Chapter 12
My ringing phone pulled me out of a deep sleep. For a minute, I was confused as hell, trying to remember what day, time, and universe I was in. I had no idea when I went to sleep or where I was. By the time I opened my eyes, I recalled that Carteay had fucked me to sleep with her little bitty ass.
Apparently, she was strong as hell too. Somehow, she’d gotten me from that chair to her bed and tucked me in like a newborn baby.
I shook my head as I pushed up on my elbows and looked around the room.
I felt self-conscious about being naked since I was at her mom’s house, but I slid out of the bed in pursuit of that ringing sound.
I found my phone where I left it on the bathroom counter.
Just as I picked it up, my brother Keywan was calling again.
“Yeah?” I answered after hitting the green button.
“Man, I should kick your ass!” he barked.
“What now, ugly ass boy?”
“My wife been walking around this muthafucka singing ‘Bombs Away’ for over two weeks. We even had sex to it the other night. I ain’t think nothing of her saying ‘like a cannon. You hit me like a cannon’ over and over, ’cause it’s a good song.
I just realized that got damn girl is talking about your black ass.
You got my wife singing that shit with your ugly ass. We fucked to that song!”
“Wait, what the hell are you talking about, boy?”
“So, you ain’t heard your own woman’s songs?”
I’d listened to Carteay’s album before it came out but avoided it once it dropped. Apparently, there was another song I knew nothing about aside from “Tie Me Down.” I didn’t have time to play a guessing game with my brother though.
“What do you mean she’s talking about me?” I asked him.
“Think about it, dumb dumb. You hit me like a cannon. You hit her ass like a cannon, Kannon. I don’t know if y’all freaks talking about sex or what, but you fucked up my whole night when I realized what the hell was happening in my own home.”
“Boy, fuck you.” I laughed.
“Yeah, you already knew that shit was about you. Y’all probably worked on it together and shit. All lovey dovey and sprung. I like it.”
“Son, get off my line with all that.”
“I love you, boy. I know you been making some moves. I had to check in on you. Let me know if you need me.”
“I’m trying not to. I know you got a daughter on the way.” I was tempted to mention that Carteay was pregnant, but I knew she wanted to wait to tell people. I wanted to share this with my brothers.
“Just let me know.”
“I will. I love you, Bro.”
Keywan ended the call, and I eased out of Carteay’s bed and found my clothes neatly folded in that chair.
I chuckled under my breath and got dressed before heading out of the room to find her.
I heard voices as I moved down the long hallway to the kitchen.
My phone buzzed in my hand. I looked down and saw Blaine’s name.
Blaine:
Outside
“How far along are you?” her mom asked.
“I don’t even know, Mama. I’m scared to find out. I really want this for Kannon.”
“Is it his?”
“I don’t know.”
I could tell that Carteay was crying, and that broke my heart. Emerging from the hallway, I stepped into the kitchen to make my presence known.
“I guess that drive took more out of me than I thought,” I stated.
“I’m sure you needed the rest.” Carteay’s mom smiled at me, but that didn’t take my mind off Carteay’s tear-stained face.
“You good?” I asked her.
“Yeah, just glad to see my mom. My little sister’s here too. She can’t wait to meet you after seeing how you acted at that show.”
“That wasn’t part of the show?” her mom interrupted.
“No, ma’am,” I confessed.
“So, you’re Kannon?”
I turned to find a younger version of Carteay with a bushy ponytail standing behind me with her hands on her hips. Her smile grew when our eyes connected. I went ahead and nodded.
“I am.”
“You’re a strong man to put up with my sister. I like you already,” she told me.
“Thank you.”
“And he’s fine, Sis. Where she been hiding you?”
“I like to keep a low profile.”
“Try to keep this one, Sis. You know how I feel about that other situation.”
“Candice, bring your hot ass in here and help me find those albums,” Carteay’s mom yelled out.
Candice rolled her eyes. “Oh Lord, she’s about to pull out our baby pictures.”
“I can’t wait to see them.”
“You’re saying that now.” Carteay giggled.
“Can I holler at you for a minute?” I asked her, motioning toward the bedroom with my head.
Carteay’s eyes darted toward her mom and sister before landing back on me. “Um, sure.”
I led the way to the room, turning around once I was by the bed. Carteay walked in apprehensively. There was no need for me to tell her not to worry, because she wouldn’t listen. The best thing I could do was be honest with her.
“Carrie, baby, I promise I’m going to do everything I can do to come right back to you.”
“You’re leaving?”
“I can’t waste too much time, C. I got the information I need to get this over with. If I don’t make it back, I need you to know that you were loved by me.”
