Chapter 24
Chapter Twenty-Four
King
Iknew I was wrong for being mad at Layloni…
but that didn’t change how the shit felt.
For two whole years, I had replayed the moment in my head, the day I would finally stand in front of Prince and take his life.
I had whole speeches memorized, words I had practiced in my mind over and over again like some twisted rehearsal.
None of that shit prepared me for what I actually saw.
Seeing him between Layloni’s legs… watching her body move like she was enjoying him…The image was stuck in my fucking mind. I wanted to re pull the trigger on that nigga. Wipe her essence off that nigga’s tongue. He got to enjoy what I deemed as mine. I still felt built up rage locked inside of me.
In that moment, I had to fight the urge not to kill her too. I don’t know how much they did, how much she enjoyed that shit. She looked mighty cozy with that nigga doing his thing to her and that shit had me keeping my fuckin’ distance.
Three weeks had passed since we saved her from Prince and her bitch ass ex and Layloni hadn’t shown an ounce of gratitude to me or Rellianah.
She changed her phone numbers. Switched up her whole routine. The first week she got back to Cali, she packed up and moved out of her apartment without telling anybody where she went.
That shit left both me and Rellianah confused as hell.
The only thing I knew for sure was she let that grimy bitch Shadonna start working at her shop, like that bitch hadn’t betrayed her. On top of that, she gave her manager damn near full control of the place. Layloni barely even showed up there anymore.
Every time I tried to step foot inside that shop looking for her, the manager’s scary ass threatened to call the cops on me. I already knew what was probably happening though.
Layloni’s stubborn ass was somewhere in the back… probably sitting in her office watching me on the security cameras while I stood out there looking stupid.
That shit didn’t sit right with me at all.
The way she was trying to ghost me like I didn’t exist. Like I wasn’t worried sick about her dumb ass when she got kidnapped.
I didn’t even want a relationship with her anymore.
Not after what I saw. I still wanted a friendship and to be there for her no matter what and I didn’t even understand that.
I cared about her too much to pretend otherwise, no matter how many times I tried to lie to myself about it.
I sighed heavily and leaned against the kitchen counter while I watched my mom move around the stove. She was cooking up a full meal while gossiping loud as hell on the phone with whoever was on the other end.
I couldn’t help but smile a little.
Having her here with me had been good for my sanity. She kept the house clean, kept food cooking, and kept me company when my mind started drifting too dark. Good food alone could put a nigga in a better mood.
I grabbed my phone and stepped out of the kitchen before dialing Rellianah. I didn’t even know why I wanted to call her mean ass… but I needed answers. If anybody had heard from Layloni, it would be her. The phone rang once before she picked up.
“What the fuck your one-word ass want?” she snapped immediately.
Same attitude as always.
I chuckled.
“I’m guessing your husband still ain’t gave you no dick, huh? Being stuck in the doghouse must be rough.” I grinned ear to ear picture her rolling her eyes.
She didn’t respond, but my phone buzzed a second later with a FaceTime request. I accepted it.
Rellianah’s ocean-blue eyes filled the screen immediately, glaring straight at me. The camera angle showed she was lying in bed, and next to her was Cream. The whole scene was hilarious.
Cream was completely ignoring her while talking to their baby girl in a soft, playful voice. Little Christina was giggling and babbling back at him while Christian slept peacefully with his head resting on Rellianah’s chest.
Rellianah lifted her chin proudly.
“You wish you had my life, don’t you?” she said smugly. “I don’t know what a doghouse is, weirdo.”
She was such a spoiled brat. Cream glanced over at the phone and smiled.
“I’m starting to think y’all two becoming best friends,” he joked. “Y’all talk every day now just throwing shots at each other.”
“That’s because of him,” Rellianah shot back, pointing toward the screen. “My homegirl won’t talk to him, so he keeps calling me trying to see if I heard from her.”
I exhaled slowly.
“Apparently you ain’t heard from her either…” My voice trailed off as that familiar frustration crept back in.
Truth was… I was starting to sound desperate. I just wanted to know how she was doing. How she was healing. I craved to hear her soft ass voice even if it was used to piss me off.
I knew her mom wasn’t worth shit, but Layloni still loved that woman. After everything Prince put her through, she had gone through some serious trauma… and whether she wanted to admit it or not, that kind of pain sticks with you.
Rellianah rolled her eyes before answering.
“For your information, I did talk to her,” she said. “And she was acting funny as hell. It ain’t in my nature to kiss nobody’s ass though.” She scoffed.
She shifted slightly in the bed, adjusting Christian so he didn’t slide off her chest.
“All I can do is give her space, King. She ain’t like us. She ain’t used to seeing people die. That night… she saw us in a whole different element.” Her voice softened slightly.
“It’s up to her if she decides to come around again. I know she will… she just needs time and space to grieve that punk-ass mama of hers.”
Cream frowned instantly.
“Relli, watch your mouth around my princess,” he warned, nodding toward Christina.
Rellianah waved him off.
“Cream hush. She doesn’t even know what I’m saying.”
Christina just kept smiling and babbling happily at her father.
Rellianah turned her attention back to me.
“Anyway… she doing alright. She in therapy and staying in a hotel until she finds somewhere nice to move. I offered to help, but you know her stubborn ass. She refused.” She shrugged.
“So now I’m falling back and letting her come to me when she ready.” Rellianah continued.
I could tell by the look on her face that she hated that distance between them. And honestly… I understood it.
Layloni had never seen that side of us before. Not everybody could handle being around people who killed without blinking. That night was brutal.
Rellianah had been laughing and taunting Glen before she blew his brains out. Layloni literally pissed herself when I pulled the trigger on Prince.
