“I don’t believe a word of what he’s accused of.” He shifts to his hip.
“I don’t think you do, hence the sole reason I’ve met with you today, T.” Terry has always been extremely na?ve, in my opinion. Never the baleful speed as Big D.
“Then you can appreciate his circumstances.”
“Fuck him.”
Terry regards me closely as I hand the caddy my club and begin to the next hole. “Azmir, you hardly mean that.”
“I do,” I say after a beat. “Whole heartedly.”
“Azmir, you and Darryl have had a long standing relationship. That has to account for something.” I can hear the pleading in his voice.
“This I know.”
“Well, then you can appreciate the bind his family is in financially. Hell, my income isn’t as fluid, but I’ve given Tara a few bucks to keep the creditors off their back. They need you, young brother.”
I turn to face him. “Terry, I’ve always respected you as a man…even when I questioned your affiliation with Big D. But right now, I doubt your morality. That fucker had my father killed, had my mother sent to prison, and if that wasn’t enough, he’s used me to make him millions without that disclosure. That’s diabolical in my book.” I find myself out of breath.
I’m under enough stress with finding this motherfucker who is capable of hurting my fiancée and family. I don’t need any pushback from excluding Big D from my life from his right hand man.
Terry gazes at me with what appears to be sincere empathy. “I understand your position, Azmir, I do. I’m just hoping to have cooler heads prevail here.”
“I only invited you up here out of respect for the level-headedness you’ve always shown. Terry. You’ve always pulled me to the side to express your concern about my desolate lifestyle. You used to say that you were concerned about me disposing of my potential.”
“Yes, Azmir, you know me.” His large frame, just about an inch shorter than me, but more than twice my width with flabby muscle faced me with persistence. “You know I’ve always pulled you to the side with discretion and told you there was more to your mastermind than the streets. I’d always been concerned about your wellbeing. You’ve always been alone regardless of what Darryl, Patricia, or Tara perceived. You know me, Azmir.”
“Yes, I do. Remember how you cautioned when I dropped out of Stanford? Huhn? Remember when you all but begged me to reconsider that shit, saying that was my way out of the game. You said you wanted more for me, that you saw more in me. You’ve played the background since I’ve known you, but I knew you didn’t approve of Big D’s guidance,” I recap, losing my patience.
He scratches his head then softly mutters, “But that didn’t influence you, son. You still remained with Darryl and cultivated some semblance of a bond. You and Tara remained together for around…what…six years? Time does something to bond people.”
“My time with them was spent being used, Terry.” I shake my head at his persistence.
I need to go, but respect Terry enough to entertain his ignorance. He’s Big D’s one good-hearted friend, a retired attorney. Terry had been the only one asking me about me. I’m not in touch with him, per se, though I’d see him sporadically at Big D’s crib and other family events. He’d whisper words of caution and wisdom in passing. He’s had to have known about Big D’s mask. I wonder if he’s ever expressed them to his friend.
“I hear you’re engaged now.” Terry’s mouth that’s surrounded with salt and pepper stubble curls into a genuine smile. “I know if you’ve given a woman a ring, you’ve found happiness. I’m happy for you, son. That alone should motivate you to be the bigger person and lift the burden off his family. You’ve won already.”
“Yeah, I am engaged,” I snort. “Did he tell you he visited my girl’s job and attempted to blackmail her to get her out of the state?” I observe Terry’s grimace. “And did he tell you that he…commissioned…” I’m careful of my words in this public place. “…Tara’s alleged baby’s father to burn down my home, creating street cred for his punk ass? Huhn? Oh, the bloggers are whispering it and the streets are screaming it. I’m paying for fulltime security for my lady and our mothers.”
Terry’s head drops. I may have just given news, but he should know how sick of a tyrant his boy is. “Yeah, Terry. It’s good that D’s on the inside. It’s almost a safe place from my wrath. But be sure to tell him, one more act of treason and I’ll make sure the last time he closes his eyes will be in that same cell he’s fucking stewing in.”
I give Terry a final parting glance, to which he nods his head solemnly and I leave for a meeting.
Chapter 6
Azmir
A few hours later, while sitting in bed, Rayna enters the master suite.