Chapter 21
Chapter Twenty-One
Rellianah
Ipaced back and forth across the carpet in my hotel room, my phone clutched tight in my hand while I waited for Cease and Khaos to hit me back with some information.
Technically, I should’ve been excited. We were out of state together on a mission again.
That old adrenaline I used to live for hummed quietly under my skin. I was ready to get with the action!
Years ago I handed my entire Dynasty over to Cease and Khaos and walked away from the fast life to retire with my husband. I thought stepping away from the streets would change me completely. In some ways it did. But the truth was… the gangsta in me never really died.
I loved my family more than anything. My kids, my husband, our quiet life meant the world to me. I opened businesses, hired people, fired people, celebrated my accomplishments at clubs like a regular successful businesswoman.
I tried to bury the old me under all that.
But on quiet nights? When the house was silent and my mind started wandering?
I still found myself calling Conflict… or Cease and Khaos…
asking how things were moving in the Dynasty.
Cream hated that. My husband had been trying to convince me to stop taking the fifteen percent cut from the Dynasty’s earnings since the money was illegal and we were one hundred percent legit now.
But letting go of that last piece of my empire felt like cutting off a limb.
Cease and Khaos used to be my bodyguards.
Now they were my equals. They ran my Dynasty with iron fists just like I used to.
Truthfully, they were so deep in the game now that they barely had time to kick it with me the way we used to.
Back then they were the only real friends I had besides my brother Joel. Until I met Layloni. The first time we talked it felt like we had known each other our whole lives. Learning about her past showed me I wasn’t the only woman who had survived hell.
Personality-wise? Her and I were nothing alike. Layloni had a soft heart. Me? I was a cold-hearted bitch unapologetically.
When somebody crossed me, I solved my problems with bullets. I bullied people into giving me what the fuck I wanted. Folks bowed down because I was the Queen, and I demanded respect. Still… something about Layloni stuck with me.
So, knowing she had been kidnapped, bothered the fuck out of me.
She didn’t deserve that shit. I wasn’t sleeping peacefully until she was home.
At this point, it wasn’t even about King anymore.
To me, it was some nigga thinking he could kidnap a friend of mine was basically begging me to come kill you.
My phone suddenly rang, snapping me out of my thoughts. I looked down and saw my father’s name flash across the screen.
Mapheal Powers.
I rolled my eyes before answering, already bracing myself. Somehow, I could always feel whether a conversation with my dad was about to go good or bad.
“Yeah, Dad,” I sighed.
Right as he started talking, the hotel door opened and Conflict walked in with Cease and Khaos behind him.
I chuckled seeing Cease’s fat ass sucking the last piece of meat off a chicken bone like it owed him money.
This nigga could literally eat somebody out of house and home.
I couldn’t wait until he found another woman to settle down with again.
I just wanted to see how she survived living with his greedy ass.
“Relli… do you hear me talking?”
“My bad, Dad,” I said quickly. “I was about to have a meeting with my men.”
The words slipped out so fast I mentally slapped myself.
“Rellianah!” My dad’s voice boomed in my ear.
“Your husband wants to know why the fuck Kyle and your bodyguards lost you at the airport! You got three kids at the house with the nanny claiming that they’re your long-lost friend’s children.”
I closed my eyes and rubbed my temples as his voice got louder.
“Now I know you better than you know yourself, young lady. So, tell me what the hell is going on!”
Before I could respond, he kept going.
“You are married, Rellianah. You need to respect your damn husband!” He spat.
“Don’t give me that shit, Mapheal!” I snapped. “I respect Cream to the utmost.”
“THEN WHY THE FUCK YOU IN TEXAS WITH KHAOS, CEASE AND CONFLICT?” His voice cracked through the phone like thunder.
His Jamaican accent got thicker which told me he was pissed off to the max See, I might’ve known everybody’s business… but my father? That man knew everything.
“Look,” I uttered, lighting my blunt while putting him on speaker. “My friend is in trouble. I just needed to use some resources to help her.”
“Since when you got friends?” He asked with amusement in his tone.
“Since now, damn it!” I rolled my eyes hard.
I clenched my jaw and counted to ten while sealing the blunt. Then I lit it. I took a long drag, held the smoke in my lungs for five seconds, then slowly released it.
“I know I’m wrong,” I admitted quietly. “But I care about this girl. Once I help her… I’m done with all this.”
I purposely spoke in code. I never discussed real business over the phone.
“Well convince your husband, not me,” he said coldly.
My stomach tightened.
“He should be out there as we speak. Me and your mother had to come babysit this whole damn village you got at the house.”
“Dad… please don’t tell me you—”
Click. He hung up.
At that exact moment a knock hit the hotel door. My chest tightened. I already knew who it was. Khaos opened the door. At first I relaxed seeing it was just King and his men. Then another group of men stepped in behind them.
My stomach dropped. Kyle walked in first wearing a smug ass grin like this whole situation was funny. I mentally reminded myself to slap the fuck out of him later.
Then my husband stepped in.
Cream looked fine as hell, but the glare on his face could’ve burned through steel. His smooth caramel skin had a reddish tint that told me one thing. He was pissed.
“Everybody get the fuck out,” he said coldly. “Except King.”
The room cleared quickly. I stayed right where I was comfortably. Wrong and all, I refused to fold in front of my man easily. Before Kyle could leave, I spoke.
“Kyle… I don’t know why I don’t like you,” I said casually, blowing smoke from my lips. “But I don’t. You might work for my husband, but you’ll never work for me again.”
