Chapter 23
twenty-three
Kamilla huffed, rolled her eyes, and swayed her head. “We went to Pepe’s to grab some food. Martez and his pack of idiots showed up. Whatever they got going on is deep. If I didn’t pull him back, he would’ve killed him.”
“You did what?” Dania snapped.
Kamilla slightly frowned and shrugged. “I pulled him back. What’s the problem?”
Dania stared at her, hands on her spreading hips. “I know you’re new to this…like being in this Azul life. Don’t do that shit again.”
“What? It was that or watch him get arrested. That’s something I can’t watch,” Kamilla stated.
“And if something were to happen to you when you were pulling him out that mayhem, there would be nothing standing. You got to know who you got, girl. He might be everything you want when y’all are alone.
The shit is beautiful – dizzying even. Out here, those niggas are killers.
I don’t know about you, but I can’t live with any more blood on my hands. ”
Kamilla took her turn to stare at Dania. “Any more?”
A half-nod preceded Dania’s answer. “Some nigga from CK tried to rob me one night. When I got back to the apartment, I told Nate. Nate is a step down from the crazy that Cairo is and it’s still too fuckin’ much.
Him and Cairo left and when they got back, the issue was handled.
A whole block of niggas gone. Houses burned down, niggas dead in the street.
It’s the territory, but I’d rather not be the person responsible for holding guilt. I don’t want that for you.”
“I hear you,” Kamilla hummed. “Makes sense why they’re inseparable.”
“Blood can’t make them no closer. They’ll die for each other, kill for each other. I’d rather watch them live. Raise their kids, look back on all of this holding cigars and glasses of bourbon.”
“Yeah, me too. I won’t interfere anymore,” Kamilla yielded.
“And when it comes to Martez,” Dania added with a pointed glare. “Cousin or not, he deserves to choke on dirt the rest of his existence.”
“He’s not my cousin,” Kamilla corrected.
“He’s a leech, a clout chaser. Apparently my mother’s brother was something to be feared and because she said she was responsible for him dying, she looked after Martez.
And he manipulated that and every woman in my family. As far as I’m concerned, he’s a bitch.”
“And that’s putting it lightly,” Dania said before pushing a breath out. “Are you okay?”
Kamilla leaned her back on the wall and shrugged. “I’m okay.”
“Don’t do that with me. We’ve been friends for like a week and neither us are leaving them, so we’re like sisters,” Dania stated. “Are you okay?”
Kamilla swayed her head. “Repressed memories. Flashes I can’t really understand. Layering everything else. But I’ll be alright.”
“Listen, K. You don’t have to be strong here. Not with me, okay?” Dania offered, opening her arms.
Kamilla accepted her hug. Accepted the warmth of friendship. Accepted someone who knew the pain and would hold her hand while they navigated through it. “Thank you, D.”
“Eh, I’m sure there’ll be a day I need the same talk,” Dania chuckled, releasing her. “Come on, those niggas are good but they need that golden ear.”
Kamilla frowned. “The what?”
“Golden Ear. That’s what Fahaad and Ekho have been calling you. You got your daddy’s frown and his ear. How you’re flying under the radar is crazy to me.”
Inside the studio, Kamilla and Dania took their spot.
Nate fidgeted with a camera, taking his role as Cairo’s communications manager seriously.
Cairo sat at the board regrouping and building a beat that had the perfect mix of kick and edge.
There was a particular sound that Cairo was making for himself that set him apart from what Kamilla had heard.
She moved from her corner to his side. While he bobbed, mixed, and adjusted, he leaned over to hear her notes.
“It’s good. No notes. But you need to tag it. So, when this plays in every car from here to Ganton Hills, they know who did it,” she spoke just above a whisper.
Cairo nodded, handing her a mic. “Give me the tag.”
Kamilla shook her head, pushing the mic away. “No, this is your moment.”
“Mila, baby,” he lowly muttered. “Our shit. Tag it.”
Kamilla bit a grin and spoke into the mic after Cairo his record. “Steal the moon.”
He offered her a satisfied smile and took the mic back. “Like that shit. Stay right here.”
By his side was where she was seated until the session wrapped for the night. Fahaad sat in the corner of the room next to Nate. Dania was slowly pulling herself from a pregnancy-induced slumber.
“Ay, Nate,” Fahaad spoke up, low enough not to alert the rest of the room.
Nate turned his attention to Fahaad. “Yeah, what’s up?”
“You his right hand. You know how heavy that’s about to get?” Fahaad asked, studying Nate’s mannerisms. He was searching for any sign that there was a weak link in the future superstar producer’s circle. Anything that would stop the trajectory before they took off.
