Page 103 of Certified Pressure 4
Aunt Treasure cut the cord, wrapped him in a soft towel, and handed him to Pluto. She was cryin’ and smilin’ all at once. “You did amazin’, my love. You did that,” I told her, my voice soft but full of pride.
My mama rubbed Pluto’s arm, whisperin’, “You did beautiful, sweetheart.”
I leaned down and kissed Pluto’s lips, then kissed my son’s forehead. “Welcome home, lil’ man. Welcome to the world, Kaylon Mensah.”
Hours later, after everything calmed down, Pluto was propped up in bed holdin’ Kaylon against her chest. The room smelled like a new baby and peace. I sat beside her, just watchin’ her hum to him. I felt like my whole life had been leadin’ to this.
A light knock came at the door, and the nanny walked in with Prestyn and Zurie. My heart melted all over again when I saw‘em. Prestyn was rubbin’ his eyes with his lil’ durag on, lookin’ confused, and Zurie’s face lit up when she saw the baby.
“Can we see him?” she whispered.
Pluto smiled. “Come on, baby girl.”
They climbed into the bed, Prestyn crawlin’ into my lap while Zurie leaned close to Pluto’s arm. Prestyn pointed with his tiny finger. “Baby,” he said, his voice sleepy but curious.
“Yeah, that’s your baby brother,” I told him, kissin’ the top of his head. “That’s Kaylon.”
Zurie gasped softly. “He’s so cute. Look at all that hair.”
Pluto laughed through her tears, her voice soft. “He do got a lot, huh?”
I looked down at Kaylon again, his tiny chest movin’ slow as he drifted to sleep on Pluto’s chest. “He perfect,” I whispered.
Pluto nodded, her hand slidin’ into mine. “Just like his daddy.”
I smiled, kissin’ her again.
The room was quiet after that, just the sound of our kids breathin’. I wrapped my arm around all of them, feelin’ a calm I couldn’t even explain. This was it. I had my wife and kids.
And that was all a nigga really needed.
Eboni Keep in Nzuri Hall
To say I was proud of the man my son had become would be an understatement. Watching him and Pluto welcome their second child into the world had been one of the most beautiful moments of my life. There was something divine about it. Seeing her labor with such strength and grace made me realize that the woman my son chose was exactly who he was meant to be with. She had a light in her that never dimmed, even through pain, and when I saw the way Pressure held her, the way he looked at her with his heart on display for the whole world to see, I felt peace. For years I had wondered if he would ever settle his spirit enough to be the man I knew he was capable of being, and today he proved that he already was.
When I finally returned home, the halls of the mansion felt quiet in comparison to the energy of that birth. The guards nodded as I walked past, and my heels clicked against the marble floors in a rhythm that followed me all the way to the elevator. The moment the doors opened, I pressed the top floor. I was tired, but there was a warmth in me that had nothing to do with exhaustion. When the elevator doors parted, I stepped into the bedroom and saw Kojo sitting up in bed, shirtless, his broad shoulders radiating under the soft light of the lamp. His phone was in his hand, and there was a faint smile resting on his face.
“The birth was beautiful,” I said softly, walking toward him.
He looked up at me with that calm confidence that always grounded me. “I know,” he said. “Pressure just sent me pictures of the baby. He’s healthy. Big, too. Look just like him.”
I smiled and began removing my jewelry piece by piece, setting each one on the dresser. “It’s hard to believe our son has come this far,” I said. “There was a time when I wasn’t sure if he’d ever find peace. Now he has everything he needs. A wife who truly loves him. Two beautiful children. A legacy that will only grow stronger.”
Kojo chuckled lowly, putting his phone down on the nightstand. “We might have doubted him a few times, but I always knew that boy had it in him. He just needed to be tested. Now look at him. A king, just like he was born to be.”
I walked toward the bed and climbed in beside him, resting my head against his shoulder. “You’re right,” I whispered. “He’s everything we prayed he would become.”
We laid there in comfortable silence for a few moments, soaking in our happiness. I unlocked my phone one last time before setting it down, glancing at my emails as I always did before bed. Most were business-related—updates on company mergers, international contracts, investment notices. Then a new message appeared at the top of the list.
The sender’s name caught my attention immediately.Fiscal Guardian.The email address [email protected]. The name itself sounded professional, something that wouldn’t normally trigger alarm, but there was something in me that hesitated before opening it.
Finally, I tapped the message.
The first line alone made my stomach shift.
You may think you’ve gotten away with what you did.
My eyes narrowed as I read further. The message continued, each line written with precision, but full of malice.
