“If you promise to not repeat it,” I say.
“I do,” she replies seriously, and I believe her.
“He likes his brother to watch.” Her eyes go wide. “It was only once, but it was hot.”
“Holy Batman… are you joking?”
“Nope. It was a thing they did. I heard they used to share.”
“I heard Kenzo likes to cut,” she says.
“Yeah, he does.” I flash back to him cutting himself.
“Did he cut you?” She eyes me.
“God, no.” I shake my head. “It’s all just a lot, you know? I went from being in a prison of a marriage to a runaway, to basically homeless, to this.” I wave my hand around.
“For someone as young as you, that’s a lot to take in. It makes you grow quickly. I get that part more than you can imagine.” She goes quiet before she asks, “Which part did you like the most?”
“The now. I know Kyson still holds most of the control, but I like the now.” I smile.
“Okay, so what’s the plan? We looking for a place?” she asks.
“You don’t have to come. I know you probably have other plans.”
“I have one friend, who will get jealous of this, by the way, but I’m sure she’ll be extremely happy I am venturing out and making new friends.” She smiles, standing. “Where to first?”
I rattle off the address, and her eyes light up.
“That’s right near my place. Can we stop there really quick? I want to change shoes.” I look down at the wedge shoes she’s wearing, and she shakes her head. “Don’t even ask. I tried to dress all girly, but I want my sneakers.” I laugh.
Not long after, I follow her back to her place, which isn’t too far from where we’d met up.
She parks her red car and gets out, then comes over to me. “The guys are here. You want to come in and say hi?” I see Kenzo’s bike and contemplate my answer. Is Kyson here too? I wonder.
“Come on… Won’t be long.” She opens my car door, and I slide out, then follow her inside. Silence fills the room when we walk in. There are three men—two I know well, the other is Alaska’s partner and the twins’ older brother.
He freaks me out until I see him with Alaska. His hands find hers, and he pulls her in, his whole body seeming to soften at her simple touch.
“Kalilah, fancy seeing you here,” Kenzo drawls, sitting back and smirking. I glance at Kyson, who’s watching me. “You don’t say hi?” Kenzo says. He’s lounged back in the same position as his twin brother, and I wonder if they have any idea how much alike they are.
I look at Zuko and smile, but he doesn’t smile back, so mine drops.
I turn my attention to Alaska, who pushes away from Zuko before she bends down and undoes her shoes. She quickly slips them off and heads to the bedroom, leaving me with the three brothers.
“I’m going to wait outside. Can you tell Alaska?” I don’t wait for an answer and head to the door.
“Are your tits okay?” Kyson asks. I stop as I reach for the door handle and glance over my shoulder at him.
“Yes,” I answer.
“I can always make them better. You never used the word,” he states.
“I didn’t need to.” I pull the door open and walk out.
Alaska’s not far behind me.
Twenty-One
Kyson
“What was that about?” Kenzo asks as Zuko takes a seat at the table. “What did you do to her tits?”
“That isn’t the issue,” I reply.
“No, you going ape shit and locking up her husband is,” Zuko seethes. I bite my bottom lip as I watch them. “Is he still alive?” he asks.
“For now,” I say, unconcerned.
“Care to tell us where he is?” Kenzo asks.
“Nope.”
“You know that’s not how we work,” Zuko scolds.
“I know, but this one is mine.”
“You have strong feelings for this woman,” Zuko says, surprised.
“He shouldn’t have come looking for what’s not his.” I shrug my shoulders.
“Does she know he came looking for her?” Kenzo asks.
“No, of course not.”
“You know I can track you anywhere, right?” Kenzo says, leaning in.
“If you do, I’ll kick your fucking head in.”
Kenzo nods and sits back.
“What do you plan to do about Pops?” Zuko asks. I filled him in on all the information I had found out about Pops. It seems we’ve had blankets over our eyes for many years when it comes to him.
“Nothing. That will be Kenzo’s issue since he’s the one who is always up his ass lately,” I add, and Zuko turns to Kenzo.
“What do you plan to do?” Zuko asks.
“He made us who we are. I say we find more evidence before we decide on anything. He hasn’t made any moves against us, and all we have is hearsay.” Zuko and I stare at him.
“We have evidence; it’s a folder full of it. He is, or at the very least planning to train others,” I add. Kenzo grinds his jaw. “If he makes a move, I will kill him. But for now. It’s all yours Kenzo, you can deal with him. Do you understand?”
“He wouldn’t kill you.” Sometimes I think he is blind to Pop’s, his loyalty to him blinds him.
“I’m leaving it, for now. But make no mistake, I will kill him as easily as I breath if I hear or see anything else.” Zuko gives me a slight nod and I know he agrees with me.
Kenzo and I were once inseparable, but time changes people. And now he spends more time with Pops than either of us. I sometimes wonder if his allegiance is with Pops and not me. But I know better than that and shut down that thought instantly.
Kenzo has always had and will always have my back.
No matter who the other person is.
Same as me with him.
I stand, not wanting to talk about Pops again. His fucked-up ways and him hiding shit from us? I’m over it. I don’t plan to do any more jobs for him, and I don’t plan to see him again any time soon. I know that eventually he will get pissed off and possibly react in a way that I least expect; that’s the thing with Pops, you never know which way he will go. He keeps all secrets and his intentions close to him, but then again, he taught us to do the same. But right now, he is the least of my problems. I have someone locked away in my basement who had absolutely no right to step foot on my property.
The boys don’t say anything when I leave.
And Kenzo will be none the wiser because the sleazebag husband is at my house, so he can’t track me to where he thinks I may have him. He wouldn’t think for a second I would bring him home because he knows how much I love my space and how particular I am with certain things.
Kalilah has even come to realize how I am. I’m not exactly sure what her plans were today, and a part of me doesn’t care because I’m glad she’s not at the house when I return. I spot Nancy straight away, cooking away in the kitchen, with soft, slow music flowing through the house. I sit at the counter as she finishes plating.
“I need you to go out tonight, Nancy. For the whole night.”