Inari grabbed breakfast fromMorning Delightwith her usual white mocha and chocolate iced coffee and headed home. Whipping her car up her driveway, she peeped Dane’s vehicle on the curb with a silver Mercedes coupe S series parked behind it. She couldn’t say for sure, but she took a few guesses as to who she thought it could be. Sighing, immediate annoyance took overas she grabbed her purse, food and to-go coffee cup before she got out of her car. She really wasn’t in the mood to deal with anyone other than her son. She was glad he and Danilo were building a relationship, but why the nigga have to keep coming around her?
Unlocking the front door, Inari let herself inside. The living room was empty, and there wasn’t anything out of place as she listened to the voices and laughter coming from her kitchen. Strolling in that direction, she stopped in the doorway to take in the scene. Danilo at her counter cooking like he belonged there and Dane seated at her kitchen table with Danilo’s auntie Mira across from him.
“When I tell you I smacked the hoe from here to Sunday, I was not playing that shit!” Mira jested.
Dane roared with laughter, and Danilo peered up from the eggs he was scrambling.
“What’s up, Ma!” Dane perked up in his chair and grinned.
Mira turned, her short pixie cut laid like always as her dark, slanted, oil-black irises drifted over Inari. It was obvious from her disheveled appearance that she’d been out all night.
“Look at you doing the walk of shame.” Mira snickered.
“I actually spent the night with my sister,” Inari corrected her.
“And how is our sweet,innocentgirl?” Mira queried, although there was a taunting in her tone that only Inari and Danilo picked up on.
“She’s fine. What are you doing here?”
She tossed her purse on the counter and set her food and drink beside it. Inari hadn’t laid eyes on Mira in years. She still remembered how she dismissed her the day she told her she was done. She’d made her last reup and sent her birds flying within a few days. Mira made a killing selling pussy. She rented bitches from top shelf escorts to strung out walkers on the stroll,gathering a percentage from everything. Of course, the next best thing to selling ass was dope.
Naturally, she didn’t want to see one of her top earners walk away. She’d rather Inari did a bid like Danilo or end up in the dirt before she got to leave. She gave her a pass, but that never stopped Mira from watching. It also didn’t hurt that she was one of few people privy to some very incriminating information on Inari.
“Seems like you aren’t too happy to see me.” Mira sniggered, swiping her brow of some of her hair out of place. “I can’t imagine why. There are no hard feelings, Nari. I promise.” Mira threw up both hands, flashing her bangles, Van Cleef bracelets and diamond rings with her super long acrylics.
“Look what Mira bought me, Ma.” Dane reached for the Jordan bag on the floor. “Two pairs of the latest Js.”
“That’s what’s up.” Inari bobbed her head.
“Nilo was telling me he was nice on the court. We’ve been talking lately. Heard from Dane that you’re having some employment challenges right now.” Mira’s eyes briefly cut to Danilo’s across the room.
“It’s temporary.” Inari leaned against the counter. “I’m not worried about it.”
“I don’t doubt it. You’re smart. Resourceful. Always have been,” Mira noted. “And I hear you’re keeping company with Moose Blackmoor?” She cocked a brow and simpered. “I ain’t mad at it.”
“What does that have to do with anything and why you all in my business?” Inari sneered and took a sip of her coffee.
It wasn’t even 10:00 a.m., and she wished it was something a little stronger.
“I make everything in the streets my business.” Mira reached into her Chanel tote for a pack of cigarettes and dug one out. “Knowing is half the battle out here.”
“Dane, what are your plans today?” Inari turned her attention to her son.
“Oh, me and Pops was gon’ kick it.” Dane motioned to his father.
“I have a date tonight. So, I just want to make sure you’re good. I’m going to shower and get some rest. Make sure you lock up when you go.” Inari grabbed her food and moved toward her son.
After a quick embrace and kiss to the top of his head, she traveled toward the door. She didn’t owe Mira shit, nor Danilo for that matter.
“It was nice seeing you, Inari,” Mira said, exhaling smoke over her shoulder.
Inari reached her bedroom and got undressed. She was going to have a talk with Dane in the future about those two being in her house when she wasn’t present. It was one thing because Danilo was her son’s father, but Mira didn’t have no business in her shit when she wasn’t home. She didn’t trust either of them, honestly, but she was damn sure the worst of the two evils. She heard the chatter move further to the front of the house before the door closed downstairs and she heard them all outside on the sidewalk.
Mira was making jokes, as usual, strutting in her six-inch heels with Danilo and Dane at her side as they approached their cars at the curb. Inari continued to peep their interaction from her window as Danilo and Dane got into his car and pulled away. She turned on her heel, almost like she knew Inari was there watching. Going into her bag, she removed a large yellow business envelope. She held it up for Inari to see and walked it over to her mailbox. With a simper, Mira sauntered back over to her car and hopped in. Inari waited until she was gone to go outside and check the mail. She grabbed everything and rushed back into her home.
Standing in the foyer near the bottom of the stairs, she ripped into the envelope. The air in her lungs suddenly threatened when she pulled out an old photo that was blown up with a small slip of notepad paper.
“Never forget who was there for you.”
