Stone's Diary: Kairo

Chapter 15.) Mo' Money, Mo' Problems

After giving his father the rundown of how things came about and everything that he knew about Delano, King had hit Dajon up and they talked in code briefly before disconnecting the call. Of course, Kairo had figured he'd be able to take his ass to bed but as soon as two a.m. rolled around, King was entering his room, telling him to get dressed. Now here they were, somewhere deep in Portsmouth, looking for the address that Von had sent Dajon.

"So um... what's tha' plan?" Kairo asked, finally breaking the heavy silence.

"Just pay attention... use dis a teaching moment," King cut his eyes at him before focusing on Siri speaking.

Kairo sighed then leaned his head back and gazed out the window, "I wasn't trying to get you caught up."

"Well now I am... and now dis nigga gon' have to die."

Kairo stared at him, "I thought... you ain't just gon' pay him?"

King chuckled dryly, "Ain't no nigga gon' just let a cat like you walk tha' fuck away, especially when they know you got money."

"So let me do it then... it's my fault," he mumbled.

"What kind of father would I be to let you body a nigga when I'm still alive? Come on now, yo sister couldn't even kill a nigga dat was trying to hurt her, she knocked her damn self out and had nightmares for weeks. Taking a life ain't sweet like you see in movies, you get PTSD from dat shit."

"But you did it... a lot," he reminded.

"I caught my first body when I young, so yeah, dat shit ain't faze me. With each life I took, I became numb to dat shit, but dem voices and faces stick with you... you ain't cut like dat so stop trying to act like you are," King advised him sternly.

Kairo remained quiet but he knew his father was right but he also wanted to show that he could handle his problems. "I should have told you sooner."

"Glad you know dat," King muttered.

"I was just mad at you... I don't know how to explain it man, but it's like mom and I got dis weird connection, so when you hurt you... dat shit kinda ate at me. You're supposed to be tha' first man I look up to but back then... I kinda hated you."

King glanced over at him momentarily but didn't comment, his feelings were a bit hurt.

"I don't hate you, pops," Kairo quickly clarified.

King shrugged, "Wouldn't be tha' first time someone said dat to me."

Knowing exactly who he was referring to, Kairo felt bad for voicing his feelings.

"I just don't understand why you would get yourself caught up in some shit like dis? How in tha' hell do you owe dis nigga thirty stacks?" King finally asked.

"I needed some stuff to start with and since I wasn't old enough to use any of yo weed... he gave me some with some cash to flip. I guess he didn't think I could do it, 'cause when I dropped tha' money off he asked if I wanted a challenge. So accepted... a year after, I started avoiding his calls and started moving on my own but one of his dudes tried to bitch me, so I threatened him. Instead of me selling on any block, he started charging me each time a nigga copped from me. At first, I ain't mind 'cause I was taking over his smaller neighborhoods, but then tha' nigga kept blowin' my line up. It wasn't until Zay told me about some short fat nigga approaching him at tha' school dat I realized, I was in too damn deep."

"So how did it turn into you taking Zay under you?" King asked.

"When I told him he couldn't make runs with me... he would take some weed from his pops here and there and sell it after school. Delano's boys got swift of it and slid through tha' area and scooped him up. Zay liked tha' hot shit he was kicking and told me he was thinking about it. I knew who Delano was but Zay didn't, so I was just like fuck it and told him he could do runs with me as long as he listened to what I said. Now we're here," he explained and King shook his head.