Chapter 13 #2
He scratched at his stubble before answering, “Logan.”
If Kennedy were her younger self—the one who’d crash out when a nigga tried her—she’d bust him upside his fucking head with the clipper box. She simply hummed and bobbed her head instead. Her stomach coiled and body heated at the revelation that he’d ignored her but entertained Logan for who fucking knew how long while he was recuperating. Clearly, she’d underestimated the bitch, and Logan held more clout than she’d assumed.
While attaching a guard to the clippers, she wondered how many other bitches were on his team and toting around the same bag with the exact charms that gave them pull because they belonged to Relic. Kennedy bit her inner jaw to keep her composure. She flicked on the clippers, stood in front of him, and dragged the blade from the start of his sideburn to his jawline. His large hands clasping the backs of her thighs set her mouth into a scowl.
“Larenn.” Her eyes lifted to his at the moniker he’d dubbed her, and he quizzed, “You still don’t know what it means?”
“I already told you, it means queen.”
“But what does it mean ?”
She licked her lips, focusing on her task while mulling over the new title. One that gave her rank over every other bitch in his stable and secured her account because she had a hand in all his pots. She had a say where most didn’t, and she wasn’t foolish enough to overlook the passes he’d given her for seizing control out of turn. Kennedy held rank. She wasn’t Relic’s woman by a longshot, but she was second in command.
“It means, I’m the head bitch in charge,” she answered, and he spit out a laugh that evoked a light smile from her.
“Yea, that’s what it means, big dog Kennedy. You don’t just run your fucking mouth now, you help to run an empire. My expectations of you are higher than what I expect from the average bitch.”
“Is that your way of saying I shouldn’t be in my feelings that Logan knew about you getting shot, and I didn’t?”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying. Logan knew about it because she was useful in that moment.”
“Find out what they’re good at and then use it to your advantage until they’re no longer useful.” Kennedy swapped out her clipper guard while quoting what Relic had mentioned he’d learned from his father. That detail hadn’t escaped her. She started to shape her work as she asked, “What am I good at, Relic?”
“Shabu was twelve when he shot my father.”
She stalled at that information but then continued without responding since Lexi had mentioned that private detail before. Kennedy didn’t know where Relic was going, but he’d get there when he was ready.
“He shot my father because he got tired of him beating my mother. For me, that shit was normal. My mother’s screams were as natural as hearing birds chirping. When it got to be too much or too often, I tuned it out until it turned into white noise. Until it was background sounds like kids playing outside or cars crunching across gravel.”
“You detached, Relic. You learned to navigate around the trauma,” Kennedy told him. The way he’d tune her out or stare right through her with vacant eyes made sense after his admission.
“I do that a lot. Detach.”
“Even as an adult. Yea, I noticed.”
“Shabu was twelve when he shot Joseph.” Relic circled back to the topic at hand because it’d been on his mind since Kennedy told him that his brother was the rightful shooter. He’d address her observation later. “I only remember bits and pieces of that day. Shabu came outside with me and Los, but we were too busy feeling up girls to watch him. I guess one of the girls groped his meat, and his ass panicked and shouted for me. I never played about my brothers, so all I saw was red after he told me what happened.
“I blacked out, and Los was pulling me off the girl when I came to. I guess seeing me turn into Joseph scared Shabu, so he ran off. When me and Los got to my house, we heard a loud pop just before we walked in the door. I swear my fucking heart stopped because I thought he’d finally done it.”
Relic shut his eyes, hearing that unforgettable shot before his memory fuzzed like an old television without its antenna. Los told him that he’d gone inside and been the one to take the gun from Shabu and held his father’s wound so that he wouldn’t bleed out. For the life of Relic, he couldn’t recollect doing any of it.
“I thought Joseph had finally killed Judith, and when I realized he didn’t, I was pissed,” he revealed to Kennedy with a wry chuckle. “Pissed that I cared if it was her, and even more pissed because we’d turned my brother into who he is today. Judith had allowed him to protect her, Joseph had abused them, and I’d turned a blind eye instead of being man enough to stop it like Shabu had tried. I don’t regret much, but that’s my number one, and nothing will ever trump it. That’s what I meant when I said Shabu is what I made him. Anything after that was me simply putting his trauma to use because I couldn’t save him like we saved Titan.”
Kennedy didn’t blink at his candidness but allowed his words to settle in as she finished lining him up and then turned off the clippers. Her heart tightened because she couldn’t imagine how either of them felt in that frightening moment. She sat her cutters on her stand while Relic rubbed his hands up and down her thighs like he was trying to self-soothe to not wallow in his past. Kennedy let him.
