5. Wrong Idea #2
Kong went to scoop the Louis Vuitton oversized bag and brought it over to the bed. Nay slung her legs over the side and immediately unzipped it so she could retrieve the two-piece jogger set and t-shirt to change into.
“So, how old are your kids?”
“Kara is four and Kyro is seven,” Kong answered, bowing his head when she removed her gown, leaving her breasts exposed.
“Wow, so you and Twyla ended up together after all. How did that happen after everything?” Nay questioned, grabbing her t-shirt and pulling it over her arms. “Could you help me?”
Stepping forward, Kong aided her in pulling it gently over her head, so she didn’t disrupt her bandage. When he finished, he grabbed her pants and assisted her one leg at a time with those too. Bringing his eyes up, he found Nay fixated on him, lips curled into a cute half smile.
“I managed to get past all the shit with Twyla, and we got married, had two kids, and she died a few years ago,” he expressed, watching her expression fall and somberness fill her eyes.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I had no idea,” she murmured.
“So, I moved back in with my pops at the estate. Just seemed like the right thing since there’s staff there and everything. It’s been a challenge—”
“I can only imagine. I’m so sorry, Kong.”
“You might not remember a lot, but in the last couple of years, we’ve gotten closer. You’ve been a good friend to me.”
“I wish I could remember that. You might not recall this, but… I always had a crush on you. I used to sit around daydreaming that one day we would get married, have kids, all that white picket fence shit.” She snickered. “Exactly how close are we?”
Pausing in front of her, Kong reached out and stroked her cheek while staring down into her eyes. Instead of responding verbally, he leaned forward to kiss her. Nayelli was taken back, but she smiled when they parted.
“That’s pretty close,” she whispered, searching his hooded eyes.
“I got all that insurance bullshit handled.” Phoebe burst into the hospital room as Kong backed away from Nayelli.
She picked up on some tension in the room and noticed how flustered her daughter seemed.
A slow grin crept over her matte red lips.
She was hoping that this turn of events would bring Nay and Kong closer.
She hated that her child had to be hurt for it to happen, but she was grateful that she had survived the accident.
“The doctor is getting her discharge paperwork together. I’m gonna go downstairs and bring the car around. Call me when y’all are on the way down.” He ambled to the door.
“Okay, and Kong… thank you so much for everything,” Phoebe told him.
With a nod, he exited the room and took the first elevator to the ground floor.
Stepping outside the main entrance to the hospital, the warm sun blazed down on him.
It was a perfect summer day. Trekking through the parking lot, he located the Denali he’d been driven here in with his driver waiting inside the car.
When his phone vibrated with a notification, he fished it from his pocket and frowned at the unknown name on the screen.
Someone had sent him a photo. He tapped on the screen to pull it up and the blood in his veins turned to ice.
It was a photo of Ayla at the park on a bench with his kids in the background at the playground.
Unknown: You should be careful with things that matter.
Immediately, Kong dialed Ayla’s cell. When she didn’t pick up, that only sent him into further panic. He called her back, and she answered solemnly.
“Hello.”
“You good?”
“I’m fine. Is something wrong?” she replied.
“Where are the kids?”
“Upstairs in their rooms. We’re at the house now,” she answered with a sigh as low R&B music played in the background.
“Okay. Stay put. I don’t want you or them leaving the house,” Kong warned.
“I’ve been drinking, so I hadn’t planned on it,” Ayla volunteered. “Is there anything else?”
Clearly she was still in her feelings about their conversation from earlier. As long as she was safe, that was all that mattered to him until he saw her again for himself.
“Nah, that’s it. Tell the kids I’ll be home soon.”
“With your new houseguest?” Ayla posed. “Your father mentioned it.”
“We’re not doing this over the phone.”
“We’re not doing this at all. Goodbye, Kong.”
He heard the beep and looked at his device.
She’d hung up. Yeah, she was damn sure mad.
He’d rather her be that than harmed, so he had to eat it.
Being with Ayla was easy, but it also put her at risk, and that wasn’t something he wanted for her.
He couldn’t pull her into his world when she had no real idea what that meant.
This particular threat was delivered quietly, but the message was clear.
Anyone close to him could become collateral.
Nay was already a part of his world and had been hurt.
