Chapter 7
“Good to know my friend is still alive because I like this one. You could’ve done whatever to that last bitch, though.”
At the intrusive voice cutting through the silent office, Relic lifted his gaze from the sales and expenses reports scattered on the desk to glance at Savvy where she stood in the doorway with his nephew propped on her hip. His mouth balled at the mention of her snake ass friend, Kiko, who he’d entertained for a short time. It ended when she fled town in a car that he’d upgraded after cracking the window with her head because she’d launched his phone at him after sneaking through it. Relic hadn’t seen her since, and if he did, he’d do her worse.
A playful grin stretched Savvy’s pouty lips before her head angled as if she were waiting for him to respond, but his attention drifted back to his task.
“Don’t ignore me, Relic,” she sassed, stepping into the office before shutting the door behind her. He pushed out an exasperated sigh as she moseyed toward the desk and copped a seat on its edge, placing Indigo on her lap. “Where did you and Kennedy go?”
“You know where we went because Los was there with Nairi. Nai tells Nubia that nigga’s every move, which means she told Nu that Kennedy was with me, and Nu told the fucking group chat. What’d they say about me?”
Savvy cackled because he was spot on. It’d been a while since their group chat had been active because everyone had their personal favorites in the clique, but Nubia didn’t waste time hopping in there to expose Kennedy’s business since she was against the idea of her friend and Relic dating.
“They all collectively decided, she needs an intervention because she can’t find a good nigga for shit and has bad taste. Their words, not mine,” she relayed, making him scoff.
“I find that shit funny when the most faithful Los has ever been to Nubia is after their divorce. P wouldn’t skeet on Lexi with a nut Treasure fucked out of him, and the last nigga she got pregnant for didn’t even think her pussy was worth pushing out his kid. It sounds like they ain’t got good taste in men either.”
“What about Michi?”
“She’s with my baby brother. She has great fucking taste, but he doesn’t.”
“Don’t get cursed the hell out today, Relic!” she snapped, and he chuckled before picking up the papers to organize.
“You asked a question, and I answered. Let your fucking messy ass chat know, Kennedy doesn’t need an intervention because our relationship is strictly business.”
“That’s what she told us.”
He slipped the papers into their folder and then tossed it into the desk drawer. “Then, why the hell are you making me waste words, Savvy?”
“Because I want to make sure that Kennedy is safe. The chat thinks it’s fun and games, but I’ve grown to know you. What’s your angle with her?”
Relic tipped back in his seat at that, crossing his arms while studying the serious expression she wore that didn’t hide the skepticism in her hazels. Savvy hadn’t learned to turn off those emotions. Even if she rode for them, a simple look into her expressive eyes could give away her feelings whenever her words and actions didn’t coincide. That flagrant flaw proved, he’d made the right decision swapping her out for Kennedy.
“What makes you think she isn’t safe, Savvy? Did I threaten her?”
“No, but you did something worse. You let her into your personal life by giving her a position in your business. You don’t trust women, Relic. Never have and probably never will, so you couldn’t pay me to believe you chose my girl for the right reasons.”
“I trust you.”
“No, your brother trusts me,” she retorted, tipping her head and sending her sandy colored coils draping to one side. “He knows I won’t fold, so you take his word for it. If I do, Shabu will have to handle that disloyalty, not you, so you don’t care.”
“I’m glad you know that.”
“Stop deflecting, Relic! I like Kennedy, and everyone was just forgetting about the incident who knew. Now, it’s like you’re forcing it into the spotlight. Are you—”
“I did it because you forced my hand,” he interjected with a casual shrug that caused her eyes to buck in incredulity. She pointed at her chest.
“Me! I didn’t put you two together.”
“You made her manager of my salon.”
“Because she was the obvious best fit, and it’s not like you didn’t try giving it to her first. Not to mention, you’ve been sending her damn near ten grand a month for over a year!”
The corners of Relic’s mouth curled downward because those checks would put him in the hole two hundred and forty thousand dollars once they stopped. Two years . That was the payment time frame he’d set on the monthly stipend—enough to pay the full balance of Kennedy’s hospital and physical therapy bills she’d told him about. If she hadn’t taken care of them with it, then that was on her.
