Page 67 of Disrespectfully, Relic

Her lips pursed. “You wouldn’t trust me either way, Relic.”

“You’re right, but don’t make me trust you even less. Konprann?” When she nodded her understanding, his mouth quirked in appreciation before he responded, “Good. We have somewhere to be tomorrow morning. I’ll pick you up from your place around ten, larenn. Be ready.”

“Queen.”

That weighted word shooting from Kennedy sent Relic’s tongue gliding across his bottom lip as he stared at her, waiting. He wouldn’t give her more than she could decipher for herself.

“The note you left with my gift said,for my queen. Larenn is queen. Right?”

Kennedy was certain her translation was accurate after she’d used a million sites to figure it out, but Relic’s empty stare caused her doubt. It wasn’t as simple as when she’d asked Savvy about cheri. That basic term of endearment wasn’t nearly as loaded as her new moniker.

“Queen is right, but what does it mean beyond that, Kennedy?”

She bit her lip and hunched a shoulder. “I’m waiting for you to tell me.”

“Wrong answer.”

Relic left her where she stood because if she preferred to play dumb, he’d let her. Kennedy was smart—she was witty, manipulative, resourceful, strategic, and a fucking spitfire with her tongue. She didn’t mince words or play coy. Relic wasn’t an idiot, so he was certain of one thing; if she didn’t tell him what that title entailed, it was because she didn’t want to carry the responsibilities that came with it. Hislarennheld the skills but lacked the courage to stand by his side.

Relic disliked being nervous.

He disliked the dampness of his palms when his hands grew clammy, his jittery limbs, and the tension that locked up his body. His fingers clenched his steering wheel as one of his skeletons rammed his internal closet door, reminding him of the first time he’d been that nervous when he’d popped Jessica’s cherry in a fit of rage after catching her with another dude. Relic had run to Los afterward, wondering if it was considered rape if she let him finish once he’d realized his mistake and repented. A decade and a hidden son later; he decided it was. His baby mother wouldn’t have been as sexually deviant and fucked up in the head if it wasn’t.

The second time Relic experienced nerves that powerful was when he’d laid eyes on Jahleel. He’d drank a whole Styrofoam cup of alcohol and convinced Shabu to help him soft kidnap his son from the park to spite Jessica. Jahleel held the title for fucking with his nerves the most since his son was also the reason for him enduring those hard-hitting sensations for a third time in his life. His gaze swiveled from the bus stop loaded with kids to the green house, whose door opened before Jahleel strolled outside with his sister and grandmother on his heels.

Relic cracked a smile as he watched his son grip the strap of his backpack while his keen eyes swept the neighborhood to ensure it was safe for the women behind him. Jahleel carried familial traits of his that made him proud. Others, he hoped to never see in his son. Once Jahleel descended the short flight of porch steps, Relic brushed off his nerves to greet his son that he hadn’t seen in weeks. It was the longest he’d been away from Jahleel since finding out he had a child, and his fucking heart would shatter if he was shunned away.

“Jah!”

The unexpected crack in Relic’s voice caused a scowl to downturn the corners of his mouth as he clambered out of the car and rounded it to sit on the hood. His son and brothers evoked those rare emotions out of him that he loathed.

Jahleel froze like he’d heard a phantom voice before his eyes lit and then shot toward the car parked a few houses down that he hadn’t noticed. He took off running the second that he spotted his dad.

“Jahleel, stop running, and don’t leave without permission!” his grandmother reprimanded, but he ignored her.

Relic chuckled as Jahleel’s body crashed into his before his son backtracked and then held out a hand, playing it cool. They dapped it up, but Relic yanked him into a hug afterward.

“It’s aight to show me love, lil’ nigga. You can miss me,” he whispered, kissing his son’s temple. Jahleel wiped it off with a smirk.

“You can’t do all that in front of my friends. I got a reputation to keep.”

“What reputation you got besides taking your ass to church every other day?”

“My reputation on the field. Come on, Relic. You know this.” Jahleel hooked an arm at his chest like he was holding a football and outstretched the other to block his fake opponents. Relic beamed a smile and nodded.

“You got that. Youth football for the spring is about to start, right? Did you give the money I sent you to pay for everything to your grann?”

“Yes, and yes. I tried to tell you, but you been ignoring me for weeks. Why I ain’t heard from you?”

Jahleel getting straight to the point and not beating around the bush took Relic aback, but he respected it. He scratched at a brow, formulating the best way to tell his son that he wasn’t familiar with rejection, so after the first week that he got no answer, he stopped calling. When he decided to pop up, his lifestyle caught up to him, and he couldn’t let Jahleel see him battered. Relic lost sight of what was most important since he’d never had anyone to care about outside of Shabu and Titan who understood his inconsistency and need for space. He wasn’t well versed in the father role, but he was trying.

“Why didn’t you answer the phone when you saw me calling?” He started there, but Jahleel wasn’t having it.

“Because I was mad at you, but I called back, and you didn’t answer. You just forgot about me. You can’t do that when you’re a parent.”

“Let me tell you something,” Relic stated in a low tone, tugging Jahleel toward him by his bookbag strap for privacy. “I will never forget about you, so don’t fix your mouth to say that again. I just had personal shit going on and got distracted with that.”

“My mom always had personal stuff going on too, and that’s why I live with my granny.”

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