Page 9 of Cannon (King Family Saga #3)

Cannon

She was more beautiful than I had remembered but something was different about her today. She seemed sad and out of it. I wondered who had her feeling like that?

But it wasn’t my business. I just needed this gig to get by until I got my affairs in order.

This gig was just to ensure that I could pay rent and not live in my sister’s house.

I was determined to get my hands on that money Tyran and I squared away.

And when I did, I would do right by Draya, giving her Tyran’s share.

But there was something about Queen that intrigued me. She had a tough exterior but I knew that she was hiding something beneath it.

I got back to Reese’s right before the boys came barreling through the front door after school. Their backpacks hit the floor first, then came the noise, laughing and yelling. I loved hearing their voices. It was a reminder that I was finally free.

I headed straight to the kitchen. Reese was already there, stirring a pot of something on the stove that smelled like garlic and comfort. Her eyes narrowed the second she saw me.

“Where were you last night?” she asked without looking up.

I leaned against the counter, arms folded. “Out.”

She arched a brow. “That’s all I get? ‘Out’?”

“The less you know, the better.”

“Cannon…” Her voice dropped. “You just got back home. I don’t like the way you stormed out of here last night. You can’t be out here moving reckless.”

“I’m not.” I exhaled through my nose and glanced around. This kitchen felt too tight all of a sudden. “But I did get a job.”

That stopped her cold. “What kind of job?”

“Security at the Sylk Road.”

“At a strip club?” she asked. “That’s not a good look for you. You just got out…”

“Stop reminding me every two seconds. And it’ll pay decently. Enough for me to get my own place. You know ain’t nobody hiring ex-cons.”

“Cannon, you can’t risk this. One slip and you’re gone again. Just stay here. The boys love having you around. I love having you around.”

“I’m not staying here, Reese,” I said, cutting through the noise. “I appreciate you and all, but I gotta go. I can’t keep living in Gage’s house pretending shit is sweet.”

“You don’t have to pretend. This is your home too.”

“No. It’s your home. His house. I’m just passing through.”

Her jaw tightened. I saw the hurt flash in her eyes before she looked down at the spoon in her hand like it could ground her. She knew that I was stubborn. I’ve always been this way. You’d think by now she would just accept that I am this way.

“Besides,” I added, “I’m not tryna be the cause of another argument between y’all. He ain’t never liked me.”

“It’s not that he doesn’t like you. He just doesn’t know you.”

“And he never will, because I def don’t like him.”

“I wish you would try to get along with him.”

“I’m good.”

“Cannon, please.”

“If I stay here, Imma end up breaking his jaw. For the sake of you and those boys, it’s best I get my own place as soon as possible.”

“You are just like Daddy.”

I shrugged my shoulders. I was stubborn like him. It’s funny. We didn’t share genetics but we were very similar in so many ways. I missed him and felt terrible that I was the reason he was no longer here.

“Uncle Cannon!” Hunter’s voice cut through the room like a lifeline.

I turned just as he and Josiah came rushing into the kitchen, both of them beaming like they hadn’t seen me in years.

“Guess what happened at school!” Josiah said, practically bouncing.

I suppressed my thoughts and forced my mouth into something like a smile.

“Tell me.”

I let the boys talk, their little voices fill the air and distract me long enough to keep from snapping. But the second they turned their attention to their after-school snacks, I grabbed the keys and walked out.

I needed to clear my head. The barrage of thoughts about my missing millions overtook me and I needed to get out of the house.

The screen door slammed behind me, and I walked.

Fast. Angry. Jaw tight. The thought of not being able to access that money was driving me crazy.

It can’t be lost forever. I once read about a guy who paid a hacker to hack into his account because he lost his password.

That was a last resort though. Maybe once the dust was settled around Tyran’s death, Draya would allow me to look through his shit to see if the password was written somewhere.

The sun was still out, but everything looked dim to me. I hustled my ass off since I was 11 years old, saved my money and only spent it on necessities, did five years in prison and had absolutely nothing to show for it.

Fifty million dollars. Gone. Or at least out of reach.

I was gonna get it back.

I’d burn this muhfucka down if I had to.

Knowing I had that money was one of the reasons I boldly turned down the Kings. I didn’t need Tessa’s handouts. I had made my own.

When Tyran put me on to Bitcoin, I knew that I was going to one day get out of the game.

It was the perfect way to hide my cash from the feds and make sure I had a future.

So many of the niggas I used to run with lost it all because they wanted to stunt.

Kept money in the bank, drove flashy cars, wore chains like trophies.

And the second they got locked up, the feds took everything.

Me? I played it different.

I put damn near every dime I had into crypto. Lived simple. No chains, no new whips, no bullshit. I had a plan. Once I hit my number, I was out. But then I got arrested.

While I was locked up, that money multiplied. Almost fifteen times. I had over three million stashed when I went in. Now it was sitting at fifty million, if I could get to it.

The thought of it being gone forever made me want to kill somebody. Like whoever sold Tyran that coke. I wanted to kill him for even risking his life. I had half a mind to go down to the morgue and pistol whip his ass for being so reckless. Shit, I might do that at the funeral.

I needed to calm the fuck down. I made it to the 7-Eleven in seven minutes flat. My heart was still thudding when I pushed the door open and walked straight to the counter.

“Let me get a Black and Mild,” I muttered.

The cashier slid one across the counter without saying a word. I threw down the cash, grabbed it, and turned—

And there she was.

Carmen the nurse from prison. What were the odds? I was not in the mood to talk to this girl. I hated that she lived this close to my sister. That meant there were more opportunities for us to run into each other. I def needed to get out of this neighborhood.

She looked good, even better than before. It was weird seeing her in normal clothes. I always saw her in her nurse uniform. But today she was wearing a pair of tight jeans and low-cut top that showed off her cleavage.

I took note of her wedding rings. The poor guy still had no clue what his wife was up to because she def looked like she was ready to pounce on me.

“Well, damn,” she purred, biting her glossed lip. “I didn’t think I’d ever see you again.”

I didn’t say anything at first. Just stared at her. She was fine, no doubt. But all I saw was a distraction I didn’t need. Besides, I would never mess with someone I didn’t trust.

Then she stepped closer, brushing her fingers down my arm. “Maybe we can finish what we started now that you’re out?”

I raised a brow. “What about that ring on your finger?” I said that shit like I cared but I didn’t.

I just thought it was wild to see her still go after me even though she had a husband.

I could never trust a bitch like this. That man probably thought she was a sweet nurse but she was trying to fuck me at the 7-Eleven.

She shrugged like it didn’t mean shit. “It’s just a ring. You know I always had a soft spot for you. We should… catch up.” Even after I blew her off yesterday and left her on her knees crying, she still wanted me to dick her down. It was not going to happen.

I blew out a slow breath, lips curving. “Book a suite at The Hudson. Top floor.”

Her smile faltered for a split second. “That place is like five hundred a night.”

“And?”

I pulled out a roll of twenties and peeled a few off slow, let her see the kind of paper I was working with.

“I’ll give you the cash when I get there. Got a few moves to make first.”

That giddy little look came back to her face. She reached for the bills, but I pulled them back and tapped them against my palm instead.

“Book it. I’ll see you tonight. Leave a key for me at the front desk.”

She nodded like she couldn’t believe her luck and walked out swaying her hips like I was still chasing.

But I wasn’t going.

I had no intention of touching Carmen or stepping foot in that hotel.

I just wanted her to feel stupid. Maybe come to her senses and start treating her man right. I wasn’t thinking about pussy.

Because I had work to do.

Moves to make.

People to find.

And money to track down.