Chapter 5 #4
Inari sniffled and blinked away the tears threatening to fall.
She hadn’t even been able to visit her sister.
She felt robbed, and right now, she still had beef with God for taking her.
She was using work and dieting as a distraction, along with her daily routine at the gym to tighten up.
So far, she was happy with her progress, but it did nothing to fill that hole in her heart or stop the thoughts that filled her mind when she gave it time.
“I appreciate that. But… I can’t do this. Not with you.”
“Not now? Or not ever?” Moose checked with her.
“I don’t know.” Inari stepped back, inching toward the door but still facing him. “Coast, I’ll talk to you later.”
Coast waved, and Inari was gone. Moose stared after her, heart slightly cracked. He tossed his tank top over his shoulder and faced his brothers and Coast. Empathy crowded her face when he moved into the living room and dropped on the couch.
“How she doing?” he asked.
“She’s got her days.” Coast nodded and rested her head against the sofa cushions. “But she’s pushing through.”
He dragged his hand down his face, fingering his beard a bit before shaking his head and leaning forward.
“I didn’t even get to tell her my news.” Moose clasped his hands together.
“What news?” Kong peered at him over his shoulder.
“About Tiara.” Moose sighed.
Somehow, all these months, he’d managed to keep the information to himself, but he’d been itching to tell his brothers and Audiemar.
He had her cup sent to a private lab for DNA testing.
The results came in a few weeks later, and there was no doubt that Tiara was his.
He was pretty sure Tulla knew too, and if her husband didn’t before, he more than likely suspected now.
Moose had no knowledge of this the night he was arrested.
Tulla didn’t bother coming in to speak with him either.
Christian, on the other hand, did pay him a visit.
He thought he would be able to intimidate Moose with jailtime, but his lawyer got him down to probation, a fine, and mandatory rehab instead.
“My daughter,” Moose declared.
Mozzi nearly choked when he tried to swallow the chicken and rice. Little bits even went flying out of his mouth and across the counter onto Kong.
“Nigga, the fu—” He brushed some of it off his sleeve.
“My bad.” Mozzi went to the fridge to grab a bottle of water. “Did this nigga say daughter, though?”
“Tulla had a baby. She’s eight years old,” Moose broke down.
“Who the hell is Tulla?” Coast frowned.
“This old bitch he used to crack,” Mozzi said, swallowing his water and moseying around the counter over to the couch.
His wife was looking naturally beautiful, and he realized he hadn’t gotten a chance to kiss her since coming through the door.
Migrating to her in any room was just second nature to him.
His happiness was wrapped up in her and making sure she was good.
Pausing behind the couch, he watched Coast throw her head back to look at him upside down.
“She ain’t that fucking old.” Moose sucked his teeth.
“She older than yo’ ass. And was way too damn old to be fucking on you at eighteen.” Mozzi knelt so he could kiss his wife.
He gave her neck a kiss before nuzzling her and inhaling her body wash and cashmere body butter. His arms lowered to her sides, and he gave one of her breasts a gentle squeeze before pecking her neck again.
“Where my baby?” he asked, looking around.
The little sudden cries from the playpen shifted his attention immediately, and on cue, Rara rolled onto her little side.
She played that lazy shit all day with Coast, but the minute Mozzi was around, she got active.
Her little whimpers were all he needed to take off in her direction.
Kong joined them in the living room, standing in the open space a few steps from the counter.
“So, you telling me she had your baby and didn’t tell you?”
“That’s what the fuck I’m saying!” Moose threw his arms up.
“How do you know she’s yours, though? You can’t just be speculating no shit like that. This bitch is the Chief of Detectives now,” Kong voiced.
“She is!” Coast’s eyes bugged, catching all the tea as it spilled between the brothers.
“I know. I got proof.” Moose stood, and Mozzi joined him around the coffee table with Iara in his arms.
She was attempting to sit up, and could if she was propped, but she would tumble the minute she tried to reach for something.
“The day I got arrested, I ended up pulling up to Tiara’s school and took her for a drive.”
“You did what?” Kong’s face immediately twitched into a frown.
“Relax. I took her home. But we went and got tacos, and I took her to the park to talk. She fuck with me too.” He swiped his beard before continuing. “Anyway, I took her home. Tulla pulled up, and her husband was there.”
“Her husband?” Kong repeated, baffled, as he threw his hand up near his head. “Christian Haynes, the prosecutor?”
“Oh, shit,” Coast muttered.
“Yeah, nigga tried to come at me when I was getting booked that night. Threatening to press charges and all that other shit. I told him to be sure, and he backed off. Why? I don’t know.
Maybe he is having his doubts and putting the pieces together.
Tulla damn sure ain’t telling him shit. Tiara was drinking from this cup, and I realized she left it, so I had it sent to a lab.
It’s a match. That’s my little girl. She pretty as hell and smart.
She cool. Y’all gon’ love her,” Moose went on with pride, and a soft smile pulled at Coast’s lips.
The shift in him was most definitely different.
“You got a problem on your hands.” Kong aimed a finger at him with his brows lifted.
“No shit, that’s why I’m telling y’all!” Moose declared. “She can’t keep me from my seed.”
“Moose, think about this shit.” Kong aimed his fingers at his temple like a gun.
“Tulla is locked in with the police department. Her whole fucking family is. You think they won’t do everything in their power to make sure you are never in that little girl’s life. I mean, look what she’s already done.”
“She can’t fight that DNA, and I already been talking to Linc about it. We’re getting on the same page. I have rights, especially after we establish paternity.”
“Talk to Audiemar,” Mozzi told him, bouncing Iara in his arms.
“Ain’t nobody about to talk me out of being in her life. I’m her fucking daddy!”
“Nigga, calm the fuck down. Don’t need you relapsing up in this muhfucka.” Mozzi kissed the top of Iara’s head.