30. Kenyon
30
Kenyon
T he only light creeping in the living room came from the lamp beside me, looking over the specs and notes about a car shop I’d been eyeing as a future project. I had Zara to thank for that. She never missed an opportunity to remind me how talented I was. It made me think I shouldn’t let it go to waste, either. Even more so now that I had a kid on the way.
The floorboard creaking caught my ear, pulling me out of my thoughts. I turned my head just in time to see Nana creeping down the stairs, her robe trailing behind her like she was on some kind of midnight mission.
I jumped up and moved toward her, but Banana Girl waved her hand at me. “Sit down, Soul Snatcher. I’ve been gettin’ things for myself long before you were born.”
I chuckled but couldn’t help the concern that nagged at me. “Just let me help you. What do you need?”
She shot me a look that could wither a man. “Leave that hovering to Zara. I can’t take it from you, too.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Banana Girl shuffled past me, making her way toward the kitchen like she had all the time in the world.
“It was much easier sharing my bed when they were little,” she said in a roundabout manner.
“You let them run you out of your own room?”
“Yeah, well, they look like they need it,” she paused like she was trying to recall what she was looking for. “It’s no place like Nana’s bed, I suppose.”
After a few minutes, she joined me in the living room, holding a cup of tea and easing into the chair. She didn’t say anything at first, just sat there sipping her tea and watching me.
“You’ve been real quiet.”
I shrugged, keeping it vague. “It’s been a busy few days.”
“Mmm.” She sipped her tea, her eyes sharp even behind her glasses. “And I’m guessing most of that busyness has to do with Zara.”
“A ‘lil bit.”
She chuckled, the sound low and knowing like she’d seen it all before. And she probably had. “Is the baby she hasn’t told me about the rest of it?”
The room suddenly felt smaller, and my mind scrambled for what to say. She waved a hand dismissively, like the whole thing wasn’t a big deal.
“I knew the minute I saw her. You think I don’t know what it looks like when a woman’s pregnant?”
I sat there, stunned, even though I should’ve expected it. She didn’t miss a thing. “I guess everybody knew but us.”
“That’s what love does to you,” she smiled, setting her glass down. “It makes your heart see what the eyes ignore. It’s not always a bad thing, though. The mind isn’t perfect, and neither is love.”
She sipped her tea again while I mulled over her words.
“Y’all don’t look happy about it for two people as deep in love as you.”
“Zara’s stressed.”
“Probably missing her mom right now. Something about finding out you’re going to be somebody’s world turns you back into a little girl. I remember when I found out I was pregnant. I couldn’t believe I was going to be somebody’s mother. Me!” she chuckled, hitting her chest. “It scared the shit out of me thinking about somebody needing me for everything. Hell, I was barely taking care of myself.”
“You managed.”
“I did and y’all will too.”
I didn’t doubt it, but from Zara’s outburst this morning, I wasn’t sure she felt the same. Her gaze softened, but her words were firm.
“Special relationships don’t just happen. You work for them. Create them by doing all the shit we hate doing. Difficult conversations. Compromising. Giving grace and that’s not always fun. Hell, most of the time, it sucks, but that’s where real love is made.” She pushed up slowly from the couch, offering a final piece of advice, “For now, just remember, even when you don’t know what to say or how to fix it, just be there.”
“Wisdom and beauty. Iono, Zara might’ve had some competition back in the day.”
She blushed, fanning me off the way she always did.
“Sounds good, but even I can’t compete with the smile my Zara puts on your face.” She wiggled her fingers, summoning me, “Now, come help this old woman upstairs so you can get your babies out of my bed.”
Banana Girl shuffled up the last few steps, gripping my hand with a determination that made me smile. I let her have her way when we reached the second floor, keeping a close eye on her until we reached her bedroom. Zara was curled up in the Banana Girl’s bed, her arm draped over her stomach as if protecting our baby, even in her sleep.
