Page 79 of Disrespectfully, Relic

Kennedy pushed open her new vehicle’s door and hopped down with caution, reaching inside to grab her purse before tugging at the clingy material of her jumpsuit. She locked up once Sojourney shut the door and trudged toward her, looking pretty as ever in a simple halter dress that showed off her distinct tattoos, sexy, toned shape and long legs. If her face wasn’t so screwed up, she’d have to beat niggas away with a bat.

“Are you going to look like that all night?” Kennedy inquired, teasing the loose curls she’d added in Sojourney’s hair after seeing it flat and bland when she picked her up. It was the real reason they were late.

“I’ll be fine once I get a few drinks, but I don’t get why I had to come out.”

“Because you can’t hide forever, Journey, and Relic is trying to get that through your head. What, you plan to duck and dodge your ex every time you have a show or club appearance?”

“If I can, yes.” Her tone was barely audible over the outside chatter; she was so shaken up. When she stuck a nail in her mouth to nibble on out of nerves, Kennedy popped her hand.

“Stop being so damn scary! That’s why that nigga believes he can threaten and control you without consequences. The second you show that you’re not scared, I bet he’ll leave you alone.”

“He won’t. I hid in the condo Relic got me, I changed my number, and I stayed off social media, but he won’t quit. Mea won’t stop mentioning me either, and Pierre checking her online about it didn’t help when Slim was already mad about getting put out the studio. Did Relic tell you that Slim was the one who stole his chain?”

Kennedy screwed up her face at Sojourney exposing Relic’s business without knowing if that information was safe to give. She made a mental note to tell him not to do or say too much around her.

“Yes, he told me.”

“If he’ll do that to Relic, what do you think he’ll do to me? And if he won’t, then Mea’s brother will. He never liked me, especially after what happened with him and my friend before we moved here.”

“Yea, I saw your Mic Checks interview about that. Look, let’s push the bullshit aside tonight and have fun. Relax!” She grabbed Sojourney by the shoulders and shook her, making her giggle. “You’re too fine to be stressed behind a nigga who’d rather see you at your lowest than doing your biggest one. If he was smart, he would’ve played his position until you came up. His loss.”

“You’re right, and I am tired of hiding. I just want to be done with him.”

“You will be, trust me. Karma is the baddest bitch, and we’re her sisters, so she doesn’t play about us. Women will always come out on top.”

“We sure the hell will.”

Kennedy pivoted in her pointed toe pumps and smiled when Nubia cosigned from behind them.

“You’re so damn impatient, Nu. We were coming.”

“Forget all that. I had to come over when I spotted you and this got damn truck because what! Is this you?!”

She nodded, and Nubia yanked at the hem of her dress before circling the sleek truck whose design was between a sports car and utility vehicle. Its orange paint job made it stand out amongst the cars lined along the street. When Nubia got to the front, the black shield emblem, with a gold bull in its center, embedded on the hood sent her slitted eyes swerving toward Kennedy.

“Bitch, you either hit the lottery, or the nigga you’re fucking is a scammer. Which is it?”

“Nubia, bring your ass! Nobody is fucking a scammer.”

“So, you hit the lottery?” she pressed as they scurried across the street. Kennedy wanted to tell her that she’d hit the Blaise lottery but held off as her friend continued. “And you have on a bag that costs the price of my damn car! You can’t just order that online, either. You need a rapport with them, so it took a minute for Los to cop me one. Let me find out, you’re holding out on the good connections, hoe.”

“Nu, I swear to God,” Kennedy muttered in annoyance, making Sojourney and Nubia cackle as they filed in line to enter the bar.

“I’m just saying! People say, when they hit the lottery that no one will know, but there’ll be signs. You can tell me, boo. I won’t tell nobody else.”

“Yea, right. Lexi will know, and then she’ll tell P ‘cause she likes to gossip, and his mouthy ass does, too. P will tell—”

“Everyone,” Sojourney finished, and they cracked up. Kennedy pursed her lips with a point.

“Exactly. So, with that being said, just know that I put in work to get all the good things, bookie. Tell your ex-husband to upgrade your car, too. There’s no reason that my purse should cost more than your whip,” she teased, sticking out her tongue before showing the door security her ID. The trio strutted inside, and she surveyed the room as she corrected, “Then again, you have four kids, so I take it back.”

“I’m glad you realized that before I had to break it down,” Nubia replied with a wave of her hand to direct them forward. “I see Savvy’s big ass hair over there at the bar. Come on.”

Kennedy linked her arm with Sojourney’s to keep her calm while they followed Nubia’s lead through the younger crowd rapping and twerking to the music blasting so loud that she could barely think straight. She preferred brunches or girls’ nights in, but her girls who had families, men, and children unlike her loved to get out. If she weren’t in business mode, she’d contemplate getting wasted with them for once and then drunk dialing Relic to put her to bed. She pushed out a sharp breath and tossed her head because Lomar would’ve been the safer, more logical choice, but she was making bad decisions when it came to niggas like she always had. It’d been that way since her first love.

“They’re taking pictures of me.”

Sojourney whispering that as they neared the bar caused Kennedy to scan the room, noting the girls aiming their phones at the up-and-coming singer. She continued her perusal until glimpsing a red cap sitting above hidden eyes tucked in a corner at the exact location she’d been told to check. Drish. Relic had sent him for reinforcements in case Slim showed his ass before she could get him outside in place. It hit Kennedy in that moment; shit was real.

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