“Does she know that I’m the one doing that simp ass shit?” Relic’s counter made Savvy roll her eyes versus confirming that he’d made a valid point. “Like I said, you did this. I left her alone after she denied the salon. You pulled her back in and then gave Jah her number, knowing he would try to fix us up.”
“I thought it was cute! I didn’t once think you’d go for it, Relic, ‘cause you know who she is and what happened. The little flirting here and there was entertaining, but now I’m getting nervous. All I’m asking is, don’t hurt her.”
“I’ve given you that courtesy.”
“And I’m asking for it again because, with the way you’re moving, I feel like you won’t keep your word. I think you’re putting her in a position to fail, so you can finish what you started.”
“If that’s how you feel, I can’t change that and don’t care to,” he replied in a dull tone, done with their conversation. She’d gotten more of an explanation than he’d give anyone else. “Where is my brother?”
“At the other restaurant. I’m about to head there, but I came here first to do the paperwork. You beat me to it, which is a surprise since you rarely show your face here.”
“Jahleel wanted to see Judith before I take him home. I needed to bide time.”
Relic stood, brushing a hand down his sweater to remove the creases before he reached out a hand that Indigo grabbed while trying to crawl out of Savvy’s lap. He picked up his nephew, staring into eyes that mirrored the exact ones he hated seeing reflected at him each time he looked in a mirror.
“We cursed Indie.”
“You did what?” Confusion sent Savvy’s brows pinching together, making Relic toss his head.
Judith’s words were so embedded into his brain that he was projecting the same negative energy onto Indigo that he’d told Savvy to watch out for when she allowed his mother around her kids. He refused to give Judith that much power.
“Nothing. Your doctor said his eye color could change, right? They may not be blue once he’s older.”
“Yes, since it’s from your family and not the syndrome Navy has, thank God. The doctor said they may turn hazel like mine or even brown. I don’t care as long as he’s healthy.”
Relic wanted to agree but couldn’t formulate those words, so he said nothing. It was easier to keep his mouth shut than to tell her a lie.
That rare coiling of his gut, and pressure on his chest, started when Indigo gave him a gummy smile before slapping a hand on his face to move toward his eyes like his nephew knew that single trait made them alike. It made them unique from the rest of his folks, even if Relic wished Indigo held regular qualities to make him normal. Ones that didn’t make their family claim Indigo was a product of infidelity, or cause Judith to look at the baby funny because his eye shade garnered him a soiled reputation before he could speak his first word. Relic knew those little things would turn big for Indigo if his brother and Savvy didn’t protect him. He was living proof of spoken words coming to fruition.
“Relic, can your strong ass give me back my baby?”
Savvy emitted a laugh that cracked with worry, making his eyes flit to her and then downward to her hands clenching Indigo’s waist. Relic had him firm against his chest to where she couldn’t grab him. His shoulders sank as he slackened his hold.
Indigo whined when Savvy snatched him back with a quickness like Relic would change his mind and run off with her baby if she didn’t. Her face scrunched and eyes bounced over her brother-in-law in scrutiny because it wasn’t the first time that he’d seemed thrown off or out of sorts. She wondered if Shabu ever noticed.
“I think you need a break, Relic,” she suggested, rushing behind him when he walked off as if she weren’t speaking to him. “You’re working yourself to death! You need to take a moment and relax.”
“I can’t afford to relax.”
“You can afford a whole damn lot, and relaxing is one of them,” she rebutted, scurrying to his side. Indigo reached for him, but Relic pretended not to notice. “I get that you like being on top of things, but overexerting yourself could lead to mistakes, Relic. Are you getting sleep? How can you stay on top of everything if you’re mind isn’t clear?”
He stopped and turned to leer at her. “Do I look like Shabu? Do you think I need a woman telling me what I do and don’t need, Savvy? My own fucking mother doesn’t and has never done that. I take care of myself.”
