Chapter 10 #2
“Yeah. Figured it was time for a nigga to have something more stable. The tech shit ain’t going nowhere, but Clue is running things pretty good on his own. Time for me to branch out, leave my footprint on the family name.”
“I am so proud of you!” Coast clapped her hands happily, and Mozzi sat up.
“Want to know what my first order of business was?”
“What?” she asked, eyes lighting up anxiously.
Mozzi dug into his pocket and retrieved a set of keys. He held them out, and Coast opened her hand.
“What’s this?”
“The keys to your new studio,” he told her.
“My… you bought me a building!” she squealed.
“Yup. Tell me I’m the shit,” Mozzi boasted, grinning proudly as he leaned against the pillows behind him on the sofa.
“I love you!” She threw her arms around him and brushed her lips over his in a seemingly innocent exchange.
“I know. Now this gives you something else to do outside of Rara. She’s straight either way because she got me, but I don’t want you thinking you gotta devote your whole life to solely being a mother.”
“I love her,” Coast whispered, feeling guilty that she sometimes felt like her life was over, and she’d never be able to accomplish anything else.
“I know you do. She can’t be happy if you not happy, though. Her daddy a boss, and I’m trying to get her mama to see that in herself too. You can have it all, Trouble. Don’t doubt that, baby.”
“Technically, I am a Blackmoor now, but… how does Bellamy Productions sound?”
“Perfect.”
“This is so exciting!” Coast’s eyes lit up in a way he hadn’t seen in a long time. “I already have so many ideas. When can we go see it and start making plans?”
“Whenever you want. Kong is already on board to get a crew in there to make whatever changes you want. This is his and your project. I’m just the money man.”
“And my muse.” Coast cooed, throwing her arms around his shoulders and leaning in for another kiss.
Mozzi pulled her closer, dick stretching between his legs as her soft lady lumps settled against his strong frame.
Arms around her, he shifted on the couch to put her on her back, so he could hover over her, and Iara started to fuss.
Mozzi was going to ignore her for a minute, but then his doorbell rang.
“The fuck is that?” he sneered.
Propping herself up on her elbows, Coast looked at him.
“You expecting someone?”
“Hell nah. Muhfuckas know better. Except Moose.” He jumped off the couch to go find out who was disrupting his quality time.
Reaching for his pistol, which he left on a nearby accent table, he gripped it in his hand before unlocking his door and yanking it open. Immediate confusion crowded his face the minute he laid eyes on her.
“Elaine?” Mozzi’s dark gaze swept over his mother, noticing something off.
He hadn’t seen her since he was maybe twelve, when he talked Audiemar into letting him go see her behind bars.
She was full of no accountability and even more bullshit, so he swore he’d never visit again.
So, this was a shock. Something was different, though.
It looked like her, but not identical. It was the eyes and the small mole under her right eye.
“No, baby boy. Elyse,” she announced, hand going to her Chloe shades, and she peered at him over them with a smile. “Your mama never told you she was a twin?”
“The hell?”
“I’m not surprised. She always wanted to be the star. You gon’ invite me in, or you gon’ make your auntie stay on the porch like some stranger.”
“You are some stranger,” he rebutted, waving her in with the gun.
In leather pants, a cheetah print corset top, and a sheer black cover up, she strutted inside like rent was due.
Hips swaying, she threw her ass back and forth before whipping around to face him.
Mozzi couldn’t help but study her. If he hadn’t known better, he would have thought she was his mother, but her mannerisms and the way she moved were new.
Coast went to grab Iara from her bassinet and joined Mozzi in the foyer.
“This is a nice place,” Elyse observed. “I see that Blackmoor money holds you down.”
“Is that what you here for?” Mozzi tucked his pistol behind his back and lowered his arms in front of him.
Elyse lifted her glasses from her face and brought them to rest on her head as Coast sailed into the room with Iara on her hip.
“Is this the wife?”
Coast glanced curiously at her husband, then back at the woman in their home.
“Who is this?”
“My mama’s twin.”
“I didn’t know she had a twin,” Coast responded.
“Neither did I.”
“Elyse.” She held her hand out to Coast with a smile. “Nice to meet you.”
“I’m Coast.” Grabbing her hand, the two shook briefly.
Elyse grinned at Iara, who was now resting her head sleepily against her mama’s shoulder and sucking on her hand.
“And who is this little beauty?”
“This is Iara-Hale.”
“She is beautiful.”
“Thank you.” Coast smiled. “Can I get you something to drink?’
