I looked at him and raised an eyebrow. “I don’t dislike Toni.”
Both of them looked at me the same way, like I was lying.
I sighed again and leaned back. “Perhaps in the beginning I had concerns,” I admitted. “But the truth is that my opinion never mattered. My son made his choice.”
Kojo took another sip of his drink before speaking again. “Toni is a good woman. She loves Kay’Lo and she stands by him even when things get difficult.”
He paused before continuing.
“It’s the other girl who is the problem.”
We all knew he meant Roderick Lennox’s daughter.
For years, men had talked about beauty like it was the most important thing in the world. Power, influence, wealth and reputation; all of it seemed to bend around a pretty face if a man wasn’t careful.
Now we had seen exactly how dangerous that could be.
That girl had caused more damage than anyone in this room would ever admit out loud. She was the reason Kay’Lo’s trial was coming up. She was the reason we had all spent nights discussing whether we should wipe out the Lennox family completely and deal with the consequences later. And the only reason that had not happened yet was because we were trying to let the legal process play out, and move accordingly afterward.
I lifted my glass and took another drink without saying anything.
Kojo watched me carefully. “If you want to be part of your granddaughter’s life,” he said calmly, “then you will have to be the one to make this right.”
He let that sit for a moment before adding something else. “And don’t forget that your son is fighting for his life and his freedom right now. That should matter more than your pride.”
The room went quiet again, and jazz continued to play softly in the background while the smoke from our cigars drifted through the air.
I stared at the cards on the table but I wasn’t thinking about the game anymore.
My brothers had said what needed to be said, and even though I didn’t respond out loud, I knew they were right… about everything.
Trill-Land High Court of Justice
I was sittin’ at the defense table, facin’ the judge while my lawyer Kade and Roderick Lennox went back and forth like two niggas tryna out-talk each other in front of the whole damn courtroom. I ain’t say shit though. I just stood there listenin’, watchin’ how this whole shit was playin’ out while my family sat behind me.
I was two months out on bond, and this was the first real hearin’ since all this shit started, so the courtroom was packed like people had bought tickets to a show. Reporters sat along the side walls with their notebooks ready, whisperin’ and watchin’ every move like they was waitin’ on somebody to crash out. The Lennox side sat on the other half of the gallery dressed in black like they was still attendin’ them niggas’ funeral. On our side though, my people sat behind me and ain’t sayin’ much, justwatchin’ the Lennox side like they was waitin’ on somebody to try the wrong thing.
Auntie Abeni sat closest to the aisle, with her legs crossed with her hands folded in her lap while she watched the courtroom with that calm look she always wore when she was studyin’ everybody in the room. My mama sat a couple seats down from her lookin’ beautiful her posture straight and her eyes locked on the back of my head like she was silently tellin’ me she had my back no matter what came out the judge’s mouth.
My pops was there too, sittin’ a few seats away from her.
That alone said a lot…
They had been married for decades but lately shit between them had been strained and everybody knew it now.
Pressure and Renza sat behind them watchin’ the courtroom like they was waitin’ on somebody to get bold. Pressure leaned back with his arms folded while Renza sat with his head tilted, lookin’ like he was already amused by the whole situation.
Toni and Pluto sat between them.
Toni had one hand resting over her belly and the other clutchin’ the purse in her lap while she watched the courtroom quietly. My daughter was growin’ inside her, and even though she tried to stay calm for me, I could tell she hated seein’ me standin’ here like this. Pluto sat beside her whisperin’ somethin’ every now and then, probably tellin’ her to breathe and keep it together.
Roderick ol’ hoe ass stood at the prosecution table with his team like he owned the whole damn courthouse, talkin’ like he already had the verdict in his pocket.
I kept my face straight while he ran his mouth to the judge, but inside I was already irritated. The nigga had been talkin’ the same way since day one, like he wasn’t just some angry father tryna bury me under the law.
“Your Honor,” he said in that fake calm voice he liked to use, “the state has already provided the surveillance footage that clearly shows the defendant firing multiple rounds into two unarmed men. The additional material the defense claims exists is irrelevant to the facts of this case.”
Kade let out a breath beside me and stood up smooth like he had been waitin’ for Roderick to finish embarrassin’ himself.
