“Pssh, who the hell you telling?” Moose shook his head.
“Well, we better go. I’m sure Audiemar is heading right to the hospital, and Kong will more than likely want to be there too.”
Moose and Ayla stood on the sidewalk together and some lanky ass pretty boy appeared like he was about to head inside. Ayla looked up, surprised before something like recognition filled her eyes.
“Justin, hey. What are you doing here?”
“Grabbing something to eat.” He smiled at her and cut his eyes toward Moose briefly. “Small ass world.”
“Yeah, it is.” Ayla bowed her head, but Moose’s alarms were ringing.
He didn’t like this nigga. All that charm and harmlessness was a red flag.
“You want to sit down and talk? I know we haven’t had a chance to commit to that date yet. Feels like you been avoiding a nigga,” He jested with a short laugh.
“Then take a hint, nigga.” Moose intervened with a scowl.
“Moose—”
“Who is this nigga?”
“Listen, he’s a friend from school. It’s cool. You go ahead. I’ll see you at the hospital,” Ayla insisted, shoving him in the opposite direction.
Moose was hesitant, mugging Justin the whole time and not really budging from her side. Ayla sighed and shook her head.
“Moose.” Ayla sighed, frustrated.
He didn’t answer. Instead, he looked Justin up and down once again before backing off. Ayla watched him strut to where he’d parked on the curb and focused her attention back on Justin.
“Who is that?” he queried, watching Moose before turning back to her with his hands in the pockets of his jeans.
“Oh, I work for his family, and he’s kind of dating my sister, I guess,” Ayla replied. “Sorry about that. Whole family is a little… off.”
“No shit. Nigga acting like you’re his bitch.” It wasn’t what Justin said, but how he said it that triggered something in Ayla.
She typically knew not to deal with a disrespectful ass nigga. The word bitch always made her cringe, ever since she was a little girl. Pausing, a flicker of a memory flashed through her head, then a man’s voice. Low, dangerous, and deadly. She stiffened, spine tingling, pulse racing as she tried to recall where the memory was from.
“Stupid little bitch!” he shouted before striking her across her face and yanking her pants down.
Suddenly, she was a whimpering little girl again in a dark room fighting for her life with a heavy man on top of her, reeking of alcohol and what she assumed was nail polish. Justin extended his arm and reached for her wrist. A spark shot through Ayla’s veins before she snapped out of her trance.
“You good?” he checked with her.
“I don’t know.” Ayla shook her head and searched his stormy black eyes.
“You look a little shaken up. How about I drive you home?” Justin suggested.
“No.” She shook her head, but something still wasn’t sitting right. “I have someone waiting on me, so I should go.” She brushed past Justin to her car parked across the street, and he skipped to keep up with her.
The snow fell heavier, and the wind picked up around them. Ayla put some pep in her step to get to the warmth of her vehicle.
“Slow up, Lala.” Justin’s voice stopped her dead in her tracks at the driver’s door of her car.
“How did you know to call me that?”
Justin stalled, and her stomach shifted into a ball of anxiousness. She’d felt little flutters before now and ignored them, but this was different. Her baby was kicking. With a light gasp, her hand fell on the round ball that had become her belly.
“’Cause you killed my brother, bitch!” Justin snatched a pistol from behind his back and cocked it. “Gimme ya keys and get in the fucking car!”
