Chapter 13
Relic disliked being nervous.
He disliked the dampness of his palms when his hands grew clammy, his jittery limbs, and the tension that locked up his body. His fingers clenched his steering wheel as one of his skeletons rammed his internal closet door, reminding him of the first time he’d been that nervous when he’d popped Jessica’s cherry in a fit of rage after catching her with another dude. Relic had run to Los afterward, wondering if it was considered rape if she let him finish once he’d realized his mistake and repented. A decade and a hidden son later; he decided it was. His baby mother wouldn’t have been as sexually deviant and fucked up in the head if it wasn’t.
The second time Relic experienced nerves that powerful was when he’d laid eyes on Jahleel. He’d drank a whole Styrofoam cup of alcohol and convinced Shabu to help him soft kidnap his son from the park to spite Jessica. Jahleel held the title for fucking with his nerves the most since his son was also the reason for him enduring those hard-hitting sensations for a third time in his life. His gaze swiveled from the bus stop loaded with kids to the green house, whose door opened before Jahleel strolled outside with his sister and grandmother on his heels.
Relic cracked a smile as he watched his son grip the strap of his backpack while his keen eyes swept the neighborhood to ensure it was safe for the women behind him. Jahleel carried familial traits of his that made him proud. Others, he hoped to never see in his son. Once Jahleel descended the short flight of porch steps, Relic brushed off his nerves to greet his son that he hadn’t seen in weeks. It was the longest he’d been away from Jahleel since finding out he had a child, and his fucking heart would shatter if he was shunned away.
“Jah!”
The unexpected crack in Relic’s voice caused a scowl to downturn the corners of his mouth as he clambered out of the car and rounded it to sit on the hood. His son and brothers evoked those rare emotions out of him that he loathed.
Jahleel froze like he’d heard a phantom voice before his eyes lit and then shot toward the car parked a few houses down that he hadn’t noticed. He took off running the second that he spotted his dad.
“Jahleel, stop running, and don’t leave without permission!” his grandmother reprimanded, but he ignored her.
Relic chuckled as Jahleel’s body crashed into his before his son backtracked and then held out a hand, playing it cool. They dapped it up, but Relic yanked him into a hug afterward.
“It’s aight to show me love, lil’ nigga. You can miss me,” he whispered, kissing his son’s temple. Jahleel wiped it off with a smirk.
“You can’t do all that in front of my friends. I got a reputation to keep.”
“What reputation you got besides taking your ass to church every other day?”
“My reputation on the field. Come on, Relic. You know this.” Jahleel hooked an arm at his chest like he was holding a football and outstretched the other to block his fake opponents. Relic beamed a smile and nodded.
“You got that. Youth football for the spring is about to start, right? Did you give the money I sent you to pay for everything to your grann?”
“Yes, and yes. I tried to tell you, but you been ignoring me for weeks. Why I ain’t heard from you?”
Jahleel getting straight to the point and not beating around the bush took Relic aback, but he respected it. He scratched at a brow, formulating the best way to tell his son that he wasn’t familiar with rejection, so after the first week that he got no answer, he stopped calling. When he decided to pop up, his lifestyle caught up to him, and he couldn’t let Jahleel see him battered. Relic lost sight of what was most important since he’d never had anyone to care about outside of Shabu and Titan who understood his inconsistency and need for space. He wasn’t well versed in the father role, but he was trying.
“Why didn’t you answer the phone when you saw me calling?” He started there, but Jahleel wasn’t having it.
“Because I was mad at you, but I called back, and you didn’t answer. You just forgot about me. You can’t do that when you’re a parent.”
“Let me tell you something,” Relic stated in a low tone, tugging Jahleel toward him by his bookbag strap for privacy. “I will never forget about you, so don’t fix your mouth to say that again. I just had personal shit going on and got distracted with that.”
“My mom always had personal stuff going on too, and that’s why I live with my granny.”
“Are you comparing me to Jessica?”
