Page 71 of Disrespectfully, Relic

“But what does itmean?”

She licked her lips, focusing on her task while mulling over the new title. One that gave her rank over every other bitch in his stable and secured her account because she had a hand in all his pots. She had a say where most didn’t, and she wasn’t foolish enough to overlook the passes he’d given her for seizing control out of turn. Kennedy held rank. She wasn’t Relic’s woman by a longshot, but she was second in command.

“It means, I’m the head bitch in charge,” she answered, and he spit out a laugh that evoked a light smile from her.

“Yea, that’s what it means, big dog Kennedy. You don’t just run your fucking mouth now, you help to run an empire. My expectations of you are higher than what I expect from the average bitch.”

“Is that your way of saying I shouldn’t be in my feelings that Logan knew about you getting shot, and I didn’t?”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying. Logan knew about it because she was useful in that moment.”

“Find out what they’re good at and then use it to your advantage until they’re no longer useful.” Kennedy swapped out her clipper guard while quoting what Relic had mentioned he’d learned from his father. That detail hadn’t escaped her. She started to shape her work as she asked, “What am I good at, Relic?”

“Shabu was twelve when he shot my father.”

She stalled at that information but then continued without responding since Lexi had mentioned that private detail before. Kennedy didn’t know where Relic was going, but he’d get there when he was ready.

“He shot my father because he got tired of him beating my mother. For me, that shit was normal. My mother’s screams were as natural as hearing birds chirping. When it got to be too much or too often, I tuned it out until it turned into white noise. Until it was background sounds like kids playing outside or cars crunching across gravel.”

“You detached, Relic. You learned to navigate around the trauma,” Kennedy told him. The way he’d tune her out or stare right through her with vacant eyes made sense after his admission.

“I do that a lot. Detach.”

“Even as an adult. Yea, I noticed.”

“Shabu was twelve when he shot Joseph.” Relic circled back to the topic at hand because it’d been on his mind since Kennedy told him that his brother was the rightful shooter. He’d address her observation later. “I only remember bits and pieces of that day. Shabu came outside with me and Los, but we were too busy feeling up girls to watch him. I guess one of the girls groped his meat, and his ass panicked and shouted for me. I never played about my brothers, so all I saw was red after he told me what happened.

“I blacked out, and Los was pulling me off the girl when I came to. I guess seeing me turn into Joseph scared Shabu, so he ran off. When me and Los got to my house, we heard a loud pop just before we walked in the door. I swear my fucking heart stopped because I thought he’d finally done it.”

Relic shut his eyes, hearing that unforgettable shot before his memory fuzzed like an old television without its antenna. Los told him that he’d gone inside and been the one to take the gun from Shabu and held his father’s wound so that he wouldn’t bleed out. For the life of Relic, he couldn’t recollect doing any of it.

“I thought Joseph had finally killed Judith, and when I realized he didn’t, I was pissed,” he revealed to Kennedy with a wry chuckle. “Pissed that I cared if it was her, and even more pissed because we’d turned my brother into who he is today. Judith had allowed him to protect her, Joseph had abused them, and I’d turned a blind eye instead of being man enough to stop it like Shabu had tried. I don’t regret much, but that’s my number one, and nothing will ever trump it. That’s what I meant when I said Shabu is what I made him. Anything after that was me simply putting his trauma to use because I couldn’t save him like we saved Titan.”

Kennedy didn’t blink at his candidness but allowed his words to settle in as she finished lining him up and then turned off the clippers. Her heart tightened because she couldn’t imagine how either of them felt in that frightening moment. She sat her cutters on her stand while Relic rubbed his hands up and down her thighs like he was trying to self-soothe to not wallow in his past. Kennedy let him.

Minutes ticked by as she stood and waited—watching Relic stare off into space like he was compartmentalizing his thoughts, so he could function again. After a while, he blinked before his gaze locked in with hers.

“This is what you’re good at, Kennedy. If I don’t fucking talk, you don’t force it. If I do, you listen and don’t try to play therapist afterward. You never question me in instances that most women would, even if that shit is on your mind. You don’t run your mouth about where you stand with me either. I’m not a nigga that needs saving or for a woman to fix me, Kennedy. I need an equal and a partner. You’re both to me, and those positions will never be useless.”

“Okay. We’re going to be late wherever we’re going if we don’t hurry. Let me put on my shoes.”

Kennedy hauled ass out of the room because Relic’s gift of gab was too fucking good when she knew he was full of shit. He spoke on her worst qualities as if they were her best and pretended she was molded by her brother specifically for him. Relic made it like she was his and indispensable. Kennedy was smart enough to know better, but he was skilled at convincing her to see things from his point of view. She needed to keep it professional before she wound up trapped in his world like Savvy had warned her.

“I am so sorry, Ryell. Nubia should be pulling up, and she has the spare key to let you in. I thought my errand this morning would be quick but... yea.”

Relic stood at the entrance of his aft deck, listening to Kennedy conduct business as she cuddled up on the sofa with a comforter draped around her to combat the chill she hadn’t anticipated. His shades that she’d confiscated shielded her eyes as she stared out into the open waters, mesmerized. She hadn’t spoken much since they’d left her house, but he could see the walls she’d thrown up after his confession crumbling the further away he steered her from their reality. The waters had the same effect on her as it did him.

“I’m not sure if I’ll be in.” She glanced at him for confirmation, and he tossed his head. “Yea, I won’t be in today. Call my appointments, cancel, and ask if they’d like to reschedule or if another stylist can fit them in. Also, let them know that they’ll receive their style free of charge if they reschedule with me. I’ll have Nubia leave the key with you to close since I don’t trust anyone else to do it. If you’re nervous, I can ask Savvy.”

“I’ll send Drish up there to watch the shop,” Relic offered, making her head bob.

Kennedy had spoken with Drish and three others while setting up their training programs, and she liked him most because he was respectful and seemed invested. The others sounded as though they were on the fence, but time would tell.

“If a guy comes in by the name of Drish, he’s your security for the day. Be nice, Ryell, and keep your damn ears on! I know you like turning them off.”

Relic frowned as Kennedy giggled and spoke a bit longer before ending the call. She angled on the sofa to face him after dropping her phone in her lap.

“What, Relic?”

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