Page 19 of Disrespectfully, Relic

“And all that is on top of Pierre catching Relic having sex with that big booty, rapper girl in the meeting room.” Treasure tossing out that tidbit of information made Kennedy fumble the foam bottle in her hand.

Both sets of eyes in the room darted to her when it clanged against the styling chair before she caught it, squeezing another pump onto Treasure’s hair while inhaling through the unexpected jolt in her stomach. Kennedy needed a moment to recover. Her girls hadn’t given her the full intel, but she’d bet one of the high four figure checks that hit her mailbox every month from an anonymous sender; they were referring to the girl she’d shown Relic the last time that they’d spoken. Those images on her phone screen had gotten a bigger reaction out of him than her actual presence.

“You good, Kenn?” Savvy quizzed, giving an inquisitive look that went ignored.

“Yep. So, Relic signed the chick I showed you?”

“Mhm, Aura. She’s cool, but her and Relic’s situation is about to be a shitshow. I just hope she knows what she’s getting into because, regardless of what happens, she’s stuck in that contract until it expires. She’d be dumb to get on his bad side before then.”

The mention of Relic’s bad side made Kennedy’s tongue poke at her inner cheek while she reached for the blow dryer to finish Treasure’s hair. She needed that harsh reminder. Relic was like her brother but tenfold—just as callous, unrelenting, and self-assured to where there wasn’t a damn thing on earth he couldn’t obtain if he desired it. Within a week’s time, he’d found, fucked, and secured an iron clad contract from the chick she’d shown him on a whim. That alone exposed his real capabilities. Niggas like Relic turned bitches into easy licks, and Kennedy would never become that a day in her life.

She pushed thoughts of Relic’s finagling ass aside to focus on her job—drying the remainder of foam atop Treasure’s hair before unwrapping the strips and tousling the light-weight braids. Treasure turned her head from one side to the other, checking out the finished product.

“Thank you, Kenn!” she gushed while beaming in approval.

“Don’t thank me, boo. Pay me.”

“Bitch, please. Don’t act like we’re hard up for cash this way.” Savvy reached inside her purse, pulling out the knot of blue faces her husband handed her before she docked the door. “Here, Tres. I can’t do nothing with this spoiled ass boy in my arms. I’m ’bout to drop his ass off to Toot so fast.”

Treasure spun the white styling chair to face her sister, retrieving the cash to count off what she needed before passing the rest back. A playful grin eased onto her face as she held out the payment to Kennedy.

“Keep the change.”

“Oh, okay then, big money! Excuse the hell out of me.” Kennedy took it without fuss to fold and stuff in her bra while Savvy bucked her eyes.

“Yes, excuse both of y’all, ‘cause who the hell told Treasure to give all my damn money away?”

“Tell Pierre to give it back once we get to the bridal studio.”

“Wait, you’re all going together?” Kennedy inquired, grabbing the broom from the nearby wall to sweep up the hair around Treasure. Her tolerance for uncleanliness was next to nonexistent. “I thought it was supposed to be separate and that the groom isn’t supposed to see the bride in her dress before the wedding.”

“Usually, but since we’re already married, we figured it’d be fun to make it a family thing with the bridal party. Shabu found a studio that caters to the bride and groom, so we’re meeting there in the next hour. You should come with us and get out the damn house,” Savvy pressed, laughing when Kennedy screwed up her face with a toss of her head.

“No, ma’am!”

“Why, Kenn?! Shabu rented out a private lounge for us and the whole nine. They serve champagne, and Michi is bringing finger foods to snack on.”

“Oh, he’s going all out. Love that for you, boo.”

“Right! I didn’t even know it was a such thing as a bridal lounge, but Shabu said he wants me to have the full experience. I’ve learned not to turn his ass down when he’s doing his thing.”

Kennedy almost admitted that she wished she’d learned the same about Relic, but bit her tongue as she dumped the hair from her dustpan in the trash bin. That kind of money could go as quickly as it came. She’d realized that unsettling truth after Koda died because the most she could do with the money she’d found in his home was bury his body and pay off her parent’s mortgage, so they wouldn’t struggle without him.

The same mouths he fed went ghost, and the two that kept in touch swore they didn’t have a clue where Koda stashed the bulk of his bread. Kennedy had chucked that loss to the chin, but it taught her to hustle for her own funds, so she’d never stress about her next meal. It also warned her; loyalties expired the second a beneficial arrangement did.

“Sooo,” Savvy dragged out, standing to grab Indigo’s car seat from the floor. She set it on the couch and nestled her son inside before glancing over her shoulder at her girl. “You know I’m the last one to force you to come out, but you really need the fresh air. All you do is work and sit in this damn apartment.”

Kennedy sucked her teeth and propped her broom against the wall before leaning beside it. “Tekken just told me the same thing this morning,” she admitted.

“If he’s saying it, then you know it’s true. You have no life, friend. Are you getting some dick, at least?”

A depressing cackle erupted from Kennedy because the last time she’d felt a warm body on top of hers was the morning before she’d walked into work flawless but exited on a stretcher with portions of her skin charred off. Her ex-boyfriend had gotten out of dodge days after the accident, and she hadn’t heard a peep from him since. She’d spit in his face if she ever saw his ass on the street.

“Nope, but I did give my number to a dude whose car I hit. We’ve been texting here and there but haven’t linked up yet.”

“Yasss! You aren’t ignoring him or blocked his ass, so it’s safe to assume you’re feeling him so far.”

Her eyes rolled, but she smiled. “He’s alright.”

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