CHAPTER FIVE
WRONG IDEA
Since Dane was spending some quality time with Danilo once again, that left Inari with too much on her mind and nothing to do. She and Moose parted ways at Soiree because he had to get to the shop and check on things. The two agreed to link up later, so she hit Ayla up and decided to join her at the park and hang for the day. She pulled up, parked, and hopped out of her Lexus when she spotted her sister on a bench, watching Kara and Kyro play. Ayla was so far gone in her own thoughts that she never even saw Inari appear at her side.
“Okay, I let it slide at the café, but what is wrong with you?” Inari sat on the wooden bench and turned to her.
Ayla’s wounded stare left her holding her breath. She knew that look. Only the hurt from a man could put that kind of somberness in a woman’s eyes. She reached for her sister’s hand, empathy filling her light brown eyes when she gave it a squeeze.
“What happened?”
“I slept with him,” Ayla admitted, avoiding her sister’s stare as she looked off to where Kara had run to the swings.
She loved that Kyro was never far behind his little sister. Always her protector. He stepped up to push her.
“And now he says it shouldn’t have happened, then he left to go check on another woman.”
“Oh, Lala.” Inari draped her arm over her shoulders and pulled her in.
“I just… I don’t understand, Nari.” She wept into her shoulder.
“Girl, men are dogs. Some are well-behaved, others are volatile and cruel, real animals. Sometimes it’s hard to tell when you got those rose-colored glasses on.”
“I thought he really cared or liked me.”
“I don’t doubt that he does.” Inari sighed.
She could kick Kong’s ass for this. She only empathized with him because she knew what he’d lost and that had to be hard on him. It didn’t give him a complete pass, but she didn’t want her sister to be a casualty because he didn’t know how to handle her. Grabbing her phone from her purse beside her, she texted Moose to let him know she wanted to fuck his brother up. He was obviously confused, and Inari left it at that for now.
“Then why is he doing this?” Ayla sniffled.
“Because he’s stupid,” Inari declared. “A real dumb ass. But that has nothing to do with you. You hear me?” She pushed her sister off her and looked into her heartbroken eyes. “You are smart, creative, and beautiful. Any man who fumbles you is a fool.”
“You’re my sister. You have to say that.”
“It’s also true,” Inari assured her. “So, what are you going to do about your job?”
“I don’t know.” She shrugged. “I kind of need it, right? I don’t want to go backward. I only have a semester left in culinary school. One more year of college for my degree. I also love working at the estate.”
“Well, that’s completely up to you. I got you either way. You can come back home and go to school. Don’t stay because youfeel obligated, especially if it’s going to fuck with your mental being around him.”
“I was gonna go and prep dinner for tonight. You want to come have some wine with me? Coast is already there, but she can’t drink.”
“Girl, damn the wine. This calls for something harder, and I just so happen to have some za with me too.”
Ayla allowed the kids to play for another thirty minutes or so, giving Inari time to roll up so they could be ready to blaze when they arrived at the Blackmoor home. About an hour later, they pulled up the winding driveway and parked behind a Maybach and a Bentley. She shut off her car and got out as Ayla did the same with Kong’s G Wagon and unloaded the kids. The two of them raced ahead down the sidewalk to the large double front doors.
“Damn. This is nice,” Inari complimented, impressed by the structure. “They got a pool?”
“A pool, tennis court, basketball court, even a damn pool house that’s like an apartment.”
“You feel like taking a dip? It’s a hot enough day.”
“I don’t know. I haven’t gotten comfortable like that around here. Audiemar says it’s perfectly fine and to make myself at home, but… I don’t know.”
Yasmine opened the door for Kara and Kyro, and they rushed right past her, little feet stampeding against the marble floor until they reached the stairs.
“I’m going to play with my dollies,” Kara announced, her little chubby legs taking on the stairs slowly with Kyro behind her.
