Chapter 8
“Good evening, Mr. Blaise. Your table is ready, and your guests have arrived. Would you like someone to show you to your section?”
“I have it from here. Thank you.”
“Of course.”
The ma?tre d’ waved a hand for him to proceed, and he palmed Kennedy’s back to guide her steps while surveying the dim-lit restaurant that he’d eaten at three times in the past two weeks to study its layout. Relic knew there were thirty-five tables on the lower level but only ten on the second floor where he and Kennedy were headed. The two exits were either the front entrance or the patio area where patrons went to smoke. Another was through the kitchen that led to the alleyway, which was the furthest exit from his upper-level table. A few of his top soldiers were positioned to wait for his next command.
Relic had paid for two additional dinners—placing a shooter near each entrance because there were too many strangers, and possibilities of an ambush, for him to watch out for while focusing on his private affairs. He didn’t trust either person waiting at his table, so he covered all the bases. His eyes locked with both soldiers in passing, giving them a subtle nod to stay alert, before he proceeded to the winding staircase that led to his section.
“Is there anything that I should know about this meeting beforehand?” Kennedy asked while lifting her dress to ascend the stairs.
“If you do what I told you, you’ll find out as much as you need to know.”
“And what was it that you told me to do again?”
Relic paused on the top step, and Kennedy burst into laughter before shaking her head. She patted his chest and smiled.
“It was a joke. You said to shut the hell up, let you do all the finessing, and wait for you to boss me around because that’s what you do best. I’ll be happy as hell when you realize that’s not how a partnership works. You have me here for a reason, and it’s not to look good on your arm, Relic. That’s a bonus. Which table is ours?”
“You tell me. Get it right, and I’ll let you ask me one question once this dinner is over.”
“Three and you have to answer them,” she counter offered, holding out a hand to seal the deal.
Relic stared at it and then appraised her stunning face that she’d concealed with makeup to where her scars were almost unnoticeable. He shook on it.
“Deal. You have two minutes, and if you’re wrong, you’re not allowed to wear makeup around me again.”
Kennedy frowned at his request but then nodded before she spun on her heels to study each table. Her body shuddered as thick fingers brushed along her exposed spine, distracting her from her task. She didn’t tell him to stop. Relic had touched her there at every opportunity since picking her up, and she relished his small obsession with her skin.
“One minute gone down the drain,” he informed her, gliding his hand toward her neck to scrub his thumb over the scars there. “Time’s a ticking, big dog Kennedy.”
She hunched her shoulder to nudge his hand away and then inspected each guest at the five tables she’d counted. Five more were on the opposite side of the stairs. An older white couple who was enthralled in a heated debate made her eyes roll and redirect to the next table. A beautiful black couple who appeared around their age were trapped in lustful gazes, too unfocused to have a meeting with someone like Relic. The third table was empty, but the last two—positioned furthest from the glass balcony—held a middle-aged white man in a business suit she could tell was tailored, and a black man around the exact age with his younger female companion. She took a step toward the white man when he glanced at his watch but then she stalled after the woman’s purse caught her eye.
Kennedy inched forward, her eyes squinting at the designer handbag matching hers but smaller and in a different color with a charm set linked from the security strap to its lock. A small laugh shot from her after noticing the glaring ‘B’ charm that hers also carried.
“That’s how you brand your bitches,” she realized, spinning to Relic as she lifted her purse. “This bag and the charm.”
“That’s how I stamp the women who make me money and let the streets know you’re untouchable. Two questions because you almost went to the white man.”
“Almost doesn’t count,” she muttered, dragging her feet as she begrudgingly followed his lead.
The last thing she cared to do was entertain one of his hoes for the night, but she put on her game face because business trumped emotions, and Relic wasn’t her nigga in the slightest. Her antennas shot up as they neared the table because the man stood with his face stoned and his hands clasped in front of him once spotting Relic moseying over. The girl stayed seated with a calm smile, but Kennedy noted the tension building in the air amongst the men. Nothing was friendly about their meeting.
“I hope you two weren’t waiting long. I’m Kenn,” she greeted, hoping to break the ice.
The man bobbed his head in return, but his glower stayed on Relic who ignored him while pulling out their seats as if he had all the time in the world. The woman lifted a hand to give a curt wave that Kennedy could tell was forced.
