Page 4 of Certified Pressure
“Y’all have a good night,” I said, pattin’ Donovan’s shoulder. “And if I see a ‘save the date’ floatin’ around again, I’m savin’ a bullet just for you.”
I turned and walked out like I ain’t just bring the whole night to a halt.
Renza and Kay’Lo followed behind, silent but smirkin’.
When we hit the driveway, I chuckled low, lit another cone of Trillium, and let the God Smoke rise like incense into the Kingsraè night.
Trill-Land, Jungle Estate
The sun was barely startin’ to peek through the trees, throwin’ soft shadows across the jungle below.
I was standin’ on my marble balcony, blowin’ Trillium with just my chains on and some Ethikas hangin’ low on my hips while the smoke curled up past my face and disappeared into the breeze.
The God Smoke had me feelin’ relaxed, but I wasn’t really at peace. I could still hear the tremble in Donovan’s voice. My body was still floatin’, but my head kept spinnin’ right back to last night on the phone, Ka’mari screamin’ through the speaker, and the way them grown-ass men froze when I fired that warnin’ shot into the ceiling. I could still see the fear in his face while the whole party watched me flip his whole life upside down withoutbreakin’ a sweat. That boy ain’t stand a chance when it came to me, and that shit didn’t feel reckless to me. It felt necessary.
I ain’t care if it looked crazy, or give a fuck who recorded the shit. Ka’mari was gettin’ married to a nigga who couldn’t protect her from me, and that was all I needed to know.
Inside, Renza and Kay’Lo was in the kitchen actin’ like we ain’t just crash a whole bachelor’s party last night. Plates was clinkin’, bacon was poppin’, and they was laughin’ loud over whatever dumb shit they was sayin’ between bites.
I leaned my elbows against the rail and stared out at the trees while the smoke worked its way through my chest.
This estate was mine, but I knew I ain’t fully build it alone. It came from power. I just added to it.
My phone buzzed on the small stone table beside me. I glanced at the screen, and my eyes narrowed before I even picked it up. It was Ka’mari.
I let it buzz one more time before I reached back and picked it up.
“Yeah.”
She didn’t answer right away. I could hear her breathin’, real shaky, like she was tryna keep it together and already losin’ that fight.
“You serious right now?” she fired back, already heated. “You really think that shit you did last night was cool?”
I took a slow drag of the Trillium, let the smoke roll off my lips, and didn’t rush to speak.
“You got Donovan lookin’ like a damn fool,” she kept goin’. “You embarrassed both of us.”
“That man embarrassed hisself,” I finally said, keepin’ my tone even. “He the one that folded soon as I walked in the door.”
“Why do you keep doin’ this to me?”
Her voice cracked, soft and broken, and I stayed quiet. It wasn’t ‘cause I ain’t care, but because I needed to hear everything she was holdin’ back.
“Relax.”
“Relax? You think I’m not supposed to be pissed?”
“Be pissed,” I shrugged. “I ain’t stop you.”
“You’re a fuckin’ narcissist,” she said, her voice crackin’ just a little.
“I be tryna get away from you,” she whispered, “and you just keep showin’ up like you own me.”
I took another pull, let it sit, then let the smoke ease out while she kept talkin’.
“You won’t let me move on,” she cried. “No matter what I do. Every time I start to build somethin’ for myself, you show up and knock it down like you own me.”
I didn’t budge. “I ain’t never say I owned you, but I built you, and that part don’t go away.”
