Quickly ending the video chat, Makayla cursed under her breath as she walked away. Jason would be upset, but this was for his own good. If she didn’t put boundaries in place, he’d risk his freedom every week coming to see her. He was lucky this time, but all it took was the wrong person to see his name on the visitor log or for an officer to recognize his face, and he’d be booked on his own charges instead of visiting her while she did time for hers.
Making her way back to her seat in the back of the room, Makayla didn’t bother trying to see what the TV had been changed to. Her eyes lowered to the scripted tattoo on her wrist that read Trill. All three of them had gotten it, and all three of them promised to always keep it trill with one another and in the streets. It was time for Makayla to do her part, and she could only pray that neither Jason nor Kannon stood in her way…
4
Kannon
After everything went down, against his gut feeling, Kannon decided to pull up on Carmen to see Kendall. Between the charges he and Jason had and the time Makayla was facing, he wanted to get to know the little girl whose life had caused all this trouble. As guilty as Kannon felt over how things had played out, both Jason and Makayla had dismissed the thought and told him it was cool and nothing they would change.
Kannon had caught several bodies for Jason and he’d even lost his right eye to a bullet that was meant for Jason. He’d jumped in front of Jason’s seated body, taking the bullet to his face that was meant to shoot through Jason’s side and heart. Even though the eye had sealed shut and offered him no sight, Kannon didn’t regret taking the bullet and risking his life to spare Jason’s at all. And that was the only reason he was able to find peace with how things were playing out. He knew, if the roles were reversed, that he would have done the same thing for Jason… just with more thought.
As Kannon sat outside of Carmen’s home, he considered if he was making the right move. They had a lot of enemies, and though some of them were too scary to come for them directly, it would kill Kannon if Kendall was targeted because of him. He never really worried about his parents being targeted because of his lifestyle. He and Jason were in the business because of his father and his best friend, Carlos. They both were OGs and Kannon trusted his father to protect his mother. His sister had moved away as soon as she was legal, not wanting anything to do with the lifestyle or her father and brother’s overprotective ways.
But Kendall? Kannon wouldn’t be able to really rest knowing she was at risk by being associated with him. Yeah, he could move them in with him and make sure she was heavily guarded, but what kind of lifestyle was that for a child? As if his mother felt the conflict within his heart, she called.
“Ma,” Kannon answered, looking in the direction of Carmen’s front door.
It didn’t matter how much money she made or was given, she’d always be a project bitch just so she could spend her money on the shit she wanted. Kannon was sure sirens were blaring all day every day over here, but who was he to make demands of Carmen when he wasn’t active in Kendall’s life? All he could do was pray that God kept his daughter, her siblings, and her mother protected.
“Where my big baby and little baby at?”
Kannon smiled. “I ain’t got ’er yet, Ma. Carmen might not want me to take her alone the first day either.”
His mother, Tracy, scoffed. “I don’t care what she wants. She’s always yelling about you not being in the baby’s life, so she should have no problem with you taking her for an hour or so. I want to see her. Bring my grandbaby to me.”
“Yes, ma’am,” was all Kannon offered.
If he didn’t, his mother would have his father bring her here himself, and that would not be pretty.
“See you in a few.”
Kannon nodded as if she could see him, agreeing quickly before disconnecting the call. With a heavy breath and shake of his head, Kannon grabbed his gun, got out of the car, and headed for the door. After knocking, he took a step back and looked around, making sure nothing or no one was out of place. It didn’t take long before he heard feet coming towards the door. When Carmen opened it, the sight of her fading bruises did nothing to soften Kannon’s heart towards her. Had she not pressed charges, he probably would have felt bad for her, but as long as Makayla was locked down, he’d harbor hate in his heart for the mother of his child.
“I can’t believe you came.”
Kannon ignored her statement as he looked down at the tiny person standing next to her. Gritting his teeth, Kannon pushed his tears back. He’d seen pictures of Kendall as she aged on social media but they didn’t do her justice. She looked just fucking like him.
They had the same maple syrup skin color. Her hair was in plaits, but he could tell it was wavy just like his. Her eyes were the same balsamic color as his, and they were under turned, too. She had her mama’s nose and lips, but everything else was all Kannon – as if he’d formed her himself.
Kneeling, he took her hands into his and slowly pulled her closer to him.
“Wassup?” he greeted, voice cracking as he fought back tears.
“Hi,” she whispered.
Her head tilted and brows wrinkled as she looked his features over, probably trying to figure out why the hell he looked so much like her. The thought made Kannon smile as he hung his head briefly.
“You know who I am?”
Her head shook. “I don’t think so. You look familiar but I don’t think I know you.”
“I’m uh…” Kannon cleared his throat. “I’m your daddy. I’m sorry I haven—”
Before he could finish his statement, Kendall was jumping into his arms. The gesture shot him straight in his heart, and he was no longer able to hold back his tears. Extending to his full height, Kannon held her tight as he slowly spun her around.
“You’re really my daddy?” she confirmed.
“I am. And I’m so sorry that I haven’t been around, but we will talk about why later.”
“I don’t care,” she almost cried, squeezing his neck tighter. “I’m just happy you’re here. All my brothers and sisters see their daddies except one and me. I got a daddy now!”
Kannon chuckled bitterly as more tears fell. “You got a daddy now,” he repeated. “I’m taking you with me for an hour or two so you can meet your grandma at her shop. We can grab something to eat and get to know each other if that’s cool.”
“You don’t have to go if you’re not comfortable, Kenny,” Carmen added quickly, rubbing her back.
Kendall looked back at her mother as she said, “This my daddy. I wanna go with him.”
Carmen showed no hesitance as she nodded in agreement. “Okay.” She turned her attention to Kannon. “She’s allergic to peanuts and seafood. Have her back by seven so she can be bathed and ready for bed by eight. And don’t be filling her head with no lies about me. Y’all have fun and call me if you need me.”
Kannon only nodded as he carried Kendall to his car. “Oh wait! Let me get her car seat.”
“Car seat?” Kannon repeated. “She’s five. Fuck she need a car seat for?”
“So what? She’s staying in one until she’s a little taller.”