Page 97 of Disrespectfully, Relic

Kiko, Mya, or both were the confidential informants.

His brain heavied with more problems he’d have to solve before he spotted his long-stemmed lighter above the fireplace he’d only used once. Relic grabbed it and then stepped outside, ambling to the side of the cabin where he squatted and dropped the paper on the ground. He sparked the lighter and placed the flame against his dirty deed printed in black and white, staring at it until the flame died and nothing remained but its ashes. He breathed easier knowing that little secret would stay kept a while longer.

Kennedy wokeup with the ominous feeling of being watched.

She tried cracking open her eyes, but her lids were too heavy from the half bottle of liquor she’d guzzled down catching up to her. The warmth that was beside her when she’d fallen asleep on Relic’s boat was gone, but his folder she’d studied for hours was still clenched in her hand. Her stomach roiled, and she couldn’t decide whether it stemmed from the alcohol or the reminder that Relic was going to prison soon. At that agonizing thought, she opened her eyes in search of him before her heart stopped and stomach tanked like while on a ride at an amusement park.

Relic was just that—a roller coaster that tossed and spun her around until she lost focus and bordered on throwing up. He proved as much as he stood above her, sipping from his trusty liquor glass with a gun nestled in his other hand, dangling at his side. His eyes trained on her, cold and empty, as if he were staring straight through her soul. Kennedy tried to speak but couldn’t through her sudden case of cotton mouth.

“I need a favor, Larenn.” Relic set down his glass on the bedside table, tucked his gun on his hip, and then bent down to lift a black duffel bag from the floor. He tossed it on the bed, and Kennedy noted the stacks of banded blue faces inside since it was open. “Take this for me. I have an emergency run to make, and I don’t want to drive around with this in my car. Since you’re in your old piece of shit instead of what I bought you, you won’t stand out as much.”

She swallowed to lubricate her mouth before croaking out, “We’re back at the marina?”

“Yes.”

“What time is it, and what’s the emergency?”

“Go straight to your house and pack an overnight bag while you’re there.” He continued giving instructions while ignoring her questions as he zipped up the bag. “I’ll either come there to pick you up or send you an address on where to meet me. Are you retaining what I’m saying? Because you’re looking at me like you’re slow.”

“Because you were standing over me like a damn psycho with a gun in your hand while I was asleep!” she shouted, winding down from her initial shock. Relic chuckled.

“If I was going to off you, Kennedy, you would’ve never woken up. Screaming, crying, and begging gets on my nerves, so I would’ve put a pillow over your head while you were knocked out, and shot you through it.”

She tossed off her covers. “Get me the fuck off this boat.”

Relic smirked and sat on the edge of his bed while she maneuvered around the room, taking off his jersey she’d slept in—like she didn’t have her own—and slipping into her jeans and white shirt with no panties or bra. He rotated his head as immediate tension sprouted through his neck and shoulders as he watched her.

“Why didn’t you wash your underclothes in the shower, so you could put them back on?” he asked, making her upper lip curl in disdain.

“Nigga, because I’m not handwashing shit if I don’t have to. No one can tell that I don’t have on underclothes but you because you’re looking too damn hard. You have spare toothbrushes?”

“Underneath the sink.”

“I’m using one, and you better not throw it in the trash after I leave.”

“Tossing it straight in the fucking ocean the minute you walk off this boat.”

Kennedy gawked before flicking him off, making him chuckle as she trekked out of the room to the bathroom, which wasn’t far. As soon as she was alone with the door closed, her eyes shut as she gripped the sink while taking controlled breaths. Her heart hadn’t stopped racing since she’d woken up with Relic standing overtop her.

She cursed Judith beneath her breath before she retrieved a toothbrush from the cabinet and applied paste on the bristles, stuffing it in her mouth while examining her flustered reflection in the mirror. Had Judith not told her Relic’s personal business; she wouldn’t be as shaken up by his actions. Kennedy already believed he was erratic and compulsive at times, so hearing about his disorder elevated her skepticism tenfold. She tried not to think about it as she rinsed her mouth, plucked a washcloth from the rack to clean her face, and then straightened up before exiting the bathroom. A scream shot from her mouth while she slapped a hand on her chest after bumping straight into Relic.

“What the fuck?! Why are you standing outside the damn door?”

“I thought, I heard you talking.”

“No, you heard those damn voices in your head is what you heard,” she snapped and pushed past him. He followed her as she grabbed her phone, keys, and laptop bag from the galley before turning to him. “Can I take the folder home with me?”

“No.”

“I need to go over it more, Relic.”

“You’ll go over it when you’re with me. This isn’t something that can be floating around, Kennedy.”

“I know that, and fine. I’ll look over it more when you pick me up.”

Relic didn’t respond but tossed his head instead, directing her up the short flight of stairs toward the cockpit. Kennedy frowned at his subtle dismissal but didn’t point it out as they climbed off his boat and headed for the parking lot. The pitch black sky with gleaming stars made her pull out her phone to check the time, and she groaned after noting it was only three in the morning. The last time she’d checked while docked at the cabin, it was a little after twelve. Relic must’ve boated them back as soon as her head hit the pillow.

Silence lingered between them that wasn’t their usual comfortable vibe, causing Kennedy to glance at Relic as they neared the gate to exit the marina. His gleaming eyes were vacant, which she was learning meant that he was lost in his thoughts. He seemed like he was on autopilot as he tapped his fob, waiting for the gate to open before he laid a hand on her back to guide her through and toward the section where they’d parked. He blinked in rapid successions before dipping his eyes toward her when she wrapped an arm around his waist. The fact, he didn’t talk shit let her know that he was zoned out.

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