by B. Love
Kannon’s jaw clenched as he stalked over to his mother and daughter. “You know your family got beef with us. Why would you tell them that shit?” Kannon grabbed Kendall as he told his mother, “I gotta go, Ma. We’ll see you later.”
“What? You leaving already?”
“I’ll tell you about it later.”
“What you leaving for?” Carmen asked. “What’s going on, Kannon? Where’s Kendall?”
Kannon disconnected the call to avoid going off on her in front of their daughter. He couldn’t believe she’d been so stupid. If her mother knew he was stopping by today, she was liable to tell her brother, whose two sons were killed at the park. Though he didn’t see anyone following him from her place, that didn’t mean they wouldn’t be on their way there or waiting for him when he dropped Kendall off.
By the time Kannon was off the sidewalk and headed across the parking lot, the rusted Monte Carlo was making its way towards them. Cursing silently, he weighed his options – head back to the shop and put more lives at risk or get in his car and try to make a run for it. Deciding to head back to the shop, he turned and walked as casually yet quickly as he could. As soon as he heard a woman scream, “Oh my God,” Kannon knew what was up.
Shielding Kendall with his own body, he jogged towards the door, but it was too late. Shots had already started. The one he felt in his back jolted him forward. Pulling the door open quickly, he all but tossed Kendall inside and yelled for his mother to get her before grabbing his gun to fire back. His own life wasn’t his concern. He didn’t care if his body was riddled with bullets as he ducked behind a car and shot… just as long as his mother and daughter were safe.
As bullets busted through the windows of the shop, Kannon aimed for the passengers and tires of the car. He didn’t know how many times he’d been hit, and the pain was bearable only because of his adrenaline. Once they sped out of the parking lot, he leaned against the car and pulled in choppy breaths as the pain began to hit him. The one good eye he had sealed shut as he groaned in pain. Holding his stomach, Kannon looked down as blood covered his hand.
Carmen would pay for this.
And her cousins would, too.
It was one thing to come after him for revenge, but to do so while their fucking baby cousin was in his arms?
Nah.
He would never let this ride.
At the sound of his mother screaming, Kannon stood and stumbled towards the door.
“No! No!” she yelled, slinging Kendall’s body into her arms as if she was a doll.
At the sight of the blood on the floor and Kendall’s limp frame, he received a second wind. He ran over to them, dropping to his knees as Tracy rocked Kendall back and forth.
“Ma,” he called, prying Kendall out of her hands. “Why she not moving?” His head shot in Tracy’s direction as she cried. “Ma!”
“I’m sorry, baby,” she cried. “I—I couldn’t get to her in time.”
His eyes lowered to Kendall’s body, refusing to believe what he was seeing. Laying her flat, Kannon’s hands shook as he stared down at her.
“Kendall,” he called quietly as her eyes remained frozen in place. “Baby girl.” He shook her gently. “Kendall, wake up.”
He shook her a little harder, called her name a little louder. Pushing his mother away when she tried to comfort him, Kannon picked Kendall up and tried to carry her to his car, but they wouldn’t let him. They told him the ambulance would get here sooner, but it didn’t really matter anyway. Kendall was stretched out in his arms like limp linguine.
Falling to his knees, Kannon held his daughter to his chest as his tears fell. He couldn’t release her, not even after help had arrived. Now that he’d had her… Kannon was nowhere near ready to let her go…
5
Jason
It didn’t matter who told Kannon to stay checked in at the hospital, he wasn’t missing Kendall’s funeral for nothing in the world. He’d been shot three times, but his heart hurt more than anything over losing his little girl. Jason understood better than anyone the decision Kannon had made to keep himself out of Kendall’s life. He saw what selling and doing drugs could do to a family. Hell, his own mother sold him for crack when he was ten years old.
Back in the day, Jason was bitter over that shit. He swore he’d never forgive his mother for it, but truthfully, he knew it was all in God’s plan now. Had his mother not sold him to Carlos and Kingston, he never would have learned the game from Carlos and gotten a family, a brother, through Kingston. Jason still remembered that moment clear as day.