Minutes ticked by as she stood and waited—watching Relic stare off into space like he was compartmentalizing his thoughts, so he could function again. After a while, he blinked before his gaze locked in with hers.
“This is what you’re good at, Kennedy. If I don’t fucking talk, you don’t force it. If I do, you listen and don’t try to play therapist afterward. You never question me in instances that most women would, even if that shit is on your mind. You don’t run your mouth about where you stand with me either. I’m not a nigga that needs saving or for a woman to fix me, Kennedy. I need an equal and a partner. You’re both to me, and those positions will never be useless.”
“Okay. We’re going to be late wherever we’re going if we don’t hurry. Let me put on my shoes.”
Kennedy hauled ass out of the room because Relic’s gift of gab was too fucking good when she knew he was full of shit. He spoke on her worst qualities as if they were her best and pretended she was molded by her brother specifically for him. Relic made it like she was his and indispensable. Kennedy was smart enough to know better, but he was skilled at convincing her to see things from his point of view. She needed to keep it professional before she wound up trapped in his world like Savvy had warned her.
“I am so sorry, Ryell. Nubia should be pulling up, and she has the spare key to let you in. I thought my errand this morning would be quick but... yea.”
Relic stood at the entrance of his aft deck, listening to Kennedy conduct business as she cuddled up on the sofa with a comforter draped around her to combat the chill she hadn’t anticipated. His shades that she’d confiscated shielded her eyes as she stared out into the open waters, mesmerized. She hadn’t spoken much since they’d left her house, but he could see the walls she’d thrown up after his confession crumbling the further away he steered her from their reality. The waters had the same effect on her as it did him.
“I’m not sure if I’ll be in.” She glanced at him for confirmation, and he tossed his head. “Yea, I won’t be in today. Call my appointments, cancel, and ask if they’d like to reschedule or if another stylist can fit them in. Also, let them know that they’ll receive their style free of charge if they reschedule with me. I’ll have Nubia leave the key with you to close since I don’t trust anyone else to do it. If you’re nervous, I can ask Savvy.”
“I’ll send Drish up there to watch the shop,” Relic offered, making her head bob.
Kennedy had spoken with Drish and three others while setting up their training programs, and she liked him most because he was respectful and seemed invested. The others sounded as though they were on the fence, but time would tell.
“If a guy comes in by the name of Drish, he’s your security for the day. Be nice, Ryell, and keep your damn ears on! I know you like turning them off.”
Relic frowned as Kennedy giggled and spoke a bit longer before ending the call. She angled on the sofa to face him after dropping her phone in her lap.
“What, Relic?”
“Turn off her ears?”
She smiled. “Yes, she literally turns them off. Ryell is hard of hearing and wears aids. She cuts them off or takes them out when the girls start gossiping too much.”
“I like her.”
“Me, too. Ry is the youngest in the salon but the most mature out of the ladies I hired. I was thinking about upping her position to my assistant. She does more than I require of her job title and doesn’t expect a thing. Ryell is just happy to be there.”
“If she’s ready for that responsibility, do it. She’ll be in charge when I need you elsewhere, like today.”
“Speaking of, why the hell am I here? You told me this was business, yet you drove me out to the middle of the damn ocean. I can’t even swim.”
“Good to know.”
Kennedy reared back her head and then jerked up, glancing around like she was looking for an escape route. Relic snorted a laugh before sipping his drink. Her shaded eyes went to it while her bottom lip tucked between her teeth, causing a low chuckle to emit from him.
“Get your mind out of the gutter, Kennedy. I can’t drink over my limit or feed that greedy pussy of yours today.”
“Nigga, please! Ain’t nobody thinking about you!” She lied straight through her teeth. “Since you kidnapped me and won’t tell me what the hell we’re doing, the least you can do is keep me entertained. Secret for a secret?”
She tucked the cover under her and then patted the cushion for him to sit. Relic contemplated whether he was in the mood to indulge in her games and let her attempt to pick the lock on his internal closet. He conceded because it could work in his favor.
Before he did that, he strolled to his cockpit and turned on his phone jammer to disrupt their cellular service. He didn’t need their location or conversation picked up. Relic stopped at the galley, grabbing the liquor bottle to fill up his glass for the second time and then returned to the deck.
“What do you want to know, Larenn?” he inquired, dropping into the spot she’d cleared for him.
