Chapter 13 #2
Scoffing, she shook her head as she used the tongs to grab a few pieces of chicken and add them to her plate.
Wasn’t like he was going to offer to hold their son or make her a plate.
His arrogant ass probably thought she was over here making him one.
She had something for him after tonight.
As rattled as she’d been, the truth was bound to set her free.
Emeric had gotten away with too much for far too long.
Darcy saw that he had no intention of changing who he was.
She could complain and list all his faults and the things she hated about him, but he didn’t care.
Emeric was selfish. If you couldn’t do anything for him, there was no point in having you around.
Darcy planned to cut off all her obligations going forward.
He didn’t deserve them, and she’d fooled herself long enough.
Once she was satisfied with her plate, she grabbed a small drum and brought it to her lips.
Ayla lowered her face to Neo, talking to him in that soft, whispery tone that babies loved, making him smile.
He hadn’t made a peep since she’d been holding him.
His tiny hand wrapped around her finger as she cooed and told him how perfect he was, gaining the cutest smile from his little face.
“You’re so natural with him,” Darcy observed.
“He’s perfect.” Ayla finally looked up at her. “You looked a little overwhelmed.”
“Yeah.” Darcy bobbed her head and scooped baked beans into her mouth.
Staring past Ayla again, she caught her husband looking for a mark outside of his wife.
“Seems like no matter what I do for him, he always manages to find a way to make me feel small.”
“Then stop doing for him,” Ayla worded sternly.
“Easier said than done,” she quipped.
“No man should ever make you feel less than what you are. He’s there to add value, not decrease it,” she recited. “Especially when you have something as precious as this involved.” She gave Neo one last loving glance.
“You good?” Kong’s strong voice intercepted their conversation, and Ayla peered up at him.
“Yeah.” She nodded as Neo’s binky slipped from his mouth and onto the stone at their feet.
“I’ll take this inside and wash it off,” Kong offered, kneeling over to pick it up.
“Thank you.” Darcy smiled tightly as Emeric’s attention finally shifted to her and their son.
Ayla couldn’t explain what she felt holding Neo as she sat down with him so Darcy could eat.
As much as she missed her son, she didn’t allow herself to be tortured anymore by what could have been.
She knew that Kong remained diligent in what he did, and that Mozzi was going to do everything he could to dig into Mira’s past, but that wasn’t a guarantee.
Her son was gone. He was a tiny little baby and had no voice in this world.
She didn’t even allow her hopes to rise, thinking she’d ever see him again.
“I don’t mean to pry. Kong told me that you two lost a baby,” Darcy mentioned, taking a seat beside Ayla at a table with an umbrella.
“Yeah, we did.”
“Do you still want more kids?”
“Eventually,” Ayla answered, playing with Neo’s little hands as he latched on and tried to root toward her breasts like he had the first time she held him.
Kong stood in the kitchen at the sink with Neo’s binky in his hand, studying it.
He wasn’t sure why, but he didn’t wash it off.
Instead, he stared out the window, eyes shifting from Emeric, to Darcy, and finally to Ayla.
She was so beautiful and content holding Neo as he drifted off in her arms. Darcy was talking, but Ayla was zoned out on the baby boy.
Emeric sat in the background, his attention finally pulled from the scantily clad women parading around the pool.
Some were wives, others girlfriends, and some even mistresses.
He didn’t question how his boys moved, but him and his brothers made it clear they didn’t play that drama bullshit, so keeping everyone on one accord about their relationships and who was who mattered.
If the wife was out of town with the kids and you wanted to slide the mistress through, that was on you, but nobody in attendance was obligated to keep quiet for your significant other.
It was some ‘what’s understood doesn’t need to be explained’ type shit.
The only chick who really made it an issue was Royal.
She didn’t do that fake shit, and she didn’t associate with a lot of the women to begin with.
For Royce, if she didn’t fuck with you or you came at her sideways, she was quick to hurt your feelings and go for the jugular.
It wouldn’t surprise any of them if she flat out told a bitch her husband was cheating on her.
A lot of women thought those titles meant something.
On paper, sure, it was great to have that to stand on at the end of the day, but it didn’t earn you any kind of respect.
Especially to those who knew the truth. A lot of people got away with fuck shit simply for the fact that they had dough.
