“I already did.”
“Oh, you popping big shit ‘cause you around yo dad. We got beef now, Jah?”
He laughed before answering, “Yep, ‘cause you think Relic loves you more than me. You’re tripping!”
“Aight, we’ll see who the favorite really is.”
“It’s Titan. He’s the one who shuts the hell up.” Relic put egg on both their faces with his choice. He glanced at his wristwatch and then out at the water, spotting the boat with his product heading in their direction. “Jah, take your fish down to store in the ice cooler. Titan, go with him and take Indie to feed them lunch. Don’t come back up until I tell you, no matter what you hear.”
Titan dished his brother a skeptical glance but didn’t question him as he took Indigo from Shabu and then led his nephews inside the cruiser. Once they were safely out of sight, Relic grabbed the sanitizer and napkins to clean his hands before flagging a grinning Shabu over onto the boat’s swim platform.
“What the hell are you grinning about?” he quizzed.
“Just wondering where you learned how to do that.”
“You already know where I learned, Shabu.”
“Nah, not how to fish. How to be a dad.” He slapped Relic’s back and exalted, “You’re doing your shit with Jah! You’re assertive but not tough, and you challenge him in a way that ain’t demeaning to his manhood. More than that, you show him affection. I see, fatherhood is coming to you easier than you think.”
Relic tracked the boat that was swiftly approaching as he carped, “Not easy enough. Jah still ain’t called me dad, and I lowkey think he likes you and Titan more.”
“I know you ain’t talking! Indie acts like I’m invisible when you’re around, and I’ll never live down our genetics making him look more like you than me.”
“I’m open to taking a blood test with Savvy again if there’s some doubt lingering, folks.” Relic crooked a grin, and Shabu flicked him off.
“Fuck you. I know Whoop ain’t checking for you, and you ain’t for her, especially since big dog Kenn stepped on the scene and pissed on your leg, marking her territory.”
“We got a package coming in. Look alive.”
Relic disregarded his brother’s clowning and focused on their task since Kennedy wasn’t up for discussion. One corner of Shabu’s mouth curled upward at Relic dodging the topic, and he started to fuck with him more but stalled after noticing a similar boat speeding toward them. By the time he processed his brother’s warning about a package, two duffels were flying onto the boat, landing at their feet. His features pinched as he kneeled to unzip one, releasing a whistle before a drawling smile followed that he aimed up at his brother.
“So, this is where the fucking magic happens. It’s like what? A smooth mill between these two?”
“A little over, and these are my final pickups. Once I get this off and pay my exit fee, that’s it. I’m done, ti frè.”
“You legit?”
“As legit as a nigga like me can get. This shit has been a long time coming, and I made some big mistakes getting to this point. Because of that, I’m adjusting previous plans, which means showing you where my repository is so that in the event you need to—”
“Hold on,” Shabu interrupted, standing. “You’re legit but changing plans. You’re showing me where your bread is when you haven’t once mentioned that before. What the fuck did I miss?”
Relic sighed before swiping up both bags, sauntering to the grill to stash his work until they headed to their next destination. He could feel Shabu’s searing glare, but it did nothing to helpcoax the truth out of him. If anything, the shit urged him to compress it down into its personal coffin where he’d intended to keep it until that boulder fell, and his brothers found out while he was hauled off to a place where he’d avoid their emotions or questions in peace.
A minor detail he’d missed that could break Shabu to pieces left him no choice but to expose his circumstances. He stashed away his product and then faced his brother to get it over with.
“What’s up is that I’m going to prison,” Relic revealed in a neutral tone, void of the defeat pumping through him about leaving his brothers and son alone. “It won’t only be me arrested when they sweep in, but my lawyer will be on standby for them. They’ll get released or make bail, but I’ll be convicted, ten times out of ten, for—”
“Nah, bro. Fuck nah. You’re done with this shit. You just said this was it. You’re out!” Shabu cut in with his locs flailing as he shook his head, rebuffing Relic’s claims.
“I’m out a day late and a dollar short, but don’t stress over me. I’m not a victim, Shabu. I know exactly what and why I do what the fuck I do. I don’t regret it because y’all will be straight. You’ll take good care of my son—”
“Shut the fuck up with that bullshit, Relic, because I kept telling yo ass to sit the fuck down. You ain’t listen!”
“I know.”
“You don’t know shit because you ain’t know that me and Titan won’t make it out here without you! The money ain’t gon’ make this shit better. Nobody gives a fuck about these millions! I swear, I’m about to fucking...”
Shabu puffed his chest with balled fists, biting his lip as Relic stared in patience because he knew it was about to get worse. Tears glazed his brother’s eyes, and Relic could see younger Shabu clear as day with that exact expression, swearing he’d whoop his ass one day for fucking with him like big brothers did.That skeleton Relic had assembled in his mental closet hindered him from putting his hands on Shabu or pushing the nigga to the point of real blows. He could tell, that was about to change.
