Chapter 12
“Get out.”
Relic gripped a handful of Logan’s bone straight hair and lifted her head from his lap. His mouth curled in detest at her brown cheeks holding a red undertone from overexertion, while her sultry eyes were full of tears because she’d gagged on his dick for the past ten minutes. The more she choked, the more he’d forced her to do it until his agitation wouldn’t allow him. He’d bet Kennedy could do it a million times better, and that thought popping in his head the entire time only pissed him the hell off more.
“No, baby. Let me finish. I can get you there,” she swore, cradling his dick in her hand like she’d run off with it if she could. “It’s just so big, but I’m fine.”
“If you can’t suck my dick how I like after this long, you’re wasting my time. Get up and go.”
“But Relic—”
“Get the fuck out of my place before I drag you out, Logan. That’s the first and last warning I’m giving.”
Logan winced from the harshness of his words like he’d struck her. She wiped her mouth and then stood from between his gaped legs with a pout he couldn’t care less about. A tiny part of her wished that Relic had actually struck her because at least he’d coddle her with gifts or sweet nothings afterward to weasel his way back in her good graces. As of late, he only dished out hurtful dismissals that left her worried about her position. Logan was happier than a kid in a candy store when she’d gotten the call from his brother to meet them at the penthouse, but Relic had kicked her out the minute she finished removing the bullet and patching up his wound.
He’d summoned her four times in the past two weeks for sex but then had either stopped her midway or let her finish while he zoned out like she was the worst fuck of his life. Logan was used to him not nutting, but his disinterest with getting her off was new, and she didn’t like it. She’d seen firsthand how fast Relic dropped bitches once he grew bored with their presence.
“I didn’t change your dressing yet.” She fished for a final reason to stay while scooping up her purse from his sage modular sectional. The vacant stare he gave when she peered in his direction told her, he wasn’t biting.
Relic stuffed his dick into his boxers and stood, heading for his door while Logan dragged her heel-clad feet behind him. Had she not been so damn useless, he would’ve allowed her to stay since he needed an interruption from drowning in his thoughts. He needed to get his mind off his biggest fucking distraction that he hadn’t spoken to since the night of the shooting because he couldn’t promise he’d have control over his temper once he saw her. Relic yearned to wipe Kennedy clean from his mental, but she only burrowed deeper each time he tried. Empty headed bitches like Logan reminded him of why Kennedy had piqued his interest to begin with.
“...have something for you soon.”
Relic opened his door to urge Logan out as he caught the tail end of her talking. “What?” he inquired.
“Am I that uninteresting to you that you aren’t even paying attention to a word I say, Relic?”
“Yes, and this door is about to shut in five seconds if what you were saying holds no importance.”
“Tolliver mentioned that he should have some information soon—”
He slammed the door in her face. If her nigga didn’t have said intel on hand, it didn’t matter because soon didn’t count for shit in his book. Relic would give Tolliver a couple more weeks at the most before he replaced the captain with a better source.
His hand went to his temple, massaging there to reduce his brewing headache as he ambled toward his fireplace. Relic grabbed the remote off the mantel and then stood in front of his floor to ceiling windows, looking out over the expansive view. From the second he saw it; he knew the spot was for him because the view depicted the image in his head that’d been there since he could remember. Relic was always in the center of it all, surrounded by prying eyes yet so distant at the same time. Even when he was in the thick of it, he wasn’t. For most of his life since a teen, the world was like an outer body experience as he floated above it, looking at the chaos from an aerial view that only he was privy to. Relic hadn’t run across someone who could keep his feet planted on solid ground until that little fucking distraction materialized from thin air.
Kennedy crossing his mind for the umpteenth time sent a harsh breath expelling from him as he mashed the control button on his remote, lowering the motorized blinds before setting it back on the mantel. He wished it was that easy to shut down his brain. Relic trekked to his master suite and bypassed the outfit he’d laid on his bed, heading to his private bathroom to clean his dick so that he could start his day. After being couped up in his penthouse for two weeks, he was ready to recommence his regular routine.