“And that’s the damn problem! It’s nothing wrong with a woman making sure you’re good. You just aren’t used to it.”
“I can do without it.”
“I can do without you zoning out or holding my damn son hostage like he’s safer with you than me because you see yourself in him. One goddamn thing about it, I’m not Judith.”
Relic merely stared because Savvy exposing his inner thoughts didn’t surprise him. She’d dealt with his little brother for years, who was nothing more than a calmer version of himself, so she’d seen the worst of Shabu but learned to catch the signs before he dipped into those dark spaces. Her baby sister did the same for Pierre. Relic pitied his folks because he’d learned to rescue himself—he’d learned to swim in raging waters and when that had failed, he adapted to his environment and sprouted gills. He’d been breathing with his head underwater for years.
“If I thought you were a danger to your kids, I’d tell Shabu to take my nephew and niece and leave your ass. Watch—”
“Judith around them. I know, Relic. I catch her staring at Indie, but I don’t think it’s malicious. She likes him around like she does Jahleel. Maybe she sees them as her way to rectify her wrongdoings with you.”
“Don’t give her that fucking absolution because she doesn’t deserve it.”
Relic deaded the conversation and left Savvy in the hall, dipping into the kitchen where Jahleel was with his mother. Judith barely left the sweltering space unless she was taking a break, which wasn’t often because she didn’t trust the younger employees with her food. It was the sole reason Relic hadn’t minded investing into the restaurant; Shabu wanted it, but he knew Judith would take over and run it with an iron fist.
His steps faltered at spotting his son in a hairnet and plastic gloves, stirring stew as Judith dashed seasonings into the pot while explaining how to cook it in their native language. She instructed Jahleel to fill a medium deli container for an order, and Relic blinked his mild surprise when his son grabbed the correct one to ladle scoops inside before securing a lid on it to pass her. Jahleel picked up a plantain to crack open, cut, and drop into a skillet of oil next, and Relic realized his mother was teaching his son a trade she’d only cared to show one son.
While he chose to fish with his father since the illegal working age of fourteen; Shabu was home with Judith in the kitchen. She’d taught his brother to fry up what he and his father had caught and then moved on to other dishes until Shabu could whip up a full meal without her. Joseph saw it as another reason the illegitimate child of the household was weak, but Relic saw it as Judith showing favoritism out of spite to him. Neither reason mattered because, even if she’d offered to teach him, Relic would’ve declined to not disappoint Joseph. That fact didn’t negate the heart numbing reminder that she’d never tried.
“Relic, you see me?” Jahleel yanked him out of his head with that question. A smile stretched across his son’s face as he boasted, “I bet, I can cook better than Uncle Shabu and Whoop!”
Judith tsked and frowned her mouth in disdain. “Savvy’s cooking is mediocre. My son cooks better than her, and you will too. It’ll be a while before you catch up with Shabu.”
“Why can’t Relic cook if he’s the oldest? You didn’t teach him?”
“He didn’t want to learn.”
“How would you know, Judith?” Relic interrupted at her assumption, and she flicked a hand to dismiss him, but he continued. “Did you pull me into the kitchen like you did your favorite child to show me the ropes?”
“I’m not entertaining your foolishness, Relic. Me and Jahleel were having a good time, and here you come, ruining it. Let me enjoy my grandson. Just because you hate me doesn’t mean he has to.”
“He doesn’t hate you, grann.”
“Don’t speak for me, Jah. Let’s go,” Relic commanded, making Jahleel pout.
“I wasn’t even here long! Can I stay next weekend with grann? She said—”
“I don’t give a fuck what she said! Let’s go, and so you won’t let her talk you into asking another dumb ass question, you can’t stay with her. If you’re not with me or my brothers, you won’t see her. Remember that answer because I don’t want to hear about it again.”
Jahleel froze in shock before anger contorted his features—flaring his nostrils and furrowing his thick brows set over slit eyes. It was the most that Relic had seen his son look like him.
Judith reached out to coddle Jahleel, but he slid away and yanked off his hairnet and gloves to throw on the floor. Relic was across the room and stepping into his son’s face before Jahleel could take a step.
