Chapter 11 #2
I hadn’t gotten used to not being swarmed by paparazzi everywhere we went.
For one thing, I knew it was only a matter of time.
Kannon had done well to keep our discretion so far.
Soon, people would swarm us in places we once thought were hideaways.
I wasn’t looking forward to the change. I enjoyed feeling like we were in our own little bubble.
We found a parking spot near the door. Once we were parked, Kannon hopped out and walked around to my side.
As soon as he opened my door, a round of popping sounds erupted.
He slammed the door back, sending me clamoring to get away from him.
A round of thuds hit the car as he dove into the driver’s side and slammed the door.
“Kannon, what the hell?” I screamed as he fired up his truck and took off out of the parking lot.
My life flashed before my eyes as we shot through a red light and made a sharp right. I thought my heart would beat out of my chest as he raced down the street behind one of the guys trailing us.
“Call Kross!” he barked.
The phone didn’t seem to ring before I heard Kannon’s older brother’s voice booming through the speakers.
“Yeah?”
“Code black,” Kannon replied.
“What did you do, Bro?” his brother asked.
“Nah, what a nigga tried to do to me. Have Blaine scan my last location and see what he comes up with, but I’m sure I know what the deal is.”
“Check-in in twelve hours.”
“Got it,” Kannon said before a series of beeps let me know that the call had ended.
“What’s code black?”
“Going off the radar. Does the label know where your family lives? I can’t put anything past them right now. I’m sure we just walked into a fucking ambush. I was so preoccupied with the sale that I didn’t consider that would happen,” he explained, shaking his head.
“That’s not on you,” I debated.
Instead of responding, he punched the steering wheel.
“I let my mom buy the house herself, so it’s not on any of my paperwork. My sister is in college though. It’s public knowledge where she goes to school. When I was laying low with you before, they sent pictures of her on campus, saying they would hurt her.”
“Have her go to your mom’s, Carteay.”
“She’s not gonna listen. They don’t even know about the contracts.”
“It might be time to let them know what’s going on. Plug your mom’s information into my GPS. I can’t risk taking you back to my house.”
“OK.” I nodded.
“Still think your boy should keep his job?” he asked, glancing over at me.
We had been on the road for two hours before I could convince Kannon to stop and let me get food. I couldn’t believe that someone had tried to kill me. Kannon’s words about when I was drugged were starting to set in. Maybe they had been trying to kill me the whole time.
I tried not to pout as I sat in the passenger seat and ate the steak gorgonzola that was decent but nowhere near as good as the place I had in mind.
Plus, they didn’t have chocolate cheesecake.
At the same time, I was more than grateful to have escaped the scene with my life.
In fact, I would probably never eat at that other place again.
I had lost my taste for food altogether, but Kannon insisted that I didn’t let what happened ruin my mood.
He was a fool to think that my mood wasn’t absolutely ruined, but like I said, it was sweet of him to try to help.
To make it better, Kannon had some, too, but messed his up by slathering it with hot sauce.
I kept saying I didn’t know what in the world I would do without him, and he kept making me see how good a question that was.
Someone had literally tried to shoot him to get him out of the way. I knew that was exactly what it was. They knew that Kannon would do everything he could to protect me from the goons at the label. They wanted him out of the way so they could get to me.
My phone rang, and I rolled my eyes as I continued to enjoy my meal.
I didn’t feel like talking to anyone right now.
Especially Tyler, who I figured would be blowing me up by now anyway.
I wasn’t surprised when I finally picked up my phone and saw his name.
I sent the call straight to voicemail before tossing my phone in the cup holder.
“Who was that?” Kannon asked, not bothering to look my way.
“Tyler.” I didn’t want to tell Kannon who it was, but there was no use in trying to keep it from him. I’d already been taught a lesson on hiding things from him. I didn’t need to learn it twice.
“You shoulda picked up the phone so I could tell him to make sure he has all his affairs in order.”
“I don’t know if he did this, Kannon.”
“It ain’t for you to know. He’s either in on the bullshit, or he’s a liability. Who else did you tell about the meeting?” Kannon quizzed.
I dropped my eyes to the plate in my lap. “No one.”
“Answer when he calls back.”
“I don’t want to talk to him, Kannon.”
I barely had enough time to finish my statement before the phone rang again. Kannon picked it up and swiped the screen. He didn’t say a word before none other than Cyrus Gibbs came on the line.
“Call your people off, Carteay. This shit done went far enough.”
