“Pull up to the door.”
He ended the call with that instruction and backed up so that he was braced against the side wall while watching cars roll by too slowly for his comfort. The drumming bass of speakers minutes later made him huff his annoyance as he glimpsed around the barrier, knowing that it was Drish blasting music like he had no fucking sense. Relic stepped into view but immediately stoned after catching sight of a familiar face through the passenger window of a passing car as it eased down the ramp toward the garage exit. The girl who’d been with Sojourney the night he’d scouted her stared dead at him and ballooned her eyes as if she saw a ghost before turning away.
“Fuck,” he cursed, hauling ass to hop inside his truck before it fully stopped. Drish turned down the music with a frown once he was inside.
“Damn, boss! I was gon’ hit the brakes. Yo ass flew in this bitch like you’re being chased.”
“Because I just saw Lomar’s sister in the car ahead of us. It’s three niggas with her. One driving, and two in the back.”
Drish jerked his head back at that before driving up to the pay station while studying the silver sedan in front of them, idling at the intersection. He passed the lady at the window his ticket and a few bills while staying silent until she lifted the gate to let them out.
“Aight, so are we following them, or driving by to hit ‘em up at the next light? What?” he questioned the second they were out of earshot.
Relic swept a hand over his mouth in frustration since he couldn’t do either. He was hot, which meant there was a possibility that eyes were on him.
“Nothing. Let her make it for now. She isn’t a threat.”
“I’m glad you said that because a nigga ain’t even in a mood for allat.” Drish turned the opposite direction of the car. “I’mtrying to hit the crib to get a nap before I start my shift at the studio tonight.”
Relic’s thumb tapped his phone screen at the speed of light as he inquired, “Everything straight with that so far? No issues with those other niggas, Rocco and Lue?”
“Nah, they cool. Kennedy hit me up yesterday before the shop opened and told me to put Rocco there when you know that’s my spot. I ain’t even fight her on it ‘cause she a little too good with her shot, and she already threatened me once. I guess she don’t want me there since it’s out that you be having me stalk her for you.”
“Ain’t nobody stalking her. Just shut up and take me to the main restaurant.”
Drish snorted a laugh while Relic bit his tongue to not gripe about the fact, Kennedy had reached out to everyone besides him. He let it ride since he respected that she’d, at least, stood on her word to keep in touch with Jahleel and continued handling business at her salon and the security company she’d created. As long as she played a vital hand in his life—no matter how small—he had better chances to pull her back in permanently with that same hand. He was banking on doing precisely that if she didn’t force him to hate her first.
A judder against his palm gave him temporary relief from his mind circling back to Kennedy like clockwork as if he didn’t have bigger issues. Relic glanced at his phone, noting it was Shabu before he picked up.
“Fuck do you want?”
“Nigga, you text my fucking line! It’s been days since I called to make sure you were straight. I don’t even give a fuck if you dead or not nomo’. Then, gon’ text me casually like shit cool, with yo bitch ass!”
Relic chuckled. “Forever in your fucking feelings. You won’t ever learn, huh?”
“I can say the same about you. Word on the street is, you slapped the dog piss out of Kennedy, and she beat yo ass before running off with yo whip.”
“Who the fuck said that?!”
Shabu spit out a belly laugh, getting a kick out of an incident Relic found no humor in. His brother had warned him that Kennedy was a risk, but he’d underestimated her ability to drive him out his fucking mind.
“Is it a lie, folks?”
“I didn’t slap her,” he grumbled, omitting the fact he had choked her instead. Relic also withheld that she’d hit him first since Shabu already held reservations about her.
“I’m just fucking with you. I ain’t gon’ say I told you so, but you should’ve stayed at my crib like I’d offered. I get it, though. I don’t like outside noise in my relationship either.”
“I’m not in a relationship. When did she tell Savvy?”
“Yesterday. Whoop called to check in on her, and she just started spilling the beans like a muthafucka. I can tell she ain’t ever had a real friend before.”
“And your wife told you?”
“Nah. I was doing what I do best, ear hustling my ass off. From what I heard, Kennedy sounded bad off. You’re putting her through the wringer, and she’s putting herself through it by trying to fight fire with fire.”
“That’s her fucking fault! I told her ass not to try that bullshit, Shabu. I don’t know what the fuck to do with her, but I know letting her go ain’t an option either.”
That frustrating truth rolled off Relic’s tongue, and he didn’t care to catch it. From the moment he saw Kennedy for who she truly was; he knew she’d either become a gift or a curse for him, depending on how he handled her. He was well aware the clever, sharp-tongued, scarred beauty could turn out either his best hidden weapon or a weapon formed against him. The risk hadbeen worth taking then, and it’d become priceless since letting her in.
