Not going back and forth with her, Kannon put Kendall on her feet so he could grab her car seat out of Carmen’s car. Once he had her strapped in, he texted his mother and let her know they were on their way before heading out. It didn’t surprise him that not long after they left, he started to receive messages with accompanying pictures that Carmen had taken of him putting Kendall in the car seat on her social media.
Even though Kannon was angry, he decided to let it ride for the moment. It was one thing for him to be in Kendall’s life, but he still didn’t want everyone knowing she was his child. That was putting an unnecessary target on her back, and he was going to check Carmen for the shit when he dropped her off… if he could wait.
As they drove to his mother’s beauty shop, they made small talk. Well, Kendall made small talk. Kannon had cut the radio off and told her to tell him about herself, and she went in. He didn’t mind, though. She could talk his ears off for the rest of his life if she wanted to. When they pulled up to the shop, Kannon checked his surroundings as he always did before getting her out of the car and leading her into the shop by her hand. It didn’t matter how much money she and his father had, Tracy would never close her shop or stop doing hair. Kannon didn’t blame her, though. She loved spending Kingston’s money, but she hated sitting around, doing nothing.
As soon as they walked in, Tracy was squealing and cooing with tears in her eyes as she rushed over to them.
“That’s your Grandma Tracy,” Kannon informed before whispering, “She’s emotional and loud so if she cries and hugs you for a long time don’t be scared. Just tell me to get her off.”
Kendall giggled. “I like hugs,” she confessed, removing her hand from his and spreading her arms wide for her grandmother.
“Well aren’t you just the sweetest thing,” Tracy almost sang, taking Kendall into her arms. “Hello, Ms. Kendall. I’m Grandma Tracy, but you can just call me Gia because I’m too young to be called grandma.”
Kannon’s head shook as he chuckled and turned his back to them. As Tracy took Kendall over to her chair, Kannon couldn’t resist the urge to call Carmen.
“Hello?” she answered.
“Take that shit off Facebook. I told you I don’t want people knowing I have a daughter.”
“Look. You gon’ stop denying my child, Kannon. What was the point of you even coming to get her if you weren’t going to do right?”
“I am doing right. I send you money monthly and I got her now. I don’t mind having a relationship with her, but I don’t want people to know she’s my blood. This is for her own good. What part of that don’t you understand?”
“Nigga. You swear you The Godfather or some shit. Niggas ain’t checking for you like that.”
“You a mothafuckin’ lie. Niggas checking for me and Jason like that. I gotta watch out for my own father’s enemies. Even your cousins looking for me and Jason after what happened. You better tell them to fall back, too. I know that’s your family and all, but you know we don’t play that shit.”
“Whatever, Kannon. They aren’t thinking about you. If they wanted to handle you and get even, they would have done so while you were at my house.”
Kannon’s body went slack. “You told somebody I was coming to get Kendall today?”
“Yeah. I told my mama and my sister and my cousin, Shianne. They couldn’t believe you were finally coming to get her.”
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…