After his mother traded him, Carlos took him to Kingston and Tracy. The whole time he drove, he kept grumbling about not knowing what the fuck to do with a kid. As Carlos and Kingston discussed what they would do with Jason, he played Mortal Kombat with Kannon. They clicked instantly. It hadn’t been Carlos’ intention to raise Jason or no shit like that, but if his mother was willing to give him up, he knew Jason was better off without her.
Kingston convinced Carlos not to take Jason to Child Protective Services, offering to raise him as his own son instead, and the rest is history.
“You sure you wanna do this?” Jason checked, not bothering to look over at Kannon. It would hurt too much. Neither were in a position to drive, so they’d gotten a town car for the afternoon. As long as Kannon was hurting, Jason was hurting, too.
“I ain’t got no choice,” Kannon almost whispered. Though he had on dark sunglasses, Jason had seen his dark, puffy eyes already.
“You prepared for what can potentially pop off?”
Kannon’s head bobbed once. “I just wanna say…” His voice cracked. “Just wanna say goodbye to my daughter.” When he inhaled a deep, shaky breath and wiped away tears, Jason closed his eyes. After squeezing Kannon’s shoulder, Jason put his gun at his waist and opened his door. He was ready for whatever, even at a funeral, and wouldn’t let no motherfucker come at his brother while he was weak and grieving.
Squeezing the bridge of his nose, Jason checked his surroundings before walking over to Kannon’s side of the car. Now, they were heavily guarded, so it wasn’t long before several big-bodied men walked over to and surrounded them. Jason opened the door, waiting patiently for Kannon to step out.
When he did, Jason asked, “You good?” as he looked his friend over.
His normally clean-cut face was covered with stubble. His lips were dry and chapped, proof that he hadn’t been eating or drinking. His hair had grown out a little more than normal and looked unkempt. Kannon hadn’t even bothered to go home and change into a suit, opting instead to put on a black t-shirt and jeans that Jason had brought him so he wouldn’t have to put on the bloody clothes he’d been taken to the hospital in.
Kannon nodded, head hung as he slightly limped away from the car. The back of his thigh had been grazed, he’d been hit in the arm, back side, and stomach. Only three bullets had done damage, but thankfully, none of it was life-altering or threatening.
“Hell no!” All heads turned in the direction of the voice screaming, and Jason’s head rolled as he saw Carmen’s mother, Naomi, storming out of the church. “You will not step foot in my granddaughter’s funeral!”
Carmen was right behind her. “The police will be here soon, Kannon. They felt like you would stop by. I want peace for my baby today, not war between you and my family. Please leave.”
Waiting to follow Kannon’s lead, Jason waited for him to speak. His voice was low and defeated when he said, “I’m not leaving until I see her.”
“You need to leave now. The police are on their way.”
“I’m not leaving until I see her,” he repeated, clutching his stomach absently.
“You don’t deserve to see her,” Naomi argued before spitting at his feet. “You’re the reason my grandbaby is gone!”
“She’s the reason your grandbaby is gone,” Kannon roared, using the arm that wasn’t in a sling to point at Carmen. “I told her what would happen, but she didn’t fucking list
en,” he yelled with so much passion, spit flung from his mouth. “Now my baby girl is gone, and I just got her!”
All the pain he was trying to hold back began to release. Before his body could crumble, Jason was grabbing him and leading him back to the car. The sound of sirens far off could be heard, and as much as Jason didn’t want to, he told Kannon, “We gotta go, brotha.”
“I’m not leaving until I say goodbye,” Kannon countered, body stiffening as Jason tried to shove him into the car.
“We can say goodbye our own way in our own time. We gotta go, Kannon.”
Kannon’s face twisted as he took his shades off. “Y’all can go. I’m staying here.”
Usually the one to buck the system, Jason knew he had to be Kannon’s mind while his heart was suffering.