“Kannon, don’t even think like that.”
“Just listen, Carteay. I want you to know that you and that strawberry growing inside you mean the world to me. Let him know that. If I’m not here to say those words to my son, I need him to know that I loved him and that I loved you.”
“You can tell him yourself, Kannon. Promise me that.”
“I promise that I’ll do everything I can.”
“That’s all I ask.”
Carteay’s rapid blinking didn’t stop the tears from flowing down her cheeks. Her phone rang, making both of us look down.
“What the hell does Cyrus want?” she mumbled.
“Answer it,” I told her.
She rolled her eyes but still swiped the screen to answer the call. “Hello?”
“Put him on speaker.”
She hit the button, and Cyrus’s voice filled the room. “Carteay?”
“I’m here,” she said.
“Did you hear what I said?” he asked.
“What’s up, big guy?” I asked.
“I told her that Ceasar is behind all that bullshit that’s been going down. I got proof. Now that he feels like he’s losing control of me, that nigga is trying to take me out too.”
“Yeah, right. You been down with his shit the whole time. Now I’m supposed to trust you?” Carteay questioned.
“Check your text messages.” I watched as Carteay held the phone away from her ear and looked at the screen. “Bro, make sure y’all call me back after y’all watch those. I want this shit squashed once and for all.”
The phone beeped as Cyrus ended the call. Carteay pressed play on the video on the screen. The sound of a man’s voice made me frown.
“What the fuck? I think we need to call nine-one-one, Cease.”
“Nah, she’ll be all right. That’s a lil’ combo I had to give a lil’ bitch a while back.”
“You gave her something?”
“This bitch pop enough pills that she can tolerate a lil’ medication.”
“She’s pregnant, Ceasar! She doesn’t pop off no more,” Cyrus disclosed.
“I know that, nigga. Why the fuck you think I gave her that shit?”
“You trying to kill her?”
“I’m trying to get rid of this fucking baby neither one of you need,” Ceasar announced.
“Nigga, you for real?”
“I’m protecting my fucking investment. Rihanna ain’t dropped an album since she started having babies. Carteay ain’t nowhere near as big as her. She got four more years of hard labor before she can start fucking up her body. She can’t afford to get fat as hell right now.”
“Aye, man, I’m about to call an ambulance.”
Carteay’s mouth fell open when Ceasar put a gun to Cyrus’s head. “Help me put her on this fucking couch and get your ass the fuck out of here.”
“Cease, really, dude?” Cyrus quizzed.
The door opened, and the sound of somebody else coming into the room had me wishing he would move the phone. It only took a second for me to see that somebody else was escorting Cyrus out of the room.
I scoffed. “And that nigga got at least ten songs talking about blowing a nigga head off if they try him.”
Carteay played a second video where Cyrus was asking Ceasar about some discrepancies in some of his royalties and payout percentages. According to him, Ceasar owed him over six figures. The conversation got heated before Ceasar warned Cy about poisoning Carteay’s mind with that same bullshit.
“Kannon, this is crazy. What the hell have I gotten myself into?”
“Call him back.”
Carteay called Cyrus back on speaker and held the phone up to me.
“Did you hear them? I got a couple more, but I figured that was enough. I’ve been building a case.
The one where I was questioning him about the money was recorded the day before somebody shot at me.
I didn’t put it together until you said it wasn’t you.
This nigga was threatening to use the surveillance videos to expose Carteay for being on drugs. That muthafucka foul.”
“Meet me somewhere,” I suggested.
“I’m not with no bullshit, man.”
I sighed. This was the scariest gangster rapper I had ever met. “I’m not gon’ do nothing to you, at the request of my lady.”
“I hear you, but I’m letting you know right now, I’m bringing my people with me,” Cyrus cautioned.
“I wouldn’t expect anything less.”
“Where do you want to meet?” Cy asked.
“Pick a place. I’m a little bit out of the way, so give me time to get back.”
“You got my number. Shoot me a text and I’ll send you a location in a couple of hours.”
“Bet.”
I already knew to expect tears when I put my eyes on Carteay. I stepped closer to her and cupped her face.
“I’m getting this over with once and for all. Blaine is staying here with y’all until I get back.”
“Come back to us, Kannon.”
“Always,” I said, kissing her forehead before walking right out of the front door.
I knew if I looked back, I would hesitate. All I had to do was hesitate to make me reconsider risking my life to free hers. Not that I wouldn’t do it, but I would prolong the time. I didn’t have time to waste.
“So he’s been playing you too?” Kross asked once Cyrus was done talking.