“Pick it up, now.”
“Don’t hit him, Relic! I’ll get it!” Judith shrilled in panic, rushing to his defense just as she used to do with Shabu.
Relic outstretched a hand to stop her. His chest rose and fell in speedy breaths as his fist balled before he placed both hands behind his back because all he saw was his brother’s face, standing up to Joseph just to receive a blow to the chest or stomach. His lungs constricted as he recalled Shabu gasping for air because his little frame couldn’t take those hits.
The skeleton tucked away in his mental closet with his brother’s name on it tried knocking down the barricade, reminding him that he’d watched his brother’s abuse and didn’t intervene more times than he cared to admit it because it was normal to him. Not protecting Shabu held the number one spot on his list of regrets. It was the sole reason he allowed his brother to disrespect him and talk shit without beating his ass.
“I’m only gon’ ask you one more time, Jahleel. Don’t force my hand,” Relic stated in an even tone that contrasted with the internal chaos conflicting his next move. “Pick that shit up, throw it away, and go to the car.”
Jahleel stood firm for less than five seconds before a cracked cry spilled from him, followed by a tear rolling down his cheek. He bent to pick up his trash, tossed it out, and then exited the kitchen without another word. Relic stood in place because his son’s sniffles were so fucking familiar that his mind muddied and temples throbbed with an oncoming headache.
“You’re so set on hating me that you’re going to make Jahleel hate you in the process,” Judith stated, and his eyes flicked her way. “He doesn’t even call you dad, Relic. Why do you think that is? Because you yell and—”
“And I what?” he pushed out through gritted teeth, dishing her a stare so cold that she took a step back. “I don’t put my fucking hands on my son. I’ve never hit him, and I’ve never had to raise my voice or threaten him to that point until today. It’s you.”
“No, it’s you! You’re the problem, but you want someone else to blame for your actions. Joseph is all over you, and it’s only a matter of time before you do Jah how that man used to do me and my damn son. If what just happened ain’t proof, I don’t know what the hell is.”
Relic rolled his shoulders and then adjusted his wristwatch that Judith glanced at before turning her back on him to tend to the plantains. She didn’t have words left for him, and the sentiments were mutual because he’d learned that she’d see Joseph in him, regardless. There was no convincing her otherwise.
He trudged from the kitchen and was relieved that Savvy was nowhere in sight as he beelined for the door, heading straight to his car that was parked in front. Jahleel was leaned against the passenger door with the hood of his coat over his head and his arms crossed when Relic stepped outside. He hit the locks, and his son hopped inside as he strolled to the driver’s side to do the same. The deafening silence cloaking his ride as he started it made him stall instead of immediately pulling off. Relic loathed losing, but for his son, he’d take a loss to the chin.
Jahleel winced when Relic reached over to brush off his hood—gripping his head to pull him toward his side before meshing their foreheads together. Relic kissed his son’s temple.
“I apologize for yelling at you because it was displaced anger but remember one thing. Just because I don’t hit you doesn’t mean take advantage of that shit. I won’t tell you anything wrong, so listen to me the first time, Jahleel. You don’t want to push me to that point. Konprann?”
“Wi, mesye.”
“Good. Buckle up.”
Relic broke their embrace and then watched Jahleel pull on his seatbelt before angling to face the door. Knowing his son had no intentions of talking his head off like usual, Relic turned on the radio because he needed anything to distract him from his second fuck-up as a father. The irony didn’t miss him that he’d failed as a big brother, and history seemed on the verge of following him into parenthood.
A blade.
A dollar bill.
A single baggie of coke.
Those three items plagued Relic’s thoughts as he sat in his idling vehicle in front of Kennedy’s apartment building. Jahleel not uttering a word to him before hopping out of his car had summoned those items to the forefront of his mind. Judith’s reminder of his son’s refusal to give him a title he hadn’t cared about before they’d met had increased the urge. Relic had stared at those items for hours before putting them away to shower and get dressed in preparation for his evening affairs.
