Page 42 of Disrespectfully, Relic

“I ain’t talking about that fancy bullshit. A boat where you can chill on the open waters at peace. Drift. Cook up some fresh seafood you caught. Top that shit off with ya hot sauce and beer.”

Even with her heart pounding against her ribcage, she managed a smile. “That sounds nice. Is that what you do for peace?”

“Is that one of your questions?” Relic’s gaze fleeted in her direction, catching the subtle bob of her head before he expounded, “Yea. I fell in love with the water back in Haiti. Used to fish with my father for pennies so he could provide for the family. Joseph saw it as manual labor, but I saw that shit as a break from reality. I still see it as that.”

Relic opted out of telling her that most times, he contemplated jumping off that same boat and ending his life. He thought better of it after hearing death by drowning was the worst way to go. His head tossed toward their destination to shift her attention away from him, and Kennedy scrunched up her face before peering out of the window.

A relieved exhale burst from her lungs at the massive parking area he drove into with a large sign housing the marina’s name and an image of a boat in open water. She spotted a security gate in the distance and watercrafts as tall as the barrier lined behind it, while the city’s skyline gleamed in the distance like mesmerizing stars. The view was perfect. Her eyes went to Relic when he killed the engine and popped open his door.

“You might want to take your heels off. It’s a bit of a walk.”

“I’ll crawl before I walk outside barefoot,” she replied, swiping up her purse before getting out when mere seconds ago, she had rather been anywhere than with him.

Kennedy didn’t question his reason for bringing her there since she figured it was his way of opening up, although unexpected after his outburst. The cameras she noted while glancing around eased her worries as she hugged herself to combat the chill coming off the water.

“Come here.” Relic summoned her as he rounded the car to meet her halfway. She sucked her bottom lip between her teeth when he peeled off his jacket to wrap her in and then turned his back toward her and squatted. “Get on before I change my mind and make you walk.”

“Someone is going to fuck you up one day for talking to them crazy, and it might be me.”

Kennedy hiked up her dress and climbed onto his back before screaming when he pretended to buck her off, catching her by the thighs in the nick of time as the rest of her body flailed backward.

“See, how I could’ve let your ass go and dropped you straight on yo fucking head? That’s how fast shit can change with me when you push my buttons.”

“Put me down, Relic! You’re just as childish as the rest of your damn family.”

He chuckled and began walking. “Nah. Hold on, and don’t fuck up my shirt. I know you ain’t wearing panties with that lowcut ass dress.”

“I swear, I don’t see how anyone deals with your crazy ass.”

“They don’t.”

Their lighthearted banter ebbed away with those two words because Kennedy knew he meant them. She’d heard the judgmental talks behind his back and seen his exclusion in most of his families’ events. Lexi had put it best because Relic was the head of the snake—the weapon they kept locked away until they needed him to expose his venomous fangs. She was beginning to understand why Savvy gave him grace.

“When my brother died, I swore I’d never mess with a drug dealer or put myself anywhere near that kind of situation because Koda was a hard loss for me.” She rested her chin on Relic’s shoulder as he fished his keys from his pocket and used a fob to give them access into the marina. He grabbed her purse to hold once he was done, and she continued. “I’m here because, even though I don’t believe in a magic number, I believe your luck will run out, just like Koda’s did. I see you trying to get out before it happens, so I want to help.”

“You’re worried about me, Kennedy?”

“I don’t know you enough to worry about you, but I’m close with people who are. I want to get you where my brother didn’t get to go since he had pieces missing from his board. I may not be your queen, but I love a challenge.”

“You love challenges, and I love to win. We’re the dream team, Kennedy.”

“I wouldn’t go as far as saying all that, but we’re aight or whatever,” she replied, smiling as he lowered her onto the dock near a luxury cabin cruiser floating between a dock slip. “You’re a little disrespectful and unstable, but you haven’t pushed it too far with me yet. I have my second question.”

Relic reached for her hand, stepping onto his cruiser’s deck before assisting her across while preparing for her interrogation. He wondered if it was after twelve so that he could crack open a bottle of alcohol stashed in the liquor cabinet of his lower cabin. His steps slowed when he caught her examining his cockpit as they strolled through it and to the helm where he used a key to unlock the door beside the steering station. He cracked a smile when Kennedy peeked past him before wedging through to head down the stairs into the lower cabin before him.

“This is nice!” She spun around, taking in the kitchen galley and lounge area that housed an L-shaped leather couch, circular table, and flat screen. “I saw the grill up top, too. I bet y’all chill on the water all summer. I can practically taste the fresh seafood.”

“They’d probably come here often if they knew I had it,” he replied, tossing her purse on the counter before grabbing the liquor bottle he’d been thinking about since they stepped on the boat. After swiping a clean glass from the cabinet, he plopped onto the couch as Kennedy stared at him.

“Your family doesn’t know you own a whole ass boat, Relic?”

“I told you, this is my peace, so no. You mentioned having a question. Shoot.”

“Do you hit women?”

“Yes.”

His honesty jarred her to where she opened her mouth but then clamped it shut, speechless. She undraped his coat from her shoulders and sat adjacent to him on the couch.

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