Cream and I locked eyes. The air between us thickened with tension.
He was truly my soulmate. We could read each other without saying a word.
My eyes begged him to understand. His eyes told me he didn’t give a damn about the situation.
All he cared about were our kids… and the promises we made to leave this particular life behind.
“You’re fired, Kyle,” I said smoothly.
Kyle’s face turned red as he looked at Cream.
“You’re not fired,” Cream snapped. “Now go outside.”
The door shut behind him. I stood up, ready to go the fuck off. Cream immediately stepped into my space and shoved me back onto the couch.
“Don’t put your fucking hands on me, Anthony!” I snapped.
“Shut your dumb ass up!” he roared. “I should beat your motherfucking ass for playing with me, Blood!”
He dragged his big hands down his sea-sick waves and bit his lip, trying to calm down. King stood quietly watching the whole show with a smirk.
“You supposed to be home with our kids!” Cream barked. “Instead, I gotta chase you across states!” His voice grew louder.
“You never fucking listen, Rellianah! I’m getting fed up with yo shit, Blood. I might just leave your dumb ass!”
My heart stalled. That was the first time he had ever said something like that.
“I’m sorry,” I said quickly. “But I had to do this. Layloni don’t deserve this shit!”
My glare snapped toward King.
“That’s why I told this dumb nigga to leave her alone!” I yelled.
King rolled his eyes like a bitch.
So what?” Cream snapped. “How you gonna tell a grown man who he can date? You in the middle of some dick and pussy shit when we got other important things to worry about.” He stepped closer.
“You just wanted an excuse to get back in the streets. Don’t think I don’t know you asked King to help kill that nigga Prince.” He gritted out lowly.
My chest tightened.
“You so busy smoking, drinking, and in everybody else’s business… you still ain’t gave me another baby.” His voice dropped low.
“That’s what I want.” He squinted his eyes, jaws clenching tight.
“I want another fucking baby.”
My heart started racing, I had no words to say.
“You trying to turn back into the old Rellianah Powers… and I swear to God I’ll leave your ass, Blood.”
I jumped up again ready to pace back and forth to ground my nerves. He pushed me back down, again. My breathing constricted as I hopped again, only to be knocked down a third time. My temper flew off its hinges, because who the fuck was Cream feeling like putting hands on me?
I hopped up quick letting my fist talk. I caught him with an uppercut before I kicked him square in the stomach.
He barely moved.
started swinging on him, letting every ounce of frustration out. He grabbed me and locked me in a tight bear hug while I struggled and cried.
“GET THE FUCK OFF ME!” I screamed.
“My friend is in need of my help and you in here putting your hands on me!” I panted out
He suddenly released me and shoved me to the floor before pulling his gun with a crazed look in his eyes.
“If you run up on me again, I’ll shoot you in the damn foot.”
My chest tightened. Cream hadn’t pulled a gun on me in years. That shit hurt.
“Y’all gotta chill.” King finally spoke.
“I’m done with this, Rellianah,” Cream ignored King coldly. “I’m taking my kids and getting away from your crazy ass.”
I slowly sat up on the floor, crossing my legs as I looked at him blankly.
“I’m saving my friend,” I said calmly. “I love you… but I’m not leaving her life in King’s hands.”
I pointed at King. Cream shook his head in disbelief.
“You can’t even save your marriage first.” He shook his head, tucking his gun back into his waist.
“Well, I’m sorry you feel that way… Cream the Dream. You know who the fuck you married just like I know who I gave vows to.” I shrugged carelessly.
“Once a cold bitch… always a cold bitch,” he muttered.
“If not me, then who?” I shot back.
King finally spoke again.
“Relli, just go home with your husband. I got this.” He reassured.
“YOU CAN’T HANDLE SHIT, KING!” I snapped.
Cream laughed bitterly.
“This what she lives for bro… It’s beyond Layloni, she just want to be apart of some bullshit… it’s like crack to her.” He chuckled dryly.
“Go home and bake cookies with Christina!” I snapped. “I changed for you and you still complaining!” I spat with a pointed look.
I leaned forward, snatched my blunt off the coffee table and inhaled it getting comfortable on the floor.
Truthfully, I knew Cream wasn’t leaving me.
I’d never allow it. Those were my kids, we worked hard to build everything we had together as a family.
I’d kill his ass before letting him take my kids and himself away.
I didn’t give a fuck how selfish it sounded.
I never was a likeable bitch. I did things my way and that was the bottom fucking line.
Cream stared at me for a long moment before finally turning toward the door.
“Take Kyle with you,” I called out. “I don’t want him here.”
“Kyle stays.” Cream didn’t bother turning to acknowledge me.
I sighed.
“I love you, Anthony.” I called out to him again before he opened the door.
He paused, his tensed shoulders dropped.
“You got two days, Rellianah,” he said without looking back.
“Two days. Then me and the kids are gone.” The door closed behind him.
I exhaled the smoke slowly then leaned my back against the couch. King looked at me with amusement.
“So what’s the plan, crazy lady?” he smirked.
I glared at him.
“The plan is to get this shit over with so I can save my fucking marriage,” I said.
He nodded.
“I can do that. But I’m killing Prince.”
I rolled my eyes and texted my men to come back in. Truthfully, I should’ve brought my brother Joel on this trip. But he would’ve sided with Cream. Once I saved Layloni, me and her were taking a girls’ trip far away from these hard-headed men.