Chapter 11: SHAMEEK - A Street King's Widow

Irolled over and caressed Nikki’s back as she slept. After all the shit that went down the other day, I had some making up to do and I think I had done a good job. After a few stacks of money, some gifts, and good dick, Nikki had taken me out of the doghouse for leaving her hanging. For the last two days, she had been at my house. I eased the cover off me and went to the bathroom to shower. Since my operation had been infiltrated, I was in the process of changing a few things up. I wasn’t taking another chance after a muthafucka, I put on decided to steal from me. Thankfully, financially I didn’t take a loss. That wasn’t what bothered me. It was how easy the shit had been for him to pull off. The only reason he got caught was because of the trackers.

By the time I got out of the shower, Nikki was just waking up. I was trying to head out before she woke up so I wouldn’t have to go into the whole explaining myself and how long I was going to be gone. I had laid up long enough with her, and it was time to get things moving again.

“Where you going?” she asked, rubbing her eyes.

“I need to go and handle some business for the day. You can stay here if you want.”

“And how long is that going to take?”

Here we fucking go. It was always the questions.

“I don’t know how long this shit is gonna take. It can be a few hours or the whole day.”

Nikki threw the cover off and got up.

“I’m going to head home.”

What did she want me to do? Beg her to stay when all I was doing was being honest.

“Can I ask you somethin’?” I asked as I started getting dressed.

“Yes.”

“What’s wit’ yo’ attitude when I can’t sit up under you all day?”

“I took time off, Shameek. To be with you for a few days. Now you’re leaving me here to go and handle your business when I could be doing the same.”

I chuckled. “I’ve literally laid up with you for two days, bruh. I did that in the process of shuttin’ my operation down until I came up wit’ a plan. Now that I have a plan, I need to put it into action.”

“Okay.”

“Nikki, if you’re unhappy wit’ a nigga, you don’t have to fuck wit’ me. Go be happy somewhere else. I can’t sit under yo’ ass twenty-four seven. Not if you plan on continuing to receive the gifts that I give you.”

“Fuck the gifts, Shameek. I want a man.”

“Yeah, take yo’ ass on. Not once have I not been a man.”

“Oh, you putting me out now.”

“No, I’m tellin’ you to take yo’ ass on before we get into it. When we first started fuckin’ ‘round, you knew what I did for a livin’. You said it was cool. As the years have gone by and the more money rolls in, the more attitude you got.”

“Because by now, I thought I would’ve been a wife like Kyenna.”

And there it was. Kyenna’s name again.

“You wanna be a wife like Kyenna? Do you kno’ what she sacrificed for her marriage? You lookin’ from the outside. Kyenna held my muthafuckin’ brother down. When that nigga didn’t walk in the door until two or three in the mornin’, she wasn’t houndin’ that nigga. She knew what it took for him to get Royal Flush goin’ ‘cause she helped build that shit.”

“So, I got to be a ride or die in order to be your wife. I’m sorry, but I’m not built for the street shit, so I’ll pass.”

“And there you have it.” I flopped my arms. “That’s why for years we just been chillin’ and fuckin’. I kno’ you not built for this shit.”

“Wow! Instead of you changing for me, you rather stay the same.”

“Aye man, you done?”

Nikki grabbed the rest of her shit and walked out of the room. Moments later, I could hear my alarm going off and her slamming the door. Usually, I was the one chasing her ass and trying to make the shit right. I loved her, but her entitlement was starting to wear my ass out. She was going to have to reach out to me first.

I stood in front of the whiteboard looking over every route we had used in the last six months. My drivers knew their routes too damn well. Dispatch knew them well, too. If it was working perfect, I never changed shit. The money was flowing, the product was being delivered, and customers were happy. Rah dying hadn’t changed that. Niggas were watching us harder, waiting on one of us to fuck up while grieving. I erased the whole damn board. Starting today, no driver would know where they were going until he arrived for the shift. Dispatch wouldn’t receive the full route list anymore either. They would get just enough information to get the truck moving. The drivers would not know what was on another man’s truck. The warehouse workers would only pack the trucks by numbers, instead of routes. That way their ass didn’t know either. I would give them just enough information to do their fucking job and nothing more.

If it slowed us down for a few weeks, so be it. I’d rather move slower than lose another truck to a fuck nigga. I had already replaced every tracking device overnight. The old ones weren’t bad, but too many people knew where they were located. I didn’t even give my pops the information. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust him, it was just that the fewer mouths that knew the information, the better. I hated that I was predictable. Once I was satisfied with my new method, I sent an email out for everyone to report back to work the next day. I wasn’t a bad nigga. I knew me stopping the flow of things for a few days dried up some of their money because they had no sense of financial literacy. Most of them lived above their means and liked to flex when they went out.

“Lloyd, what’s up?” I said, answering his call.

“I got the email with the results. Ryleigh is a King, as y’all suspected. However, Raya is requesting the funds be released immediately. I called Kyenna, but she’s not answering. I remember you saying something about adding an addendum about visitation.”

“Hell yeah! I don’t think Rah was thinkin’ that the bitch would keep baby girl from us. Before funds are released, I want to have one last meetin’ wit’ Raya. I need Kyenna present since the estate is really hers. I just kno’ Raya will fold if it’s me.”

“I’ll set it up.”

“Make it today. I’m free for the rest of the day.”

“I’ll set it for four this afternoon. That should give Kyenna time to clear her schedule,” he said.

Fuck he knew about Kyenna clearing her schedule? Which reminded me I needed to call her. We hadn’t talked since Nikki was at the house.

“Bet, I’ll see you then.”

I hung up with him and dialed Kyenna’s number. She answered with music playing in the background.

“How’s it goin’?”

“You hear it. Everything is everything. What you up to?”

