Chapter 6 #3
Those nagging emotions that she tried burying every chance she got unearthed when he braced a hand on each side of her, leaning in as she scrubbed the glam look from her skin.
His mouth landed on her cheek once it was clean and then gravitated to her shoulder, making her shiver at his touch that she wished like hell had no effect on her.
As she scrutinized their reflection, it dawned on her that Relic was infatuated with the pieces of her molded by Zeke and Koda, but he was more in love with the vitiated parts that he’d created.
An ache hammered her chest, causing her to cringe while hoping he didn’t notice.
His lips brushed her skin as he informed her, “Michi texted the chat. She said Titan just got off the phone with Judith, and she’s at the crib with them. Savvy is losing her shit and doesn’t want to be bothered. Shabu is going with whatever she’s doing, so he won’t get cursed out.”
“Sounds about right.” She shut off the faucet and did an about-face. “You feel better?”
“I’ll feel better when the niggas who shot at my folks are taking a fucking dirt nap.
I’ll feel better when you get out of your feelings and play your position like you let me believe you were capable of doing, Kennedy.
Chasing you across state lines and pretending I’m a nigga who meets parents wasn’t in the stipulations of this partnership. ”
“Yet, here you are, doing the shit that you swore you never would. I guess we’re both either delusional or really good fucking liars.” She eased around him while adding as she walked off, “My mom doesn’t take long to cook, so come on.”
She didn’t glance back to ensure he was following her because she was certain he was since her skin was tingling and heart pounding like she was on edge.
If Relic knew as much, she was ninety percent sure he’d pushed over it just to grasp her hand at the last second to save the day.
Those were the games he played with her the most—showing his worst side before showcasing his best after allowing her to believe he was incapable of such acts.
She almost laughed when Relic proved her right once they entered the kitchen. He pulled out a chair at the table for her to sit and then slid one beside her for himself while her dad observed their interaction. Butch snorted and then sipped from his mug as Kennedy frowned.
“Old man, is that normal coffee or the special kind?”
“The kind that’s gon’ keep me from digging in yo ass for leaving out of my house in that tiny piece of fabric you call a dress.
That’s why your ass is sick now. Why the hell do you still have it on?
And since when do you show that much skin when you’ve barely worn a short sleeve shirt since the fire? ”
“Somebody feels me,” Relic uttered and then grunted after Kennedy elbowed his side.
“I wore a cropped jacket with it, thank you both very much.”
“Leave her alone like you tell me, Butch. Relic, would you like some coffee?” Diane offered as she slid a spatula underneath a row of French toast, transferring them from a griddle onto a silver tray.
“I have creamer and sugar, or I can make it like Butch’s coffee with brown sugar, whiskey, and whipped cream. I also have orange juice and water.”
“I’ll make it for him, Ma.” Kennedy stood but sat back down after taking one look at her dad.
“Yea, sit you and that high schooler ass dress down. I know it’s old ‘cause it’s cheap. You probably stole it, too, since me or Koda would never buy that shit.”
A cackle erupted from Kennedy before she admitted, “Sonny stole it, actually.”
“Of course, he did. That boy stayed in some mess. His head ain’t been right since he ran away that time. How old were y’all? Fourteen?” Butch verified, smirking at his wife as she pranced over with a plate of bacon and sausages to sit on the table.
“Yes, fourteen. I hope you made grits, too, Ma.”
Kennedy pushed the conversation along since talking about that situation with Sonny rubbed her wrong. Over a decade later, it still pissed her off to no end how Sarge had painted Sonny as a rebellious teen to save his own ass.
“Who is Sonny?” Relic asked, making her groan while stealing a slice of bacon. She bit it to buy time, but her dad did the talking for her.
“Sonny was her ex-best friend and the brother of one of my late son’s friends.”
Relic hummed. “So, you cut your best friend off, too. Is Zeke his brother?”
“No. Sarge, but I never told you about him. Koda was closer with Zeke. Sarge and Koda were more so friends by extension.”
“You talk to him about Koda?” Butch looked between them as Diane returned to the table to set a mug in front of Relic.
“Mhm, that’s the same reaction I had. She rarely talks about him to us or Tekken. Sounds to me like he knows a little about Zeke, too.”
“Depends on what you call a little,” Relic stated and picked up his Irish coffee to chug. Butch placed his down and crossed his arms.