He couldn’t allow that to happen to Ayla.
Being with her publicly was a mistake, one someone had obviously picked up on somehow.
It painted a target on her. If he chose to thug this shit out with Nayelli, it would take the focus off Ayla.
Pinching the sleep from his eyes, Mozzi yawned and peeled them open one by one.
His room was dark, but that was normal. Reaching out to his night table, he caught the illumination of the time on his iPhone.
It was almost six pm. He had numerous notifications and slept through every one of them.
He turned, making out Coast’s form curled up beside him as she slept.
When they got there, she didn’t want to talk to him.
She changed into some of his boxers and a t-shirt and crawled into bed.
Sitting up, he rested on his elbows and studied her.
He didn’t want her to ever resent him or doubt what he felt for her.
He realized he could be a lot to handle, but Coast was the type of challenging, take no shit woman he needed.
She had no problem telling him how it was, even if the shit sounded like it might hurt, and she expected the same.
She didn’t want him sugar coating anything.
“I need clothes,” Coast grumbled, sensing he was awake but not bothering to face him. “How long are we staying here?”
“You don’t like it here?” Mozzi scooted toward her so they could spoon.
“I have a job and other things to do. Your place or Bee’s is closer to everything. This place is a nice escape, though.”
She didn’t reject his muscular arms sliding around her waist as he nuzzled her neck and took a whiff of her body mist.
“This place is safe. Guarded like a damn fortress. Once shit cools off, we can go back to the house. I can take you to grab some things if you want, maybe get some ice cream or something. I been thinking about a banana split.”
“Ohhh, that sounds so good.” Coast moaned, and Mozzi simpered.
This girl and food was always a win. He wondered if she was like that before she was pregnant or if this was some new occurrence.
“Tonight, there’s a meeting I have to go to. I also need to take care of some other shit, so I won’t be reachable for at least two to three hours.”
Coast went rigid in his embrace. She took a minute, pulling away from him and turning so that they were face to face. The room was dark, but there was illumination from the fish tank built into the wall in his seating area.
“Is this about what happened to us?” she asked, searching his eyes.
“You want full disclosure or you want to be in the dark, Trouble?”
“I want full disclosure,” she responded, brows knitting as he reached down and thumbed her bottom lip.
Stealing a soft kiss, Mozzi let his hand slid to her waist and rest there before pulling back.
“Blackmoor Industries is our family business. We all hold some kind of stock and position. Kong, Audiemar, and Desiree pretty much run things. We make the big decisions collectively, though. Beyond that, it’s some Robin Hood shit.
If it’s expensive and seemingly impossible to take, we figure out a way to do it anyway.
It started when we were young. Art galleries, different museums, jewelry stores.
I play a key role in dismantling security systems.”
“Like a hacker?” Coast queried.
“Yeah.”
“That explains all the video games,” she muttered, which made him chuckle. “How did you start doing that?”
“I was a kid, always infatuated with the how behind things working. I read all the technology books, spent hours at the library or our computer room at Haven House.”
Fascination carved into Coast’s face. She’d never met anybody like Mozzi. His intelligence mixed with his brashness was both sexy and intriguing. A half smile toyed at her lips, and she reached out to tug on his beard.
“What was the first thing you ever hacked into?”
“The security system at Haven House. Some of the older boys wanted to sneak out and go to some party they heard about at school. Some of them got stipends from working and helping Bee and Iggy out, so they paid me.”
“You knew Uncle Iggy?” Coast’s eyes glistened.
“Man, Iggy was one of the most solid, coolest OGs I knew.”
“Yeah. That was one thing I missed most when I came back here a year ago. That gold toothed smile, his laugh, and the way he could simplify the most difficult situations.” Coast smiled at the memory of him.
“Even when I used to be out traveling the world, he would call and check on me. I’d be on some beach, or in a cafe in London, but he’d call.
Sometimes I wasn’t able to talk, but he’d leave a message. ”
“You and Bee wasn’t tight like that?” Mozzi questioned.
“Nah. It’s funny because I used to wonder how they were even married given how opposite they were. She’s up tight, a do-gooder, selfless as hell… Iggy was impulsive, he thought outside the box, and he didn’t play by the rules.”