Same reason even more people put up with shit.
“Hey, you okay?” Coast came in with Iara on her hip and her diaper bag on her shoulder.
Kong stared off like he was a million miles away when she walked in. Snapping out of his daze, he faced her, and her brows knitted together in concern.
“Yeah. Just washing this off for somebody.” He held up the pacifier, and Coast studied it.
“I bought those same ones for Rara. I keep a fresh set in case she loses them.” She adjusted his niece on her hip. Kong looked down at the binky and then back up at her.
“You got one in the bag now?” he asked, hiking a brow.
“Yeah.” She stuck her hand in the side pocket and retrieved one identical to the one he was holding.
Kong reached for the drawer where he knew they kept plastic wrap and sandwich bags and snatched one out of the box. He dropped the binky into it and took the other one from Coast before washing it under warm water at the faucet.
“You’re being weird,” she observed, cradling Rara as she rested her head against her shoulder.
She strolled out of the kitchen, and Kong shoved the original binky from Neo’s mouth in his pants pocket and strolled toward the door with the other one in hand.
By the time he reached Darcy and Ayla, Emeric was hovering over them, and Kong didn’t like the cold, detached glare in his eyes.
The fuck was wrong with this nigga? Darcy still had food on her plate and had just swallowed a bite when Kong approached.
“Y’all straight?” he queried, handing Ayla Neo’s binky but studying Emeric.
His dark eyes were fixated on his wife as she used her napkin to dab at the corners of her mouth and clear her throat.
“Yeah, thank you for washing that off, Kong. Emeric here isn’t feeling well, though, so we’re gonna go.”
“Let me wrap that plate up for you to go,” Ayla offered, rising to her feet slowly with Neo still cradled safely in her arms. “Mama’s gotta keep her strength up too.”
“Thank you. That’s sweet, but—”
“I won’t take no for an answer. It won’t take but a minute.” She turned, handing Kong little Neo and side eyeing Emeric as he pinched at the bridge of his nose like he was annoyed.
She took Darcy’s plate to the kitchen and washed her hands.
After grabbing a few to go boxes, Ayla placed the food from her plate into one container and topped it off.
So Emeric didn’t pitch a fit like a bitch, which he seemed like the type to do, she made him one too and put them both in reusable grocery bags that she knew she could find in a nearby drawer.
Kong joined her moments later, still holding Neo in his arms. Ayla paused, taking him in holding a baby.
Tears stung her eyes. She wished more than anything that he had the chance to do this with their son.
“What’s wrong with that man?” she asked, looking past him to where Darcy and Emeric seemed to be having a heated argument.
He was trying to be discreet, but it was obvious he was ticked off.
“I don’t know.” Kong sighed and peered down at Neo sleeping in his arms.
“She doesn’t feel safe with him. I can see it on her face. She’s walking through a mine field all day, every day,” Ayla concluded, placing a hand on her hip and reaching for Neo’s little curled up fist. “He shouldn’t be in that kind of environment.”
Kong’s eyes drifted into hers, and Ayla smiled.
“Thanks for the hospitality, Kong.” Emeric’s thick, raspy voice broke into the moment.
Darcy came up behind him, eyes filled with tears as she sniffled.
“Yes, we really appreciate it. I had a good time,” Darcy whispered as Kong turned to hand her Neo.
The party carried on for a few more hours.
Desiree recruited Dane and his friends to help clean up.
She had a crew for that, but the minute she mentioned paying them, they all jumped at the opportunity.
Moose, Inari, and Mozzi were all gathered on one side of the pool, with just their legs hanging in the water while having a smoke session.
Inari tossed back tequila like it was about to go out of business.
Once most of the clean-up was done, a lot of people started to clear out.
Dane and his friends laughed, joked, and continued to swim on the opposite side of the pool.
Tiara, Kara, and Kyro all hovered near Audiemar stretched out on a big lounge chair under a string of lantern lights.
He was holding his iPad, and they were giving him instructions on how to play some game they were all familiar with.
Kong and Ayla decided it was getting late, and it was time to go.
He couldn’t stop kissing or touching her, so he was ready to get showered and in bed.
“Bro, real shit, you need to come through and do your thang on the property, so we know how to move.” Mozzi took a pull of the blunt.