Careful not to wake her, I lifted Zara into my arms. I carried her down the hallway to her room, my footsteps barely making a sound in the quiet house. Zara finally moved everything out of her apartment weeks ago, bringing it all back here to Nana’s house. Even though she spent most nights with me, she seemed more comfortable having a room here, like she needed to feel rooted somewhere.
I slipped into bed next to her, pulling her close as my eyes instinctively found her stomach. For the first time, I could see the small pudge she had attributed to bloating and other hormonal changes.
My mind drifted to the one I lost, and sleep came slowly because of it. My thoughts circled back to the life we were building, the future that felt so close yet out of reach. Eventually, exhaustion took over, and I let myself sink into the darkness beside her.
When I woke, morning light spilled into the room, and Zara shifted beside me. She blinked, looking confused as her eyes scanned the room. “How did I get in here?” she mumbled, half-asleep, her voice thick with confusion.
“Banana Girl kicked you out.”
Zara nodded, reaching to the ceiling for a stretch.
“I have some stuff to handle today. I won’t be back until later,” I explained, sitting up in bed. Uncle Leonne was still in town and needed to feel my raft because he and Kross left me in the dark about my own lady.
“Wow, you’re letting me off punishment so soon.”
“Hormones still have you raging today, I see.”
Zara’s head whipped toward me, her eyes brimming with irritation.
“I didn’t think you trusted me enough to let me out of your sight,” she snipped.
“We have to start rebuilding trust somewhere. Don’t make me regret it.”
I pulled on my clothes and mentally prepared for the conversation ahead. My mom’s house was only a short drive away, but talking to Uncle Leonne was a must, especially after reading Kross’s text. He pulled the security tapes from the parking lot, confirming Zara’s story.
“What are you getting into today?” I asked because she’d been sitting in the same position watching me get dressed.
“Megan took me off the schedule, so I don’t know. I guess I’ll see what Brandy is doing today.”
I leaned down and kissed her forehead. The gesture felt distant compared to how things used to be, it was all I could manage right now.
"I need to know where you’ll be. Not because I don’t trust you. I don’t trust him, so call me if you need anything.”
Zara gave me a small smile, but the tension hung between us like a weight neither wanted to address.
"I’m fine. Go," she said, though I could tell she was holding back, too.
I grabbed my keys, feeling the unspoken distance between us as I headed for the door. When I pulled up, everything seemed quiet. I stepped inside, and the smell of something baking drifted from the kitchen, but I wasn’t here for food. I was here to get some clarity.
Leonne was sitting at the dining table, nursing a cup of coffee, his face unreadable as usual, barely looking up when I walked in.
"Figured you’d come by," he said without glancing away from whatever paper he was pretending to read. I didn’t even know they still printed newspapers, but Leonne had one. “I hear congratulations are in order.”
I didn’t bother with pleasantries. "I thought about putting a gun to your head the way Kross did Zara, but I didn’t.”
Leonne’s eyes flicked up, meeting mine. He paused, letting the silence stretch between us, but I wasn’t in the mood for his games today.
“Don’t get beside yourself, Kenyon.”
“How else did you think I’d come?”
Mom was always the first line of defense when it came to me and Pops. Uncle Leonne was the second, trying to reason with me to see things from Pop’s perspective. When that failed, he’d shake his head and light up a cigarette.
“Kross didn’t think you could handle it and after seeing you with her at dinner, I agreed. It wasn’t personal, so take that fuckin’ bass out of your voice. I don’t love you nearly as much as Eric. I won’t tolerate your shit.”
“I guess I’m not as much like Pop’s as y’all think ‘cause there wouldn’t even be a conversation if you okayed somebody putting a fuckin’ gun to Loriann’s head.”
“Zara isn’t Loriann.”
“She is to me.”
Leonne stood, placing his drink on the table, and faced me. “Fine, we should’ve come to you.” And at this point I didn’t know if he meant it or was just being facetious to move the conversation along. “This wasn’t a personal attack on you or Zara. John called and said an old problem resurfaced, and you know how problems get solved. Regardless of who she is to you.”
