Page 32 of Still Forever
We hadn’t all been at the table for five minutes, and it had already started. Moms and Pops sat back and laughed as if it were regular programming, and for us, it was. Every time we got together, it was a mix of jokes, idle threats, and business talk.
I turned to look at Remy, “You okay?”
“I’m fine,” she answered as she sipped from her glass.
The food came, and moms had pre-ordered damn near the entire menu for us, like she didn’t trust the restaurant to feed us enough. Platters of lamb, seafood towers, roasted vegetables, fried chicken, and salads. Between mouthfuls of food, Trouble kept answering calls, and Remy was politely answering Mom’s questions about where she grew up and how life was in Louisiana.
Judah filled Pops in on the business and how we had to put a system in place to make sure no money comes up missing. Pops was giving us game and wisdom like he always did. Trouble had the chair, but he still had the crown in our family. When he spoke. We listened and took notes.
But Storm sat in the chair with her arms folded across her chest. Every now and then, she would look down at her phone and by the way the speed of her fingers moved, I knew she was texting Kennedy, probably talking shit about all of us at the table. I chuckled. Her loyalty ran so deep that it seemed reckless. Every time we caught eyes, she would glare at me like she could burn a hole through me. It had been months, and she still wasn’t letting up.
“What happened to your hands, Jaxon?” Moms asked as she motioned toward my busted knuckles and waited for an answer.
“Business, I’ll fill you in later,” I said quickly. She smiled and let it go.
“Remy, how are you liking New York?” Pops asked.
“I miss home. The people here are different, so hard. I can’t tell if I’ve offended someone or we’re just having a regular conversation.” They both chuckled.
Storm let out a deep breath. Trouble leaned over and said something in her ear that caused her to sit up straight. I don’tknow what the nigga said, but if she could have turned red, then she probably would have.
I chuckled; her little ass had the heart of an elephant. She was barely five feet and was walking around like she could beat my ass. She was cold with a can of bear mace, though; I saw firsthand how she shook it and sprayed Nay like a roach until the can was empty. Now that she knew how to use a gun, I don’t think I wanted to fuck with sis.
“Storm,” Ma called, making her look up from her phone. “Eat your food, baby. You done picked at that plate long enough. I know you can throw it back.” She joked.
“Yes, ma’am,” she muttered, putting a piece of chicken on her fork.
Remy stayed calm, smiling through the heat in the room. She didn’t let the pressure at the table get to her, and I respected that.
Judah was on his third plate. When he finally dropped his fork, he smiled and rubbed his stomach. “Man, ma, you always feed us like we’re fresh out of jail.” He said, cutting the tension and making us all laugh.
Zo had been standing outside with everyone else’s detail before he walked over to the table. He came to me and bent low.
“Two tails outside,” he whispered. “Black sedan. Been there since we pulled up, I think it’s the Matron and the Muscle.”
I didn’t move; didn’t let it show on my face. Just nodded. “Aight, keep eyes on them.”
He nodded and went back to his post.
Remy carried on with small talk with Ma, as if nothing had happened. But I couldn’t shake Zo’s words. They were proving they meant business, and so did I.
As we wrapped up, Pops called for the check, and we all stood to leave. As I leaned down to hug my mother again, she spoke lowly. Only for me to hear. “You make sure Kennedy knows she’sloved. No matter what, she’s a part of this family, and always has a seat at our table. Don’t you ever let her forget it.”
“I won’t,” I promised, squeezing her.
Because if tonight had shown me anything, it was that the elites could play all the games they wanted, but they couldn’t rewrite the truth. Kennedy was mine, and in this family, even if her name wasn’t spoken, it still held weight. And anybody who forgot that? They ended up like Taj.
CHAPTER 13
Kenn
“Good morning, welcome to the Smoothie Bar, how may I help you?” The cashier said as she waited for me to review the menu and place my order.
“Good morning, may I have a strawberry banana smoothie and a banana nut muffin?” I kept my order simple. I had never been here before, and whenever I went to a new place, I always tried the basics.
She gave me a pleasant smile and nodded before keying in my order and waiting for me to pay. I tapped my card and then waited near the window for it to be made.
The door chimed again as I responded to a couple of emails from the day, and out of habit, I looked up to see who it was.
