Disrespectfully, Relic

by Antoinette Sherell

“Fanmi, kisa bon?

“Ou bon?”

“Toujou,”

“She wants her ducks in a row first, so she can leave his ass. He beats her.”

because good nuts lured bitches into bad decisions.

He’d learned that if he built them back up after breaking them down, it balanced out in their eyes.

“That’s her way of saying y’all ghetto niggas kept them entertained.”

“Believe what you’ve heard, Kennedy. Eighty percent of that shit is true, and the other twenty percent is worse than what they’ve told you.”

“It’s hard to read a person when they’ve learned to show you exactly what they want you to see.

“You can’t pull out a gun on someone and think shit is sweet,”

“P has killed niggas for less, but he let you off easy because of Tek and Savvy.”

bet it’s since you need me for your master plan. Good thing, I’m an asset and...

“Don’t be fucking condescending because you know, I’m right. Let that be the last time you lie to me, Relic.”

Relic was the kind of nigga that she couldn’t figure out and shouldn’t trust—the

but he made her feel safe in his chaos.

one false move could land her on the wrong side of his gun.

smirk eased onto her face at seeing the holes gaped into the image at the head, heart, and groin for added measure.

“Your best bet was to let me go, or this gun was about to be upside your damn head.

“He doesn’t like taking them off because he’s cursed,”

“Dyab je ble.”

“I can do without you zoning out or holding my damn son hostage like he’s safer with you than me because you see yourself in him. One goddamn thing about it, I’m not Judith.”

he’d learned to swim in raging waters and when that had failed, he adapted to his environment and sprouted gills.

“Wi, mesye.”

“Tell me what I need to fix because I do want to be your dad, and I thought I was doing good at it, but maybe not.”

He hadn’t cracked up like that in a while nor had a peaceful rest since Jahleel hadn’t been around. His son had no clue how much he needed and missed him, too.

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.”

“So, you had sex with Tima and Calm but don’t know which one you want? Got it.”

Relic had realized with or without him; big dog Kennedy was on her shit, the same as before he’d weaseled into her world.

“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.”

He’d probably never hear Jahleel referring to him as dad

have a little girl that clung to him like Navy did with Shabu.

He’d let the streets consume him to the point that by the time he wanted...

Relic wouldn’t get to experience life after hustling like only a rare amount do. Love and marriage with the woman who knew his darkest secrets but didn’t br...