6. Mercy
MERCY
“This shit is going to be boring,” I said as I stepped out of my car.
I looked around, trying to get my bearings before nodding.
Legacy got out of the passenger side with an attitude, and I tried not to laugh.
This was not her speed; why she agreed to come was beyond me, but I was glad that she did because she would be my excuse to leave early.
“Then why are we here?” she asked as she closed the door.
I stepped around the car, and we headed inside to the party.
Javien’s house wasn’t as big as I thought it would be, but it was still lovely.
He had large, oversized windows, cherrywood floors, and an open floor plan; his modern furniture didn’t fit into the space, but I wasn’t a designer and paid someone to decorate my house.
We made our way inside, and the first thing that hit my nose was the smell of weed.
“Because if what was said in the locker room a few weeks ago is true, then you need to send one of your cousins after him.”
“I talked to them about it,” I lied. I hadn’t mentioned anything to my cousins because I wanted Javien for myself. I’d seen the videos and heard the stories about him. “They said they would look into it.”
“Even that scary-looking one?” Legacy asked, and I laughed. She thought all my cousins looked scary, especially Ex and Judge, but most people did. I knew better; I knew they were the nice ones. It was the sisters that scared me the most.
“Ohh shit, you made it,” Javien said, coming up to us.
He wore a big smile on his oversized face, and it took everything in me not to roll my eyes.
Javien was not attractive; he looked funny with his oversized mouth, little teeth, and big eyes.
He liked to do shit without permission, and because of that, I had a special place in hell reserved just for him.
“We did,” I said, smiling. “Thank you for the invite.”
Javien gave Legacy a side hug before pulling me into one. He took his time letting go of me, and it took everything in me not to pull away. “Nah, thank you for coming.” Javien looked me up and down, then licked his lips. “You look good as fuck.”
I looked down at my outfit and tried not to laugh.
I wasn’t wearing anything special, just a pair of hunter-green cargo pants, a black fitted Givens jersey, and his signature shoes that hadn’t been released to the public yet.
My hair was pulled into a sloppy bun on the top of my head, no make-up and my glasses.
I’d intentionally come out looking like I’d rather be home, and Javien’s slow ass didn’t even care.
“Thanks,” I mumbled as I looked around. “Who’s all here?”
“Just a few from the league and behind the scenes. I think I saw Hood step through not too long ago so that means Givens is probably here, too.” Javien tugged at my shirt and laughed lowly. “You trying to get his autograph or something?”
“Or something,” I heard Legacy say, and I smirked.
Even though I hadn’t said anything, I knew she saw the attraction between Givens and myself.
Whenever we were in the same room, I wanted to crawl into his space and skin.
He was fine and had an air of confidence around him that not a lot of men could pull off without coming across as cocky.
But he was cocky, too; the way he walked into a room like he owned it without saying a word always made me smile. “Where’s the food, Javien?”
“The kitchen,” he answered, not taking his eyes off me. “Do you want something to drink?”
“No, I don’t drink,” I said, shaking my head. A look of annoyance flashed across his face briefly, but it quickly disappeared. “I’ll grab me a water, though.”
“Bet,” he said, nodding.
“We’ll be in the kitchen,” I said. Javien looked between me and Legacy before nodding and walking away.
“I can not stand his ass,” Legacy said as we walked away.
I laughed and nodded in agreement. We went into the kitchen and looked around.
The food was decent looking, but I wasn’t hungry, and I knew Legacy wasn’t, either.
We’d eaten before leaving my house and were using food as an excuse to escape Javien.
“Then what are you here for?” a deep voice said behind us.
We turned around to see Hood behind us with a bored look on his face.
Even though Javien mentioned that he’d seen Hood around, seeing him here was still a surprise.
Hood was social but never with the players on either team.
He kept a safe, professional distance, but I knew he was a bad boy, too.
“Supporting my best friend,” Legacy responded with a slight laugh. She grabbed bottled water from the counter and opened it. “What are you here for? This isn’t your normal hang out.”
“How do you know?” Hood replied with a small laugh.
His dark eyes rolled over Legacy with appreciation and want.
I let out a small laugh and shook my head.
My best friend had no clue that the quiet man in front of her wanted her badly.
Hood wasn’t typically Legacy’s type, but I could see them working.