He turned on the shower water and then went to the mirror, peeling the gauze and tape from his gunshot wound while inspecting his minor injuries. The laceration on his forehead that Logan had closed with medical tape had regained its color but left a scar while the torn skin on his neck wasn’t as visible. Relic’s left eye twitched before he shoved down his boxers and stepped into the shower while anticipating the day he’d catch Slim lacking and put the muthafucka on ice. That day was closer than the nigga knew.
Pierre had told him about Slim posting the label’s chain from a burner account with a shit talking caption that blew up because Titan had posted him being gifted the chain that same night. People were puzzling the timeline together and speculating. The Blaise name garnered respect, but Slim was trying his hardest to change that, even if it meant losing homies along the way. Relic couldn’t wait to make a prime example out of his ass.
Enacting his plan sooner rather than later urged him to shower hastily, especially since he’d squandered time that could’ve been put to better use. As soon as Relic rinsed his body and turned off the water, his front door alarm chirped to inform him someone had entered his place. He didn’t rush, knowing it was one of the two people who held access other than him.
“Big bro!”
Relic wrapped a towel around his waist and padded into the living area when Titan called his name. His steps slowed when he spotted Michi, spinning in a circle as she explored the place.
“Damn, this makes our condo look like a shoebox. How many places does your brother own, Titan? Like damn,” she whispered, making Relic snort a laugh.
Michi moved to Titan’s side once she noticed he’d entered the room. Relic folded his arms and stood in the center of his open layout, debating whether he’d curse her out for entering his home and then acting like he’d attack her if he got too close. He decided against it since they’d come to an unspoken agreement to keep the peace to make Titan happy.
“I don’t own this. I rent. Somewhere to have company because I don’t like people where my son lays his head.” He answered her question before asking Titan, “What are you doing here?”
“To curse you out, nigga! I find out through Pierre’s talking ass that you got shot, then go to your crib to see you ain’t even there. Shabu acting like he don’t know where you’re at, and the whole time, you in my building!”
“How’d you find out I was up here?”
“Saw Saucy in the elevator, and she asked me were you good and had I been up to see you. She ain’t even know she was snitching.”
Relic shook his head, realizing that he shouldn’t have put Sojourney in the same building as his brother. It was the easiest move at that time since he’d built a rapport with the condo manager and could keep tabs on her to ensure she wasn’t moving foul. He added moving her elsewhere once he murked her ex-boyfriend on his list of to-dos.
“It’s fucked up, y’all kept me out of the loop, bro.” Titan disrupted his thoughts with that futile complaint. “Y’all always do that shit like I’m a lil’ ass boy. I’m grown as fuck.”
“You in or out, Titan? Because if you want to be in, I can find some shit for you to do. If you’re out, then stay the fuck out, and we’ll let you know the important shit.”
“He’s out,” Michi answered for him. She wrapped her arm around Titan when he cut his eyes down at her for interjecting on their conversation. “He was just worried about you, but he’s definitely out.”
“Oh, so you can speak to me?”
“When it concerns the wellbeing of this one, I sure the hell can.”
“And that’s fine but let me make some shit clear.”
“Bro, don’t start—”
“Shut the fuck up, Titan!” Relic lifted a hand to pause his baby brother without taking his eyes off Michi. “When it comes to him, I don’t need you to speak up because I already know what’s best for the nigga. I’ve never put Titan in my business, and I don’t plan to. That dance studio I tried offering that you turned down was being purchased through legit means, just like Savvy’s restaurant, but you didn’t want it. I respected that decision. I respected when Titan chose you, a stripper bitch that accused me of trying to rape her, out of all those hoes on his dick he could have been with.”
“Nigga, I accused you because you did try! You flipped me over and restrained me!” Michi screamed, losing her cool at the fact he tried making her out as a liar.