Then it didn’t make it better when stepped outside afterwards. Bodies everywhere. Brains… blood… pieces of people scattered across that expensive lawn like some sick decoration. Yeah… that kind of shit would scar her brain for life.
“You right,” I muttered finally. “Just let me know if you hear anything else.”
Rellianah leaned closer to the camera with a wicked smile.
“Nigga, I don’t work for you,” she said. “And stop calling me so much before my man start thinking you want me.”
Before I could respond—
She hung up.
I stared down at the phone and shook my head, laughing under my breath.
Part of me wanted to call her right back just to ask how she even got in contact with Layloni since she changed her number. It wasn’t even a real question. Rellianah was the type of woman nobody could hide from.
If she wanted someone found across the country, she could make it happen without breaking a sweat. Getting a new phone number was probably child’s play for her. Still… I hoped Layloni didn’t force me to go hunting for her.
Because I would. The crazy part was, I had already started asking around… calling people… trying to track her down through others. That wasn’t my style at all. I always moved smooth. Always kept my composure.
This woman was knocking me off my square and the more I thought about it, the more I realized something else.
The night I killed Prince… I let my anger take over. I moved too fast. I took everything I was feeling out on her. She didn’t deserve that shit and for that I owed her a sincere apology. I rubbed my face and sighed.
I walked into one of my chick’s houses using the key she had given me a while back. Shaniya was the type of woman who stayed ready for me at all times. All it took was a quick text—Be ready—and she would drop whatever she had going on just to make sure everything was right when I got there.
She was loyal in her own way.
I moved through her living room, I took a second to glance around. Everything was clean, organized, smelling faintly like vanilla candles. Shaniya took pride in her place, and it showed.By the time I pushed open her bedroom door, the sight waiting on the other side made me smirk.
Shaniya lay stretched across the bed like she had been posing there for me. Out of all the women I kept in rotation, she was the biggest, and I loved every thick inch of her.
She was confident with that shit too.
Other women probably would’ve called her sloppy, said she was built wrong or talked down on her size.
But to me, her body had character. She had a big ghetto booty that sat heavy against the mattress, thick thighs, a soft stomach, deep back rolls, and triple-D breasts that moved with every breath she took.
Her lips were full and glossy, and her caramel skin glowed under the bedroom light.
Being a big girl never slowed her down either. Shaniya knew exactly how to move her body.
She stood at about five-six, probably pushing two-eighty, maybe two-ninety, but she carried it proudly. And when it came to handling me, she never hesitated. That alone kept her on the roster.
She smelled good too, sweet perfume mixed with the natural fresh scent of her skin. Shaniya had her thick thighs spread wide across the bed, completely comfortable in her own body while she waited for me.
She was so focused on herself she didn’t even notice me at first.
I stepped closer, watching her for a second before diving in and catching her off guard. The sudden movement made her gasp, her body jerked slightly as she realized I had arrived.
“King—!” she breathed, her voice already shaky.
Seeing her like that had me hard instantly.
I reached in my sweats and pulled out a Magnum, sliding it on while she lifted her legs high into the air like she had been training for it.
It always surprised me how flexible her sexy ass was.
I stepped out of my sweats and shirt, and tossed them to the side before climbing back onto the bed.
When I pressed into her, she let out a deep moan that echoed off the bedroom walls.
I wasn’t here to be gentle tonight. I had too much on my mind.
Every bit of frustration, every ounce of pent-up stress I had been carrying lately, I pushed all of that into the moment.
Shaniya clung to the sheets beneath her, her voice rising and falling while the bed creaked loudly against the floor.
By the time I was done, sweat covered my body and the room felt ten degrees hotter.
Shaniya collapsed back against the pillows, breathing hard. Before she could pull herself together, I was already getting dressed. I didn’t stay around after sex.
Never did.
Laying up with women after that kind of moment blurred lines. It made them start thinking the situation meant more than it did. Next thing you knew, they were imagining futures and relationships I never promised.
I pulled my shirt over my head when her soft voice stopped me.
“King… can we talk?” She uttered softly.
I paused. Here we go… I thought.
See, that was exactly the problem. Stay five minutes too long and suddenly the conversation turned into something deeper.
“What’s good, Niya?” I asked calmly.
She sat up slowly in bed, clutching the sheet around her body like it suddenly mattered.
“Well…” she hesitated, looking nervous. “I really like you, King. And I think I caught feelings. I just wanna know what it’s like to—”
“Nah don’t do that.” I cut her off.
I kept my tone level. I never believed in tearing a woman down just because she got emotional. Shaniya was beautiful. She just didn’t move me like that.
She moved my body, yeah. I loved the way she felt, the way she handled me. But beyond that? There was nothing deeper.
The only woman who had ever gotten close enough to that conversation was Layloni.
She was the only one who made me pause long enough to even consider stepping into something real. For a moment, I had debated what it would look like to give her that space in my life. But I had been living this lifestyle too long. Too many women like Shaniya waiting on me. Too many options.
I rubbed the back of my neck before speaking.
“Look, Shaniya… you a beautiful woman,” I told her honestly. “But I ain’t opened up to you about my life. About who I am or what I deal with.”
Her eyes were already starting to shine.
“That should tell you something,” I continued. “It ain’t me you catching feelings for… it’s my dick.”
The words sounded harsh even to my own ears, but I wasn’t the type to lie just to keep someone comfortable. Every woman I dealt with knew the rules from the start.
I saw her eyes mist over, and I sighed quietly before turning toward the bathroom. That was my cue to leave. Women loved to get emotional when shit didn’t go their way.
They got caught up in the feeling of a moment, let good sex blur their judgment, and before long their minds started convincing them the situation was something it never was.