Page 88 of Certified Pressure 4
I nodded slow. “If he do, I ain’t gon’ stop you, but right now, stay here with me. You already won, baby. You still here, and that’s what he can’t stand.”
Kay’Lo exhaled, lookin’ like he was finally startin’ to calm down. He leaned back, pullin’ me into his arms. I could still feel the tension in him, that quiet rage that lived right under the surface, but for now he was holdin’ it in.
“I hate niggas,” he muttered against my neck.
“I know,” I said, kissin’ his shoulder. “I do too.”
We laid there, the room still warm from everything we just did. I could feel his heartbeat slowin’ down against my back, and I just prayed this peace would last. But deep down, I knew Darnell wasn’t gon’ let it end here.
Trill Tailor House
Today, I was in a good ass mood. Everything around me felt like it was finally fallin’ into place.Cloud 9 Dininghad been jumpin’ all week. The reviews was crazy, and people from all over Trill-Land was callin’ tryna make reservations. Celebrities had been flyin’ in just to taste what we was servin’. Pictures of my restaurant was plastered all over the blogs, the walls lined with rich wood, soft gold lights glowin’ off the marble, and the smell of that fire food hittin’ you the second you walk in. The chefs was on point too, every plate lookin’ like art. Folks was braggin’ about the jerk-honey salmon sliders, the oxtail pasta, and the sweet rum bread puddin’ like it was they grandma’s recipe. Even the breakfast menu was fire. I built thatplace from scratch and now it was runnin’ itself, just like I knew it would.
The Trillium dispensary had been goin’ crazy too. Every batch of that God Smoke was sellin’ out before it even hit the shelves. I had rich muthafuckas from out the country tryna buy in, actin’ like they knew somethin’ about cultivation when all they knew how to do was light my shit and inhale. Trillium was more than a brand; it was a lifestyle. My lifestyle. I wanted it to be that type of smoke that made the world slow down for a second and make people feel like gods. I had niggas everywhere smokin’ my shit and talkin’ about it like it was a damn miracle.
And through all of that, life at home was smooth. Pluto been glown’ like sunlight itself. She was five months pregnant and walkin’ around like a goddess that owned every inch of the Jungle Estate. She had been bossin’ the maids around, actin’ like she the head decorator, talkin’ about how the baby room gotta feel peaceful and royal. I caught her the other day tryna hang curtains by herself and damn near had to snatch the ladder from under her. She been in that nestin’ phase hard. Every night she was orderin’ shit off some luxury baby site, sayin’ it gotta be perfect this time. I couldn’t even be mad though, ‘cause I understood it. When she was pregnant with Prestyn, we wasn’t even on the same page. Hell, we wasn’t even in the same book. We was beefin’, I was engaged to somebody else, and everything about that pregnancy was chaotic as hell. But this time it was different. She was happy, and so was I. We was doin’ this together and it felt right.
Prestyn had been runnin’ around the mansion with his lil’ chain on, lookin’ like a mini version of me. That boy had too much personality for his size. Every time I tried to tell him to sit down, he grinned and kept on movin’. Pluto said he acted just like me and I knew she was right. That lil’ nigga even walked like me. I loved my boy with everything in me, and the thoughtof another one on the way had me feelin’ like I finally had the family I never knew I wanted. We was gettin’ ready for his first birthday next month too, and Pluto was already goin’ crazy with the plans. She was talkin’ about balloons, themes, a whole royal setup in the garden. I kept tellin’ her she was doin’ too much, but she just smiled and said he only turned one once. Truth was, I couldn’t wait to see my son light up when he saw how big his birthday was gon’ be.
That afternoon, I was at the tailor shop with Kay’Lo, Renza, and Blaqson gettin’ fitted for our weddin’ suits. The shop was exclusive, quiet, and smelled like new fabric and cologne. The tailor moved around us, takin’ measurements while we talked shit and laughed. Kay’Lo had his blunt tucked behind his ear, leanin’ back in the chair with that cocky grin on his face. Renza couldn’t stop clownin’. He looked at me in the mirror and said, “Nigga, if you leave this woman at the altar, I’mma know somethin’. I’mma assume the spirit of dumb decisions got you again.”
Everybody laughed except me, but I was smilin’. “Nigga, shut up,” I said, adjustin’ the cufflinks on my wrist. “I’m marryin’ Pluto no matter what. I don’t give a fuck if the world blow up that day. I’mma say I do before we go down.”
Kay’Lo laughed. “Nigga sound tender as hell.”
“Tender my ass,” I said. “I meant that. Ain’t nobody ever gon’ make me feel how she do. She mine, and she know it.”
Renza clapped his hands. “Boy sound like he finally got some sense.”
“Bout time too,” Blaqson added, smirkin’. “I remember when you couldn’t see straight behind Kashmere’s crazy ass.”
I glanced at him through the mirror, my smile fadin’. “Yeah, and look how that turned out.”
Renza shook his head. “That bitch was wild, but she gone. Don’t even let that name sit in your mouth no more. You got your queen. Let that be your peace.”
We went back to talkin’ about the weddin’, the guest list, the after-party, and the menu. Renza was talkin’ about how we bet not be servin’ no vegan food, and Kay’Lo was complainin’ that he wanted his suit in black and gold instead of cream. It was good vibes, just me and my brothers enjoyin’ the moment.
Then my phone started vibratin’. I looked down and saw a private number flashin’ on the screen. I ignored it. I ain’t like answerin’ blocked calls. It usually meant trouble or business that wasn’t mine. The phone stopped, then buzzed again. Somethin’ in my gut told me to pick it up.
“Yo,” I said, walkin’ toward the back of the shop where it was quiet.
The voice that came through made my whole mood shift. “Pressure, it’s me.”
I froze for a second, my jaw tightenin’.
“I know you probably don’t wanna hear from me,” she said soft, her voice shaky like she been cryin’. “But it’s important.”
I smirked without humor. “Only thing important comin’ from you would be the money and the jewelry you stole. That what this about?”
She sighed. “No, it’s not about that. I didn’t steal from you, Pressure. I’m callin’ ‘cause I’m about to give birth in a couple of weeks.”
I ain’t say nothin’. I didn’t care. She could’ve been due tomorrow and that shit wouldn’t have moved me.
She kept talkin’. “I just wanted to make things right before my baby got here. I don’t want your mama comin’ after me, Pressure. I think she had somethin’ to do with my parents’ disappearance. I can’t prove it, but I haven’t heard from my daddy in months.”
That caught my attention for a second, but I didn’t let it show.
“It’s all over the news,” she said. “Their names, the investigation, everything. I know she did somethin’. Just talk to her for me. Please. I’m scared, Pressure. I just wanna be around to raise my baby. I can’t even sleep because I just have this gut feeling that something is wrong.”
