“If something don’t feel right, abort,” Moose recited.
“Just hit me up.” Mozzi pushed himself away from the table and rose with his plate.
He walked it over to the counter and dropped it in the sink. When he turned to grab the to-go container for Coast, Audiemar met him at the island. Mozzi paused, bracing himself for some kind of lecture. It wasn’t that his father was disappointed in him; he knew firsthand that Mozzi and his impulsiveness couldsometimes be disastrous.He was also the first to acknowledge the true potential the boy had. It was organic, something that had to be predestined for him. With Mozzi he understood how someone so smart could be so reckless. There had to be a balance.
“I’d like to meet Coast,” he proposed, cupping his chin and stroking his salt and pepper shadow beard.
Mozzi kept his life compartmentalized. Family. Business. Bitches. His world with Lin, Gill, and Roni was disconnected from everything else, probably because he knew it was dysfunctional as hell. Not everybody could invade his private life. If there was such a thing, being a part of the Blackmoor family was his safe space in the world. The most solace he’d found in anything since he was a child. When it came to those boundaries overlapping, he’d purposely kept them all separate.
“Don’t look at me like that. I talked to Desiree, and she speaks highly of her already. Said she’s Bee’s niece. Bee is pretty much family.” Audiemar reminded him.
“I know that.”
“From the way it sounds, she’s not just some girl. If she was, you wouldn’t be putting in this kind of effort. I’m interested to meet the woman that has somehow captivated your womanizing ass. She’s already met your brothers and my mother.”
“Aight. I’ll bring her by,” Mozzi agreed.
“Dinner. Friday night,” Audiemar concluded.
Mozzi knew his curiosity about Coast wasn’t just because she was related to Bee. Audiemar remained cautious over the years about who they let into their lives and why. Unfortunately, life taught them that everyone had an agenda, and no one knew that better than the Blackmoor men. He and Phoebe had a history, being around her also made him feel closer to Jane since they grew up together. Now he’d grown comfortable with her in other ways and gotten to know the woman underneath all the cosmeticsurgery. She wasn’t nearly as bad as people thought, he’d told her constantly she came off that way because of the defensive shield she’d built around herself. Most women were out here in survival mode, waiting on some hero to swoop in and carry them into that soft life.
“Hey, what you up to?” Inari sipped her strawberry-kiwi smoothie and leaned back in her chair.
Ayla was on Facetime, and it was clear that she was laid up in bed, feeling some kind of way with weary eyes. The illumination from the TV bounced off her face every now and then.
“Nothing. WatchingBeat Bobby Flay,” Ayla answered.
“Without me?” Inari gasped, faking hurt.
“Yeah. I’ve fulfilled my duties for the day.” She sighed, but Inari caught the trouble in her tone.
“What’s wrong?”
“Well, I officially broke our pact to keep my distance from said Blackmoor man.”
“What happened?” Inari leaned forward nosily at her desk.
“I kind of straddled and kissed him in the back of the car last night. On some real hoe shit.”
Inari almost choked on her smoothie and had to swallow slowly.
Ayla didn’t curse a lot. She was usually sunshine and rainbows despite any hardship, so Inari couldn’t hide her amusement. She knew her baby sister better than anyone. Sure, she was calm, levelheaded, and seemingly sweet, but there was something strong about her that Ayla had no clue she embodied. The girl was far more capable than she let on, and Inari had seen it up close.
“It’s not funny, Nari!” Her sister’s adorable face bunched up.
Clearly, she was bothered.
“Well, you wanna know what is?” she asked, easing back in her chair. “I’ll see your kiss and straddle and raise you some straight up hunching.”
Ayla paused and processed what Inari was saying before her eyes stretched, and she covered the gasp that slipped through her lips.
“You fucked Moose?” she whispered, bringing her face closer to the camera.
“All over that tattoo suite, girl!” Inari fell over laughing and slapping her thigh. “At least you kept your V card. Meanwhile, Coast is practically living with Mozzi, so it’s safe to say we’re all failing, epically at this.”
“Nah, there is nothing between me and Kong.” Ayla shook her head. “He made that clear last night. I’m just the chef.” She brought a pillow into her lap and sighed.
“Hmm.” Inari squinted, not quite convinced.