His mind coasted to the glass of melting ice he’d left on his room table after refilling it with alcohol three times, capping his daily limit. Each one had been a waste because the liquor hadn’t settled his nausea or prevented those skeletons from banging on his internal closet’s door, full force. The notion to indulge in the whole bottle until he was falling out of his chair and belligerent had crossed his mind, but he decided against it since no one had been around to pick him up off the floor like he’d done for Joseph on many occasions.
That core memory made Relic kill his engine just as one of his jacks vibrated like someone knew he needed a distraction. He glanced at his main cell’s black screen before lifting his middle console to retrieve his burner phone, flipping it open to stare at the unsaved number that he answered with a huffed breath.
“I only have one request, and that’s for you not to piss me the hell off. What?”
“Nigga, you ain’t ‘bout to keep acting like I’m fucking bothering you! I was just letting yo ass know, your favorite worker got knocked off. Bet I won’t tell you shit else,” Pierre snapped, pulling a chuckle from Relic as he stepped out of his car and smoothed out his clothes. Money was on the table, and his business trumped the erratic emotions he’d been wrestling to constrain.
“I don’t have a favorite worker, so I’m lost on who you’re referring to.”
“Bullshit. Them niggas peeped you was training TJ to fill those empty shoes that I left. Somebody popped his ass coming out of the gambling house a couple hours ago, and that might’ve been why. It had to be one of ours because it was done too slick, feel me?”
Relic hummed, scanning his surroundings as his hand gravitated to the small of his back to clutch his gun out of instinct. “And nobody caught who did it?” he pressed, sauntering toward Kennedy’s building and upstairs to her door.
“Nah, and that’s how I know it was foul play. Nigga blended right in after that move. They ain’t see nobody out of place. I almost respect the muthafucka who did it, but once the gang finds out—”
“Tell ‘em to stop looking.”
Silence he thought he’d never hear from his yapping ass cousin filled the line as the fresh scent of cleaning products, and whatever freshener Kennedy used, met him in the hall, making a smirk grow on his face. Joseph had once told him that a clean house equated to a clean pussy, and he’d taken that theory to heart.
“Anything else you need to tell me while you’re breathing in my ear, or can we wrap up this call, P?” he asked while knocking on her door.
“Shit, I guess it ain’t much else to say except you’re a cold muthafucka.”
“If being a cold muthafucka makes me a rich muthafucka with breath in my lungs to spend it, I’ll be that.”
He ended the call and then stepped back, slipping his phone into his pocket once the door swung open.
Kennedy popping into view made his brow shoot up before a grin threatened to break through on his face. He contained it with his eyes unashamedly drinking her in with appreciation. Kennedy didn’t listen for shit, but she looked fine as hell in the long-sleeve, burgundy leopard print dress that swept the floor and concealed her flaws. The skintight, sheer material hugged her curves, giving him a welcomed glimpse of barely muted nipples and meaty hips that made his teeth graze his bottom lip. She effortlessly matched his swag, and he liked that most about her.
“I thought the agreed upon color was red,” he reminded her, swaggering into her apartment once she stepped aside to give him access.
His stare wandered around her living room before veering straight back to her, catching the pucker of her pretty mouth. Kennedy was still a big fucking distraction that captured his undivided attention, even when he tried not giving it to her.
“No, you requested red, but I look better in burgundy. You can wait right there while I grab my things. It’ll only take a second.”
She pivoted on her heels to not droll over his fine ass, looking dapper in a black suit with gold trimming that was perfectly tailored to his toned build. His newest scent of lemon zest with a hint of musk lingered in her doorway before wafting into her apartment. If he came any closer to her, there was a chance that they wouldn’t make it to their destination. She took a calming breath and strutted to her couch, looking over her purse options as Relic cleared his throat while scratching a brow.
“Damn.”
His vague compliment she’d heard before but directed at another woman made her smirk as she began stuffing her things inside the clutch that matched her outfit best. She paused to peer over a shoulder.
“Oh, you didn’t know?”