“How ‘bout you tell us a little about you? Relic, is it? Why does that name sound familiar?”
“Because I’m the man who signed Tekken to my label. Relic Records. He worked at my restaurant before that.”
“Oh, yea? Well, I appreciate the opportunity you gave my grandson, but ain’t you and his aunt sneaking around too close to home, then? How does Tekken feel about that? Knowing Kennedy, he’s probably in the dark.”
“He knows,” Relic replied. “I’ll talk to him about it at some point, but Kennedy is grown. What we do privately won’t affect him just like it won’t affect her managing my hair salon.”
“Our salon. Half is mine,” she reminded him, and he snorted but didn’t debate it.
Butch released a deep rumble of laughter from the pit of his belly after catching onto the means his daughter had secured the salon she used to dream about.
“Part owner, huh? Relic, I can tell by the investments you made with your money that you’re a smart man. With that being said, do you really believe you’ll get far, or hold onto my daughter, by buying her love? You might want to ask the last guy how that turned out.”
“I don’t buy love because it’s never done anything for me. I buy loyalty.”
Kennedy whined and sunk lower in her seat, her eyes pinging between the two most prideful men that she knew being antipathetic to one another. Her stomach knotted as she waited on pins and needles for their discussion to turn for the worst.
“Maybe you never had loyalty from the right person. If you did, you’d know it’s better when it’s free, and so is love.” Diane added her two cents as she set plates of warm eggs, French toast, and grits center table before taking her seat.
She delivered Relic a soft smile because she could tell he felt as out of place as he looked. Their family dynamic was unfamiliar to him, and it showed.
Relic picked up the empty plate in front of him to fork piles of food on it.
Once he was finished, he swapped it for Kennedy’s plate to do the same, knowing she didn’t want to make any sudden moves to have the heat turned on her.
He was acclimated to it and willing to endure the sting for both of them if necessary.
“Eat,” he commanded, waiting for her to pick up her fork before turning his attention to her mother.
“I’ve been in the game long enough to know that money won’t afford me everything I need.
Love won’t either, so I use the lesser of the two evils.
Me and Kennedy have an understanding, and I’ve only given her what she asks for. ”
“Which is?”
“A return on her investments. We have a partnership that works well for us.”
Diane stared at him like he’d just spoken to her in his native language. “What the heck is a partnership? So, y’all aren’t having sex then is what I’m gathering?”
Kennedy choked on her food, patting her chest before spitting out a feeble, “Ma!”
“She ain’t asking nothing wrong, Kennedy.
This man is talking about you like you’re an employee he can hire or fire at will, while you were here moping around my damn house about him.
I don’t think he’s good enough for you,” Butch declared, balling his face in incredulity.
Relic stared for a few seconds before he nodded.
“I know, I’m not. Kennedy knows it, too, but we want each other anyway.
It may not be in the manner everyone expects us to, but that isn’t our issue.
As far as her moping around your house for days, that’s just as big of a problem for me as it is for you.
I would’ve much rather her done it at mine, but she chose to leave. ”
“And you let her like she meant nothing to ya,” Butch pointed out.
“And I came to correct my mistake.”
“He didn’t make a mistake.” Kennedy spoke up in his defense, and Relic glanced in her direction. “If he’d forced me to stay, I would resent him more. He knows that. Relic gave me space to wrap my head around everything that’s happened with the shooting and where we stand.”
“So, you’re good?” he verified. “You’re ready to come back?”
“No, but I will soon because I need to check on Savvy. I want to spend a few more days with my mom first. You forgot, I have to drive your car back, too.”
Relic’s nostrils flared, and jaw muscles spasmed, as he resumed eating to signal the end of the conversation.
Her features fell flat at his dismissal, and after her eyes flitted to her mom’s judgmental expression, she wanted to crawl under the table and hide.
She was used to his detachment but understood how it appeared to outsiders who didn’t know him or the traumatic experiences of his past.
“She doesn’t do what you want, and you shut down,” Diane assessed, but Relic’s gaze stayed on his plate like he didn’t hear her.
His aloofness didn’t move her when she’d married a man who’d once carried the same characteristics before realizing it wouldn’t get him far with her.
“Maybe you don’t like expressing your feelings. Maybe you have none for my daughter.”
“Really?” Kennedy retorted, and her father held up a hand.