Moose didn’t budge. Instead, he continued to size Danilo up. He knew the type. Niggas like him had issues with women, mainly their mama. If she was absent or always talked down on him, many of them were angry and resentful toward women who they felt were disrespectful. It excused how they treated them in their minds because they were also narcissistic as fuck.
“Whatever was between y’all, that shit is dead. Me and Nari got history, and we share a family. Know when to fall back,” Danilo advised, stepping away from Moose.
Seeing that it was the holidays, this was his family’s house, and there were kids present, Moose thought it was wise to let it slide. It was nothing to catch a nigga like Danilo. He’d already done his homework on him and was prepared to deal with both him and Mira. The only thing he needed was for Inari to fall in line so he could handle the problem for her. For some reason, and Moose was fully conscious of it, she wasn’t willing to open herself all the way up to him. She trusted him enough to spill her darkest inner thoughts, even her fears, but she couldn’t let go ofthe reins for him to make things right for her. He had a problem with that because of what he was trying to be in her life. Moose couldn’t grasp her reasoning because, for him, it was as simple as eliminating Danilo and moving the fuck on.
For Inari, it was more than that. It was history, and Danilo had leverage over her. Not to mention the fact that they did in fact share a child. What would losing his father permanently do to Dane? Moose personally felt like he was better off without the fuck nigga. Although Inari had kept her distance in the past months, whenever Moose saw Dane, it was nothing but respect. He stayed showing his social media pages love when he was online too. Overall, he was a good kid, and Moose believed it was based more on who his mother was than his father in the long run.
Ayla managed to take an hour to get herself together. By the time she emerged from her bedroom in the beaded black and red, A-line high neck long formal dress, she wanted nothing more than to crawl into her bed and go to sleep. Still, she smoothed the dress out and paused in a mirror in the hall to check her reflection. With her hair pulled into a low, sleek ponytail that swung down her back, she admired her reflection. The dress concealed her curves, but the more she studied herself, the easier it was to spot her pregnancy features. It was crazy how she’d ignored it this long.
“Lala.” Her nephew’s voice made her spin on the heel of her black pumps to face him.
“Dane!” she gushed, opening her arms so he could walk into an embrace. “Oh, my God! How have you gotten his big in such a short time?” She pulled back and skimmed him from head totoe. “Is that a mustache?” she teased, swiping her thumb over his upper lip hoping it would wipe off.
“Yo, you funny!”
“It’s so good to see you.” She pulled him in for a warmer, deeper hug, closing her eyes and holding him tight.
When she opened them, she found Kong near the doorway to one of the access points of the kitchen. He took her breath away watching her with Dane. In his hand, he gripped a glass of liquor but didn’t utter a word. His eyes said everything, making her cheeks flush and her heart sped up.
“How are you doing? How’s school? What’s going on with you?” She hooked her arm through his.
“I was just telling Kong about my scoring record for the summer. The new season started already, and it picks up after we go back for the new year.”
“I have to make some of your games. I’m sorry I’ve been so preoccupied.” Ayla lowered her head.
“It’s all good. Are you okay? Something seems off.” Dane narrowed his eyes on her suspiciously, and Ayla cleared her throat.
“I’m fine,” she quickly replied, a little too quick. “Why don’t you go in the kitchen and try some of that food. I know you’re dying to.”
“Dying to get away from my parents too. They being mad weird.” Dane sipped his punch, and Ayla released him once she was near Kong.
Taking in the setting from the kitchen, she spotted Inari in a corner near the dessert table eyeing what was available with Mozzi as Coast slipped inside with her parents and Bee behind her. Ayla hadn’t properly been introduced, but she assumed those were her parents because Coast looked just like them. Her and that damn camera were at work again, making everyone pose so she could get the perfect shot. The girl had an eye, therewas no denying that. She’d been building her portfolio since Mozzi bought her all that equipment months ago. Ever since she’d been producing Ayla’s channel with her, the views and follows had skyrocketed.
“You look good,” Kong complimented, eyes raking over her carefully.
Dane was right. Something was different. He’d picked up on it at the club last night but didn’t have time to talk to her with everything going on. Now, he dissected her, leaving Ayla uneasy. She swiped a hand along the side of her dress and looked down at herself. The middle clung to her growing stomach and tender, swollen breasts. She swore she was fighting for her breath.
“Thank you,” she whispered, half smiling when she stared into his eyes.
Neither of them noticed Nayelli easing into the room. She seemed to do a lot of watching like a hawk. She was always wondering what she was missing since her memory still hadn’t come back. Ayla and Kong were close. Too close for her liking and too quiet, like they were sharing something only between them.
There was a familiarity when Ayla reached out and adjusted Kong’s collar without even thinking about it. He allowed her to, his dark eyes swimming in hers. That small, intimate gesture hit Nayelli like a flash of light. Suddenly, a memory bulldozed her. It was a flicker of this kitchen. A shared look between Kong and Ayla from who knows how long ago. Jealousy immediately struck, something she felt before she forgot. Her breathing caught in her chest, she said nothing as she continued to view them. For the first time since her accident, her eyes sharpened, taking in everything around her.
Across the room, voices rose, drawing everyone to the heated discussion passing between Phoebe and Desiree. The room quieted enough to overhear the words being tossed back andforth. Desiree didn’t yell, but she never needed to in order to cut anyone deep.
“Let’s be very clear. This is my son’s home that he shared with his wife and their children. You are nothing but a placeholder around here.”
Phoebe stiffened, gripping her champagne glass tight.
“For the life of me, I don’t understand what your problem is, Desiree. Jane is dead! Nobody is resurrecting her. So, if you want to stay on good terms with Audiemar, maybe you should take notes from the rest of the family. He wants me around. And that’s what burns you up inside, right?” Smugly, she tipped her flute to her lips.
Before she could even get a sip, Desiree smacked it out of her hand and got in her face. She might have been a woman pushing seventy, but she was not going to allow a leech like Phoebe to intimidate or get one up on her.
“Jane trusted you. I don’t.” Desiree leaned in, voice low, but lethal.
For a second, Phoebe’s expression flickered.
“I don’t care. Like I said, Jane is gone.”
Now everyone was watching. Including Audiemar, who stepped into the room with Bee. He didn’t intervene. At least not yet. He wasn’t sure how the conversation came about, but seeing Phoebe in this form was a rarity. Going toe to toe with Desiree brought out a coldness in her.
“You can either accept me or keep your ass in Europe!”
“Phoebe!” Audiemar barked, shifting the room.
A glimmer of a smile slowly spread over Desiree’s lips. The shaken expression now on Phoebe’s face was satisfying enough for now. All she needed was for Audiemar to see the real her. She knew eventually she’d push the right button to expose her.
Taking a breath, Phoebe absorbed the expressions on the scattered faces in the room.
“It’s alright, son. It’s the season of giving… and I got what I wanted.” Desiree looked Phoebe up and down before reaching past her for a glass of champagne passing on a waiter’s tray.