“She didn’t answer my calls and came around when she felt like it. That’s what you’re doing. Why’d you even tell me who you are if you don’t want to be a real dad?”
Jahleel stuck a thousand knives in Relic’s chest, serrating his decrepit heart with that accusation. His heart slowed to a feeble beat as he stared into Jahleel’s blurry eyes that gave away an impending break down. His son was seconds from crumbling, and Relic couldn’t summon the words to guarantee his worries were invalid because he’d never gotten that himself. The one parent he needed reassurance from had never given it, and watching Jahleel was like looking at a reflection of his inner self that he’d never shown to the world. Relic hadn’t realized the emotional damage Jessica had caused well before he came into the picture, but it left him with an even heavier burden of ensuring it didn’t ruin his fucking son.
“What do you need from me, huh?” Relic managed to keep his tone even as he ruffled the low curls on Jahleel’s head. “Tell me what I need to fix because I do want to be your dad, and I thought I was doing good at it, but maybe not.”
“You’re doing alright, but we got some stuff to work on.”
Relic’s head tipped back as a boisterous laugh shot from him. He hadn’t cracked up like that in a while nor had a peaceful rest since Jahleel hadn’t been around. His son had no clue how much he needed and missed him, too.
“Whatever you need me to do, I’ll do that shit, Jah. I’ll call every day, but you need to answer that goddamn phone I pay the bill on, even when you’re mad at me.”
“Stop cursing so much, and I will. I’m not ready to live with you yet, but you can get me on a weekday to hang out and take me school in the morning. I like coming over more than just the weekend. You gotta come to all my games, too.”
“I’ll come to as many as I can,” he counter offered before tacking on an incentive. “I’ll send Shabu or Titan to the ones that I miss.”
“Yea, do that. My uncles are cool and got money, so everyone will like them. I’ll tell them to bring the team snacks.”
Relic smiled through the lurch his heart made from his brothers receiving those esteemed titles while he hadn’t earned the one he should’ve gotten the moment he shot Jahleel out of his nut sack. The realization that he was nowhere near procuring it hurt worse than the bullet wound in his shoulder.
“Brother, the bus is here!”
His eyes wandered to Jasmine after she made that announcement while flagging a hand for Jahleel to hurry up. Relic stood and dug into his pocket for the few small bills he kept after learning that kids begged for money more than gold diggers. He peeled off two twenties to pass Jahleel.
“Give one to your sister. I have business to take care of, but I’ll be back a few hours after you’re out of school to pick you up. We can go do whatever you want and finish our talk. Sound good?”
“Yep! See you after school.”
Jahleel threw his arms around Relic’s waist and then removed them just as fast, taking off to the bus with his sister shuffling to keep up. Her bright smile, giggles, and barrettes bouncing as they raced took Relic’s mind to a place he couldn’t entertain since kids, a family of his own, and a normal life were out of the question for him. He didn’t waste time with dwelling over that glaring truth when fathering Jahleel was a task in itself. It made him vulnerable. It gave his opposition a direct shot at his heart without them having to get near him. The weight on his shoulders heavied at knowing he had to take that risk or deal with his son hating him for staying away.
A thunderous boom in the distance jolted him, sending his body into shock as he waited for a surge of pain to strike him like it had the night he’d been shot. Relic sucked in a breath and blinked, his eyes flitting around before landing on the door that Jahleel’s grandmother had slammed shut. He rolled his shoulders and tipped his head to ease his tension while trekking to his driver’s side to hop in. He’d been in the open for too long. After typing in his next destination’s address, he skirted off.
The discussion he’d intended to have with his son’s grandmother was placed on the backburner, especially since he couldn’t use his original tactic after his heartfelt talk with Jahleel. His son required as much love as possible, so whether or not he preferred it, the old bitch who hated his guts was an important factor in Jahleel’s upbringing. Relic didn’t possess the mental stability to play every role in his son’s life. If he could, he would do it with no remorse.
