Page 26 of Certified Pressure 2
Trill-Land, Jungle Estate
K icking Toni out for being the trifling bitch she was made me feel good.
I was one step closer to getting rid of the next bitch and words couldn’t describe how good I felt about it.
The house felt lighter without her loud mouth and that fake ass confidence she walked around with.
I had done what needed to be done, and whether whoever liked it or not, I was gonna keep doing it.
Nobody was gonna play in Pressure’s face on my watch.
I was in the kitchen early, dressed down in silk shorts and a fitted tank, my hair tied up but still cute enough just in case.
The espresso machine was going, filling the room with that rich smell Pressure liked, and I pulled his favorite mug from the cabinet.
While I was sprinkling sugar and stirring slow, I heard footsteps behind me, heavy and sure, like somebody walking in with purpose.
Kay’Lo cleared his throat, and when I glanced back, he was standing there with his phone in his hand, scrolling like he was reading something important.
But then his eyes locked on me, sharp as ever, and I knew what that meant.
My stomach turned, but I kept stirring the coffee like I didn’t feel a thing.
“So this what we doin’ now? Callin’ shots and sendin’ folks off in the middle of the night?” His voice was calm but there was steel in it, and I knew he wasn’t just passing through for small talk.
I set the spoon down and turned to face him, leaning against the counter. “She was a hoe. If you mad about it, that’s your problem. I’m trying to make sure Pressure don’t get played. That’s my job.”
He stepped closer, tilting his head. “Nah, see, that’s where you wrong. That ain’t your job. You not his mama, you not his wife, and you damn sure ain’t his keeper. You need to learn how to mind yo’ fuckin’ business.”
My lips curled into a smirk. “Pressure is my business. I been his since before any of these thirsty bitches came around, and I’ll be his when they all gone. You think I’m really going to stand by and let snakes like you and Toni crawl all around him?”
Kay’Lo chuckled, that low, dangerous laugh he had when he was seconds away from snapping.
He slipped his phone into his pocket and squared up with me.
“Let’s get one thing straight. You not my hoe.
You Pressure’s. And all this watchin’ me, runnin’ around snitchin’, stirrin’ up drama, playin’ watchdog—none of that shit gon’ get you what you want.
You could snitch till yo’ fuckin’ tongue fall out, but you still ain’t gon’ get that last name.
You been fucked that up, and you crazy if you don’t think Pressure peep it.
You dumb as fuck if you think you gon’ sit with the Mensah family and eat at our table. ”
That shit cut me deep, and I hated how quick my chest flamed with heat. I stared at him, my nails biting into my palm, because he had the nerve to say it like I wasn’t worth a damn thing.
“You really got me fucked up,” I hissed.
“I was going to let this ride. I wasn’t even gonna air your shit out.
I was just gon’ archive that little sex video of you and Toni and keep it moving.
But since you wanna talk to me stupid, maybe I should just go ahead and tell Pressure what’s really going on.
Then we gon’ see who really eating at the family table. ”
For the first time, I saw a flicker in Kay’Lo’s eyes, like I struck something. He crossed his arms over his chest, but his jaw was tight. He wasn’t scared though. He was too proud for that. But still, I knew he didn’t want me to tell Pressure the truth.
“Do what the fuck you gotta do, bitch,” he said, his voice even and sharp. “I ain’t beggin’ you for shit. You think tellin’ him gon’ break me? That’s my blood. We been through worse than some pussy drama. So go ahead. Run yo’ mouth. See what it really get you.”
I gritted my teeth, hating how calm he was. I wanted him to fold, to sweat, to back down, but he wouldn’t. Kay’Lo wasn’t no sucker. He was a Mensah, same as Pressure, and he wore that shit like armor.
I grabbed the mug of coffee and turned away from him. “Bet. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Walking out the kitchen with my head high, I felt his eyes burning into my back. My mind was spinning, pissed off and boiling, but also hungry for the win. He thought he could check me like I was nothing, but he had no clue who he was really playing with.
The hallway stretched in front of me, and just as I hit the corner, I noticed a group of women coming through the side entrance, wheeling in big rolling trunks and totes full of makeup and clothes.
Their heels clicked against the marble, their voices soft but excited.
