“Because it’s us or them, and I’m supposed to choose us,” she answered like the mantra had seeped in her brain and become a law. Relic bobbed his head in satisfaction.
“Every fucking time, Larenn. You’re putting way too much time and energy into them and in my fucking house. It’s disrespectful, and just because I know about it doesn’t change that. You knew about the women and the charms, but that was still offensive to you, correct?”
She sucked her teeth but assented, “Correct.”
“And I let you handle it how you saw fit. I expect the same in return, Kennedy. Give me the phone. If you want to talk to your friend, give him your real number, but any of those other niggas, dead that shit. Now, give it here.”
Relic held out a hand, and Kennedy stared at it before she conceded, grabbing the phone out her purse to drop in his palm. He stared at it for a beat and then peered at her.
“I don’t even know how to react right now. I expected you to fight me on it and get kicked out.”
“You were going to kick me out?!”
“I would’ve got you a nice hotel,” he said, standing to grab another bag. “Close your eyes.”
Kennedy stared in disbelief a moment longer before she rolled her eyes and then let them shut. She wasn’t sure why, but her stomach balled in nervousness, and her heart beat a tad faster. They were in the middle of a kitchen, and Jahleel was feet away, but she felt a loss of control as if the simple act of shutting her eyes was placing her safety into Relic’s hands. A shallow puddle of water built behind her lids because she realized just how goddamn terrified she’d become of letting someone else have control of her at any capacity. Her trust was shot to shit, and the man standing before her had walked straight into a fire he hadn’t started but reignited after he’d burned her in one.
She jumped when he grabbed her wrist, wrapping an item around it that evoked chills. Some time passed before that same sensation wrapped around her neck as a weight landed against her chest. Before Relic could tell her to, she opened her eyes and raised her arm.
“Oh, shit! Relic, what the hell?!” she screamed, almost busting a nut at the icy tennis bracelet on her wrist.
Kennedy tried to run off, but Relic caught her by her waist and backed her into the island. He pinned her body in place with his.
“Where the hell are you trying to run to?”
“Relic, move! I want to see my necklace!”
“What the fuck do you mean, Kennedy? Look down. Acting like you ain’t ever had nice shit before.”
“Don’t do me,” she snapped, tucking her lips in slight embarrassment before glancing down. Her brows pinched at thesilver key charm with a diamond encrusted crown set on top. “A skeleton key? Aww, because I’m the master key to your heart.”
“You wish, but that was cute.”
Relic tucked the necklace inside her shirt, making her frown deepen as he grabbed a small box to carefully pluck out the matching huggie hoop earrings to accompany her tennis bracelet. Kennedy had moved too fast as usual, and he hadn’t gotten the chance to put them in before her eyes opened.
“Don’t take the necklace off. Even when you go back to hating me and don’t want shit to do with me, wear that. You hear me?” he stressed.
Kennedy nodded and placed a hand over it like it was her sacred relic. She was uncertain of its meaning, but he’d tell her once he was ready for her to know its importance.
“My food is cold, fucking around with you.” Relic sat down and looked at Jahleel, who had both elbows perched on the table, and his chin rested on his palms. He was too invested in their conversation. “You don’t have homework or any kid shit to do before bed?”
Jahleel tossed his head with a slow-forming smile. “I got a question, though. Why you ain’t get Ms. Kennedy a ring, too?”
“And on that note, I’m going to shower,” Kennedy let her boys know as she backed away. “Relic, warm up your own damn food before you even ask. Oh, and I’m hanging out with the ladies this weekend, so you have to take Jah with you wherever you’re going.”
“Where the hell do you think you’re going?” he called out to her departing back since she was already exiting the kitchen. Kennedy kept it trucking.
“That’s for me to know, and you to find out, stalker!”
“Look,there’s Savvy walking over here, and I think that’s Nubia pulling in.”
Kennedy peered across the parking lot, checking for her girls from where she and Lexi were waiting in front of an exclusive establishment with rich greenery and a white exterior that mirrored a historical building more than its actual purpose. The country club screamed wealth and old privilege.
Since the day the detectives had shown their faces at the salon, Kennedy had snooped on Logan’s social media page for insight on where she couldaccidentallybump into the girl and inquire about reaching out to Tolliver. Luckily for her, she’d come across an image of Logan eating lunch with a man whose face was hidden, but their menus were front and center. A brief online search guided her straight to the restaurant inside a country club where she figured Tolliver used the cash he madeoff Relic to join and golf to his heart’s content. Kennedy wasn’t mad at that.
She was taking a long shot with popping up in hopes of running into him, but it was safer than trusting Logan. That girl was so desperate, she’d probably snitch to Relic, believing it’d earn her a spot so far out of her reach, she’d have to turn into Elastigirl to touch it.
“That’s them. We need to hurry up because it’s set tee times, and we don’t want to miss ours,” she stated, eyeing Savvy who was scurrying across the parking lot.