Jahleel stayed on his mind the entire drive to Kennedy’s house, while Jessica’s skeleton toggled his mental closet’s doorknob in an attempt to escape. Relic bounced between wishing he’d killed her ass himself for neglecting his son, to drowning in regret that she wasn’t around to give Jahleel the motherly love he deserved. The reality that his son’s final memories of Jessica were resentment filled didn’t sit well with him since he was the posterchild for the effect it had on one’s mental.
Relief washed over him when he pulled in front of Kennedy’s building and shut off his car. She was his biggest fucking distraction—one that kept him out of his head and calmed his skeletons as if hers wasn’t hidden among the dark carnage. He climbed out of his car, cemented a hand around his gun, and trudged up to her apartment with a pinch of frustration brewing at the fact she’d managed to settle a part of him that he struggled to control as of late. If his stomach weren’t growling from the heavy scent of food he smelled once nearing her door; he would’ve turned the fuck around and left.
Before Relic could knock, the door swung open to reveal Kennedy in a cropped hoodie, high-waist loose fitting jeans, and a designer scarf wrapped around a blunt short cut he liked because it didn’t hide her imperfections. His eyes darted to the ring camera he hadn’t noticed before he strolled past her to enter her place like he paid the bills.
“When did you get the camera?” he inquired, swiveling his gaze around her living room for other changes.
When he spotted none, his stare drifted toward the kitchen, noting the plate of food on the counter next to her laptop, phone, and a folder that made his lids narrow because it matched the ones he used for his businesses.
“Good morning to your rude ass, too. Tekken got it for me last week. Between him finding out I’m working for you and what went down at the club, he said I need to be more careful.”
“Smart man. What’d you cook?”
Kennedy shut and locked her door before padding barefoot into the kitchen where she was putting away the dishes she’d washed. She tossed her head at the plate, picking a fork to rinse and pass Relic as he sat on a barstool at her counter.
“Homemade French toast, eggs, bacon, and country style potatoes. That’s yours. I was about to wrap it up, but you’re early.”
“Shit, I’m on time if you ask me. Who told you to make this?”
“Damn, I couldn’t have made it for you out of the kindness of my heart?” Her arms folded in feigned offense, and Relic scooped a forkful of eggs into his mouth with his dull stare resting on her in disbelief. “Fine. Savvy told me what you like to eat and said I should cook to butter you up before we discuss business.”
“That’s what I thought. What business do we need to discuss?”
“This edited mic checks video of Aura that Treasure sent me to go over.”
Relic darted his eyes toward the folder he was positive belonged to him before he cut into his French toast for a bite. He’d been ducked off while she and Savvy had held down the fort, keeping his businesses in the green like he paid them handsomely to do. There wasn’t any telling what Kennedy had run across during his absence.
“Have you seen the video?” she asked, but he kept his head down and attention on his plate. “I watched it this morning while I was getting dressed and found out some very heavy shit about her. Bible thumper. That’s what people used to call her when she was younger because she was heavily into the church. Did you know that?”
Relic pushed out a breath before setting down his fork and leaning back in his seat. “I did.”
“So, I’m sure you know that she was raped by her friend’s uncle on a goddamn church van, and that she’s run into one trifling nigga after the next since. This isn’t new information to you, correct?”
“I’d like to finish my fucking food in peace, Kennedy. Get to where you’re going with this drawn-out speech.”
“Where I’m going is, why the hell are you adding your name to that long list of shitty ass men like you don’t know what she’s gone through? What the hell is this?” She grabbed the folder, opened it, and slammed it in front of him. “Why is Aura’s contract twice the length of the other artists?”
“Because I run a business, which means I don’t give one fuck about their private lives if it doesn’t affect me. Did you see her advance, Kennedy? None of my artists got nearly as much as her.”
That pulled a sardonic chuckle from her. “I’m sure Aura paid for that advance in pussy well before she signed that damn contract, Relic.”
“And if it were good enough, we wouldn’t be having this fucking conversation.”