“I restrained you after you put your goddamn hands on me... after you laid on your fucking back naked to let me fuck and then changed your mind when my dick was going in!”
“Man, I didn’t come here to hear this bullshit. Let’s go, Michi.” Titan tugged her toward the door, but she snatched away.
His face fell as Relic and Michi held a stare off, preparing for a conversation that was a long time coming, but he didn’t want to hear. He couldn’t stomach knowing any details about Relic being anywhere near Michi in a sexual capacity. Titan couldn’t risk having to choose between his brother or girl either because both were his damn hearts. He’d choose neither and risk breaking himself before hurting them.
“I pinned your ass down, so you wouldn’t hit me again, yes,” Relic continued. “I’ll even admit that I smacked the dog shit out of you because you earned it. My hand was on my dick to protect it since you were fucking wilding like a lunatic instead of just saying you changed your mind and to get off you. I never tried to force myself inside of you.”
“You did! Don’t act like I’m fucking lying because I know what I felt!”
“Did I, or did your traumatized mind believe that because you were fucked by your step daddy half of your life.”
“Aye, brother or not, you ain’t about to talk to her like that!” Titan snapped, but Relic shot him a dull stare before aiming the same look at Michi.
“Am I lying, Michi? I’m the first nigga you sold pussy to, right? The first nigga you tried giving your body to because you let a manipulative bitch like Jessica talk you into that shit when you really didn’t want to. You were triggered, but what went down with us was far from fucking rape. Disrespectfully, if I ever raped a bitch, it wouldn’t be a piece of pussy I could pay for.”
“Say that shit again, nigga!” Titan charged toward Relic so fast that Michi didn’t see it coming.
She raced in front of him, almost busting her ass before bracing both hands on his chest while Relic stood in place, unstirred. Michi had seen her man throw hands and heard about Relic’s notorious temper, so she knew they’d fuck the penthouse up if they went to blows.
Beyond that, Michi began to wonder if Relic’s explanation made more sense than hers. She sucked in a breath and held her tears while recalling Jessica convincing her to give away a part of herself that’d been taken advantage of for years. Michi wasn’t ready back then but had grown used to it over the years.
That night with Relic had haunted her because all she’d seen was her stepfather on top of her with a sneering grin, stealing her innocence once again. She could admit that Relic had made valid points, and those traumatic parts of her had blurred so long ago that she couldn’t see that night clearly to confirm or deny he was right. The only thing she’d gone by was how he’d reacted and made her feel in that instant. That wasn’t enough to let Titan fall out with his brother while knowing her man adored Relic to no end and that the unconditional love was mutual.
“It’s okay, Titan. Let’s go like you said,” she whispered, straining to push his boulder of a build backward to no avail. Titan’s glower trained on Relic, making her antsy. “Titan.”
“Don’t ever talk to her like that again.” He disregarded her suggestion and addressed his brother. “On everything that I love, we gon’ have to shoot the one and shake it up afterward. I may be the baby brother, but you know my temper is just as big. This is my fucking girl, bro! Whether you like it or not, that’s what it is. Disrespecting Michi is the same as disrespecting me, and you taught me not to take disrespect lightly.”
Relic stared at the little boy who used to cry whenever Shabu forced him down the other end of the bed and wouldn’t let him sleep between them. Another brother had slipped through his fingers. Titan was stepping to him like a grown man in the exact way that Shabu had when he’d defended Savvy well before she was his wife. Relic wondered if Titan would choose him over Michi if he forced his hand but couldn’t risk finding out. He’d done it with Shabu, and it backfired.
“What I was getting at before you interrupted,” he grumbled, staring between the two. “Was that I don’t need you to tell me what Titan needs because I know when it comes to him and Shabu. Nobody loves my brothers like I love them, Michi. You and Savvy are close runners up, though.”
Michi’s defenses softened as she snapped, “Well, you should’ve led with that!”