“It’s been heavy, what you saying?” Nate questioned, giving Fahaad the same look he was giving him.
“Don’t nobody in this room know how heavy it is to support a giant.
How much stronger the beam that supports him has to be.
I’ve seen him at the lowest, I’ll hold that nigga’s gun at the highest. Look around; everyone he has in this room is solid.
I know what you’re trying to do. Make sure that this co-sign means good business for you.
You cool, but I’m telling you right now, that nigga is special. You handle the business, we got him.”
“Aight, I wanted to be sure. I’ve seen how this starts and ends too many times to count,” Fahaad spoke. “Those two, I’m going to give it everything I got. It’s worth it.”
“It is. We all got the same goal in mind.”
“You know the goal comes with sacrifices. Like two weeks of closed sessions to get this album wrapped up, and I like them, but the studio ain’t no place for pregnant women,” Fahaad stated. “Tell your boy, fourteen days without his little boo. We got money to make.”
With that, Fahaad left, leaving Nate to do his job. Kamilla saw the look on Nate’s face and moved over. “What is it?”
“Closed session for two weeks. He’s going to be locked in here finishing this album,” Nate stated, expecting pushback from Kamilla.
“Keep him safe; I’ll keep y’all fed. It’s simple. Dania and I will rotate cleaning here and whatever else Fredo has for us. If this is what he wants, this is necessary,” she replied, with a bounce of her shoulders. “I’ll tell him, get my girl home.”
Nate smiled.
“What?” Kamilla quizzed.
“Nothing, get him home without issue.”
Sunk into the passenger seat, Kamilla yawned and placed her hand on the nape of his neck. “We can go home, you don’t have to worry about the beach.”
“Nahh, I promised you a sunrise, that’s what you’re getting.” Cairo let his tired body sink into the driver’s seat. “What were you and Nate talking about?”
“How y’all are about to be locked in the studio for the next two weeks. Making a plan,” Kamilla stated.
“You locked in with me is the plan,” Cairo rebutted.
Kamilla tiredly laughed. “Cai Baby.”
“Uh uh, don’t do that shit and make me listen,” he weakly protested, knowing that the nickname alone would make him soup in her hands.
“You were going to listen anyway,” she sassed.
Cairo groaned and Kamilla choose to stay quiet until she had him in a more relaxed position to finish her thought.
Under the dawn’s sky, Kamilla sat between his legs, head rested on his chest while she watched the waves crash against the shore.
The light of the moon shined brightly, reflecting off the water of the Los Oceania Sea.
“You know, this is a part of stealing the moon,” Kamilla started.
Cairo’s chin rested atop her curls, a deep inhale of the mango. “What is?” he muttered.
“Developmental separation,” Kamilla replied.
“What’s that?”
“The distress of big ass babies leaving their caregivers.”
“Oh, now you my mama?” he toyed.
“Nope, I can’t ever fill those shoes. What I’m saying is, you can’t be wrapped around me all the time and I can’t rely on you for every little thing.
We can be together, take care of each other, and we can also have our own things.
This is your time to prove to yourself that you deserve to cement yourself in this,” Kamilla shared.
Cairo groaned. Kamilla could feel the spike of anxiety. Ungluing herself from him, she turned around and held his face.
“Who knew your big, mean, soul-snatching ass was so soft,” she teased, trying to soothe his tension. “No one has ever told you that you deserve to hold your dreams in your hands?”
His jaw clenched in realization that no one had ever seen him in his wholeness until he had her. “Nah. No one cared enough.”
“You deserve to hold your dreams in your hands. You deserve all the things happening. You deserve support. And I am going to play that role. I’ll keep you fed, I’ll keep the bed warm. I’ll be a call away. But you, Cai Baby, you have got to fly.”
He licked his lips and pulled in a deep breath. “I love you, girl.”
“I know,” she hummed.
“You know, I really am going to steal that muhfucka and give it to you,” Cairo motioned to the moon.
“I know that too. I’ll take care of that too. Now relax and hold me, I’m cold.”
Another hour passed and the sun crept into the sky replacing the moon, threatening the warmth of their hold.
Cairo’s baritone rumbled in her ear. “KP taught you how to shoot the same way he taught you how to get the fuck out the spot?”
“Yeah, but only in the case of emergencies.”
“Aight, I’m leaving a clean gun in case of emergencies. Don’t leave the house without it. If I gotta be away from you, I need to know you can protect yourself. I’m a call away. Ain’t no studio session or no opportunity bigger than you, on Azul,” he stated.
“On Azul.”