My blood was boiling now, but I needed answers. I had to understand how deep this went.
“What old problem?”
Leonne sighed, rubbing his chin. “Zara’s mom wasn’t just a random woman.”
“John was fucking around on Mrs. Cat with Shana?” I questioned, but Leonne shook his head.
“Not to my knowledge. Shana used to work for John, but they got a little too close. He thought he could trust her. She’d help with small tasks like delivering payoffs and other odd tasks until she got too close.”
“And Shana was gonna expose him,” I said, piecing it together.
Leonne gave a sharp nod. “John was adamant she would. He told us he needed help taking care of the situation. If Shana exposed him, it wouldn’t just be him going down. Our illegal business interests were on the line, and John was our inside man. We thought it was over until Zara walked into the police station asking for John.”
Our baby saved not just Zara’s life but theirs, too. It made me chuckle, thinking about the havoc I would’ve caused if something had happened to Zara over John’s lies.
“Your boy John played you. Kross pulled the security tapes. Zara didn’t go to the station looking for him. They picked her up from the club.”
Leonne’s gaze hardened, but before he could respond, the door creaked open, and Kross walked in. He was just in time, so I didn’t have to bother repeating it to him later.
"I’m the emotional hot head, but you almost destroyed everything, and for what? This is why you don’t let outsiders in family business.”
Leonne slammed his mug on the table, coffee sloshing over the sides. “You think I don’t know that now? Damn it, Keyes! He told us she was digging and would finish what Shana started.”
“We did what we thought we had to do. Stop acting na?ve to this shit. You know how this business works. There’s no room for mistakes,” Kross replied.
“Nigga, fuck you!” I shot back. “Stop talking to me like I’m some tender ass nigga. I know how shit goes, but my brother shouldn’t be making decisions about my lady without me. You’re selfish as fuck! That’s my problem with you!”
Kross opened his mouth to refute my claim, but Uncle Leonne’s hand flew up. Obedience was always his strength while I continued ranting.
"John was just trying to cover his ass the whole time because we’re the last link to his dirt. I’m putting a bullet in him, and I don’t give a fuck how either of you feel about it,” I said, standing up.
Leonne’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t argue. Kross crossed his arms, eyes cast down as if he were still processing everything when I turned to leave. I couldn’t stay in that room a second longer. Not with the realization of how close they came to making the biggest mistake of their lives.
Just as I reached the door, Kross called after me, his voice soft but urgent. “Keyes, wait.”
“Leave me the fuck alone, Kross.”
“Javier called. He needs to see us now.”
I stopped but didn’t turn around, my hand hovering over the doorknob. “Why?”
“He didn’t give details, but he sounded serious. He said it can’t wait.”
I clenched my jaw, feeling the weight of my problems pressing down on me. First this mess with Leonne and John, and now Javier showing up out of the blue. His timing couldn't have been worse.
“Aite. Send me the address.”
But Kross climbed in the passenger side without invitation. The ride was tense, making the air inside the car feel heavy. Kross tried to make small talk a few times, but I wasn’t in the mood. I kept my eyes forward, hands gripping the wheel tighter than I needed to. It wasn’t just Leonne’s bullshit earlier that had me on edge. It was everything. Zara, the baby, the lies that John spun. And now Javier, showing up out of nowhere, pushing for answers I wasn’t ready to give.
We pulled up to the low-key cigar lounge Javier frequented whenever he was in town. Kross got out first, adjusting his jacket as we approached the entrance. I followed, keeping my head down, my mind still racing, trying to figure out the best way to keep my mouth shut.
“Gentlemen,” he greeted, his voice smooth as he stood up and offered a hand to Kross. They shook hands, and then he turned to me, his eyes lingering for just a second longer. “Keyes. Good to see you.”
