Page 219 of Kentrell

“My cousin?—”

“Ooooh, family—my favorite,” Wani rubbed his hands together like he was getting ready to catch a plate.

“She’ll be getting engaged soon,” Zoe said with a raised brow, killing the vibe on sight.

“Damn,” Wani muttered.

“And you know her boyfriend.”

“Who?” All four of them asked at once.

“Rashad Tate.”

Wani’s eyes lit up. “Oh, Tate? Yeah, that’s my dawg! Damn… small world. Yeah, nah, I can’t mess with her.” He chuckled along with the rest of us. “What about your other friends?”

“Mars and Stacia,” Zoe replied, casual but proud.

“Mars?” Wani, Oshon, and Wave repeated, damn near in unison, making her giggle again.

“Not too much on my best friend,” she warned, giving them a playful glare. “And Stacia is married.”

“Womp. Womp. Womp.” Wani threw his thumbs down.

“She married to Shemar Lee.” Kensei stated, glancing up from his phone. “SL Innovations. Shemar.”

That tripped something in the back of my mind. When I asked Zoe weeks ago if Stacia was messing around on her husband, I hadn’t realized it was a nigga I actually knew. A nigga I did business with.

Yeah… we was gon’ have to revisit that conversation later.

“Oh, Mar Ma—Reef big brotha!” Wani snapped his fingers, looking at Kensei for confirmation when he nodded.

“You know them too?” Zoe asked, shifting a little in my lap, her curiosity mixing with her natural need to connect dots.

I tightened my arms around her waist, leaned over, and kissed the side of her face.

“Yeah,” I said low, “we all connected, ma. One way or another.”

“Bitch ass,” Wani mumbled loud enough for me to hear, makingeverybodylaugh—including me.

“Oh, then, yeah. Stacia and Shemar are married,” Zoe giggled as I turned them out again, lips brushing along her cheek and neck.

“Mars was with Reef, though, right?” Kensei asked Zoe.

I pulled back just enough to catch the look on Wani’s face—and laughed with him.

“It’s complicated,” Zoe said, laughing too.

“What’s complicated?” Wani turned back to her.

“I’d rather not discuss my best friend’s relationship.”

“Man, you can just ask her…” Kensei yawned, stretching. “She gon’ say some wild ass shit about it.”

“Nigga was callin’ her Pinky,” he continued. “And she was like ‘’cause her coochie pink,’ and shit?—”

“What?” Oshon and Wave said in unison.

“Eeeeeee! That’s my kinda bitch,” Wani grinned.

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