Page 20 of Cannon (King Family Saga #3)

Cannon

I left the funeral with my blood still boiling, gripping the steering wheel of Reese’s car so tight it felt like it might snap.

Tyran’s death had robbed me of millions, and now I was stuck chasing ghosts and seed phrases that might never surface.

I should go dig his ass up and force him to give me that seed phrase.

But I had a promise to keep.

I pulled up to the elementary school, scanning the crowd of kids pouring out the double doors. Reese had asked me to pick up her boys after the service. She and Gage were both working late. And since I didn’t have to work tonight, I was more than cool with picking up my nephews.

Hunter spotted me first. His little face lit up, and he grabbed his younger brother’s hand, pulling him through the sea of children.

“Uncle Cannon!” Hunter shouted, his backpack bouncing as he ran. At ten years old, he was already showing signs of the man he’d become, tall and observant.

Five-year-old Josiah trailed behind, his tiny legs working overtime to keep up. Both boys had Reese’s light brown skin and wide smiles, though Josiah had these big, innocent eyes that could melt stone.

I stepped out of the car, my massive frame drawing stares from nearby parents. I caught a few moms looking my way, ready to throw pussy at me. Even with their kids right there.

“What’s good, lil’ homies?” I said, bending down to their level. Hunter crashed into me with a hug that caught me off guard. Josiah hung back, suddenly shy.

“You came in a suit!” Hunter exclaimed. “You look like those men in the movies who shoot people.”

I raised an eyebrow. “What movies you be watchin’?”

“Action!”

“You too young to be watchin’ movies with shooting. I’mma talk to your mother about that.”

They didn’t take me seriously. Instead, they just laughed.

I helped them into the backseat, making sure their seatbelts were secure before sliding back behind the wheel. In the rearview, I could see Hunter whispering something to Josiah, who giggled in response.

“Y’all hungry?” I asked, pulling away from the curb.

“Can we get McDonald’s?” Josiah finally spoke, his voice small but hopeful.

“That garbage?” I shook my head. “Nah, you got real food in the house.”

The boys groaned in unison, and I couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at my lips. For a moment, I forgot about the funeral, about Tyran, about the millions I’d lost. About Queen and her wet pussy under my fingers. These kids had a way of pulling me out of my head.

“Mommy and Daddy fight a lot,” Hunter announced suddenly, his voice casual like he was discussing the weather.

My jaw clenched instantly, the smile vanishing. In the mirror, I kept my face neutral, but inside I was boiling.

“What do you mean they fight a lot?“

“We hear them every night. That’s why Daddy hasn’t been home this week,” Hunter admitted.

I could feel it coming on. I was gonna have to kill that nigga, Gage. I knew by the way he talked to my sister at the kickback that he was disrespectful. I was gonna have to make my sister a single mother.

“They fightin’ bout what?” I asked, trying to keep my voice calm even though my blood was already starting to simmer.

“I dunno. Daddy yells a lot. Mommy cries.” Hunter shrugged like this shit was normal. “Sometimes he slams doors.”

I gripped the steering wheel tighter, feeling the plastic groan under my fingers. My jaw clenched so hard my teeth might’ve cracked.

“Uncle Cannon, you okay?” Josiah’s tiny voice pulled me back.

I forced my face to relax, meeting his worried eyes in the rearview. “Yeah, lil’ man. I’m good. Just thinking.”

When we pulled up to their house, I helped the boys with their backpacks and walked them to the door. The house was quiet. Empty. I fixed them some sandwiches and got them settled with homework at the kitchen table, all while my mind raced with dark thoughts.

An hour later, I heard keys in the front door. The boys perked up.

“Mommy’s home!” Josiah yelled, jumping from his chair.

But when Reese walked in, my whole world went red.

She had a bruise. Dark purple against her light brown skin, blooming across her left cheekbone like some sick-ass flower. She froze when she saw me, her hand instinctively going to cover it.

“Cannon,” she started, her voice already pleading. “It’s not—”

I was on my feet before she could finish, crossing the kitchen in three strides. Gently, I moved her hand away from her face, tilting her chin up to examine the mark. Fresh. Probably from this morning.

“Did that motherfucker do this to you?” My voice came out deadly quiet.

The boys were watching us, eyes wide. Reese shot them a nervous glance.

“Boys, go to your rooms for a bit,” she said, forcing cheerfulness into her voice. “I need to talk to Uncle Cannon.”

They hesitated, but Hunter eventually took Josiah’s hand and led him upstairs. Smart kid. He knew something was wrong.

The second they were gone, I exploded.

“I’ll fucking kill him,” I snarled, pacing the kitchen like a caged animal. “I swear to God, Reese, I’ll put that nigga in the ground.”

“Cannon, please,” she grabbed my arm, trying to hold me in place. “It was just a fight. It got out of hand.”

“Out of hand?” I yanked my arm free. “He put his fucking hands on you! There ain’t no ‘out of hand’ about that!”

Tears welled in her eyes. “It was my fault. I said things—”

“Don’t.” I cut her off, my voice low and dangerous. “Don’t you dare make excuses for him. Ain’t nothing you could say that gives him the right to touch you.”

She collapsed into a kitchen chair, shoulders slumping. “What am I supposed to do, Cannon? He’s their father. They need him.”

“They need a father who don’t beat on their mother,” I spat.

“I gotta go.”

“Where are you going?” Reese’s voice rose in panic.

“I’m handling this.”

“Cannon, no! Please! If you go after him, it’ll only make things worse.”

“Worse than this?” I pointed at her face. “This ain’t the first time, is it?”

Her silence told me everything.

“I’m gonna kill him,” I said simply, like I was commenting on the weather. “I’ll make it quick if he’s lucky.”

“Think about Hunter and Josiah!” she cried, grabbing my shirt. “If you hurt him, you’ll go back to prison. I can’t lose you too! The boys can’t lose you!”

That hit me where it hurt. The thought of going back inside, of leaving my nephews without their uncle… but the rage in my blood demanded satisfaction.

“I’ll handle it my way,” I said finally. “But I am handling it. That’s not negotiable.”

“Cannon, please,” she begged, tears streaming down her face now. “The boys are already scared. If you escalate this—”

“If I don’t, who will?” I shot back. “You gonna wait till he puts you in the hospital? Or worse? You know I ain’t the type of nigga to let someone hurt you. We’ve been down this road before.”

“I just need time to figure things out,” she whispered. “Please. For me. For the boys.”

I stared at her bruised face, at the sister who’d visited me every month for five years, who’d never given up on me even when I’d given up on myself. But I couldn’t promise her what she wanted.

“I gotta go,” I said, already moving toward the door.

“Cannon!” she called after me. “Promise me you won’t do anything stupid!”

I didn’t answer. Couldn’t lie to her face like that.

Outside, the evening air did nothing to cool the inferno raging inside me.

I slid into Reese’s car, my hands shaking with fury as I gripped the steering wheel.

The smart play would be to wait, to plan, to handle this shit carefully.

But all I could see was that bruise on my sister’s face, all I could think about was Gage’s hands on her.

It reminded me of the time I killed someone when they attacked and tried to rape her on her way to school.

She was about fifteen when she came running to me.

It was some nigga she went to high school with.

He had a crush on her. I ain’t think twice when it came to ending his life.

What kind of man would I be if I let someone else harm the women I loved?

If I loved you that meant I protected you. That meant I’d kill for you.

Gage didn’t know it yet, but he’d just signed his death certificate.