Disrespectfully, Relic

by Antoinette Sherell

“Pierre is your capital, your business’s image, and he can handle shit on the backend if Shabu can’t. Their positions are close, but Pierre’s has more reach. You may not have intended to put P in that position, but it happened, so that’s what you work with. He needs to be protected and a last resort. Shabu is your knight, which in my opinion, is a good thing.”

I’m glad Shabu is the knight. He listens, and he’s alert. You like Pierre because he’s reckless and does what you say, but Shabu thinks for himself. He’s levelheaded, and he’s—” “What I made him,” Relic finished, and she smirked.

Anyone else will choose themselves, but you and Shabu will choose each other. It’s a win, win.”

“The note you left with my gift said, for my queen. Larenn is queen. Right?”

His larenn held the skills but lacked the courage to stand by his side.

Relic lost sight of what was most important since he’d never had anyone to care about outside of Shabu and Titan who understood his inconsistency and need for space. He wasn’t well versed in the father role, but he was trying.

“Why didn’t you answer the phone when you saw me calling?” He started there, but Jahleel wasn’t having it. “Because I was mad at you, but I called back, and you didn’t answer. You just forgot about me. You can’t do that when you’re a parent.”

“Let me tell you something,” Relic stated in a low tone, tugging Jahleel toward him by his bookbag strap for privacy. “I will never forget about you, so don’t fix your mouth to say that again. I just ha...

Why’d you even tell me who you are if you don’t want to be a real dad?”

“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.”

My uncles are cool and got money, so everyone will like them. I’ll tell them to bring the team snacks.”

“Give me your card.” “For fucking what?” “Because you know how to piss a bitch off, and you owe me a damn mirror!”

“You’re not fucking bulletproof! You bleed like everyone else, Relic. They didn’t stop making real niggas after they made y’all Blaise men.”

“You detached, Relic. You learned to navigate around the trauma,”

That’s what I meant when I said Shabu is what I made him. Anything after that was me simply putting his trauma to use because I couldn’t save him like we saved Titan.”

“This is what you’re good at, Kennedy. If I don’t fucking talk, you don’t force it. If I do, you listen and don’t try to play therapist afterward. You never question me in instances that most women would, even if that shit is on your mind. You don’t run your mouth about where you stand with me either. I’m not a nigga that needs saving or for a woman to fix me, Kennedy. I need an equal and a partner. You’re both to me, and those positions will never be useless.”

“Turn off her ears?” She smiled. “Yes, she literally turns them off. Ryell is hard of hearing and wears aids. She cuts them off or takes them out when the girls start gossiping too much.” “I like her.” “Me, too.

Did you give my pussy away to your bitch ass future boyfriend yet?”

“Oh, hell no! That is not a damn secret. That’s you being nosey and all up in my business.”

“Nope, because it’s not your pussy. I said it was yours if you weren’t stingy and if you fed her. You did neither. Our sex was on a trial period that’s expired.”

“I can fuck you right now if I want to, but alright. Let’s get to the good shit. Who was the nigga you let scar you an...

“I started thinking, Kennedy, and it didn’t hit me until you asked what are you good at. The shit I mentioned... knowing to not question me about bitches, to listen but not try to fix me, and to play your position in silence. Your brother wouldn’t teach that, but the nigga you’re fucking would. So, who was it?”

“Are we back to you thinking I had something to do with what happened at the club? If so, I’d rather take my chances doggy paddling with sharks than arguing about it again.”

“If you wanted lies, I can’t give you that, Kennedy. If you want a nigga to show his emotions, I can’t give you that either,”

“Take what the fuck I can give you or nothing at all.”

Relic had explicitly proven that he didn’t give a damn about her by tossing her into the middle of his ploy, but a part of her wondered if she’d mislabeled his uncaring request. It could’ve meant trust. The same trust that he’d need to have in someone to show them his pickup location and where he stashed over a half million dollars in pure cocaine. Relic’s words and actions weren’t coinciding, and Kennedy had no damn clue which one to believe.

Unblock the business card.” “Come see me.” “Huh?” She heard him but his request threw her for a loop. “I’m not too far from the mall you’re in. I’ll shoot you the address, so we can talk in person about how you got me fucked up. Only bring the pussy between your legs with you, too. If you bring the other one, I might use it for target practice.” “My other pu—” Kennedy cackled before slapping a hand over her mouth once she caught on that Relic had heard Lomar. “You’re insane.”

“I’m very sane. The insane ones are the muthafuckas dumb enough to go against me. I see you still ain’t tell him who daddy is yet.”

Kennedy was a safe space.

She was the woman version of Shabu—a person who’d hold him down even when they didn’t want to or who’d hate him but still protect him while ensuring his mental was intact.

“I told you, I didn’t want a car. You can stop with the Blaise dust because it’s not necessary.”

“I can’t touch you, Kennedy? How you go from begging me to feed that pussy to acting like it ain’t mine?”

Karma is the baddest bitch, and we’re her sisters, so she doesn’t play about us. Women will always come out on top.”

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

Lmfao!

Some quick advice, get your shit together before this elevator hits the top floor. Relic will smell the weakness on you and turn your ass into shark food.”

“That’s what trauma does Kennedy. It stunts you. It clams you up, but you can’t let it fuck with your head or get the best of you,”

“You almost fucked up the board and your life because you moved too fast off your emotions. I don’t blame you because we don’t tolerate disrespect. You did what you had to do, and so did I.”

“It was him or us, right?”

“Yea, Larenn. Him or us, and we’ll always choose us.

“Are you tired of me yet, Larenn? Am I too much of a challenge?”

“Koda’s right hand was my first everything. I left him because some bitch told me she was pregnant by him just before we were supposed to tell Koda about us.”

My brother had taught me the game, but my first gave me the rules on how to be a queen. To protect her king. He also showed me that my loyalty could know no bounds, and a nigga would still spit in my fucking face. How ironic is it that as soon as I convinced him to tell Koda about us, a bitch pops up pregnant?”

“That’s how a man’s mind works, Kennedy. If we can find a simpler way out of a predicament than dealing with it head on, we fucking take it. That girl claiming she was pregnant and you leaving was easier than him cutting you off or having to tell his right hand that he’s been fucking his sister for years behind his back. He did the damage and let you fix it because it was easier.”

“Before I let another nigga use me, fuck with my head, or play me like I’m one of their favorite gaming systems, I’ll bow out gracefully. We’ll keep it professional since you’re willing to do everything in your goddamn power to prevent anything more. To keep me at arm’s length and ignore those feelings you hate so damn much. You’ll break me before you let that happen, right? Even when I haven’t done shit but be solid to you since the day we shook on it. You like winning so much, well, you win.”

Relic tossed his head because Kennedy was confident in everything but her skin in public places. In the bedroom; she’d fucked him like those burns didn’t exist.

He couldn’t take her slick ass comment to heart when she was rocking his son’s jersey and smelling like the best problematic pussy that he’d ever dived in.

“You’re mad at a nigga, but you want to be like me so bad. How’d you find my cologne?”

Relic has dissociative disorder.”

Judith will probably never love me, but she’ll never wash her hands of me either because I’m still her son.”

In that instance, Kennedy saw the rare innocence that Relic had once possessed. That little kid inside of him who was waiting and hoping he was seen—waiting for a love he’d never receive because his mother didn’t know how to give it in the way it was required for him to process it. He didn’t know how to show it either, which was why he kept his distance while taking care of Judith’s every need. They’d never find a common ground. Their torrent past was a dysfunctional upbringing seen from two very unique lenses; they’d never align.