Page 124 of Heavy Is The Crown

Kenyatta chuckled, grabbing the bag of desserts from the backseat. They had barely been here five minutes, and already, Krys was making an impression.

Musa was still watching, still waiting. Because in his eyes, nothing and no one was moving unless he allowed it.

Kenyatta called out to Krys, “Aye, tell this nigga at ease or something. Loosen up! We at a park, my nigga.”

Musa huffed and proceeded to follow Krys; ignoring Kenyatta completely.

Kenyatta shook his head. Between Krys and Musa, he was sure the day was going to be eventful.

**********

People continued to take notice of Kenyatta and his company’s presence. It wasn’t dramatic; nobody was about to stop grilling, shut off the music, or put down their Solo cups, but they were definitely eyeing, observing, and speculating.

The “this you, nephew?” energy was thick. Before they could get too far, a group of older men sitting under another tent waved Kenyatta over.

Krys quickly picked up that these were the uncles, the old heads, the storytellers. They were already grinning.

“Boy, bring yo’ ass over here!” One of the old heads, Big Ron, called out from his usual fold-out chair, gripping his drink like a king surveying his land.

“Look at him,” Uncle Joe chuckled. “Done disappeared for months and pop back up in a damn spaceship with a fine ass woman. He up to somethin’.”

Kenyatta just shook his head, smiling with a hint of embarrassment. “Man, Unc…Here y’all go.”

The moment they got closer, Big Ron turned to Krys. “You sure you wanna be around this one?” he asked, pointing at Kenyatta. “He used to be a wild one back in the day.”

Krys, without missing a beat, smiled sweetly. “Used to be?” she teased. “You sure about that?”

The whole table busted out laughing.

“Ohhhhh, she quick with it!” Uncle Joe cackled.

Kenyatta shook his head, laughing, but he couldn’t lie and say he didn’t love this.

Krys wasn’t nervous nor stiff. She was just being herself, and they were eating it up.

One of the men leaned forward. “Now, baby girl, tell us…what’chu doing with this knucklehead nigga?”

Krys glanced at Kenyatta, smirking. “I guess he knows how to talk a good game,” she teased. “I figured I’d give him a chance, see if he could back it up.”

Another round of laughter.

Kenyatta just shook his head, chuckling. “She wild,” he muttered, shaking his head.

“Nah, she good people if she with yo’ ass,” Uncle Joe said approvingly.

He heard it. The genuine approval in their voices, and for the first time in a long time it actually meant something. Besides, this was Krys with him. She carried herself in a way that demanded attention without trying. The kind of effortless grace that had people knowing she had money, class, and wasn’t the type to be played with. And yet, she still blended in.

She wasn’t out here acting too good for anybody and wasn’t looking down on folks or being standoffish. She just moved with confidence.

However, while Kenyatta was soaking all that in, Musa was still on guard. He hadn’t left Krys’ side since they stepped out of the car. His enormous black form sat just behind her, watching the movement of people, his dark eyes tracking everything. A few kids ran past him, but the moment they saw him, they slowed up quick.

“Damn, is that a bear?” Bryan, one of Kenyatta’s older cousins, asked, eyeing Musa like he wasn’t sure if he was trained or about to start handing out karma.

Nub let out a short laugh, arms crossed. “Nah, that ain’t no bear…That’s a damn bodyguard.”

Musa’s ears flicked, but he didn’t acknowledge them. He just stayed posted.

When someone he didn’t like the energy of walked too close to Krys, he let out a low, almost imperceptible rumble. It definitely had people thinking twice.

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