A Thug's Wife (Full Length Novel) (11 page)

             
“You got a problem with what?” Quasym asked after blowing the smoke in the air. He went back to the bed and sat down with his back facing Zaria.

He was going through so much, and the weight of it all was starting to get to him. He was stressing about the whole Hova situation and wanted to
make sure he handled it in the right way. He planned to set him up the same way he had done Dan-D, but first he had to think it through. He didn’t want anyone to know about this and having a slip up like he had before.

With the way he was feeling right n
ow, the last thing he needed was Zaria nagging about him going to talk to his child’s mother. Although it was clear that Tianna wanted him, he didn’t want her, so Zaria had nothing to worry about. This is a conversation that they didn’t even need to have, but he knew that since Zaria brought it up, there was no way out of it.

             
“I have a problem with you going over there and your daughter isn’t even there. I feel like you shouldn’t be going over there to visit her anyway. You should only be picking her up and bringing her back home when you want to see her, and I feel like I should be there with you when you pick her up.”

             
“What you think that I’m still fucking her?” Quasym asked angrily.

             
“Let’s just be clear. I don’t know what you are doing. I’m not gonna lie and say that I don’t have my suspicions, but can you blame me? I just found out the day before our wedding that you even had a fucking child. As your wife, I am going to stand by your side, but I do want some respect.”

             
“So, now I’m disrespecting you?” Quasym took another puff off his blunt and slowly shook his head.

"I didn't say that you were disrespecting me. I only said I want respect. If the shoe were on the other foot, how would you feel about the whole situation? And how would you act?"

      Quasym thought about what if the shoe had been on the other foot and knew that he and Zaria would likely have never walked down the aisle. He was like most niggas, the kind that could dish it but couldn’t take it if they chick had done them the same.

There was no way he would stick around knowing Zaria had gotten pregnant and gave birth to another man's child. The thought alone made his
stomach churn. He shook the queasy feeling off and stared down at the floor.

He suddenly felt horrible knowing th
at Zaria had to deal with the mistake he made every damn day. The least he could do was to comply with her wishes so that she felt comfortable knowing that it will never happen again. As he thought about it, having Zaria with him when he showed up to Tianna's was probably for the best. That way he could avoid his dick ever falling into her mouth again.

             
"I'm cool with that. I wanted to go get her this weekend," Quasym said as he stood up to face Zaria.

"I thought we were going to Jamaica this weekend. Our
honeymoon, remember?"

    "Yea I remember, but we gonna have to reschedule that. I need to put in more work so I can get you a house. I gotta go and build me a team up, and I gotta do it quick. I'm a be busier than ever now. So Devon and me gonna start on
that tomorrow..."

      "Devon? Devon is working with you?" Zaria asked with her brows raised.

      Quasym scratched his head and took a puff of his blunt, "Fuck. I forgot about that shit. Man don't say nothing to Yessenia. Stay out of it."

      "Stay
out of it? That's my friend, Sym."

      "So what? Just ‘cause she your damn friend don’t mean you gotta go running and tell her shit. Devon came to me ‘cause he needed to get some money, and I made a way for us to both do that. You go back and say something to Yessenia; it’s gonna fucking
ruin their relationship and then that shit is gonna be on me. Let him tell her on his own time.”

Zaria crossed her arms over her chest and shook her head. She had known that something wasn’t right when Yessenia told her that Devon was working as a supervis
or at UPS. He didn’t have any type of experience or the necessary qualifications and to her it had been strange.

She didn’t question it because she figured anything was possible, but now hearing Quasym say Devon was selling dope, made all the sense in the
world. She despised the fact that she was now in the position of knowing something that Yessenia did not know. She didn’t know if this were a secret that she could hold on to.

If Yessenia had information on Quasym, she would have expected for her girl to
tell her. But, on the other hand, she had to think about ruining things between her and her husband. He asked her not to say anything, and if she did, it would definitely cause problems that she didn’t want. Zaria definitely had to make a choice, and bottom line was that her husband came before Yessenia. Always has and always will.

             
“When you say working more than ever, what does that mean because you’re barely home now?”

             
“I need you to go stay at your mom for a few weeks. Some nights I won’t be able to come home, and I need to know that you are alright at all times.”

             
“Oh hell nah. I will be alright by myself. Ain’t no way in hell, I’m going to stay at my mama house for three damn weeks. I ain’t lived with my mama since I was 18, and you know that shit. Just get another gun, and I’ll be straight.”

             
“What the fuck you’re gonna do with a gun?” Quasym laughed. “You is not gangsta, baby. Leave that shit to me.”

“Nigga, please! If your ass hadn’t taken the gun the last time you came running up in here, you wo
uld’ve been dead, and I would’ve been a murderous grieving widow.”

“
Funny. You wasn’t gonna shoot me shawty. Remember you the one always whining about me having a gun and shit. Scared the muthafucka’ gonna go off on its own. Crazy ass girl.”

Zaria laughed,
“Whatever. I was gonna use it if I had to. Seriously though, I’m not going to my mama’s house. Me and her got into it right before I came home. She just won’t give you a break.”

“Z-baby, I’ve been with you for seven years and your mama ain’t never liked m
e. It used to bother me before, but now I’ve gotten to the point where I can care less. The only person I’m trying to please is you, so stop letting that shit get to you. Stop listening to it and stop letting them get in your head. As long as we got each other, we don’t need nobody else. Believe that shit,” Quasym said as he stared into Zaria’s eyes.