“You know I’m not leaving you here by yourself. We probably got a good minute head start before they are on us. Now, I’m willing to go to prison, but is that where you want to heal and grieve for baby girl right now?”
As Jason saw the blue lights flashing out of the corner of his eye, he sent their men back to their cars with one swift motion of his hand.
“Get in the car, Kannon. Let me take you to Ma.”
Kannon’s body weakened with hesitance as he got in the car. Jogging over to his side, Jason got in quickly and told the driver where to take them. As soon as they were on the street, their guards got in front of and behind the car, making sure that they were protected not only from enemies but the police, too.
Jason waited until they merged onto the interstate to say, “We gon’ handle that. I promise.”
Kannon didn’t acknowledge his statement as he looked out of the window. It broke Jason’s heart to see his friend like this, but he vowed to do whatever it took to make this right…
6
Makayla
Makayla was surprised to find out that she’d not only gotten a bond but that it had been paid and she was going to be released. She hadn’t given the prosecutor any information about Jason, Kannon, or their organization, so she had no idea what had changed. At this point, she didn’t care. She just wanted to get home so she could see her man and be there for her friend. It hurt her heart to hear about what happened to Kendall and she not be there to comfort Kannon. There was no way this was not eating him up inside on several different levels.
Once she headed out, Makayla pulled her phone out to call Jason and see who was going to be picking her up. She was so happy to be out of there that she didn’t even wait around to find out. Makayla started walking down the street, figuring she’d at least grab some fries and an ice cream cone from McDonald’s while she waited for her ride. Plus, her battery had died, so she’d need time to charge it anyway.
Before she made it to the light at the end of the block, a dark gray car was pulling up next to her.
“Makayla,” was called, and her eyes rolled when she recognized the voice.
Looking to her left and into the car, Makayla couldn’t even force a smile at the sight of Rico.
“What’s up?”
“Jason sent me to pick you up.”
“Why you?”
“Because he’s busy and we can’t get ahold of Kannon.”
“It’s not like Kannon to not answer his phone.”
“We know that. That’s why Jason is looking for him. Otherwise, he would have come to get you.”
Makayla scratched her forehead as she weighed her options. Well, she didn’t really have many. With a sigh, she opened the door and got in the car.
“Take me to McDonald’s, please.”
Rico chuckled as he cut his hazard lights off and pulled back out into traffic.
“You been locked down for almost two weeks and the first thing you want to eat is McDonald’s?”
She shrugged. “Yeah.”
Rico did as she requested, and Makayla wasted no time hooking her charger up to his USB plug. She needed to hear Jason’s voice and find out what the hell was going on with Kannon. While she waited for her phone to get to at least five percent, Makayla savored the salty fries mixed with the sweetness of the ice cream as they rode in silence. There was no point in faking the funk and doing small talk with Rico. He was cool, but she still didn’t like him. There was something about him that rubbed her the wrong way, and until she figured out what, she would always keep her guard up with him.
By the time she was done eating, her phone was charged enough to make a call. Jason answered after the first ring with, “You good, Mak?”
“Yeah. Where you at?”
“In the streets.”
“Have you heard from Kannon?”
“He at the crib with Ma and Pops but he ain’t talking to nobody. You might be able to change that, but we don’t have much time.”
“What do you mean?”
“I got some shit planned. We’re leaving for a little minute so we can lay low. I need you to pack a few small bags when you get home. Only what you can’t be without for a little while.”
“Do I have time to say goodbye to my folks and see Kannon? Or is he coming with us?”
“I wanted him to, but I don’t think he is now. You can say goodbye but make that shit quick, Makayla. The jet leaves tonight at six.”
“Okay. I’ll be ready.”
After disconnecting the call, Makayla dialed Kannon’s number and hoped he’d answer but he didn’t. She sent him a text letting him know she needed to see him ASAP before calling her mother to see where she was. Though they didn’t have the best relationship, Makayla loved her mother dearly. She understood why her mother resented her, and that was probably the only reason she dealt with her mother’s slick remarks.
