Mozzi sucked his teeth. “She hormonal. Nigga, she gets mad or sad about everything. Mostly mad. She horny as fuck too.”
“So, what’s the problem?” Moose pried.
Mozzi slid into the space beside Kong in the parking lot. He’d backed in so he was facing the café across the street, and he could see if anybody tampered with his whip. He noticed Kong had done the same thing. The silence was too long for Mozzi, the comeback kid.
“Nigga, don’t tell me you scared.” Moose broke into laughter, and Mozzi hung up in his face.
He didn’t think that shit was funny. This was the first time he ever really liked a girl. Yeah, he fucked plenty of women andwas attracted to them, but they were all just fixtures in his life. Objects that he could go with or without. The only woman who ever managed to steal a piece of his heart was Jane. Coast was pretty, and her voice was like fucking butter, all soft and sexy. She had the kind of aura he wanted to drown in. She annoyed him, but he still fucked with her and all her little quirks.
“Auntie Coast said she mad at you, Uncle. What you do?” Kara asked, hands on her hips after Coast helped her out of her booster seat and onto the ground.
Ayla and Kong piled out of the front seats, and Kyro was let out by his father on the other side of the car. Mozzi hit the alarm on his fob and slipped his keys into his pocket. Leaning against his whip, he smiled. Kara was mean as hell, so the fact that she had warmed up to his Trouble only solidified his initial thoughts of her. She was his.
“She’ll be aight.” Mozzi simpered, and Coast’s nostrils flared.
“Come on, Kara. We can sit together.” Coast grabbed her hand, rolled her eyes at Mozzi, and strolled off with an extra sway in her hips as they neared the sidewalk.
Ayla and Kyro fell in stride behind them. Mozzi noticed how Kong’s eyes were glued to their new chef as she held his son’s hand and laughed at something he said when they joined Coast and Kara at the curb. She had a newfound confidence and swag herself. Kara and Kyro were growing accustomed to her warm and genuine nature. On high alert, Kong checked each corner of the block. Their men were in place. With his hands in the pockets of his slacks, he fell in stride with Mozzi.
“What’s going on with Nay?”
Shaking his head, Kong peeped traffic clearing so they all could cross together. Phoebe texted him and said that she’d been asking about him. He knew he would have to make a move soon. After spending all night wrapped in the sheets inside Ayla, he had plenty of doubts to go around. It was wrong, but nothinghad felt that right since Twyla. Ayla didn’t pry. She didn’t want anything from him aside from his company. Women like that were who you gave the world to. Even with Nay, she wanted him to open up, tell her all his hopes and fears. Some shit he didn’t do with anybody because they typically used it against you.
“That shit is crazy.”
“What you gon’ do about it?” Mozzi wondered when they came to a stop at the entrance doors toSoiree.
He reached for the chrome handle and pulled it open so the women and children could pass through first. Coast was last, and she didn’t miss the opportunity to grill him on the way inside. Kong chuckled at the exchange.
“Looks like you got your own shit to worry about, bruh.” He slapped a hand against Mozzi’s shoulder.
Mozzi brushed him off resentfully and pushed his way inside ahead of him even though he was going to let him pass at first. The hostess led them to two empty tables to be seated. Ayla, Coast, and the kids shared a table, while Kong and Mozzi took the other with two empty chairs beside them.
“So, you don’t remember anything about the shooter?” Kong leaned forward and questioned.
Mozzi shook his head.
“Nah. I’m trying to trace the text message. That’s my best option. I need to get to the farm sometime today and do some recon, though. Out of everybody I don’t fuck with, who you think bold enough to make a move like that?”
“Donahue was preoccupied, but that don’t mean shit. We already know how that hierarchy goes. All roads lead back to him. Whether it’s Nickel, Riddle, Fire, or even that pussy muhfucka Sipes. After all the shit we’ve pulled, we have to assume that’s where it came from.”
“So, what’s our next play?” Mozzi questioned, peeping a waiter come to take their order.
“We keep everyone on high alert. Trim the fat. That means Lin,” Kong warned. “She’s a fucking liability because of her affiliation with Nickel. Coast is solid. She don’t want shit to do with Sipes. You know word got out that she shot that nigga?” Kong tittered.
Mozzi scoffed and looked down the table at her as she and Ayla engaged with the waitress over the menu.
“I believe that.”
There was some movement from the door, and Moose strolled right inside with Inari. Both had changed, casual and coordinated in jeans and white shirts. Moose was simple in a graphic t-shirt, and Inari’s blouse left her cleavage spilling out, but he didn’t seem to mind. She was a full figured, confident woman who wore what the fuck she wanted and made that shit look good. Inari didn’t take orders, so even if he didn’t approve of her attire, she wouldn’t give a fuck. She very much marched to the beat of her own drum and knew how to run shit. Mozzi got real hustler vibes from her.
“This nigga.” He scoffed, resting his hand on the table.
“What’s up, my people!” Moose threw his hands up and grinned.
He paused behind Mozzi, resting both hands on his shoulders before kneeling toward his ear.
“You hung up on me like a bitch!” Moose chortled, gripping his shoulders extra tight.
