"Yo, what?!" PJ dramatically yelled into his phone. He looked at the guys, "Let's ride out."
Kenny stood and PJ stopped him.
"Not you, stay here." He said.
Kenny frowned as Toni spoke up.
"I don't need a babysitter PJ."
"But you do need protection." He said before they left.
Toni cleared her throat, "Kenny, you remember Meredith."
"Yes, hi."
"Hi." Meredith said flirtatiously. She turned to Toni, "I'm going to the hit nail salon-"
"Meredith, no." Toni said looking at her crazy. Did she not hear PJ?
"I'll be fine."she waving her off. She kissed her cheek, "Bye."
She left leaving the two alone again. Kenny stared at Toni with questions running through his head.
"What?" She asked catching his stares.
"Nothing."
"Just say it."
"You and Meredith?"
She palmed her face, "Oh my goodness, God knows what you must've heard."
"I'm not judging." He quickly said putting his hands up.
"There's nothing to judge. We're good friends. That's all." She said not going into detail.
He nodded making a note to rub Trey's stupidity in his face later. His thoughts disappear as Josiah ran into the living room. He bypassed his mother and went up to Kenny.
Kenny looked at Toni, "May I?"
"Sure." She said with a smile.
Kenny picked the little boy up.
"Yoda." Josiah said showing Kenny the toy that bonded them the first time.
"That's so cool." Kenny said enthusiastically.
Toni sat down on the couch, "So where are you from? I know you're not from this side of the tracks. You talk like those bougie boys from up north."
Kenny sighed, "Is it that obvious?"
She chuckled,"Definitely. How did you end up with those knuckleheads?"
"I couldn't find a job after college. I needed money bad and my cousin told me he knew someone. Darnell."
"You sold drugs for him?"
"No, I was in charge of collecting the money. My cousin got locked up but I was making too much to just quit."
"I think you should before you get arrested or worse end up like my husband. Then all your hard work would be for nothing." She said.
"I'll keep that in mind." He said putting Josiah down. He ran off as Kenny looked back at Toni, "How are you?"
She shrugged, "I'm getting by."
He sat next to her,"Look I can't imagine what you're going through. If you ever want to talk or-"
"Are you serious?"
"Umm-"
"My husband ain't even cold yet and you're already pushing up on me?" She asked in shock.
Kenny quickly shook his head,"No! I wouldn't dare, I'm just trying to be a friend."
"I don't need friends."
With that, she got up and went to her room. Kenny jumped as she slammed the door. Meredith walked in on the commotion.
"What did you do to her?" She asked Kenny.
"Nothing, I was just being nice and she blew up on me."
"She's going through a lot."
"I know. I also noticed that she doesn't eat and the bags under her eyes tell me she's not sleeping." He said making her raise a brow.
"You like her?" She asked.
"Excuse me?"
"Do you like her? It's either that or you're the feds because no man is ever that observant."
Kenny caught her territorial glare, "I'm just a concerned party." He said.
"Well, I'll talk to her." She said walking away.
"Good."
"Great."
He plopped down on the couch with a deep sigh.
"You ain't shit."
"Leave me the fuck alone." He said feeling like a psycho talking to ghost.
"I ain't going nowhere."
He groaned pulling a bag of weed out of his pocket and going outside.
~~~~~~~
"AAHH!" The man PJ and the crew snatched up screamed. PJ got word that he was around when Darnell was murdered.
"You better start talking or I'll cut off another one!" PJ said throwing the man's pinky finger in a bucket.
Trey looked away feeling his stomach turn.
"I didn't do it! I just said I was there!" The man said in distress.
"Then you saw who did it." Rod said.
"It was a guy from your crew. The uppity one. Darnell was yelling at him about something and he pulled out a gun and shot him." The man told PJ.
"You lying."
"I swear on my mama's grave."
PJ looked at the guys who looked at him with just as much confusion. He handed Rod the scalpel and wiped his bloody hands on a towel. He walked away pulling out his phone.
Things are about to pick up now. I know it's a slow start but I'm just setting the plot.