Hood was quiet and well-educated but rough around the edges.
When I met him last year when Pyrite started recruiting me, he’d brought Hood along to sweeten the deal.
Having Hood as the team’s doctor was the added bonus that no other team had.
“You’ve never said more than five words to me. ”
“I talk to you all the time, Hood,” she replied and playfully rolled her eyes.
“Yeah, shit like ‘wrap this ankle’ or ‘I need an ice pack,’” he said, mocking her soft voice. “You got a nigga feeling like I’m only good as your personal servant and shit.”
“Never that,” Legacy said, shaking her head. “Unless that’s what you're trying to be.”
Instead of answering her, Hood softly chuckled, licked his lips, and stared her down. His eyes went from Legacy to over my shoulder, and he smirked. “Took you long enough to get here,” he said.
I turned around to see Givens standing behind me.
I looked him up and down, taking him in, and felt my nipples get hard.
He was fine, dressed in a black Nike tracksuit, gray beanie on his head, and black and gray dunks on his feet.
Even dressed down, Givens was the most attractive man here, and he knew it, too, from the smirk he wore on his face.
“You came to party or go study?” Givens playfully asked as he tugged at my shirt.
I looked down at my clothes and then up to see him smiling.
I don’t know what surprised me more: the sight of him smiling or the fangs in his mouth.
He looked damn good before, but now he had my panties wet and my pussy throbbing.
“I came to see something,” I answered with my own smile.
“Aw yeah?” he chuckled, and I nodded. “And what’s that?”
“My business,” I replied with a shrug. “What are you here for?”
“To handle something,” he answered without hesitation.
I lifted my brow in question, and he shrugged.
He bent down and put his mouth to my ear.
“I see you rockin’ a nigga’s name, DeCorte.
I can’t even front, that shit sexy as fuck.
” He pulled back and let his gaze roam over my body. “You just don’t know.”
“Let me find out then,” I replied, mimicking his actions, and pulled the bottom of his shirt.
“There you go,” Javien said, coming into the kitchen. He walked over to the group and threw his arm around me. “Thank you for keeping her entertained for me, Givens. I heard a few cheerleaders say they were looking for you. You might want to check that out.”
“Aw yeah?” Givens asked, and Javien nodded. Givens took a drink of his water and chuckled lowly. “What the fuck are they looking for me for?”
“That’s what you gotta find out,” Javien replied with a shrug. He turned to me, disrespectfully dismissing Givens. “You ready to kick it? I just talked to the DJ, and he’s about to show out. I’m trying to see how your hips move.”
“That ain’t about to happen,” Givens said lowly. “That shit you were yapping about ain’t happening. Step off her, Javien.”
Givens pulled me back by the bottom of my shirt to stand beside him. I looked at Legacy to see Hood doing the same thing and rolled my eyes. I hated it when men tried to one-up each other and get tough. Like either fight or kill each other, but the whole tough thing was boring.
“Or what, Givens?” Javien chuckled. “You realize you’re in my shit. I own this house, so if I say you stepped to me wrong and I gotta handle you, there won’t be a soul in this bitch that will go against my word.”
“You think that?” he questioned with his own laugh.
Givens shook his head and stepped into Javien’s face.
“The better question is, you think I give a fuck? I’ll kill every nigga in this house and walk away scott-free, remember who the fuck you are talking to, Javien.
That hood life never left me; I buried it to get a bag. ”
“Hey, now I like my life,” Legacy said from behind Hood.
It wasn’t funny, but I couldn’t help but laugh at my best friend.
Legacy never hid the fact that she wasn’t from the hood, and if someone brought it up, she would quickly remind them that she came from the suburbs.
“So, can y’all calm that thug shit down? ”
“I ain’t on no thug shit, Legacy; this nigga just needs to step back,” Javien said, shaking his head. He looked over at me and smiled before putting out his hand. “Come on, baby, let's get out of here.”
“You take that nigga hand, and I’ll be on the ten o’clock news,” Givens said without taking his eyes off Javien.
“For what exactly?” I questioned softly.
“Murder,” he said, then turned to look at me.
The dark look in his eyes had me ready to either jump right on his dick or take Javien’s hand just to see him crash out.
Shit was toxic, and I swore I was over the toxic era in my life, but now I was starting to rethink it.
