’re gonna give me on the court but I’m ready to run that shit back like the old days. I don’t mind earning a spot. We’re about to put in work out there like we used to.”
“Yeah, hopefully I’ll be back before playoffs.”
“Fuck you mean be back?”
“I’m out for the start of the season. Injured my groin. They didn’t tell you?”
“Hell nah, no one said a damn thing. How bad is it?”
“Bad enough but I’m not trying to be out the entire season, so I’m dealing with it.”
I smirked. “I thought your wife was the one who was gonna be putting in work to keep up with you. How she got you pulling muscles and shit? She done fucked you right into an injury.”
He laughed hard as hell. “Bruh, fuck you. Trust, this don’t have shit to do with my wife and I can damn sure handle her ass.”
I chuckled. “I’m just fucking with you.”
“Season’s gonna be straight though. Jabari and Meyer are going to hold it down with you out there. They’re solid as hell too.”
I agreed. The Royals had been winning championships back to back. The loss this past season meant they would be more than motivated to secure another trophy. I planned on being a part of that, and thanks to Tyriq, it was happening.
“You know I appreciate you looking out, right?”
“We’re family. I’m gonna always look out. You talked to Yoel yet?”
When I left, I cut ties with pretty much everyone. Balling for CFU was cool. I walked on, came off the bench and showed the fuck out. The coaches didn’t buy into pushing my career because I wasn’t the type to live or die to be on the court.
I fucked off at practice if I showed up, hardly ever rode with the team or engaged with the group shit, and didn’t kiss ass with the coaches.
I still put double digits on the board every game.
Me and my boy Riq collectively were responsible for eighty percent of the points each time we hit the court.
My stats outshined their All-American players who spent time with top trainers and elite AAU teams across the country.
The coaches labeled me as disrespectful, saying I had no respect for the game, but needed me for the wins so they tolerated my presence.
They viewed me as the hood nigga with skills who wouldn’t make it past college, if I graduated.
There was no way they were pushing for me to be drafted, whereas Tyriq would be going first round.
After I received my degree, I’d fully planned on taking my ass back to D-Ville.
When an agent reached out to me about playing overseas, I never intended to accept the offer.
I told him to suck my dick and left it at that.
If I didn’t walk on as a Royal then I planned on chilling.
Basketball was something I was good at but not my world.
I had love for it but not enough to be fucked up behind not moving to the next level.
The night I dropped a body because Yoel and I got into it with some East Street niggas changed everything.
The minute one of them pressed steel to his forehead, the decision was made.
I pulled the trigger and dropped him before he could body Yoel.
My brother was pissed and felt the guilt of allowing me to carry that type of weight.
It was my decision, not his, but he wouldn’t let it go.
Staying in D-Ville meant I wouldn’t do shit with my life.
That might have been true, but it was also my decision to make.
Yoel wasn’t having it. He demanded that I accept the offer to play overseas or he would be taking the time for a body I dropped.
Yoel and I were damn near twins and also had the same height and build.
He was in possession of the gun I used that night and the ink that a witness had identified on the arm of the shooter who pulled the trigger.
He could make that happen. I refused to let my brother do twenty for the blood on my hands, so I hit up ol’ boy, told him I would accept the offer, and dipped.
When Sovoya reached out a couple weeks ago asking to represent me, I was confused as hell about how she even knew who I was. I didn’t entertain her conversation until she let me know Tyriq was the one who co-signed my name as a potential Royals asset. I hit his line and he kept it simple.
“You got two championships over there, it’s time for you to come get one with me.”
I booked a flight and brought my ass home. I wasn’t sure how my brother would feel about it, but this time the decision was mine, not his.
I brushed a hand over my head. “He knows I touched down but I haven’t filled him in on why yet. I’m about to head that way though.”
“Look, I know he had his reasons for wanting you to dip back then. It was the only way he knew how to handle it. The decision fucked him up bad, Kove. On some real shit, it’s time…”
For me to be back where I belong…
“Yeah, he’ll be cool.”
“Yeah, he will be.”
“You coming through later?”
“Nah, my baby girl is sick and she likes to be up under me, so I’m inside tonight.”
I grinned at the thought of Riq having a wife and daughter.
Especially considering his wife was older and they’d started out as fuck buddies.
Life will check what you think you want and hand you something completely different.
Three years ago, Riq was stressed the fuck out about being drafted and Teaira popped up pregnant right in the middle of everything he was dealing with.
That nigga crashed out but they made it work.
“Damn, so you’re deep up in the family shit.”
“Hell yeah, that’s my heart. Shit, both of ’em.”
“I fucks with it. I’ma pull up on y’all soon though.”
“Aight, bet.”
I was about to end the call but remembered the reason I hit him up. “Ay, you got a barber in town you trust? I was gonna hit Fadez but they’ll be closed by the time I get to the city.”
“Yeah, I see Nyla over at She’s Elite Cutz. She’s nice as hell with the clippers and has a private suite where she handles her celebrity clients. You trying to go today?”
“If she can get me in, yeah.” I brushed a hand over my head.
“Aight, give me a minute to hit her up. If she has an opening, I’ll send you her information.”
“’Preciate that.”
“You know what it is. Cradle to the casket.”
“Cradle to the casket,” I returned and ended the call to get dressed so I could head out. Even if I wasn’t able to get a cut, I was heading home to see my people.
Riq came through with the hook up with Nyla.
She had a cancellation, so ten minutes after my call with my boy, I was in an iDrive heading her way.
She had me right an hour later and I added her to my list for when I couldn’t get home to hit up Fadez.
After my cut, I showered, threw on jeans, a basic T-shirt, and Jordan low retros so I could head out.
I scheduled an iDrive only to be hit back with a message from the driver asking if I was legit trying to get to Diamond Falls because of the distance and price.
I let him know I was cool with what the ninety-minute drive would cost and even requested his CashMe payment link to hit him with something extra for being out of pocket during the time it would take him to get me there and for him to get back.