I frowned, confused about what the hell was going on, but I kept walking.
By the time I got to the elevator, the doors slid open, and there he was…
Pressure stepped out like a scene out of a dream, and my whole body froze for a second.
He had on blue silk pajamas with the shirt unbuttoned halfway, showing off the tattoos running down his chest. His fade was fresh, sharp lines cutting across his hairline, and the blunt between his fingers sent curls of smoke drifting up in the air.
He looked so damn good my heart stumbled. All that anger I had toward Kay’Lo melted just from seeing him, and I hated that he still had that hold on me.
He reached out and took the coffee right out my hand without missing a beat.
“Good lookin’,” he said, taking a sip. Before I could even think of the right way to bring up what I had on my mind, he tilted his head at me.
“The other day was rough for the both of us and even though we ain’t been seein’ eye-to-eye, I think it’s time for us to bury the tension.
Our favorite artist, Rallo gon’ be perfomin’ at the Velvet Note. You wanna slide through later?”
That caught me off guard so hard I almost forgot how to breathe. I blinked up at him, shocked that he was even asking me out on what I believed was a date. That moment we had the other day, broke the both of us down and I agreed that we needed to get out for some fresh air.
“Of course,” I said quickly, my voice lighter now.
Pressure nodded, taking another pull of his blunt. “Cool. I got people waitin’ on you. Make sure you look ya best.”
My face stretched into a smile before I could stop it, and for once it wasn’t fake. I could barely see through how big I was cheesing. For the first time in a long time, it felt like he saw me again, like I wasn’t just another body in the mansion.
Kay’Lo came up then, dap’d Pressure up, and the two of them exchanged that silent look only cousins could share. Whatever tension was between us in the kitchen, it disappeared in front of Pressure like it was never there.
I stood there, smiling so hard my cheeks hurt, and for the first time since last night, I didn’t feel like I had to expose anything.
Why ruin my night over Toni and Kay’Lo’s mess?
Why tell him now when I finally had a chance to be in his space again, looking good and standing next to him where I belonged?
So, I shut my mouth.
I let Kay’Lo walk away with his pride, and I let Pressure take my arm as we headed toward the glam team waiting for me down the hall. Tonight was gonna be mine, and no bitch, no cousin, and no video was gonna take it away from me.
One thing I had to give Pressure his props on was the fact that he knew what it took to make a bitch feel special.
His glam team had me looking like I was headed to the Grammys instead of a regular ass night out.
My hair was laid, nails flawless, lashes curled just right, and this silky little dress hugging every single curve like it was made for me.
The makeup artist had my skin glowing, my cheekbones popping, and lips lined just enough to make my mouth look like a sin.
When I stood up and looked in the full-length mirror, I didn’t even recognize myself for a second.
I looked like a woman who belonged to royalty, and in my mind, that’s exactly who I was.
Pressure knew Rallo was both our favorite artist, and when he told me he was taking me out tonight to see him, I felt that rush of butterflies I used to feel when we first got together.
I couldn’t stop smiling the whole time the glam team worked on me.
Even though Pressure had options, I already knew what it was.
I was the one he was calling when he wanted to step out, the one he was spending his money on and the one getting treated like his queen.
Feeling good was an understatement. I was floating.
Every brush stroke, every curl, every jewel they clipped on my wrist was a reminder that I was chosen.
By the time they left, I couldn’t sit still.
I had too much energy, and confidence building up in me.
I wanted somebody to see me. I wanted somebody to feel what I was feeling.
So, of course, I went looking for Kashmere.
When I found her, she was in the kitchen like always, acting like she was starving or something.
She had a big glass bowl in front of her, tossing lettuce around, then pouring herself a drink like she had the most stressful day in the world.
She didn’t even look up when I walked in, and that bothered me instantly.
Here I was, glammed up to perfection, looking like a whole dream, and this girl didn’t even have the decency to look my way. I leaned against the counter, letting my dress shine under the lights, swinging my freshly done nails so they could catch the sparkle.
“Me and Pressure about to head out in a minute,” I said, my voice sweet but sharp enough to cut. “We got somewhere to be. You make sure you don’t tear the house up while we gone.”