“I did, but I like the reminder,” he admitted, studying the shimmering skin of her bare back that was exposed down to the crack of her round ass. Relic disregarded the twitch his dick made and told her, “You don’t need a bag either. Just your keys are fine.”
“Oh, no sir. My mother taught me to never leave the house without spare cash, and especially with a man.”
“It won’t be the first time you didn’t listen to her, I’m sure. You’re combative, Kennedy, and it’s the main reason I’m bringing you with me tonight. Being my partner means following my lead, even if you don’t like or understand what I’m doing. Remain silent, observe, and pick up on my cues. That’s what I need from you.”
“What if you’re wrong?”
“I’m never wrong in the moment. Point it out to me later, and I’ll give the same courtesy. If I step, you step, big dog Kennedy. That’s how this partnership works.”
Her nose scrunched in disapproval. “This sounds more like a relationship.”
“Either way, it’s a ship, and one that’ll sink if you fuck up tonight. Leave the bag. I won’t even ask about the contract because I doubt, I’ll need it back.”
Kennedy rubbed her nude combo painted lips together at his insinuation that she’d fail. It took every ounce of her willpower to not talk shit as she grabbed her keys and phone before tossing her clutch on the couch with reluctance. Relic released a light snort of amusement, and her eyes rolled as they exited her apartment to head to his car after she’d locked up.
“Where’d you park?” She strolled down the sidewalk, peering around for the white car she was used to him driving. Her steps skidded to a halt once landing on a black luxury vehicle with a flying woman as its hood ornament and double Rs on the grill that would’ve been perfect for Relic’s label had it not been used. “Is this you?”
He palmed her back, grazing his fingers across her silky skin while guiding her to the back door. “It is. I figured I’d pull out the big boy since I have company tonight.”
“As you should, but why the hell are you making me get in back?”
“What’d I tell you? Follow my lead, and I promise that it’ll work in your favor, cheri.” He eased into her space, combing his fingers through her sleek ponytail to tame the flyaways. Her false lashed fluttered at him as he quizzed, “Why’d you change your hair?”
“Because the braids didn’t compliment my dress. I’m particular about that.”
Relic nodded his approval of her answer while opening the door for her to climb inside. He helped to lift her dress so that it wouldn’t snag on her heels and then waited as she emitted as soft gasp.
If Kennedy had forgotten the kind of nigga she was affiliating with, Relic had given her a blatant reminder as she ogled the stars gleaming across his ceiling to mimic the night’s sky. Her eyes wandered to the cool box console, that housed an open bottle of champagne on ice and two flutes, before migrating to the large bouquet of red roses set on the chair. It was the oversized, orange box with brown trimming set beside those that took her breath away.
She didn’t bother asking Relic if it was hers before she picked up the box to place in her lap—tugging at the brown ribbon to unravel while wondering how the hell he’d gotten such an exclusive item on short notice. Knowing the caliber of man Relic was; she’d bet he kept a few on standby for whenever he needed to bring out the big guns to impress a woman.
She opened the lid, plucked the purse from its dust bag to inspect the expensive leather, and then cradled it against her chest like a newborn as her eyes flitted toward him.
“You’re one smooth ass muthafucka, Relic. I’ll give you that.”
A genuine laugh erupted from him before he scrubbed a hand down his mouth to muffle it. He licked his lips, and Kennedy clocked the gesture but turned away to not react.
“I hope you don’t think this will convince me to give up the pussy. I don’t fuck on first dates.”
“You will with me. Luckily for you, this is about business, so you’re safe. Look at that as a welcome to the team gift, and whether or not it works out, that’s all you.”
Relic shut the door, and Kennedy expelled a heavy breath before picking up the champagne to pour a glass, hoping it settled her thoughts and her building arousal. Her eyes bounced around the car before gravitating to Relic as he slid into the driver’s seat, looking like the best dick and worst decision she could make in her life. The perverse thoughts popping into her head made her pull out her phone to text the group chat. She needed her girls to give her reasons to not fall for Relic’s sweet but calculating gestures that reminded her of a life she could’ve lived but was safer having no parts of.