“Hey, girl. I’m Logan, an old friend of Relic’s. I never met a woman named Kenn before. That’s... different.”
“It’s Kenn with two ‘Ns’, as in Kennedy.”
“Oh, got it. Are you a hair stylist by any chance? I think I’ve seen you on my for you page, but I don’t follow you. I’ve been looking for a new stylist.”
Kennedy snorted a laugh while examining the simple bun Logan wore as if she’d rushed to throw a style in her hair last minute. “I can tell. My salon’s grand opening is this upcoming weekend. You should stop by and let me hook you up.”
Logan frowned at the offer because she was aware that Relic had a salon opening but hadn’t heard a damn thing about the bitch running it. Her eyes shifted to him, and his cold stare was sharp on her, daring her to question him. She didn’t.
Kennedy sat, and Relic did the same before checking the time on his wristwatch. He didn’t acknowledge Logan’s man still standing like he was above everyone at the table because the motherfucker was a peon, regardless of the badge he was certain the man had tucked in his wallet. Relic had lined his ducks in a row for months to secure their meeting, but if shit didn’t go as planned, neither of his dinner guests would make it out of the restaurant’s parking lot alive.
“Baby, why are you still standing?” Logan asked in a docile tone. She’d caught the annoyance spreading on Relic’s face and knew he’d charge her life to the game if she fucked up.
“Because I’m waiting for your friend to introduce himself like a man. He invited us here, gave us the location an hour beforehand but still managed to be late, and then he doesn’t have the respect—”
“Who the fuck are you to respect?” Relic’s voice was knife edged when he cut the man off. His hand wedged behind Kennedy to rub her back as he asserted, “Sit down and earn the respect you speak of. As far as introducing myself, you know exactly who the hell I am, Captain Robert Tolliver. Tolli, they call you, right? Son of DEA agent Will Tolliver. Husband to Marvell and father to—”
“Don’t speak of my children,” Tolliver groused but finally took his seat.
Relic simpered and stole a glance at Kennedy, noting her spine straightening against his fingertips at the revelation that she was in the presence of a police officer. Her face didn’t show her shock.
“I’m so sorry about him.” Logan apologized while rubbing Tolliver’s arm in a soothing manner. “He’s been a bit on edge since I suggested you two meet. I told him, he didn’t have to do it, but he’s adamant about getting me out of the club to start our new life together.”
Relic nodded. “How’s nursing school going for you?” he questioned, evoking a beaming smile from her.
“I graduate soon, but I’m up to my neck in student loans. Between that, buying a new home, and Tolli going through his divorce, money is tight. I’m willing to dance for another year or two, but he’s not going for it.”
“You ain’t tell him, he can’t control what he can’t afford?”
An animated giggle erupted from Logan that she stifled after catching the glare Tolliver sent her. She tucked her lips in chagrin. Relic shot her a wink, and she pushed out a breath while adjusting her strapless dress that struggled to hold the breasts she’d purchased two years ago, along with a vacuumed waist and a phat ass to match it. The money she earned at the strip club did her well since Jessica had put her on to the real niggas getting money before she’d been murdered—Relic included.
Jessica had welcomed Logan into their bed ample times, and although Relic had more dick than she could stomach, she loved fucking him. Logan was obsessed with him and would do anything for his ass, hence the reason she’d been fucking the man at her side for half a year. She’d mentioned the police officer who was borderline stalking her at the club, hoping to evoke jealousy in Relic, but he’d instructed her to fuck Tolli instead because it could work in his favor. Logan had convinced Tolliver to leave his wife within three months and was moving into their new place by the fourth.
She’d spent the last two months complaining about how strapped for cash they were but that she had an old friend who could help them out. Logan was certain if she pulled their caper off, Relic would realize she was the perfect girl to permanently claim Jessica’s old position. The bitch beside him didn’t mean shit to her.
“It’s not about controlling Logan. It’s about wanting better for her. As my future wife, I see more for her than that disgusting club,” Tolliver stated, and Relic chuckled.
“You mean, the strip club where you met her? Don’t act above the shit when you spent weeks tricking there before she gave your old ass the time of day.”
“Tricking? That’s what you told him, Logan? Is that what I am to you? A damn trick or sugar daddy?”
“What? No! That’s just a general term used at the club! Relic knows how I feel about you, Tolli. If he didn’t, we wouldn’t be here because he doesn’t do business with just anyone. Don’t ruin this because it can open so many doors for us, baby. He can give us financial security so that we’re comfortable when we have children of our own.”