His comeback gagged Kennedy, causing her to gawk while he picked up his fork and resumed eating like he hadn’t just claimed Aura’s pussy was weak. Before all else, Kennedy was a woman, so his slight rubbed her wrong for numerous reasons. Her head shook as she leaned on the counter with a lick of her lips.
“I’ll pay it.” She tossed out that offer, causing his eyes to lift as he bit into a slice of bacon. “Use the bonus you’re giving me from my contract. I don’t need it.”
“So, you’re willing to give up your money for a bitch you don’t know and who probably doesn’t like your ass, Kennedy?”
She nodded. “Like you said, this is business, and I’m putting the business first. I want to be fair because the number one downfall of these recording labels is their artists feeling gypped. Once she realizes this shit, which I doubt she’s aware of, she will take it to the internet. She will blast you and the fact that y’all had sex, which I told you was a bad fucking move. Nothing is worse than a scorned bitch, Relic. We don’t need anyone giving us a bad name.”
“Us?”
“Yes, us, nigga! As long as my name is attached, I’m not going for this bullshit, especially if it’s avoidable. You made that move to prove a point. Not because you need or even care to be locked in with Aura this long. You said to run what I don’t agree with past you, and that’s what I’m doing. Can you change it?”
Her request was a simple one that Relic could’ve accepted with ease since he’d make his money back off Aura one way or another. He didn’t tell Kennedy that as he took his time with finishing his food while she waited, anticipating an answer he didn’t care to give her. Kennedy was doing too much shifting and arranging like she ran shit while failing to address the biggest issue at hand. The same topic she’d glossed over in her office was the very one that’d seal her fate of where she stood with Relic. He dusted off his hands and looked her dead in the eyes.
“You know what I find funny, Kennedy? You’re making requests and putting up money that you don’t even have because where is your contract?” He flipped through the stack of papers in the folder before sliding it across the counter. Kennedy caught it before it hit the floor. “I don’t see your name on shit in there. You’re claiming a title that ain’t yours because you aren’t ready for it. You’re avoiding it. You’re wasting my goddamn money and time, calling shots and invading my fucking life to bow out the minute you get spooked! If I don’t ask you for fucking advice, don’t give it. I’ll let Savvy know to keep you out of my files, too.”
He stood to reach across the counter for his folder, but Kennedy was swifter. She scooped it up and then yanked open the drawer in front of her, shuffling through it before producing papers that she smacked on the counter. Relic glared at her before he picked it up, scanning the contract that finally held her John Handcock on those once empty lines. A smirk tried to break free, but he contained it.
“Now, what does your rude ass have to say?” She snatched it out of his hand to tuck into the folder with the rest of his contracts and ordered, “Give me your card.”
“For fucking what?”
“Because you know how to piss a bitch off, and you owe me a damn mirror!”
His nose flared at her shouting, but the urge to crack her jaw didn’t creep to the surface like it had the day prior at her salon. Relic realized the physical approach he’d seen from his father didn’t work on Kennedy because she was different. She was pure fire and fight. His threats didn’t rattle her, but Relic noted she responded to the illusion of him sharing his power. He huffed a breath and pulled out his wallet, flicking through his cards before tossing one in particular on the counter. The thick metal clanging sent her eyes shooting to it, and he laughed aloud.
“You would’ve been had that if you’d signed your contract from the jump. Now, stop all that yapping you’ve been doing, Larenn, and talk to me fucking nice.”
For once, Kennedy didn’t have a lick of backtalk to give him as she stared at the card with the record label’s name on it and her government named embossed beneath it. Her lips pursed as she swiped up the black card to shove inside her pocket.
“So, this is how I get you to shut the fuck up. Noted.”
“Don’t push it, Relic,” she warned, rolling her eyes while grabbing his plate that he’d devoured.
She scraped the leftover residue in the trash before washing it because she hated leaving dishes in the sink. Her eyes cut to Relic, catching him studying her every move as she retrieved a bleach wipe to scrub down her counter before her eyes lowered to the floor.