“Nah, dead ass. Nigga always gotta slide some slick shit in. I don’t want to get to where you and Shabu were, but I meant what I said, Relic, and it’s still all love.”
Titan walked up on his brother with outstretched arms and a playful grin, but Relic backpedaled.
“Nigga, fuck out of here. I got my dick out.”
“You got on a fucking towel. If hugging your brother gets your dick hard, you got bigger problems to worry about.”
“Get the fuck out, Titan, and leave my key.”
“And ain’t! Come on, bae. We know not to stay where we ain’t welcome.” Titan laughed while grabbing Michi’s hand to head out.
Relic didn’t correct him about not being welcome because both his brothers had access to each of his homes except one that neither knew about. Once Titan and Michi were gone, he started for his room but stalled when his burner phone juddered across his coffee table. He contemplated whether to answer but then picked it up, flipping it open after studying the unknown number.
“Speak.”
“It’s me, boss man. I been doing that job you told me to do, and I think we got a problem.”
Relic tensed, his eyes shutting as he pinched his nose bridge and then inhaled to prepare for the news Drish was about to give him. His plate was full, but more bullshit was piled on top of it by the day.
“I’m listening.”
“That little situation you told me to keep an eye on and the shit that happened at the club might be connected. I don’t know if—”
Relic deaded the line and launched his phone across the room. It collided with the wall, shattering on impact as he dropped onto the couch and cradled his face in his hands to regulate his breathing. It didn’t work. The bomb Drish dropped on him was the last thing he’d expected to hear because that possibility hadn’t crossed his mind.
His hands trembled and mind veered straight to murder because muthafuckas were playing with his mental lately more than ever. He lifted his head and gazed at nothing, formulating a Plan B because Kennedy had been right about one thing; there was always a loophole or cheat code to the game. Relic intended to find it, but he had one other situation to handle first.
“So, what time you gon’ be out of here today? They have you in this bitch all night like you ain’t the boss. Aren’t you supposed to just call the shots and make money off them?”
Kennedy rolled her eyes before biting into her fresh chicken thigh, breathing through the heat searing her tongue. She angled in Lomar’s passenger seat to face him while covering her mouth to finish chewing. Since they’d kicked it after her event, he’d made it his mission to bring her lunch every day or dinner if she stayed after closing to finish up with a customer. Kennedy thought it was cute but grew irritated whenever he pressed her about working too much. His kind gestures were beginning to seem clingy, but even though she disliked it, she tried not to ghost his ass. Lomar was showing his interest in a manner she wasn’t used to, which she needed.
“It doesn’t work like that. I’m the manager, but I’m also a stylist. I have clientele that I’ve serviced for years who don’t want people playing in their hair,” she explained as he bit into his chicken sandwich. “I work long hours and on my off days if I have to because that’s what I’m used to, and I like it.”
“You like the money,” he revised around a mouthful of food, and she frowned.
“Nigga, wait until you finish chewing, but you’re right. I like both. You need to get used to being with a bitch that’s on her shit and not waiting at home for you on her knees or with her hand out. That’s not how I roll.”
Lomar choked on his food, patting his chest to help it down before his mouth quirked into a grin that made Kennedy struggle not to return the gesture. His smile was her favorite feature about him. It held a twinge of mischievousness in it, like he wasn’t as sweet as he portrayed and could get rough in the ways that she’d need him to. They hadn’t taken it as far as sex yet, but Kennedy couldn’t lie and claim the thought hadn’t crossed her mind because the nigga looked good every time they linked. The sole thing stopping her was the fear of being disappointed by lackluster sex after getting fucked through the mattress by Relic.
Her pussy spasmed at the reminder, but she brushed it off since that shit would never happen again. After she reached out to check on him for weeks like a simp bitch and received no response; Kennedy realized what it was. Relic was far from her nigga, but hell would freeze over before she let him use her in his business and the bedroom whenever convenient for him. If it wasn’t about the money, Kennedy didn’t have any words left for his ass.
