Kyle and Kendall were always close. They grew up in a two-parent household in the suburbs. Their father was a history teacher, and their mother worked as a nurse. Raised in a loving environment, they always got what they wanted. When Kyle was just eleven and Kendall was thirteen, their fairy-tale lives took a turn for the worse when their father was arrested and convicted of child molestation on one of his students.
Their mother went into a state of shock from the ordeal. She eventually gave up on life because of it, losing her job due to the time she took off. She couldn’t stand that the hospital staff constantly talked about her husband. When the community in which they lived turned on their family as well, she sank into a deep depression and began to neglect her motherly duties, and both boys became objects of ridicule from their classmates.
Finally their mother was admitted into a mental hospital, and the boys were carted off to spend the rest of their childhood with their alcoholic aunt. Unaccustomed to the mean streets of Newark, New Jersey, they had to adjust quickly. And living in their new environment only brought them closer to each other. Kendall made sure he protected his younger brother at all costs.
Kyle and Kendall decided to be lawyers, so they could
represent people like their father, who they knew was wrongly convicted.
As they grew older, Kyle became competitive with Kendall. Anything Kendall did, Kyle wanted to do it better. Kendall never minded his younger brother being so competitive, because he thought it was a great way to keep him focused. But now, as adults, Kendall didn’t think Kyle’s competitiveness was so cute anymore. In fact, it was now becoming annoying and distracting to what they were building as a team.
Kendall also thought that Kyle was hardheaded and thought he knew everything.
“Why don’t you just keep it funky and say what the fuck is your problem?” Kendall asked.
“We are supposed to be a team! We are supposed to be brothers. How could you go against me in this case?”
“Kyle, I am representing Dante. I gotta do what I gotta do to keep that boy from going to jail for life.”
“And I don’t have a problem with that. But you’re going against me, and everything we worked on for this case in the beginning.”
“How you figure, Kyle?”
“Come on, man! If you gonna defend Dante, then defend him. You know good and gotdamn well the questions we prepared to ask the witnesses. Don’t override what I’m doing by using the witness to incriminate Diamond on Dante’s behalf.”
“Oh.” Kendall threw back his head. “Now I see where this is going.”
Now Kyle was confused. “What are you talking about?”
“You know what I’m talking about. Don’t play me for stupid. You sweet on Diamond, and you know it.”
“Man, fuck you! Ain’t nobody sweet on her. I’m working for her. I represent her, and you getting paid too. In fact, at one point you were representing her too.” Kyle looked at Kendall sideways.
“You know what’s funny to me, Kyle?”
“No. What’s funny to you?” Kyle asked sarcastically.
“It’s funny how you always allow pussy to interfere with our cases.”
“Bullshit!”
Kendall was right, though. Kyle was indeed a ladies’ man. He loved the ladies, and the ladies loved him. Sometimes he would allow a beautiful woman to cloud his brain when working on a case. Kendall would always pull his coattail, and the two would get into a heated argument over it. In the end, Kyle would still end up having sex with the client.
“Naw, no bullshit, brother. You always let pussy be your downfall.”
“Fuck you, Kendall! I got an undefeated record on my cases! No amount of pussy in the world is gonna cloud my judgment. Remember, I’m the lead attorney in this case.”
Kendall simply laughed. “Don’t forget, you didn’t get that undefeated record by yourself.”
“Fuck you, Kendall!” Kyle turned and looked out the window.
“A’ight, all jokes aside, I’m your brother, Kyle, and I love you, but I’m gonna do what I gotta do to make sure that boy gets the best representation I can give him. And if that affects your case, I’m sorry. But just know I’m not going to do anything to intentionally jeopardize your track record. It’s a sticky situation, and it may even seem like we’re going against each other in court, but they’re facing a lot of charges that they share. We just may bump heads and cross paths during the case, but just know that I have nothing but love for you, baby boy.”
“Man, fuck you!” Kyle waved his hand at him. “Stay the fuck outta my way, or you gonna wish you had.”
“Are you threatening me, Kyle?” a surprised Kendall asked.
“You heard what I said.”