Chapter 1 Kennedy #3
“Well, it did, so you can understand why we’re going over the incident with a fine-toothed comb.”
“I can. So, what happens now? Am I under arrest?”
No sooner had the question left her mouth, the room door opened, and a new face she hadn’t seen but could tell held rank over the detectives interrogating her, waltzed inside.
“She’s free to go.”
His assertion sent Kennedy springing from her chair. Detective Chubby did the same with his mouth contorting into a deep frown.
“What do you mean, she’s free to go?”
“I mean what I said, Edwards. The camera shows two people breaking into her apartment. Her story checked out with what her neighbors corroborated, and the gun found on her intruder was unregistered. He also has a record for B Relic was always steps ahead even when those around him were none the wiser.
“Let’s go, Ms. Sutton. They had no reason to hold you for this long, especially with evidence proving the incident was nothing more than self-defense.
” Morrone made that known while pinning his sharp eyes on the detectives.
His head tossed in judgement. “This case should be shut, but if either of you get the urge to contact my client, reach out to me since she’ll no longer speak without representation. ”
He flicked a card out of thin air to tuck into the breast pocket of the man’s shirt next to him and then tossed his head. Kennedy hauled ass toward him before the detective who seemed to have a hard-on for her decided to lock her ass up for making false statements and lying by omission.
Morrone braced his hand on her back, coaxing her to walk faster down the hall toward the main entrance of the precinct. Once he confirmed they were out of earshot, he leaned toward her.
“Did they ask about my client?”
“No.”
“Did you implicate him in any part of your story?”
“No more than he implicated himself. I told them, I heard a noise in the hall, but not that it was him or Drish. I’m not sure if he spoke to the officers who took reports at the scene, though.”
Morrone scoffed, and she cracked a smile, observing the agitation brewing in his pronounced features. He ran a hand through his sleek, jet-black hair and then glanced at her with an accusatory smirk.
“You have my client acting out of sorts, Ms. Kennedy. Mr. Blaise is an extremely intelligent man. He should’ve left the scene immediately after confirming you were fine, especially with the predicament he’s in, which I’m certain you’re aware of.”
Kennedy peered away since he was right, and it did nothing but confuse her more. Relic sticking around while in the hot seat with the Feds had thrown her for a loop.
“I meant what I told them,” Morrone stated, gaining her attention as he pushed open the metal door, holding it for her to stroll into the main lobby.
“Do not talk without me present. I doubt they’ll bother you, but in case they do, take this.
Mr. Blaise created you a retainer fee, so it’s not mandatory you to go through him to contact me. ”
He passed her a business card that she studied while gathering her thoughts on that revelation. Relic wouldn’t make a move like that unless necessary.
“Who else is on retainer?” she investigated, catching the slight widening of Morrone’s eyes before he chuckled.
“He told me that you’re as perceptive and analytical as him. Maybe even more. That’s good until it’s not for his sake.”
“I’ll take that to mean, you won’t answer.”
“Correct but I also won’t tell him that you asked. As an attorney, I like to build trust with each of my clients.”
“Good to know.”
Kennedy walked off since she’d gotten confirmation without Morrone vocalizing it outright.
Hers and Relic’s name weren’t the only ones on retainer, which meant that Relic had planned ahead.
She had an idea of what for, and it baffled her that his family was so damn oblivious to the ticking time bombs encasing their illicit empire, waiting to detonate and destroy everything that they loved.
Kennedy shoved the thought out of her head since it was no longer her concern.
She scanned the waiting area for her nephew instead, and it didn’t take long to spot Tekken’s wild hair rested on a shoulder, entangled with a beautiful bed of locs. Neither of them should’ve been in a precinct, waiting for her.
“Tek, why do you have Toot out this late, or early, or whatever the hell it is?”
Both their heads shot up before Tekken sprang to his feet and raced over, embracing Kennedy in a hug so tight that her spine curled. He pulled back and let his tired gaze roam over her before he sighed with a shake of his head.
“I always knew your bad taste in men would land yo ass in jail one day.”
A cackle erupted from Kennedy before she playfully pushed her nephew just to pull him into another hug. She needed his comfort. Tekken was the sole person outside of Koda who she trusted without lingering doubts about if it was safe to do so.
“Man, I thought they took you from me. I was scared out of my fucking mind when I saw the video footage,” he murmured, kissing the top of her head as she stuffed her face in his chest. She had to get her shit together, or she’d break down again. “I guess my dad teaching you to shoot paid off.”
She nodded and let him go. “It did, and I’m going to teach you soon. I know you don’t get into shit, but you’re around niggas who do, so it’s a must. Let’s get the hell out of here.”
“Bet, but who’s the mafia looking ass dude following us?”
Tekken tossed his thumb over his shoulder as they all strolled out of the precinct with Morrone redirecting in the opposite way, respecting their privacy.
“He’s Italian, and he’s Relic’s attorney.”
“Oh, so that’s why my cousin was here,” Toot chimed in. Kennedy’s steps faltered before she played it cool.
“Relic was here?”
“He didn’t come inside, but I saw his car like an hour ago when I came out to take my brother’s call. That might be why Pierre hit me up. He didn’t have another reason to randomly call at five in the morning, claiming he wanted to make sure I was cool.”
Tekken scoffed. “He definitely was trying to see what was up, but I ain’t even tripping. They got my aunt out of this bitch, so I’m good. How did Relic know?”