“What the hell are you talking about, Cyrus?” I quizzed.
“That crazy muthafucka just tried to kill me!” he bellowed.
“Again, what the hell are you talking about?”
“So, you wanna play dumb?” he asked.
“Watch your fucking mouth,” Kannon snarled.
“Aye, man, this shit is never that serious. First, y’all blew my ride up, now a nigga shooting at me.”
“Nobody’s shooting at you, Cyrus,” I explained.
“So, you want to act like y’all didn’t just try to lure me to a meeting with Tyler and have me killed?
Tyler claimed that he wasn’t even going to let you know I would be there.
Soon as I pulled up to the location, a nigga started letting go.
Thankfully, my guys stopped him, but this shit gotta stop.
That’s what I was going to talk to y’all about today. ”
“Did you tell anyone else about the meeting?” Kannon asked.
“Just Cease,” Cyrus replied.
When he said that, Kannon reached over and snatched my phone out of my hand. I thought he would hang it up. Instead, he put it to his ear.
“Be careful making accusations, man. I really don’t like bullets flying up around my head either. We didn’t even know yo’ ass was coming.”
“So what you saying?”
“I’m saying get the fuck off my lady’s line and stay dangerous,” Kannon spat before hanging up.
“Kannon, I think he’s telling the truth.”
“You looking for every reason to give that nigga a pass, Carrie.”
“He sounds genuinely afraid,” I explained.
“He should be. If a nigga hit at me and missed, he has every right to be afraid.”
“Baby, just think about it. He didn’t have to tell us he was there.”
“Let your mom know you’re on the way, Carteay.”
“I wanted to surprise her.”
“OK, but I can’t stay there with you. I need to get back out here and handle this.”
“Kannon, you promised.” I pouted.
“I gotta end this shit, Carteay. That’s what I promised you.”
“Make it back to me, Kannon. I’ll never forgive you if you don’t.”
Kannon kept his eyes on the road, but I could see his knuckles tightening on the steering wheel. “Carteay, if you want to leave me for doing what I gotta do, I’m ready to live with that. My son is not being born under these people’s rein.”
“I don’t want to leave you, and I damn sure don’t want to have to lose you,” I told him.
“He tried to kill you and your unborn child, Carrie. Even if you weren’t mine, I would defend you. Since you belong to me, I have to go to the extreme about you.”
Tears pricked my eyes because I knew there was no talking to him. Why should I try anyway? Ceasar and Cyrus had made their own beds, and it wasn’t up to me to try to save them from their fate.
“OK,” I whispered.
“I’m going to have Blaine to pull up so he can keep an eye on y’all while I handle everything.”
“I don’t need a watch dog, Kannon. No one even knows where my mom lives. That’s the only thing I’ve been able to keep a hold on in all this.”
“I understand that, or I wouldn’t be taking you there.”
“So what are you having him to come to keep an eye on me for? You making sure I don’t go anywhere?”
He sighed. “Not the way you think, Carrie.”
“What do you mean, not the way I think? What am I supposed to think? I’m not your prisoner either, Kannon.”
“Baby love, I need you to listen to me closely. I’m not trying to be a warden.
I’m trying to make sure that nothing strange goes down while I’m in progress of making this shit right.
I suggest that you lay low until I make it back to you.
I’m not trying to run your life. I’m trying to save it. Just do this for me.”
“Fine. I’ll lay low if you promise to spend the night.”
My heart was full to the rim as we sat at the kitchen table with my mom and feasted on her signature white chili and cornbread.
Kannon doused his with hot sauce, and she didn’t even bat an eye.
If it was me, she would have popped my hand and fussed at me about not bothering to taste it before adding stuff to it.
I missed my mom so much. It felt so good to be here with her.
We had been at my mom’s for less than an hour, and I could already feel myself resetting.
I was literally in heaven. Kannon’s hand landed on my thigh and squeezed a little.
“Kannon, baby, I love you already. Anybody that can get this busy body way up here in the sticks to see me is all right in my book,” my mom raved.
“She was overdue for a break.” Kannon agreed.
“Just talk about me like I’m not sitting here.”
Kannon’s eyes dropped to mine. “You know I love you.”
“Oh my goodness, this is beautiful. I’m so glad you’re not dealing with that rapper anymore, baby. I saw on TV that somebody was shooting at him earlier today. It wasn’t long ago when his car had blown up. There’s no telling what he’s involved in. Sounds like drugs to me.”