“That’s the part you’re misunderstanding, Logan. He’s not giving us shit. I’m jeopardizing a lot even being here.”
“And that’s what we can agree on. Ain’t shit free, and a whole fucking lot is at risk for you,” Relic asserted in a cavalier tone that didn’t hide the underlying threat he placed on Tolliver’s life.
“Let’s just calm down. There’s our food.” Logan pointed out the server, grateful for his promptness because their meeting was slowly twirling down the drain. “I hope you don’t mind that we ordered already, Relic.”
“It’s fine. I didn’t plan to eat, but do you want to order, Kennedy?”
She’d heard him, but her mind was too busy reeling for her to answer. Kennedy knew Relic was in deep, but procuring the police in his back pocket was another level—one she doubted her brother had met. If Relic kept up his usual strong-arming tactics, he’d fuck up a deal that could save his ass in the clutch.
From the lustful stares Logan kept sending Relic, it wasn’t hard for her to figure out the girl was a pawn in his game to secure that added protection. If the bitch hadn’t tried to slick diss her and then flirt with Relic in her face; Kennedy might’ve felt bad for the poor girl because she was doing Relic’s dirty deeds out of pure infatuation. Logan was the easy lick type that got the bare minimum and nothing more since she accepted the scraps.
“I’m not that hungry but if you have it, may I order a wedge salad. No tomatoes, and blue cheese on the side. Calamari and a glass of Pinot Grigio.” Kennedy found her voice to make that request without picking up the menu, and the server smiled.
“We have both, and great wine choice for the calamari.”
“Thank you. Also, do you have a purse stool or table hook for my bag? I don’t like sitting it on the table.”
“Oh, I absolutely agree, which is why we offer both. There’s a hook attached to the table, but I can grab a stool.”
“No, this is fine,” Kennedy replied, feeling beneath the table for it to hang her purse.
The server waited to ensure she’d found it, tipped his head with a pleased smile, and then scurried off as Kennedy picked up her water to sip. Her eyes flitted to Logan, and she grinned into her glass at seeing the clueless girl slide her bag from the table to hook beneath it.
“You two must come to fancy places like this often,” Tolliver assumed as she set her water down.
Kennedy didn’t miss his envious tone, but she used it to her advantage because men and their egos were the worst enemy of any business. The minute they saw a man doing better than them, they wanted it, even if they weren’t equipped to fill those shoes.
“Actually, no. I haven’t eaten at a spot like this in a while because I’m a bit of a penny pincher. I prefer to work and save.”
Tolliver’s brows shot up before he nodded. “I’m the exact same way. I can’t say the same for this girl.” He jabbed a thumb toward Logan, and Kennedy giggled.
“That’s a woman for you. We have expensive taste when it comes to certain things. I hate frivolous spending, but I’m a bit of a shopaholic from time to time. I also don’t play about my hair. What’s your guilty spending pleasure? I think we all have one.”
“Golf.” Tolliver didn’t think twice before blurting it out. He cut into his steak, taking a bite with a soft grumble of approval before adding, “I went a few times with a buddy of mine at his country club, and it was the most relaxing thing I’ve done.”
“Tolliver, golfing at country clubs is expensive as hell.”
A thunderous laugh shot from him, and Kennedy noted in that moment that the man was handsome with his peppered hair and low eyes that softened the longer they conversed. It was that green eyed monster beneath the surface that had made him ugly.
“I know it is. Which is why I don’t do it often.”
“Well, let’s hope for a great meeting and a greater business venture, so you can golf to your heart’s content. With Logan as your woman, you’ll need it.”
Tolliver choked on his steak, patting his chest before they shared a playful look, although he didn’t voice his agreement. He was warming up to her. Kennedy tried not to smile when Relic leaned toward her ear.
“Big dog muthafuckin’ Kennedy. I guess it’s your move, and I’ll play backup.”
“I won’t need it,” she whispered, and a soft kiss on her cheek was his response.
Her breasts swelled with an inhale when his fingers went back to kneading along her spine, stopping at the crack of her ass before rerouting upward just to slither back downward again. He chuckled when she squirmed in her seat. If he didn’t stop his shit, her dress nor inhibitions would make it through the night.