A yelp slipped from her sexy lips when he scooped her up and placed her on his lap in straddle position. She grinned and locked her arms around his neck before she spoke.
“Where you afraid to die that night?”
Relic hadn’t expected that as the interrogation opening, but it didn’t move him. He looked her square in the face.
“Far from it. If anything, I was relieved to go. Did you give my pussy away to your bitch ass future boyfriend yet?”
She was grappling to digest his answer when he hit her with a counter, throwing her off even more. Her head cocked to the side once it registered.
“Oh, hell no! That is not a damn secret. That’s you being nosey and all up in my business.”
“Answer anyway.”
“Nope, because it’s not your pussy. I said it was yours if you weren’t stingy and if you fed her. You did neither. Our sex was on a trial period that’s expired.”
“I can fuck you right now if I want to, but alright. Let’s get to the good shit. Who was the nigga you let scar you and turn you off from drug dealers?”
Shock rendered Kennedy speechless. Her stomach tanked and throat constricted as Relic sipped from his glass and gazed at her over the rim. She swore she saw a smirk playing at one corner of his mouth. Her mind spun, wondering whether he was fishing for intel, or if he had it and wanted to check if she’d tell a lie. The truth refused to come up as Relic angled his head and snapped his fingers.
“Chop, chop, big dog Kennedy. You suggested we do this, so let’s do it. If I were you, I wouldn’t say your brother either.”
He reached out to remove the shades from her face, and for the first time, she dodged his gaze. That gave away her culpability before he even pointed it out.
“I started thinking, Kennedy, and it didn’t hit me until you asked what are you good at. The shit I mentioned... knowing to not question me about bitches, to listen but not try to fix me, and to play your position in silence. Your brother wouldn’t teach that, but the nigga you’re fucking would. So, who was it?”
Her mouth went cotton dry as she whispered, “Koda’s right-hand man.”
Relic whistled, leaning back against the sofa because he hadn’t seen that coming. He figured it was someone on her brother’s team, but didn’t think she’d play it close to home since her and her brother were tight. Her confession added sneaky to the top of her qualities list.
“How long were you fucking him?”
“From eighteen until a few weeks before Koda died.”
“So, you stopped fucking with him just before that shit popped off with your brother. Why?”
“That’s not how this works, Relic. It’s my turn, and asking a follow up question of one you’ve already asked is against the rules.”
He burst into laughter before quizzing, “Since when the fuck was that a rule?”
“Since I just made it up. How many bitches do you have me twinning with?”
“If we’re being specific, none. Their bags are twenties and twenty-fives. You’re the only one with a size thirty-five, and your pussy upped you to a forty, but I didn’t have one on hand.”
Her eyes rolled as she bit back a smirk. “Well, I want my upgrade, but you know that’s not what I meant, Relic.”
He scratched at his brow, swirling the melting ice in his glass while counting the women he used for his convenience. There weren’t many since they grew useless faster than he could recruit them.
“Logan. She used to tell me the sneaky shit Jessica was doing and then I put her on Tolliver when that opportunity presented itself. Felesia is a CO that takes care of my team whenever they get jammed up. Milan is my realtor. She’s found every home and building I have to date, and Amil is a young bitch that works at the marina. She keeps an eye out for anyone getting near my shit. Taylor gives me dibs on who to approach for business ventures at my country club.”
Kennedy scrunched up her face at Relic passing out dick and designer bags like free samples at a supermarket. “Five bitches, and you’re actively fucking them all?”
“No follow up questions. You made that rule. Have you ever had to set someone up, Larenn?”
The mood shifted with his question, and Kennedy shivered when a chill prickled down her spine. She wasn’t certain if the water’s breeze or Relic’s intense gaze was the culprit, but it was obvious there was more to his prying.
“Are we back to you thinking I had something to do with what happened at the club? If so, I’d rather take my chances doggy paddling with sharks than arguing about it again.”
“If I thought you set me up, you’d already be overboard but with a bullet in your head. Here.”
Kennedy balled up her face at the half full glass of liquor that Relic held out for her to take. The last time he’d offered her a drink; he’d forced her to explain how Koda died and confessed to killing his mentor as their secret exchange.
“I don’t want it. What the hell are you getting at with this, Relic?”
“I need your help.” He leaned to set his glass on the boat’s ledge before latching the same hand on the side of Kennedy’s neck. Her nipples pebbled as his cool fingers dug into the tender area while his thumb grazed her marred skin. “You asked if I had a plan to handle Slim, and I do, but it won’t work without you. I’m using Sojourney to smoke him out, but I need you with her.”