“Workin’ just like you. Do you need anything? I haven’t heard from you in a few days.”

“No, I don’t need anything. When I did call, Nikki said you were busy.”

I ran my hand down my face. Nikki was confusing when it came to Kyenna. Sometimes she would speak highly of her and say she wanted to be friends, and then the next, she would get offended if Kyenna called.

“My bad for that. I was in the doghouse, and I had to work my way out. I was a little busy kissin’ ass.”

“Spare me the details.”

“I was callin’ to let you kno’ we’re havin’ a meetin’ at Lloyd’s at four.”

“Yeah, he just sent me a text.”

Now the nigga was texting instead of calling. That was unprofessional as fuck if you asked me.

“Oh, I just got off the phone wit’ him not even five minutes ago.”

“Yeah, well, the text just came through. What is it about?”

“Raya wantin’ her funds released and we need visitation.”

“Y’all could’ve done that shit without me. You know how that girl mouth gets, and I don’t know how long y’all want me to stay ladylike when it comes to her. I actually been owed her one.”

I laughed. “That’s the reason I’m there. I’m fightin’ for this shit for all of us.”

“I appreciate it, Shameek, but if she doesn’t want me to see Ryleigh, I have to respect it.”

“I’ll see you at four, Kyenna.”

At four, I was waiting outside of Lloyd’s office for Kyenna to pull up. I was surprised to see she wasn’t driving today and pulled up in a black truck with Grif’s right-hand man driving. I stepped down to open the door for her and help her out.

“You’re not drivin’ today?”

“I wasn’t feeling well today and decided to let someone else drive me.”

“Did I not ask you a few hours ago how you were feelin’?”

“Shameek, I’m fine. That was when I woke up this morning.”

Our conversation was cut short when Raya pulled up. Her attitude was obvious when she mugged me and Kyenna before walking in the office.

“I don’t have time for this shit,” Kyenna said as we headed inside.

“Shit, me either, but it’s the only way I’m going to see my niece.”

Lloyd wasn’t even able to close his door before Raya went off.

“Where the fuck is my money? I did what y’all wanted me to do, and now y’all are still holding my shit. Why the fuck are we here and why is she here?” She looked over at Kyenna.

“My presence really fucks with you, don’t it?” Kyenna said, crossing her legs.

I reached over and touched Kyenna’s arm. I did it for two reasons. My eyes went straight to Lloyd, who looked a little uncomfortable, and then to Raya, who was pissed.

“I called the meetin’,” I told her. “The money is yours, but I need you to understand the visitation rights my family will have in the process.”

“You doing this for her?” Raya pointed at Kyenna.

“Raya, we both kno’ yo’ daughter loves Kyenna. What’s the point of keepin’ her away?”

“Because I don’t want my daughter around her. Have you ever heard the saying ‘not to let your children around a bitch that doesn’t like you?’”

“Watch your words,” Kyenna warned.

“Or what?”

Kyenna sat her purse down and uncrossed her legs.

“Okay…Okay,” Lloyd said. “Raya, the visitation is simple. Kyenna gets one weekend a month with Ryleigh. The Kings get one weekend a month as well.”

“We both kno’ you’ll take two free weekends a month,” I told her.

“I’ve drawn up the agreement. Kyenna will get the last weekend of every month, and the King’s will get the middle of the month.”

Raya picked the paper up and read over it.

“If I agree, when do I get my money?”

“I will deposit it as soon as you sign your name, and it will start being deposited monthly.”

“And what about last month’s payment?”

“You shouldn’t get that since you waited around to get the test done,” I told her.

“It will be retroactively paid, Raya,” Lloyd told her.

Raya didn’t hesitate to pick up the pen and sign her name. She gave Kyenna a death stare before grabbing her purse and leaving.

“Is there anything else I need to do?” Kyenna asked.

“No, but can you give me and Lloyd a second alone before you leave? I want to walk you out,” I told her.

Kyenna got up and walked out, and now it was just me and Lloyd.

“You fuckin’ my sister-in-law?” I just came out and said it.

“What?”

“Y’all have become extremely close since the death of my brother.”

“We are close because this is new for her. She has questions, and I have answers.”

I twisted one of my locs while staring in his eyes.

“Okay.”

“What does that okay mean?” Lloyd leaned back in his chair.

“It means okay, nigga.”

“Nah, Shameek, you asked if I fucking Kyenna, then stared at me for thirty seconds. That okay got some meaning behind it.”

I smirked because maybe I had underestimated his ass a little. All that suit-wearing and proper talking made it easy to forget Rah fucked with Lloyd for a reason.

“I just wanted to kno’ what type of time you on. That’s all.”

“And if I was interested in her.”

I stopped twisting my loc.

“Are you?”

“I’m not sleeping with Kyenna. I haven’t crossed any lines with her. She lost her husband two months ago, Shameek. A man who happened to be one of my closest friends. I’m not that kind of man.”

“Thank you for makin’ that clear.”

“Kyenna is an attractive woman. She’s intelligent, and she’s funny when she’s not dealing with her grief or anyone else’s problems. Do I enjoy talking to her? Yes, I do. If you’re asking me whether I’m blind, the answer is no. If you’re asking me whether I’m trying to get in bed with her while she’s grieving Rah, the answer is also no.”

“That’s fair. Still don’t like the shit.”

“Why does it matter?”

“Because she’s my brother’s wife.”

“Widow,” Lloyd corrected.

“I kno’ what the fuck she is. She’s my family and any nigga sniffing around her more than usual, I’m gonna see what the fuck he on. Don’t matter if it’s you nigga, the mailman, or the nigga cuttin’ the fuckin’ grass outside.”

“Fair.” Lloyd laughed.

“We good then.” I got up to leave.

“Have a good day, Shameek.”

“Fuck you.”