Page 92 of Disrespectfully, Relic

“We’re here and parked at the end of the street. He’ll have to walk to us since it’s too many people for my man to get out. Hurry up.”

Logan ended the call before Kennedy could, and she made a mental note to slap that bitch once Relic got the information he needed from Tolliver.

“They’re here, but you have to walk to meet them,” she told him, handing over his phone.

“Alright. Let’s get this over with.”

“Relic, I’m not—”

“Don’t do this to me right now, Larenn. Any other time, I’d let you walk. I’d let you believe you were cutting me off for good when I know it’s not the case since you’ve gotten attached to me like I have you. You got me this arrangement, so let’s finish what we started together. This ain’t the time to fold.”

“Y’all good?” Shabu asked, staring between the two as he reclaimed his seat. He didn’t let on that he’d heard his brother and wanted to intervene before Kennedy broke the little piece of heart the nigga had left. “You need me to run somewhere with you, bro?”

“No, I need Kennedy. I need my partner.”

Needwas a word Kennedy couldn’t fathom Relic meaning, but it sounded good falling from his lips. It hugged her heart and stroked her pussy, weakening her defenses as his pleading eyes bore through her shades to coax her into agreeing. One thing she’d learned about Relic was that with every falsity he told came a pinch of truth. He’d just convinced himself that the sweet lies held more weight to women, while she preferred swallowing his harsh honesty. Their stare off didn’t last long before she caved.

“You’re such a fucking con artist, Relic. It should be a crime,” she muttered.

He confirmed her accusation when he and Shabu burst into laughter, but she still packed up her laptop to follow his fucking lead because his infrequent, panty-wetting smile and joyous laughter sealed the deal. Her heart flurried when his thick fingers linked through hers, helping her down from the bleachers before they began trekking toward the sidewalk. It didn’t take long for his hold to lessen until his hand slipped from hers as they crossed the parking lot. Kennedy didn’t mind it because the gesture was a feat in itself for him. If she didn’t know any better, she’d swear he was trying to show her that he liked her.

“I think that’s him in the car near the stop sign,” he told her with those keen eyes sweeping the area before he proceeded.

Kennedy knew he was paranoid since Slim’s death had opened a door to beef he didn’t need. It was the reason Drish, along with a few others, were posted in the field to ensure Jahleel didn’t get caught up in the crossfire. Had Relic not promised to attend his son’s games, Kennedy doubted he would’ve shown his face. He handled his business and then crawled back into his hermit shell of a life she was convinced had been drab as hell until she’d entered it.

His hand rested on her back as they started to cross the street, and she shrieked when he suddenly yanked her backward onto the curb by her jersey. Kennedy bucked her eyes in confusion until a car she hadn’t seen in almost a month sped down the street with those bright flames along the side and engine roaring as it hightailed it before she got a good glimpse inside to confirm her suspicions. Lomar had soft ghosted her after she stood him up the night of the shooting—going from claiming it was cool to rejecting their lunch dates, and then disappearing altogether. Seeing the car she assumed was his took her aback.

Her eyes refused to leave it as it hit a hard turn, escaping her vision while she tried recalling a few numbers from his license plate to validate it was him. The thought to call him crossed her mind, but she doubted he’d answer after feeling slighted by her.

“You good, Kennedy?” Relic stole her attention, and she nodded before crossing the street with her eyes downcast to the road. “You sure? You look like you just saw a ghost or some shit.”

That statement lifted her eyes to his face because she couldn’t decide whether he was being genuine or it held an underlying meaning. She decided it best to ignore him as they neared Tolliver’s car while Logan climbed out the passenger side to meet them.

“Relic.” Her tone was clipped as she strutted up to them, holding out the folder with her almond eyes slit as they drifted to Kennedy and then back to him. “Matching jerseys? This is what she gets while I get your ass to kiss like I haven’t been holding you down?”

“And that’s exactly why I get what I do,” Kennedy retorted, snatching the folder to pop Logan on the head with it. “Wake the hell up! Do your job, get your bread, and move around. Stop begging him to fuck with you because you know he doesn’t give a damn. If you’re going to play the game, then play it to win. Don’t let it play you. Tell Tolliver he’ll have his funds by end of day.”

There was nothing left to converse about, so Kennedy strode off with Relic on her heels. He yanked the folder from her hands and opened it as they crossed the street, skimming the substantial evidence that’d been built against him over the past year.

“So, that’s what you’re doing, big dog Kennedy? Playing the game.” His tone was casual, but his mind had latched on to that small detail the second she’d said it.

“Always. You just can’t see my vision because I’m playing the long game, while you’re too busy trying to rush the process.”

“Clearly, I didn’t rush this shit enough because I’m out of time.”

“What?”

Kennedy’s heart dropped to the soles of her feet as she slowed to a stop as Relic did the same. She yanked his arm toward her so that she could see the paperwork, and her stomach coiled so tight she thought she’d vomit while scanning the lengthy reports of surveillance photos, financial records, arson, murder, and confidential informants whose names were blacked out so that it was unknown. Everything Relic had done was there in black and white. When she tried to turn the page in search of the in-depth details, he tugged away and flipped the folder shut.

“I knew it was coming. I was hoping for the best but preparing for the worst.”

“No. Fuck no! You can’t just accept that, Relic!” she shouted, gripping her head as it throbbed. Her chest constricted and throat clogged, blocking her unsteady breaths that came out rugged. “I mean, we can still fix it, right? There’s a way.”

“If you believe that, then tell me what it is, and I’ll do it.”

Her mouth gaped and closed before her eyes flitted to the field where the game was still going on. Relic had just met his son but was being snatched away just as fast. See couldn’t imagine how Shabu and Titan would flip out once they got the news. All their worlds were a countdown away from being flipped upside down because Relic was the head of the snake—the leader that kept their family afloat and on top. If he was taken off his throne, their empire would crumble.

“Your emotions are showing, Larenn.” Relic cupped her chin and brushed his palm over her cheek to clear away the stray tear that fell. Kennedy hadn’t noticed it. “Are you going to miss me when I’m gone?”

---