Kennedy grew rigid while her stomach hollowed, leaving her nothing but empty space to fill with immediate contempt for Relic. Her brother had done a lot of shit in her presence, but he’d never once placed her in the line of fire. It dawned on Kennedy that her value to Relic was measured by her capabilities to help him stay out of a pine box or from behind prison bars.
Relic had brushed her aside and then popped up when she was needed—when she was useful to his scheme because he toyed and manipulated women at his leisure like marionettes. Relic had warned her, but Kennedy made the dire mistake of believing there was more to him beneath the surface when his ass was exactly what he’d shown her. That miscalculation was on her for allowing good dick and traumatic confessions to warp her brain.
Lexi’s sound advice to get the money and get out... to not waste time trying to change him popped in her head. Kennedy hadn’t planned on doing either, but his foul request that proved how little she meant in his eyes had altered her stance.
“What do you want in exchange?” Relic guided her mouth toward his, arousing her pussy and anger in tandem. “You want money wired to your account? Done. You want Aura’s contract amended? You got that. Hell, do you want a new car?”
“I don’t want a new car, Relic.”
“I’ll buy you one anyway. Do this for me, and I’ll make it worth your while, Larenn.”
“Secret for a secret?” She nudged away his hand, disgusted with his touch. “If you didn’t need me for what you’re cooking up, would you have reached out? Would you have pressed the issue of me signing the contract? Would I even have this fucking card in my pocket?”
“No to all of the above.”
His honesty knocked the wind out of her, but she recovered and spit out a laugh. Kennedy expected nothing less, but hearing that harsh truth gutted her all the same.
Relic anticipated an explosion of emotions but received nothing except hard eyes and a blank expression that told him, she’d done what he hoped. Kennedy had checked out. He’d slipped up when he made the mistake of exposing her value to him, and that could lead to issues he’d prefer not to deal with. The only way he could think to rectify his blunder was to relevel the playing field.
He hadn’t lied when he told her that he had no intentions to hit her up, but he couldn’t confess it was because he didn’t know what to do with her. Relic couldn’t get rid of her, but he couldn’t stay away as long as she was so easily accessible. Kennedy was a fucking distraction that he didn’t want to part with just yet, and that attachment sent up red flags in his head. The two times Relic wrapped himself up in a woman, both proved to him why he should never trust another bitch in his life.
“If you wanted lies, I can’t give you that, Kennedy. If you want a nigga to show his emotions, I can’t give you that either,” he expressed to her, muting any empathy or penitence from his tone. His fingers clenched her jaw as he gritted, “Take what the fuck I can give you or nothing at all.”
“I want my salon.”
Her request took him aback before he bid, “I’ll give you thirty percent.”
“Fifty-one, and in the event that you get arrested or killed, I get the remainder with no stipulations.”
Relic hadn’t experienced that gut-coiling, chest deflating reaction in a while, but her recommendation siphoned it out of him. He released her chin as distrust followed. Her eye contact he’d once loved returned, but that shit seemed more like a threat that she’d bring those terms to fruition than boldness as they waited for each other to fold. He’d always believed he was better at it until her dark, upturned eyes glazed over with tears he couldn’t stomach when he usually didn’t give a damn about hurting feelings. Relic lifted her from his lap as the sound of water splashing nearby gave him an out.
He stood and walked toward the swim platform, tracking the boat nearing his at a high speed that would’ve worried him if he hadn’t grown used to it. Just as it seemed like it’d collide with his cruiser, it hit a sharp turn while a duffel flew out and landed on his boat with a hard thud. Relic barely saw the person who’d thrown it and didn’t care to. He picked up the bag and strolled to his grill he’d never used—flipping open the top to remove the cooking grate before unzipping his duffel. His eyes flitted to Kennedy as he began dropping the bricks of cocaine into its empty center.
“We’ll meet with my lawyer to have your agreement put in ink tomorrow,” he told her, catching the flicker of indecision that swept across her beautifully scarred features. Relic huffed a breath and turned away.
Kennedy observed him while trying to suppress the erratic emotions she was feeling, but they resurfaced with each shaky breath. Relic had explicitly proven that he didn’t give a damn about her by tossing her into the middle of his ploy, but a part of her wondered if she’d mislabeled his uncaring request. It could’ve meant trust. The same trust that he’d need to have in someone to show them his pickup location and where he stashed over a half million dollars in pure cocaine. Relic’s words and actions weren’t coinciding, and Kennedy had no damn clue which one to believe.