Kenyatta studied her for a second before nodding. “Yeah. Bet.”
Krys didn’t say anything else. Just gave him one last look before walking off, phone to her ear.
Jay-1 watched her disappear, then looked back at Kenyatta. “She always move like that?”
Kenyatta shook his head slightly. “I’on even know, bruh.”
Jay-1 chuckled. “Mmm. That’s that Midtown money behavior. Secret business calls. Fancy-ass meetings.”
Kenyatta snorted, shaking his head. “You talking all that shit, but last I checked, you was just eating her food.”
Jay-1 leaned back, hands up. “Hey, I respect the boss lady, I do. But you know I gotta talk my shit.”
Kenyatta dismissed. “Yeah, yeah.”
Jay-1’s expression shifted again, getting back to business. “But look, back to what I was saying. I really think this Cuban dude might be tryna set up for a takeover. And if Rico linking up with him…that mean he making moves outside the Bay.”
Kenyatta exhaled, rubbing his hand over his chin. “Damn.”
Jay-1 studied him. “You gon’ let that shit rock?”
Kenyatta shrugged. “Ain’t my problem.”
Jay-1 gave him a look. “Yeah? That’s what you think.”
Kenyatta met his gaze, jaw tight. “That’s what I know.”
Jay-1 sighed, shaking his head. “A’ight. What’chu gon’ be ready to do once Rico accomplish whatever it is he tryna do? You know he gon’ really come after you harder. He ain’t gon’ let off yo’ ass, Yatta.”
Kenyatta didn’t respond. Didn’t need to. Because in the back of his mind as well as Jay-1’s, he already knew he wasn’t going to be able to ignore this shit for much longer.
Chapter 36
The Obsidian wasn’t just any spot. It was the one place in Trinity Bay where money talked louder than bullets. Where real power moved in silence. Where egos were checked at the door because no one was stupid enough to cross the wrong person.
ANoon Meetingwasn’t just a business sit-down. It was either an opportunity or a warning. And Rico was about to find out which one this was.
The second Rico walked in; he felt it. That energy shift. The kind that made men second-guess their next move before they even made it. The kind that let you know this wasn’t your room.
The Obsidian daylight crowd was different from the nighttime flexers who pulled up to sip overpriced liquor and impress women. These men weren’t here to be seen; they were here to make decisions that would shape the city. And at the center of it was Malik.
K9’s second-in-command sat at the head of the private lounge, draped in clean designer streetwear. He didn’t do flashy, but he never looked broke. Didn’t need big logos or excess shine. The way he walked, the way he commanded a room; everybody already knew who he was.
His gold pinky ring spun between his fingers, his sharp, dark eyes locked onto Rico before he even made it to the table. Rico’s steps slowed just slightly as his gaze flickered over to the person sitting beside Malik: Karma.
A shadow with a pulse. No words. No wasted movements. Bald head gleaming under the dim lights, muscular yet lean, covered in ink and scars that weren’t for decoration. She sat in eerie stillness, her unreadable gaze fixed on Rico like she was already imagining where she’d place the first bullet if things went left.
Rico had never crossed paths with her before, not directly, but he’d heard stories. Hell, everybody in The Water with sense had heard something. If you wanted a nigga gone, if you needed somebody handled with zero trace, zero loose ends, zero noise, Karma was the name whispered behind closed doors.
Nobody knew exactly how she moved, only that when she came for you, there was no escape. No warnings. No second chances. No explanations. Just disappearance.
She was rarely seen, always a shadow in the background. Some even questioned if she was real, or if she was just a myth used to keep people in line. But the higher up on the hierarchy you were, the more you knew who was who and the roles they played. Rico was high enough to know better than to assume she was just a ghost story.
He wasn’t even sure if it was her, but if she was with Malik, then yeah, it was probably her.TheKarma.
His jaw clenched slightly, but he kept his face smooth, his posture easy. He wasn’t about to let them see even a flicker of hesitation. Still, it didn’t sit right. Why was she here?
Rico had been in high-pressure rooms before. But this was a different kind of pressure. The kind that meant if he said one wrong word, he wouldn’t be walking out the same way he came in. So, he played it cool. Rolled his shoulders. Kept his hands visible; not fidgeting, not twitching. And let the tension sit.