“First things first. Why are you here?” Mozzi wondered.
“You just as skeptical as your mama, I see.” Elyse twirled to admire more of his house, pausing in a mirror to tease her pixie cut and check her makeup. “I can’t come and check on my nephew?”
“After twenty-seven years? Try again.”
“Fine.” Elyse faced him. “Heard you made some enemies. You and your brothers are causing problems for a lot of people. Those people found out that I have a connection to you. So, now, those same people want something to happen.”
Mozzi listened, eyes narrowing as he folded his arms across his chest. Elyse came off as a straight shooter, which he appreciated. Swiping his beard, he looked her over one more time.
“Some people like who?”
“I’m not at liberty to s—”
Mozzi reached for the door handle and flung it open.
“Then you can bounce.”
“How did I know you were going to make me work for this?” Elyse sighed, folded her arms over her ample breasts, and rolled her eyes. “Look, Mira’s network took a major hit when she met her… unfortunate demise.”
“What that got to do with me? She was trafficking young girls and kidnapping women. One of which I consider fucking family!”
“I get it.” Elyse quickly threw her hands up in surrender.
“I’m not here to argue about that callous bitch, either.
We are not the same, and I for one am glad she’s gone.
You will not get any objections from me.
I don’t operate like Mira. I work within her organization with Donahue, but my girls are on the up and up. High quality. High priced.”
“Escorts,” Mozzi surmised.
“Only the best. My girls move in elite circles, none of that trafficking, brothel type shit Mira was on.” Elyse waved a hand and turned her nose up. “Each of them is a willing participant. Nobody is being held hostage.”
“So, what you want me to do for you?”
“I came to see about negotiating. For Donahue.”
“And there it is.” Mozzi wagged an accusing finger at her. “You damn sure Elaine’s sister. This shit so coded for her scheming ass.”
“Hey, that’s my sister you talking about.” Elyse’s hands fell on her hips.
“When’s the last time you seen her? Talked to her?”
“I could ask you the same thing. She’s your mama.” Elyse looked him up and down, lip curled and nose turned up as if she was the one offended.
“Jane Blackmoor was my mama. Only thing Elaine did was give birth to me from her tired ass pussy.”
“I might have a bargaining chip.” Elyse spoke up, briefly eyeing Coast bouncing Iara in her arms briefly before looking at Mozzi again.
“You got five more minutes to get to what you want or get the fuck out.”
“Moses.” Coast cut her eyes in his direction. “Hear her out.”
“You should listen to the wife. This could benefit both of you. You have a problem in the form of a five-foot eight attorney, right? Stuck up, bourgeois as hell.” Elyse rolled her eyes.
“You know Shalice?” Coast queried.
“Honey, Shalice is in so deep with Donahue she practically got that nigga’s DNA in her.”
“What you want for that information?” Mozzi lifted his chin.
“Donahue is hot right now. The Feds are all over him, right along with the DEA. None of us want to get caught in the fire when he goes down. I didn’t come here for him.
I came for self-preservation. He’s gotten away with too much over the years, and folks around here got a long memory.
Riddle’s protection and influence can only go so far.
Donahue and his camp is out of control. A bunch of flashy hotheads who can’t even think for themselves if he doesn’t give them the idea. ”
“You still ain’t telling me shit.” Mozzi shrugged.
“You don’t really think Shalice got visitation because she’s this upstanding citizen, do you?” Elyse taunted. “Her brother was a fuck up. Between him and Nickel, Donahue took more than enough hits and was left exposed. Especially when you dealt with both of them.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Mozzi smirked.
“Okay then, allegedly.” Elyse teased, smirking. “Bottom line, eliminating Donahue levels the playing field for you in more ways than one.”
Coast’s eyes lingered over her husband as he stroked his beard and considered what Elyse was telling him.
The back and forth with Donahue had gone on long enough.
He was personally ready to end it so he could form the next chapter of his life.
His family meant more to him than the streets now, and that was coming from a nigga who loved the block.
Coast made him realize quickly that none of that mattered.
“What’s your plan?” he asked Elyse.
“It’s a slow burn. Right now, it’s hot, which is only frustrating him more. Perfect time for him to make a mistake. He’s losing the reins on his operation. Even Riddle has noticed. Just consider me your inside man. For whatever you need,” Elyse offered.
Skeptical, Mozzi continued to look her over. Her personality was nothing like Elaine’s, but they were both assertive straight shooters, even when they were scamming you. Elyse was more feminine and sexier, whereas Elaine was sensual but still confident.