I gave him a curt nod, keeping my response short. “Javier.”
We took our seats, and one of the waiters brought over a fresh round of drinks. Javier didn’t waste any time getting to the point.
“What’s all this for?” I asked because everything with Javier was calculated.
“Celebrating our business expansion, I hope,” he said, swirling the whiskey in his glass before taking a sip. “Time is ticking, and right now, I have product sitting because I have no one to move it.”
I leaned back in my chair, letting Kross take the lead. He had always been better at the diplomatic role, and right now, I wasn’t in the mood to smooth anything over.
“We’re working on it. There’s a lot to consider with the expansion you’re proposing.”
Javier set his glass down on the table with a soft thud. “I’m not suggesting you rush, Kross. But I’m also not a fan of dragging things out unnecessarily. We’re in business to make moves, not sit on our hands.”
I tried clenching my jaw to fight the urge to speak, but I lost, “Coming from the man who didn’t even want to do business with us, I think we earned a little time to consider.”
“ Time . That’s exactly what we don’t have. So, what is it going to take to close the deal? How can I be of service?”
The room seemed to close in a little, watching the exchange. Kross held his own, but Javier wasn’t buying the stalling act.
“We understand time is of the essence. We’ll get you an answer soon.”
Javier glanced over at me. “And you, Keyes? You seem a little quieter than usual. Trouble in paradise with our friend?”
His question created a panic in Kross because he knew that was a trigger. The one button that could blow this whole shit up.
“Today isn’t the day. Watch it.”
Javier leaned back again, folding his arms. “I don’t care about your personal issues. I care about results. You have until the end of the week. After that, I’ll be forced to explore my options and possibly take my business elsewhere.”
I knew Kross was counting on me, but my gut was screaming that the life I was trying to build with Zara wasn’t compatible with the one Javier was offering.
“We’ll let you know,” Kross said, his voice tight.
Javier’s eyes stayed on me as he nodded. “You better.”
Kross waited until we were back in my car to express his frustration. “Give it to me straight, Keyes. Where’s your head right now?”
“I don’t know if I want to continue business with a nigga I have to second guess and question.”
“Javier gave us a hard time at first, but once he saw we could handle ourselves, he chilled out.”
“I’m talking about you. This shit is already dangerous enough. I don’t have time to worry about you having my back if I have a family at home. That’s a distraction I don’t need.”
“ If ?” Was the only word Kross seemed to catch in my response.
I could feel him staring, but I wasn’t in the mood to elaborate.
“The pain of losing something you wanted more than waking up in the morning hurts like a motherfucka. Seeing my hardheaded baby brother go through that.” his sentence broke off, shaking his head like he didn’t have the words to describe it. “The idea of losing another baby has you seeing red, and I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have put you in that position, or Zara.”
I slouched down, the anger I’d been holding onto slowly unraveling. He was there through every dark moment after Sydney’s miscarriage. He understood more than anyone what that pain had done to me. I did the same for him after Maliah passed away. We’d always had each other’s backs, and that’s what pissed me off the most.
“I guess you’re not your daddy’s son after all.”
“Fuck you, nigga,” he chuckled.
“I’m not the little boy you have to shield anymore. I’ve seen the darkest side this world has to offer. I can handle shit, and if you don't trust that, we’ll end up right back here.”
“I know.”
“Do you nigga? You almost broke your mother’s heart trying to handle shit on your own. It’s supposed to be us against the world, and you almost ended your own life being stupid.”
“You’re a man now, and I have to treat you like one. At least when it comes to this shit, so what is it, Keyes? Are you in or out? Javier isn’t going to wait much longer.”
“Give me until tomorrow night,” I groaned, massaging my temple.
“Aite, I’m holding you to that.” His voice cracked slightly, and he looked over at me, his eyes reflecting the weight of what he was saying. “A part of being a man is having difficult conversations. You need to have one with Zara because you can’t make a decision about this without knowing hers.”