“Relic, did you notice what I ordered?” Logan asked, making his fingers stop as Kennedy frowned because the bitch had focused on the wrong man all night. “Oysters, and scallops with lobster risotto. I remember, Jessica mentioning that seafood is your favorite. Take one.”
She pushed her tray of oysters toward him and flashed a flirtatious grin when he accepted. Relic picked one up, loosened the meat from its shell with an oyster fork, and then squeezed lemon juice on top before slurping it down. He grabbed another one to prepare and then turned to Kennedy.
“Anyone told you oysters are an aphrodisiac, cheri? Open.”
Kennedy’s pretty lips parted on command, and he wondered if she’d move as fast and without fuss if he was offering his dick instead of an oyster. Relic decided not to ask in front of company and fed her one of his favorite foods, licking his lips when she slurped everything from the shell until it was bone dry.
She winked like he’d done at Logan and then turned to Tolliver. “You like oysters, Tolli?”
“Tried it once but didn’t care much for them.”
“I think it depends on the quality. Honestly, I like it better with hot sauce and a beer, but what do I know?”
“Shit, that sounds like the dream collab to me. I like your style, Ms. Kennedy.”
“As you should.”
“Here, baby. Try it,” Logan cooed, prepping an oyster for her man because he was giving another woman too much attention.
She fed it to him in the same manner that Relic had done for Kennedy, and he accepted it with reluctance before taking slow chews as his facial features relaxed. It didn’t come as a surprise to Kennedy as she watched. He didn’t dislike the meal, the fine dining, or even Logan’s spending habits—men simply disliked what their pockets couldn’t afford.
“Wait ‘til you try caviar,” she teased, making him crack a smile.
“I’ve heard good things about it.”
“It’s disgusting.”
Tolliver cracked up, leaning back in his seat as he grabbed his napkin to clean his hands. His eyes hardened before they veered toward Relic.
“I’m here, and I’m listening. What is it that you want from me?”
“To know anything there is to know about me on your end. Those connects at the DEA, use them. A red flag goes up with my or any of my folks’ names on it, inform me. Keep me ahead of any possible moves being made.”
“You’re a little late for that, don’t you think?”
Relic leveled him a dry look instead of biting the bait. He knew what Tolliver was insinuating, but as long as he wasn’t behind bars with time to put the remainder of his pieces into position, he wasn’t too late.
“Keep me abreast anyway,” he retorted, clasping his hands together to place on the table. “I prefer to see and prepare for what’s coming before it arrives.”
“Do you know what you’re asking me? I’m risking my career, my freedom, and family for what?”
“For this.”
Relic produced a folded piece of paper from his pocket to slide across the table. Tolliver stared at it before picking it up to unfold. His body froze and heart stopped at the number scribbled across it, and the whispered expletive from Logan told him that even she had no damn clue about the amount of cash Relic was proposing.
“That’s the first payment. The more information you acquire, the better each payout will be. I’m sure this’ll lighten your load.”
“Fuck,” Tolliver hissed, conflicted. He scrubbed a hand down his mouth as the server returned and dropped off Kennedy’s food and wine. Once they were alone, he peered up at Relic. “If I do this, how soon will I get the money?”
“The same day you provide me with relevant intel. Do we have a deal, or are you walking away with the same troubles you came with? Mine will be taken care of since I have other options. I chose you as a favor to Logan, so once I walk away, deal off.”
Tolliver’s eyes downcast to the paper again. Not once in his life did he imagine consorting with the wrong side of the law, especially with a filthy criminal like Relic. The potential money swayed him because it would put him in a comfortable position to live with Logan while still taking care of his family. Hell, he could find a woman more his speed like the one sitting across the table who’d simplify his life instead of putting him in financial debt. His gaze drifted to Kennedy.
“Tell that man he owes you a shopping trip because I’m only agreeing to this because of you.”
Kennedy smiled, popped a fried squid into her mouth, and then lifted her wine glass. “I’ll toast to that. Next meeting on the golf course, Tolli.”
That got a chuckle out of Tolliver before he raised his glass. Logan happily lifted hers as well while internally spending the money before her man even got his hands on it.
Relic raised his glass of water last, tapping it against the others while his eyes flicked in the direction of the woman who’d closed a deal that he doubted he would’ve secured without threatening the man’s entire fucking family. Kennedy fit into his world too well, and he didn’t know what to make of it.