Page 37 of Certified Pressure 4
“You ain’t gon’ introduce me to ya man?” Darnell asked, his tone sharp under that fake smile.
I opened my mouth, but Kay’Lo finally turned his head just enough to look at him. “She don’t need to,” he said low, his voice calm but rough. “You ain’t gotta know me.”
That shift in his voice made the air change. Even the music seemed quieter. Darnell’s grin dropped a lil’.
He looked at Kay’Lo up and down. “Ain’t no need for all that, lil’ man. I was just bein’ polite. You holdin’ her like you scared she gon’ slip away or somethin’.”
Sha’Nelle’s eyes widened, and I could see her glancin’ between both of them. My heart started poundin’ hard ‘cause I already knew where this shit was goin’.
Kay’Lo didn’t miss a beat. He gave a smirk that didn’t reach his eyes. “I ain’t never been scared of no woman slippin’ away, big man. I just like what’s mine close.” He looked down at me, kissed the top of my head, then looked back up at Darnell. “But I get it. You probably don’t know what it’s like to have a grown woman anyway. You like ‘em young, right?”
Sha’Nelle’s cup froze halfway to her lips, and everything in me clenched up.
Darnell’s smile dropped completely. “What you say?”
Kay’Lo kept his tone the same with that calm confidence that made it worse. “You heard me, buddy. Don’t make me repeat it.”
Deuce shifted beside him, his eyes narrowin’ as he stepped up. “Yo, fam, you good?”
He lifted his shirt just enough to show the handle of his gun sittin’ against his waistband.
Kay’Lo finally looked at him, takin’ one step forward so they was damn near toe to toe. He lifted his own shirt, his tattoos glistenin’ under the light, and the handle of his gun sittin’ against his waist. “I’on know, nigga,” he said with a smirk that was not friendly at all. “You tell me.”
Deuce’s jaw flexed, but before anything could pop off, Sha’Nelle jumped between them, her voice loud and shaky. “Aye, y’all chill! Please! It’s my birthday! Don’t start no shit out here!”
I grabbed Kay’Lo’s arm, my nails diggin’ into him, whisperin’, “Baby, come on, please. Let’s just go.”
Darnell was still starin’ at him, his face twisted with anger and shame, but he didn’t say nothin’. He knew exactly what Kay’Lo was gettin’ at, and for once, he didn’t have no slick shit to say back.
Kay’Lo’s voice came low in my ear. “A’ight, baby. We out.”
He turned without lookin’ back, slid his hand into mine, and walked us straight toward the car. His energy was heavy with a quiet fury that made people move out the way.
The ride back to the Airbnb was quiet. The only sound was the tires rollin’ against the road. I kept my eyes on him, seein’ that look on his face that said he was still heated. His jaw flexed once, then his hand tightened on the wheel.
I reached over, slid my hand across his face, and rubbed his jaw slow. “You know I love you, right?”
His eyes cut to me for a second before they went back to the road. “I know, baby. I love you too.”
When we pulled up to the Airbnb, he parked and turned the engine off. I leaned over and kissed his lips, soft at first, then deeper.
“Thank you,” I whispered against his mouth. “For havin’ me like that.”
He looked at me with that same unreadable stare that always got to me. “Ain’t nothin’ to thank me for, baby. I meant what I said. When it come to you, it’s gon’ always be what it is.”
He got out, walked around the car, and opened my door. When I stepped out, he grabbed my hand, laced his fingers with mine, and walked me inside without sayin’ another word.
And I followed him, ‘cause no matter how wild it got, that was my man, and I was always gon’ stand beside him.
Greystone City, Oak Pointe Subdivision
I’on know why but when I walked in the crib with Toni, I had this lil’ gut feelin’ that some shit wasn’t right. It wasn’t nothin’ I could really explain, it was just one of them things you feel in your gut. The tension was still sittin’ on me from that park, and my blood was still pumpin’ like I ain’t calmed down yet. Toni was quiet, her hand still in mine, and even though she was tryna keep it cool, I could tell she was worried about me. I ain’t give a fuck who it was. I ain’t give a fuck if it was her uncle, cousin, or pastor, ain’t no nigga supposed to walk around after touchin’ her wrong. Period.
When we made it to the livin’ room, Toni turned around and wrapped her arms around me. Her face pressed into my chest, and I could feel how tense she was. I let out a breath, rubbed herback, and tried to let that anger roll off me, but it wasn’t goin’ nowhere. She looked up at me and said soft, “You okay, baby?”
“Yeah, I’m good,” I said. I leaned down, kissed her slow, and whispered against her lips, “Go get naked.”
She smiled, that lil’ smirk she do when she know I’m serious, and walked off toward the room. Her hips was movin’ like she knew I was watchin’ her too, and she was right. I watched every step she took before I turned my head toward the backyard.
