7. Blackout #3
“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.”
Inari’s hand trembled holding the photo of her auntie’s boyfriend.
Right after her parent’s died, Chantel moved in to take care of them.
She was a drunk and did drugs, using Inari and Ayla to get a check.
At the time, Inari hadn’t even told her she was pregnant.
When Leron started sniffing around her little sister, it caused a huge divide in the house.
It got to the point that Chantel was going to kick her out of her own home.
The night Inari came home and found Leron on the ground in a pool of his own blood, and her baby sister black and blue, she wanted to kill Chantel too.
Instead, that bitch ran off, and they hadn’t seen or heard from her since.
When Ayla woke up, she didn’t remember anything.
Inari had concerns, so she called a hotline and lied about who she was to find out information on traumatic events.
The doctor she spoke with told her it was very likely that someone could block out certain thing as if they never happened.
There was no telling how long it would suppress itself or if it would ever return.
A big part of her was grateful for it. She hated that Ayla had to carry that.
Once she locked up, Inari returned to her bedroom and closed the door behind her.
With her back against it, she brought her head to the ceiling and took a breath.
When her cell phone went off, she went to check it. Danilo.
“Hello.” Inari picked up.
“You ready to work?” he asked.
Gazing down at the image in front of her, Inari’s eyes filled to the brim with tears. Not because she was sad or scared, but because she was pissed the fuck off!
“Is that what this little note is for?” she quipped.
“Just thought you should remember who’s been there for you when you needed it.”
“You don’t need me, Danilo.”
“I actually fucking do, and I hate that shit, but it is what it is.”
“I guess it is,” she muttered.
“Oh, and drop that nigga you fucking with. We’re working on this family shit all around.”
“You have lost your fucking mind.”
“Drop him or an anonymous tip gets dropped and your little sister becomes a prime suspect. You said that bitch Tulla is back in town. I bet she would love to get her hands on this information after all these years. Ain’t no statute of limitations on murder, remember?
” Danilo reminded her arrogantly before hanging up in her face.
In that moment, Inari knew she had no choice.
She texted Moose to let him know she couldn’t see him that night or ever again, then she blocked his number and prayed he got the message and didn’t show up at her house.
She had two things in life she’d go to war over, her son, and her sister.
Right now, protecting them both came with some serious sacrifices.