Page 52 of Disrespectfully, Relic

Her attendees flocking toward the front doors with their voices escalating stole her attention. She was grateful for the save. Kennedy headed toward the melee but slowed her stride when Ryell—who’d been manning the receptionist desk—broke through the crowd and scurried toward her.

“It’s about to get crazy in here, Ms. Kennedy. You have guests,” she said with a cheeky grin. Ryell fixed her ruffled sheer blouse she’d tucked into her leather pants and then brushed a hand down her sleek buss down frontal before adding, “Your nephew is cuter in person, too.”

“Tek is here?”

Ryell nodded, and an elated grin burst onto Kennedy’s face before she rushed to the front door. It wasn’t hard for her to spot her nephew’s wild, undone hair towering over the women surrounding him who were shoving their phones in his face. He didn’t seem to care as his gaze toured the salon before making a stop on her.

“Muthafuckin’ congrats, big dog!” He threw both arms in the air and exposed his jeweled teeth. Kennedy didn’t think twice about racing over to pull him into a hug.

“You lying ass nigga! You told me you weren’t coming.”

Tekken cracked up, sideswiping people as he ambled into the salon with a hand around Kennedy’s neck. The woman stalking their every move made it apparent to him why Relic didn’t want the label there.

“I wasn’t planning to come, but Aura told me that she was heading here to get her hair done, so I said fuck it.”

“Who’s getting their hair done where and by who? This is the first time that I’m hearing of this.”

“Well, shit. Her and Relic are on their way inside.”

As soon as Tekken made that announcement, Kennedy’s stomach dropped like she’d plunged from fifty stories at the sight of Relic ambling into the salon with Aura by his side. The intrusive cameras panned from her nephew to Aura, and the tension lining Relic’s jaw as he pushed his frames further up his nose told her, he was agitated with the attention. Relic was used to playing the background.

She swallowed down the last of her drink and tacked on a smile, studying the sweatsuit he donned with a durag tied around his head. It was her first time seeing him in leisure attire, and she wondered if he’d been chilling with Aura, and that was why he didn’t have the decency to respond to her messages during her morning spiral. Her smile faltered at the thought, but she regained her cool since she knew he was watching. Those analytical eyes stowed away behind his shades were dissecting her as he stalked into her space.

“She needs her hair done before the label appearance tonight. Get her right.” Relic grabbed Aura’s arm and all but flung her toward Kennedy, who stared him dead in the face.

“No.”

“Oh, shit,” Tekken hissed, choking on a laugh.

Relic didn’t find a damn thing funny. He had more important bullshit to worry about than women in their feelings for reasons he couldn’t care less about. Kennedy’s expression was lax and unreadable as usual, but he noted her dainty fingers clinging to her glass so tightly that he expected it to break and puncture her skin at any moment. Relic didn’t have the time or patience to figure out why she was pissed.

His hands tucked into his sweats pocket as he eased in front of her and bent so they were eye level. “Did you forget, this is my shit, Kennedy? You work for me,” he reminded her, gaining an affronted look in return.

“And? Today ismygrand opening, which means I’m here to mingle and keep eyes on my guests. Not to mention, I’ve been drinking. There are two available stylists who can hook her up, there and there.” Kennedy pointed them out before using that same finger to poke at his chest. “If you don’t like either option, figure out a solution yourself like I had to do this morning.”

Relic’s stare dipped to her finger before he stood tall. “I should fire your ass right now.”

“Do it, and I guarantee you, I won’t lose any sleep behind it. Are you asking one of them or not? Because the event is over in a couple of hours, and I have plans later, so we don’t have time to play these little games of yours.”

She didn’t give Relic time to stew over the options before she glanced at Aura, tossing her head for the girl to follow her. Aura did so while wondering who the hell Kennedy was to Relic because, had that been her getting slick at the mouth, he’d have hemmed her up or pinned her down before the words finished flowing through her lips. Aura wasn’t foolish enough to believe Kennedy being Tekken’s aunt warranted her a pass to pop shit to Relic.

Kennedy could feel Aura’s eyes on her and made sure to add extra umph to her strut as she guided the girl to the stylist she believed would slay her hair the best. At the end of the day, her name was attached to the salon, and a simple complaint from Aura to her fans could give it a bad reputation.

She started toward her stylist, Tammy, but paused when she noticed a flat iron set on the girl’s station with an aerosol can beside it. Fear gripped Kennedy—tying her stomach in a knot and rooting her feet in place as the explosion that’d almost taken her life flashed through her mind. That suffocating air filled with smoke seemed like it was back in her lungs as she cowered under a station while shielding her body as best she could. She grew lightheaded as she tried to gasp for air.

“Uhm, are you good?” Aura staring in her face while asking that question pulled Kennedy from her internal panic. She nodded and stormed toward Tammy.

“Are you fucking dumb!” she spazzed, snatching up the can as Tammy spun to her, startled. “Do you know you can take someone’s face off with this shit or start a fire? This place has already gone up in flames once. Put the flat iron in its station or turn it off, and keep flammable products away from it. I’m letting y’all know,” she started, raising her voice so her stylists could hear. “If I see some shit like this again, or anything that could set a fire or cause anyone bodily injury, you’re fired. Please, don’t take that threat lightly.”

She tossed the can into Tammy’s styling chair before beelining across the room for another option. Kennedy could feel every eye in the room on her, but she didn’t give a damn.

“Hey, Jenn,” she called, garnering the stylist’s attention who was already rushing to reorganize her station. The moment she glanced up and noticed Aura with Kennedy, she perked up, knowing what time it was. “This is Aura, and I need you to fix her up for me if you have time to stay a little later.”

“Of course, I do! Sit down and tell me what you’re looking to get.”

Kennedy smirked at Jennifer’s eagerness, but it dwindled when Relic strolled his ass over and removed his shades. Jennifer cut her eyes toward him and then did a double take, salivating at the mouth as Relic pinned his bright gaze on her with slow blinks and a barely noticeable smirk. Kennedy shook her head because the nigga knew what the hell he was doing.

“How much?” he inquired, putting a sheepish smile on Jennifer’s face while she removed the hat from Aura’s head.

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