“And because I know about that life, I know you’ll hold me down. ”
“Oh no baby, she ain’t Monica, she not holding no nigga down or doing a bid,” Legacy said, shaking her head. “As her best friend, I’m telling you right now we are not doin’ that!”
“Legacy, chill the fuck out,” Hood said, shaking his head and trying not to laugh. “Givens got this handled.”
“Right,” Givens said, nodding. He mugged me before turning and smiling at Javien.
Before I could respond, he snatched Javien up and slammed him into the fridge.
Givens was taller than Javien but had a slimmer build, but the way he handled Javien, you wouldn’t have known.
He went to work beating the fuck out of him, and all I could do was stand there and watch.
I didn’t feel shit for Javien, not even a little bad because he was getting beat up.
The flash of a camera caught my eye and I turned to see a woman standing in the door frame taking pictures on her phone. I closed the space between us and snatched her phone from her hand.
“Nah, baby girl, we don’t do that here,” I said, shaking my head as I deleted the pictures. “What happens here stays here, no proof, no problems.” I handed her the phone back and shook my head. “That’s your only warning.”
“It wasn’t even that deep,” she said, then kissed her teeth. I tried to remember her name, but came up blank. I knew she was a cheerleader for the Kings, but that was it. “Givens is known for showing out.”
“I said what I said, baby girl,” I laughed softly and shook my head. “And if I find out anything different, you’ll be seeing me.”
“Oh yeah?” she smirked and rolled her eyes. I let out another laugh; this bitch was trying it today. “Mercy, you might be tough on the court, but that’s it. Nobody is afraid of you.”
“Good, I like it that way.” I smiled sweetly at her and winked. Her brow lifted in question, and to add insult to injury, I playfully tapped her nose with my index finger before walking away.
“Did you just tap her nose?” Legacy asked, and I nodded. I looked around the room for Givens, but he was gone. “Why?”
“Cuz I like to fuck with people’s heads,” I answered with a shrug.
I took my phone from my pocket and sent a text to Cross.
Me:
I need a favor.
Cross:
What is it?
Me:
An address.
The three dots at the bottom of the screen jumped briefly before my phone rang. “Yes, Murderer?” I laughed as I walked out of the house with Legacy.
“I’m getting dressed,” she said softly. “Whatever you’re up to, I want in.”
I unlocked my car, got inside, and started it. Legacy glanced over at me but didn’t say anything. I waited for the phone to connect to Bluetooth before pulling off.
“I think I can handle this on my own.”
“My husband, the man that I’ve loved for almost fifteen years, the father of my children, the man I will lay down my life for, is getting on my damn nerves,” she said, and all I could do was laugh.
“I’m serious! I need an outlet, and I have a feeling you’re about to do something very much DeCorte right now. ”
“Oh, hell no!” Legacy yelled as she shook her head.
It looked like we’d grown up similar on the outside, but we were the complete opposite.
Legacy came from a two-parent home; her mama was a doctor, and her daddy was a law professor.
They were too busy with their careers to even remember they had a daughter.
She used basketball as an escape, which eventually turned into an amazing career.
We met as freshmen in college and spent our collegiate careers breaking records and winning championships.
When we were drafted into the WNBA, we went to separate teams. Legacy was benched after an injury in her second year playing.
It took time, patience, and a lot of hard work for her to get better.
The day Pyrite offered me a contract to play with the Queens, I was hesitant, but then he offered me something no other team had: peace of mind and Legacy.
He provided my best friend with a contract comparable to mine, and I knew I couldn’t say no. “Take me home right damn now!”
“Chill out, Legacy,” Cross and I said simultaneously.
“I’m not going to do anything,” I laughed and patted her leg.
Cross kissed her teeth and then sighed. “So I’m getting dressed for nothing?” she asked.
“Yep,” I answered. “I just need an address.”
“Man,” she fussed. “Let me waddle my ass to this laptop, then I’ll call you back.”
“Still, take me home,” Legacy said after she hung up. “I know you; I know that look you have. You might not be going to do something off the wall, but it’ll still be crazy.”
“Fine,” I laughed as I steered the car onto the onramp to get on the highway. “Just know it’ll be fun, and you’re missing out.”
“I doubt it,” she denied as she shook her head.