“Because I was with him.”
Kennedy ripped off the band-aid, knowing it’d hurt their relationship in the long run if she lied and it got back to him through the grapevine. Her heart lurched when her nephew mugged her, and she saw nothing but Koda in his heated glare.
“So, you are fucking with Relic?” he verified, but she couldn’t admit it aloud. “And let me guess, all the bullshit you dealt with last night is because of him? That’s why he sent his lawyer and had Pierre call to make sure you were straight.”
“No, it’s not because of him, Tek. I was fucking with Lomar, and my dumb ass let him see too much. The only reason I’m telling you about Relic is because I don’t want lies between us or beef again. I know you’re mad, but—”
“You’re damn right, I’m mad, because what the fuck are you doing, Kennedy?!”
“Nigga, you better take that bass out yo tone, talking to me like I’m one of your little hoes!” she snapped before stalking into his face. Her finger poked at his chest as she reminded him, “We’re close in age, but I’m still your aunt, Tekken. Respect me!”
“Respect yourself! Make better decisions about who you’re fucking, like you tell me. Then, you were tripping about me selling, but you get with the biggest fucking—”
Tekken stopped to drag a hand over his mouth before peering around the empty parking lot for prying ears once remembering where they were. Toot moved beside him to entwine their fingers.
“Y’all should have this conversation later. Like, not in front of the police station later,” she whispered, squeezing his hand as he nodded in understanding but kept his eyes on his aunt.
“We don’t have to talk about it again because you are grown, Kennedy. I’m just trying to look after you like my dad would. I ain’t trying to see you hurt like when you got burned and yo wack ass ex left you for dead, or after Zeke cut you off.”
The mention of her first love took her aback and sent her brows dipping in surprise. Kennedy recovered just as fast, rolling her eyes while her heart tried leaping from her chest at the reminder of a sordid past she assumed Tekken knew nothing about.
“Nobody was broken over Zeke. What’re you talking about? And unlock the damn door!”
He twisted his mouth to one side, pulled out his keys, and hit the locks before calling her out on her bullshit.
“You ain’t gotta lie about fucking with him, big dog.
Pops heard y’all fussing on the phone one night, and you said Zeke’s name.
Pops ain’t talk to you about it since you were acting like the world was ending, but he snapped on my dad for not protecting you.
Pops was saying that Zeke groomed you, and he would check the nigga himself, but dad said he’d handle it.
I don’t know if he got a chance to say anything because. ..”
Koda died a few weeks later.
Kennedy felt like she was slowly dying, too, as those painful details sank in. The air thinned to where she grew lightheaded the more that she wracked her brain about it and why Ezekiel hadn’t once mentioned to her that Koda had found out about them.
She leaned against the car before murmuring, “Why didn’t you say anything, Tek?”
“I don’t know, Kenn. What was I supposed to say?
I was thirteen, and then my dad died, so I didn’t even think about that shit.
I’m sure Pops didn’t either, or he thought bringing it up would push you over the edge.
Zeke kept his distance but still checked in here and there, so it was whatever to me. I minded my business.”
Kennedy braced a hand on her chest and blinked back tears that she couldn’t shut off since they’d started.
It was as if her body was taking advantage of her rare moment of vulnerability, knowing it wouldn’t happen again.
Between the fuck niggas she’d attracted, and her nephew throwing her past mistakes in her face, it seemed like everyone was determined to take her out or break her heart into useless, irreparable scraps to dispose of.
She was a true loner, but for the first time, she craved someone in her corner who’d understand.
“Can you take me to Savvy’s house?”
She blurted out the request before giving herself time to mull it over, knowing there was a chance Savvy was as liable as Relic for what’d happened to her. Offense crossed Tekken’s face as he jerked back his head.
“Damn, you don’t want to stay with me?”
“You stay with your best friend and his girl, Tekken,” Toot cut in to remind him with a roll of her eyes.
“I doubt Kenn will be comfortable there, plus, she needs her friend. Someone who will let her vent and won’t judge her while she’s trying to get her mind clear about shooting someone she was dating. ”
Tekken sighed and glanced at his aunt, observing her with sympathetic eyes because he’d been worried about the wrong things.
He should’ve been more concerned with the last few hours she’d spent in an interrogation room or the tears he rarely saw from Kennedy swirling behind her swollen eyelids.
The fact that his aunt had killed someone should’ve trumped his grievances about her questionable choice in men.
“It’s okay, Tek. I get why you’re upset, and maybe it wasn’t the right time to address it, but you’re not wrong,” Kennedy told him before climbing into the backseat of his car, ending their conversation because she couldn’t negate a word he’d said.
She’d warned Tekken to tread lightly when it came to Toot and her family because she didn’t want him wrapped up in their illicit activities, but then she turned around and did the complete opposite.
Her body sulked in the seat as she accepted the harsh truth; she’d dived into her position headfirst and then, to add insult to injury, caught feelings for a man she knew from the start was incapable of doing the same.
She could hear her mother’s words in her head, chastising her about being hardheaded and never learning her lesson. For once, she didn’t disagree.
Ezekiel, Lomar, and Relic were the epitome of bad shit coming in threes, and she’d let them into her life with open fucking arms. Kennedy grew uncertain whether she, or the niggas she dated, were the common denominator.