“What’s wrong with waiting at home for me on your knees or with your hands out? I wouldn’t mind either,” Lomar jested, making her muster a smile as she shut her food tray. Relic crossing her mind had spoiled her appetite.
“Not going to happen, and the real question is why do you have so much time on your hands? I thought you’d be busier with your fancy appraisal job.”
He laughed and shoved a fry in his mouth. Once done chewing, he explained, “It ain’t as fancy as you think, and I make my own schedule. I just check out its location, do a walk through to see the structure of it, and then compare it to sales within the area. In and out, mama. I’ve done it so long, it’s like clockwork.”
“Do it more, and maybe I’ll miss you while you’re gone.”
“Damn, am I smothering you or something?”
“A little,” she admitted with a shrug.
A snort shot from Lomar before he brushed a hand over his fresh taper fade to play it cool. Kennedy grabbed her drink from the cupholder to take a sip.
The mug growing on his face exposed she’d upset him, and she felt bad about it to an extent. Kennedy was pissed with Relic for being distant for no damn reason but complaining about the fact Lomar enjoyed being around her. In typical woman fashion, she was focused on who didn’t want her instead of putting her energy into who did.
She placed her drink down before telling Lomar, “I’m not used to being under a man all the time. Even when my ex lived with me, I worked long hours. We met in bed at night, parted by morning, and chilled when we had time.”
“That’s all good and all, but where’s that nigga at now?”
Kennedy gawked before bursting into laughter. “You know what? Touche.”
“It wasn’t a slight, mama, but when I fuck with a woman, I show that by actions. Not talking, throwing money at her to shut her up, or giving her a vibe I can’t maintain. If you don’t want that, then let me know, and I can stop wasting my time.”
Lomar’s hardened expression held more seriousness than Kennedy had seen from him since they’d met. The corners of her mouth rose into a soft smile as she picked up his food tray from his lap to set on the dashboard before doing the same to her own. His evident irritation drained from his handsome features when she crawled over the center console, straddling his lap like they weren’t parked right out front of her salon in broad daylight. He had no issues with assuring her, so she wanted to reciprocate his actions.
“Don’t stop wasting your time,” she stated, giggling as he cracked a smile after they realized her blunder. “You know what I mean. I want to give this a shot. It may not seem like it, but I do fuck with you, Lomar.”
“I fuck with you too, mama, but you gotta stop talking to me like a nigga. You’re too pretty to act so damn hard all the time.”
“I do not!”
“The hell if you don’t. You talk to me like my homies talk to me, Kennedy. Shit, I think this is the first time you’ve really been on a nigga unless I’m copping a feel when I see an opening.”
“Well, I’m not a toucher. I can’t help that.”
“A nigga,” he maintained his stance, causing her to crack up. “You see what they say online about you?”
The topic switch furrowed her brows as her laughter ceased. Kennedy didn’t check her social media often unless it was her salon page that was steadily gaining more traction since the grand opening.
“What are they saying?” Her curiosity was piqued enough to inquire.
“I checked your shit out after your event, and it’s hella comments about how bad you are. I mean, I know the shit is true, but I remember the day we met that you seemed unsure about it. Muthafuckas who don’t even know you love your scars because they make you unique, Kennedy. You already stand out, but this is like the icing on the cake for real.”
His hand went to her cheek, but she recoiled when he grazed a thumb across her burns. Only Relic had touched the most damaged parts of her since her incident, and he did it as if it were a comfort for him. Lomar ogled her like a fetish.
“I’m making you uncomfortable?” he asked, and her nod confirmed what he’d deciphered from her tense posture.
“What was the point of telling me that?”
“Just thought you should know. Maybe if you saw that, you wouldn’t give me a hard time or play tough instead of letting a nigga in. You’d know I ain’t trying to game you since I’m not the only one out here that sees you’re top tier.”