Page 241 of Kentrell

And when he followed, burying himself deep, releasing with a rough, guttural moan that sounded like my name and every unsaid thing between us rolled into one…

I knew there was no turning back.

For either of us.

NINETEEN

KENTRELL

I pulledinto The Velvet Room lot five minutes after ten.

For it to still be morning, finding parking was already a bitch.

But that’s what happened this time of day—Lex and Wani played host to half the niggas from our side and a few stragglers who used to know our parents back when their names meant something outside the block.

So yeah… a mix of drunk old heads running on bad knees and worse decisions… and a handful of young, pill-popping, YN hotheads still tryna earn a name.

One wrong look in this lot and somebody’s trigger finger was getting tested.

It’s why I usually kept my distance from my brother and Lex’s spot. Too many chances for me to black out and choke the life outta some nigga with something to prove. I didn’t need those kinds of problems. Not today.

Just as I hit the engine button on the truck, my phone buzzed in my pocket.

I already knew who it was.

Zoe.

Everybody else who had my number would already be inside, expecting me.

Zoe

I wanna cook you something today

And you already have the ingredients

I smirked, unlocking my phone and typing back:

Me

Aight

What is it?

I watched her bubble pop up at the bottom of the screen… blink once… twice… then disappear.

Two seconds too long.

“Fuck it.” I muttered, hitting FaceTime.

The second she answered, her voice came through soft and sweet like she hadn’t just left me hanging.

“Hey, honey,” she cooed, smiling like I wasn’t still waiting on an answer.

“Wussup, bae… whatchu tryna cook?” I asked, watching her bite her lip like she was debating how much to tell me.

“Well…” she hummed, glancing off screen like she was suddenly shy. “I saw this TikTok?—”

“Hell nah.” I cut her off without hesitation.

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