Ten years ago, Makayla’s sister was murdered. Their mother, Gina, blamed Makayla for it. Like Jason, she was the hot head between her and her sister, Melanie. A fight turned into Makayla being jumped, and of course, Melanie wouldn’t allow that. With ease and little effort, they handled the four girls… until one of them brought a knife to a fistfight. Melanie was stabbed right in the center of her chest, and Gina blamed and reminded Makayla of that every chance she could get.
After confirming that Gina and her little sister from her mother’s second marriage, Sunshine, were both at home, Makayla let her mother know that she’d be stopping by soon. When she neared the home she shared with Jason, she called Kannon again… growing even more alarmed when her call went straight to voicemail…
7
Kannon
When Kannon’s father found him with a gun in his hand and the only target in the room was himself, he forced his son to come and spend some time with him. In that moment, Kannon was sure ending his life was the only way to stop it from being consumed by pain. But he was a little glad that his father was there to stop him, because he knew, had he done that, a lot of people would have suffered because of it. It would have been selfish to run from the pain in that manner, and that was the only reason Kannon was still breathing.
Still fighting.
After finally answering Makayla’s phone calls, she convinced him to go to Kendall’s grave so he’d be able to say goodbye before they left Memphis. Kannon had no idea how long they’d be gone, but he had to say goodbye to his daughter before they left. The original plan was for him to go to the Maldives with Jason and Makayla, but now Kannon was wanting to be alone. The last thing he wanted to do was bury them underneath his pain. They could say they understood all they wanted, but no one understood the pain of losing a child unless they’d lost one as well.
And for Kannon, his grief was mixed with guilt because of the years he’d spent away from Kendall. On one hand, he was upset with himself for staying away. On the other hand, he was glad he’d done so and hated allowing the pressure Carmen was putting on him to make him sway. If he’d just stuck to what he believed was right, Kendall would still be alive. He vowed, though, in this moment, to never second guess himself again…
8
Jason
The moment was bittersweet. Ja
son sat on the edge of the bed, looking outside of the wide, glass window. He wanted to join Makayla on the patio as the sun set but decided to let her have this moment to herself. They’d been in Southeast Asia for a day and a half now, and it was hard as fuck for Jason not to let Makayla know where his head was at. Though he was happy she was free and here with him, the weight of knowing he’d be leaving her here, in Kannon’s care, had his heart heavy.
When Jason dropped out of school at fifteen to learn the business under Carlos, it was understood that he’d be in control. Though he made a lot of the plans, Kannon was often the one who put them into play and executed them as his right-hand man. There was no rhyme or reason behind the roles. That was simply how shit panned out. It was the same way between Carlos and Kingston and had been the same way between them.
Jason would always say Kannon had too much heart to be over every-fucking-body. He’d show too much compassion and empathy. Give motherfuckers too much freedom and string to play around when he should have allowed them to hang themselves with it. But the balance between the two had provided much success to them over the years. Almost fifteen, to be exact.
The last thing Kannon needed right now was a life sentence. Besides, as the boss to the bosses, Jason felt personally responsible for everyone on the team. He wasn’t the kind of leader to put men in position to take charges for himself. Small petty shit maybe, but several counts of murder? For him and his brother? Plus an assault charge for his girl?
Nah.
If anyone was going to handle that shit, it would be him.
Though Jason had shared his plans with Kannon, he didn’t tell Makayla a thing. It was already hard enough dealing with Kannon trying to convince him not to make that choice, but it had already been done. While Makayla thought they were on the run in the Maldives, Jason had brought her there to give her some good memories before he turned himself in. In exchange for himself, he worked out a deal with the prosecutor handling his case that included all charges being dropped against both Makayla and Kannon. While Kannon damn near begged him to reconsider and stay in the Maldives since they had no extradition treaties with the U.S., Jason wouldn’t be at peace living life on the run.