Zaria nodded, “Nobody knows you like I do, Sym. I know that you doing all this because you want to keep your promises to me, but I’m not worried because I kno
w you. I’ve always known that you were gonna be something great, and that’s why I’ve held you down and put my all into you. I know what kind of man I have by my side. But I’m not staying at my mom’s.”

“You’re gonna have to stay at Yessenia’s then. I can’t
have you here by yourself after the shit that happened today. I can’t be out there trying to get this money if I’m worrying about you every five minutes. I gotta stay focused,” Quasym sighed, wishing he believed in his self the way that Zaria believed him. He loved every word that came out of her mouth, but he was full of doubt.

             
“Did you not handle that nigga Hova for that shit?”

             
“Don’t ask me no shit like that.”

             
“I’m just saying…”

             
Quasym walked out of the room before Zaria could say another word. He’d fucked up when he didn’t pull the trigger, but there was nothing he could do about that now. He just hoped that he could catch up to Hova before he caught up to him or his wife again.

Chapter 12: The Lies You Tell

It was bright, and early the next morning and Yessenia placed a huge bowl of buttered grits on the table in front of Devon and a plate filled with bacon, eggs, toast and pancakes. She went to the refrigerator and grabbed the pitcher of orange juice from th
e fridge, a glass from the cabinet, and then filled the glass with the juice. She walked over to Devon and sat the glass next to his plate.

“Need anything else, baby?” Yessenia asked.

“Nah, baby. Thank you,” Devon said as he bowed his head.

Yessenia smi
led down at her husband as he prayed and then went to fix herself some food. It was the same way she had always done things. She would prepare a huge meal, cleaning up as she went along, and would always fix Devon’s plate ensuring he had everything he needed before sitting down to eat herself.

It was the way she saw her grandmother do things whenever she went to visit her when she had been a young girl. She knew that it was the way to keep a man seeing as how her grandmother and grandfather had been marrie
d for thirty-five years before they both had passed. Even though she was a little ghetto girl by heart, she would put on her Susie Homemaker act in a minute for Devon. 

“So, why do you have to go in early again? And you said you gonna be away for two days
? I don’t understand that. Why does your job have to give such short notice like that? And aren’t you tired from working all those hours last night. You didn’t come until almost six this morning. I’m surprised you’re even -“

Yessenia’s voice had completely
left her when Devon sat several hundreds on top of the kitchen table. She didn’t know exactly how much it was, but just from a visual perspective; it looked to be around twelve hundred dollars.

Devon had given her a few hundred dollars here and there eve
ry time he’d gotten his paycheck so that he would be helping with bills, but never this much at one time. This stunned her, stunned her completely into silence. She bit her fingernails and stared at the money with nothing but lust filled eyes.

“Why don’t
you and Zaria go out and do some shopping or something? Have a spa day. Isn’t that what women do?” Devon asked shrugging his shoulders. He filled his mouth with pancakes and hoped that Yessenia wouldn’t ask him any more questions.

He didn’t like lying to
her, but she always had tons and tons of questions for him every time he’d come home. He wished that he could tell her the truth, be open with her like Quasym was with Zaria, but Yessenia was tough. She wouldn’t bow down that easily and right now Devon couldn’t deal with the nagging. He just wanted to stack up his money so that they can have better.

He was ready to purchase the cars and houses just as well, but he had to play each move correctly. The goal was to get a house before a new car, and Devon plan
ned to tell Yessenia that they blessed him with a bonus and a raise at work. He didn’t know if she would believe it or not, but he hoped so.

The house they lived in was getting smaller and smaller by the day and Devon just about had enough of it. He was b
eginning to run out of places to hide money and knew it wouldn’t be long before Yessenia just so happened to discover one of his stashes.

“Can we afford this? I mean I know you’re making more money now, but I don’t want to-“

“Baby, don’t worry about it. I’m willing to do all the overtime available in the world to make sure we never have to want for anything again. There will be more weekends like this where I gotta be away, but it’s all for the best. I want you to have that house you’ve always wanted.”

“Oh
, my God, really? That’s gonna happen for us? We’re gonna get that house?” Yessenia asked, thinking about a house that she’d been having her eye on for months. She would pass through the neighborhood at least once a month to see if it was still available and it always was.

She figured if she prayed hard enough that one day it would be hers. Dreams about that house had come to her on a regular basis. She would always visualize her and Devon raising their family there. Excitement filled her, and she just cou
ldn’t hold it in.

She dropped her fork down on the plate and smiled so lovingly at her husband. She had never felt so proud of him as she did now. All of Devon’s hard work and dedication would soon pay off.
I’m so glad that I didn’t give up on him! I knew that he could do it. I’m so damn happy right now!
Yessenia thought, her face dripping with happiness.

“Yea, I’m gonna get that house. Just gotta put in this overtime at work. I know I’m a be gone a lot, but it’s for the best baby.”

“Oh, my God! I am so happy. I will deal with the long hours. I have so many ideas for that house,” Yessenia gleamed with joy.

“I know. I’ve been hearing about them for the longest,” Devon laughed. He stuffed his mouth with more food and stared down at his
phone.

Yessenia noticed this and noted that it was the fourth time that he’d done
that this morning. She hadn’t heard the phone make one sound, but he constantly kept staring as if something more important had his attention.

“Waiting on someone to call?
”

“Nah, just checking the time. So, what time you gotta go in today?  Saturdays are usually the busiest days, huh?”