“Kennedy, if you pull out a broom to sweep up imaginary crumbs, I will leave your ass here,” he threatened with his brows pinching at her cleaning obsession. “Why do you clean so much?”
“It’s like you said. You do certain things because they were taught to you, and so do I. Do we have to leave right now? I had one more thing I needed to take care of.”
Relic peeped she’d kept her answer vague, but he didn’t press her on the matter. He checked the time on his watch to confirm they had over an hour to spare since he’d left home early to catch Jahleel.
“We have a little time, but if it’s some shit that’ll annoy me, we need to go now.”
“I want to clean you up.”
Kennedy tossed out her trash and traipsed over to Relic, reaching for his facial hair that had grown out in the weeks he’d been missing in action. He clasped a hand around her wrist to stop her. Her head tipped at his denial, making his cold eyes soften before he released her and tensed up as she scrubbed her square-tip nails across the overgrown strands. His locked jaw ticked against her fingers, and she tucked her lips not to smile at the fact, he didn’t shove her away.
“It looks good like this, but I’m used to you keeping it low. Before you ask, yes, I can cut a man’s hair. I’ve been doing Tekken’s for years.”
“That explains why his lineup is fucked.”
“You’re a damn lie!”
She shoved his shoulder, and he gripped her arm so fast that she recoiled from his touch, her mind going straight to him throwing her against the door in her office. Her heart sparked into overdrive as Relic’s stare went empty before he backed away.
“I wasn’t about to hit you, Kennedy.”
“I know that. I—” She stalled her lie before shouting, “Well, what the hell were you doing?!”
Relic didn’t have it in him to explain. He gripped the hem of his collar shirt and peeled it off before tossing it over his good shoulder. Kennedy inspected his body from the iron burn on his stomach and upward until her eyes landed on the gauze covering the spot where she’d shoved him.
“Relic, that better not be what I think it is. You were shot?” His apathetic eyes stayed on hers, confirming what she assumed. “You were fucking shot! Why would you not tell me that?”
“Because the less people who know, the better. It’s bad enough that muthafuckas are running their mouth about that dumb ass chain. How do you think it’ll look if they knew I’d gotten shot, too?”
“I can’t believe this shit. I told you. I fucking told you!” she ranted with a clap of her hands. Relic watched her pace in front of him as she castigated, “Acting like you’re untouchable but not taking the right precautions. You could’ve been killed!”
“I know that.”
“You’re not fucking bulletproof! You bleed like everyone else, Relic. They didn’t stop making real niggas after they made y’all Blaise men.”
He sighed and rubbed his temple. “Look, my shoulder already hurts. Don’t make my head hurt, too.”
Kennedy lowered her lids to slits, but she bit her tongue because his expression oozed exhaustion. She watched him tense for the second time when she grabbed his hand and led him into her hair room, trying not to laugh at his fingers refusing to link with hers. His body visibly relaxed when she released him and pointed at her styling chair.
“Sit there. Have you figured out a solution to your problem? Because that nigga has to go and soon.”
Nothing was funny about the situation, but Relic cracked a smile. He tracked Kennedy around the room as she picked up one thing and tossed another, pissed the hell off like she’d been the one staring down the barrel of a gun. He was seeing the side of her that Koda had molded—the side that wasn’t afraid to exact revenge or to do whatever the fuck it required to make the opposition pay. Relic needed her to keep that energy in the near future.
“I have a plan in motion, but I’m working out the final kinks.”
“Good.” She slammed her clipper box onto a rolling cart and pushed it beside where he sat. Her eyes darted to his wound as she started removing what she needed. “So, who patched you up?”
“Huh?”
Kennedy jerked up her head, her eyes ballooning from Relic responding like a regular nigga for the first time. Indirect.
“You heard me loud and damn clear, Relic. I know you didn’t go to the hospital, so who patched you up?”