Chapter 6 Devin “The Mercenary” Mercer
Three men in the paint. One on the line.
Fake right, go left. My mind was in a zone, but in the midst of me about to take a contested three, I heard Blaise’s words in my head.
Stopping, I threw the ball to my homie Nock who was wide open.
Pulling back, he sunk the three in with ease.
Doing his signature move, he ended it with a point at me.
Hustling back to the other end of the court, I kept my mind on the ball.
Not the players, the big round thing that bounced along the court and through my veins.
I didn’t have to learn players and their ways because I knew that ball like I knew every being in my body.
Normally, I wouldn’t attempt to stick defense, but I was in mode today.
Timing it correctly, I stripped him of the ball and shot it down the court to Nock.
Seeing the way he grabbed it; I knew what he was about to do.
Taking off down the stretch, I watched him send it against the backboard allowing me to catch it and dunk that bitch in.
The crowd went crazy, and we both did our signature moves.
There was no way Blaise would be able to talk shit tonight.
The rest of the game went the same. Me showing the fuck out while also including my team.
I recorded my first triple double tonight and I’m not gone lie, it felt good.
I saw the reporters speaking to every player, but me.
They was avoiding my ass like the plague.
Knowing I wanted to send a message, I walked over to Dena Cruz.
I respected her and how she moved, so I chose her.
“Nock you scored a season high of thirty, do you think it has anything to do with Mercer giving up assists tonight?”
“That, and just the feeling of playing at home. It’s nothing better than that.”
“Yes, but-…” Nock interrupted her.
“No buts. We had a good game as a team, and I’m about to go enjoy it. Have a great night.” She was trying to get him to talk shit about me, but he wasn’t biting. When I saw he was done, I stepped in front of the camera.
“So, you don’t wanna talk to me?” I could see the strained look on her face, but what was she going to do? We were live.
“I was about to look for you. Impressive game tonight, Mercer. You got a triple double that shocked all of us. How does it feel?”
“It feels good to know you all were shocked. The triple double was not shocking. I know what I’m capable of and I know what I can do. Now, you all do to.” I looked at the camera and smirked as I licked my lips.
“What changed? Your game is usually the same, but tonight, it was a different fire in you.”
“Blaise.”
“As in a blazing fire?” Looking at the reporter, I almost cursed her slow ass out.
“No, Blaise Monroe. I wanted her to see it’s different things I can do with my balls. It’s on her to let me know when she wanna see the other shit I can do.”
“Mercer, we’re-…”
“I know, we’re live. That’s the point. I wanted her to know I’m coming.” Smiling, I walked off and went to the locker room.
“You wanna go out with us and have drinks? We all heading out in a few.” Nock was looking at me and I could tell he was on a high.
“Naw, I’m go to the crib and watch highlights on the game.”
“Nigga, the same highlights will be running tomorrow. Plus, you already know what they gone say. That’s why we’re celebrating.”
“I’m only concerned with one. I’ll catch yall another time.” I got in the shower, got dressed, and walked out to my car. Jumping inside of my custom Maserati, I headed to watch highlights with my OG.
Pulling up at her house, I put in my code and headed inside. Downstairs was quiet, so I ran up the stairs to her room. She was sitting in the chair already watching ESPN.
“What up, Twin?”
“What’s up baby. I see you’re on every station again.”
“Yeah, this time on purpose. Has Real Raw Sports come on yet?” I walked over to her and kissed her on the cheek by her hairline. She placed her hand to it and smiled as she always did whenever I kissed her there.
“Nope, but if that hoe talk shit about you again imma beat her ass.” I looked at her and laughed hard. She could barely speak her words clearly because of the slurring but was still talking shit. “Oh, and I’m going to need a new nurse.” This had my attention piqued.
“She mistreating you?”
“Naw, you done fucked the girl and now she won’t stop talking about you. A million damn questions. Six in the morning she wants to know if you’re in town and what do I think you’re doing. The damn girl obsessing over breakfast, and I just want my bacon.”
“What? How you figure I slept with her?”
“Ain’t no girl doing all that just over a lil crush. Now, why would you sleep with that girl and then stick her in here with me?”
“I had to test her out and make sure she was good.” After saying it out loud, I couldn’t do shit but laugh. “Say Twin, imma need you to stay out of my business.”
“Then stop sticking your business in my house after you stick your business in their cat.”
“Say Twin, you real feisty today.”
“Hush, they talking about how good my son played today.”
“I’m about to order some food, you hungry?”
“You can go home and come back in the morning. Real Raw Sports don’t come on til tomorrow.”
“I’m good right here. I’m just glad your body still a lil sluggish. You used to sleep wild as hell, Twin.”
“Boy, fuck you. Now, order me some crab cakes and mashed potatoes. The strength in my mouth not back yet.” I looked at her like she was crazy.
“Your mouth ain’t stopped since I got here.
Something working in that mufucka.” That caused her to laugh, and it made my heart smile.
When she first had the stroke, I was treating her like a fragile piece of glass, but she didn’t want that.
She made me promise to treat her like nothing was different, so that’s what I did.
Truth is, I was scared out of my mind to lose her.
She was literally all I had, and a nigga wouldn’t be the same without her.
Lying in her bed, I grabbed my phone and placed our order.
Grabbing the remote, she turned up the television as we watched highlights.
It felt good to hear them finally give me my just due.
However, it wasn’t from the people I wanted to hear it from.
I looked at the clock and got pissed. Time was moving slow as hell and I needed it to be on crack.