“Do you mind if I take another shower and get cleaned up?” she asked, hiking a brow and nibbling on her bottom lip.
“Do whatever you need to do. I’m not going anywhere. Just need to check on the kids.”
Ayla’s face lit up. “How are they?”
“Missing you. Bee’s been spending time with them, Audiemar too. We all try to step in and do stuff with them.”
“That’s good. I missed them too.”
Kong grabbed her face, pulling her into him before lowering his lips to her mouth and planting a soft kiss. Ayla tensed, but she accepted it. Nudging him gently, she searched his eyes and saw that he still looked at her the same despite how she felt. For him, nothing had changed. His feelings for her had only grown stronger.
“What happened here?” she asked, grabbing his hand and gripping his ring finger where his wedding band used to be.
“Irreconcilable differences,” Kong replied, applying another kiss to her mouth. “Go get cleaned up.”
“Okay,” she whispered, batting her pretty brown eyes with a soft simper.
“Moose!” Kool greeted him with his arms up and a big smile when he strutted into Junction BBQ.
The familiar smell of smoked meat and baked beans instantly made his stomach rumble. The shit they were feeding them at Premier Wellness was all a bunch of healthy, gluten-free shit with no flavor. He missed food.
“Nigga, you look skinny as hell,” Stacks said, coming out from the kitchen with a fresh platter of ribs.
“Tell me about it.” Moose rubbed his stomach and sat on the closest empty stool at the counter. “I think they was trying to starve us on purpose in that muhfucka. Let me get my special. Matter fact, give me one to eat now, and one to go.” He tapped his fingers on the counter, and Stacks nodded to his niece to come and grab the tray to deliver to a nearby table.
“It’s good to see you around here again. We missed that mug.” Kool tossed a drying towel over his shoulder and leaned over the counter. “Heard you got yourself into some trouble, but glad you made it out that situation.”
“No doubt. Ain’t a cell that can hold me.” Moose chuckled. “Let me get a cup of that mango lemonade, though.”
“Coming right up.”
“Might not have been able to hold you then, but I’m sure there’s one just your size somewhere,” Christian voiced from behind him.
Moose stilled, recognizing his voice before glimpsing him over his shoulder. Briefly looking him over in his tan slacks andwhite button-up shirt with brown loafers, he could only scoff and shake his head before turning back around.
“You keep it up, and you the one gon’ be looking at charges. For harassment.”
“Harassment? Since when? I thought you was a real one. Why not handle it yourself? Ain’t that what you’re used to?”
“Turning over a new leaf.” Moose fished his phone from his pocket and glanced at the results on his screen.
He’d done his DNA test on Tiara the minute he was sober enough and settled in the rehab facility. He struggled with pushing the button and getting the facts, but at the end of the day, he had to know. He was floored when he got the letter in the mail as well as a printout to his email for backup. He’d been studying them so much while in rehab that he could almost recite the contents word for word. Either way, there was no denying that Tiara was in fact his daughter. The DNA was a 99.97 percent match.
“Yeah, I don’t buy it.” Christian dropped a few bills on the counter to pay for his meal. “Just make sure you do everything you can to stay the hell away from my family. Tiara and Tulla are off limits,” he warned. “I gave you a pass the night you were arrested. We could have gone forward with the reckless driving charge, but we didn’t. I spared you.”
“Don’t act like you did that shit for me,” Moose snarled and whirled around again.
This time, there was no amusement on his face. Hard eyes of steel locked on the prosecutor, making him stick his chest out and stand a little taller. Moose knew he intimidated him. Christian might know something about the streets, but he never played in them.
“You did that because it would look like you carrying some personal vendetta when the truth came out. That and the fact that you got bigger fish to fry around this muhfucka. Imanaged to track down your email address. You should check it sometime. Might be surprised by what you find inside.”
Frowning, Christian dug his phone from his pocket. He tapped in the code to unlock it and went right to the email app to see what was up. Scrolling through his messages, he stopped when he came across the one forwarded to him from Morgan Blackmoor’s email. Hitting the screen to select it, his heart thudded anxiously when he saw the header from the lab where Moose had the test run. Watching Christian’s face wilt from the confidence that once marred his features, Moose simpered before spinning on his stool. Kool delivered his drink with a straw. His eyes darted to Christian after he’d finished skimming the letter, and it looked like he wanted to kill Moose.
“I’m supposed to trust this?” Christian questioned.
Moose shrugged and picked up his fountain drink off the counter.
“Do what you want with it. I’m petitioning the judge for family court, though.” When Kool’s niece set his bag on the counter, he scooped it up.
