Chapter 14 #4
Ayla nervously tipped her glass of champagne to her lips and adjusted her floral style maxi dress with spaghetti straps.
With her hair parted on the side and swept over her shoulders in a layered, feathered style, she shined amid all the people milling around her.
Everyone was dapper in their elegant designer threads, but there was only one person who Ayla’s eyes kept circling the room for.
“Are you okay?” her sister asked.
“Yeah,” she answered a little too quickly.
Her stomach was in knots. Mozzi told her what Kong relayed through a message, but that didn’t keep her thoughts from wandering to him all night.
She’d snapped so many pictures and signed autographed copies of her cookbook while smiling that her jaws were starting to hurt.
She needed a minute, but this party was for her, so she had to give it her all.
“He said he would be here, and you know he will,” Inari assured her. “You need another drink?”
“No. I’m fine.”
“Well, it looks like the party is a success. You sold out of the cookbook already! Mama would be so proud of you,” Inari gushed with a warm smile.
“You really think so?” Ayla sighed.
“Absolutely. You’re following your dream. You’re doing something you love and building an entire brand off it. I’m proud of you too!” She pulled her into a hug, and Ayla accepted her embrace by squeezing her back.
“Thanks, Nari.”
“Hey!” Coast sashayed toward them in her black beaded strapless gown, a glass of champagne in her hand. “So, how did we do?”
“I love the space. It’s perfect. Everything is amazing, Coast. I really appreciate you taking the time to help put all this together,” Ayla replied.
“Anything for you, Lala. I know I might not be a Jacobs sister by blood—”
“Girl, hush!” Inari waved her off. “What that got to do with anything? We’re sisters, not by blood, but by choice.”
“Word,” Ayla agreed, nodding as they all brought their glasses together for a toast.
“And, since we are sharing all this good news this evening, I want you both to be the first to know that Jacobs Collectibles is hosting its grand opening in one month. I’m doing a private auction of some highly sought after art, and you have to be there,” Inari announced.
“We wouldn’t miss it,” Coast countered, eyes skimming the room for her husband.
He and Moose were at the bar with their heads together, and she wondered what that was about.
“Can y’all believe all the changes and everything we’ve gone through this last year?” Coast presented. “And somehow we managed to get through it all.”
“By the grace of God and sheer will,” Inari muttered, taking another sip of her drink.
The door to the main entrance swung open, and when Kong stepped inside, cradling Neo in his arms, Ayla’s breathing hitched.
Confusion marred her features when he searched the room, and his slanted orbs landed on her.
Her lip trembled, and the fluttering in her stomach picked up.
In a sharp black suit, smelling good, fine as hell, he strolled toward her.
She studied Neo in his arms first, then looked up into Kong’s expectant eyes.
“Wh-what are you doing? What are you doing with him?” she managed to ask.
“I’m bringing him home,” Kong answered, watching tears fill her eyes to the brim.
“Kong, what do you mean?”
“Say hello to our son, baby.”
Inari’s hand covered her mouth, and she gasped as her sister dropped her champagne glass.
“Oh, my God!” Coast squealed.
“Don’t play with me.” Ayla shook her head, and tears spilled from her eyes.
“I would never do that to you. This is our baby boy. The baby you birthed. Our son.” He placed Neo in her arms, and he remained sleeping as he snuggled against her chest.
Her glistening eyes pierced his. Kong stepped forward, placing a gentle kiss against her lips and wiping some of her tears.
Looking into the infant’s face, suddenly the hole in her heart was filled with nothing but overflowing love.
She wasn’t crazy. The thoughts and feelings she’d harbored for Neo since the first time she held him were all warranted.
“How?” she questioned.
Mozzi and Moose had come to join the circle that gathered around them, including the photographer whom Coast was testing waters with and thinking about hiring for her team.
“I told you I was going to bring him home. I owed you that and a lifetime of happiness,” Kong vowed.
Ayla burst into tears, and Coast and Inari were right behind her. She brought Neo closer, inhaling his sweet baby scent and kissing the top of his head. He shifted in her arms, making the cutest baby noises as he yawned cutely, but his eyes remained closed.
“Welcome home, nephew!” Moose announced, raising his champagne glass.
Ayla had more than one reason to celebrate that night.
While she was grateful and very proud of her professional accomplishments, nothing could top holding Neo and knowing he belonged to her.
There wasn’t a doubt in her mind as she sat in a chair, staring at his face.
The more she looked at him, the easier it was to spot all his similarities to her, Kong, and even Kara and Kyro. She didn’t want to let him go.
Kong watched her in a daze. Knowing that he was able to bring back the greatest gift to her was enough for him. His goal was to always make sure they could count on him.
“Bro.” Mozzi came up and tapped him on the shoulder, nodding to the door behind them so Kong would follow.
Moose sparked a blunt and sat in the back seat of Mozzi’s truck.
His laptop was booted and sitting open on the middle console when Kong climbed in the passenger seat, and Mozzi took his spot behind the wheel.
A video feed was pulled up for one of the waterfront properties they had up for sale.
The bidding war was still going on, and Kong allowed it for one reason only: to see how bad Riddle and Donahue really wanted it.
Moose leaned forward so he could peep the footage with them and passed the blunt to Kong.
The nigga looked like he needed it with the night he’d had.
The door to the building opened, and a light flicked on, casting a fluorescent glow over the screen as a couple of shadows appeared and walked inside.
“Wow, this is definitely worth the capital you’re putting up for it. Great location. Plenty of space.” Phoebe strutted inside with Shalice behind her and Donahue and Riddle bringing up the rear.
“Fake ass, fence riding ass bitch,” Moose muttered, shaking his head.
“This building is going to bring in so much revenue,” Riddle chimed in.
“Found something else you might be interested in before we go through with this.” Mozzi went into his glove box and handed Kong a folder.
He flipped it open while their friends on the camera familiarized themselves with the space. Skimming the information in front of him, Kong’s gaze drifted over to Mozzi, who lifted both brows and took the blunt from his hand.
“Is this for real?”
Mozzi nodded in response and pinched the blunt between his fingers before he brought it to his lips and puffed. Kong slammed the folder shut.
“Doesn’t fucking matter.”
“You sure?” Mozzi checked with him.
“Do it.” Kong stared straight ahead.
“Aight.” Mozzi grabbed his phone and hit his boy Truth with a one word text. “Go.”
Something flickered across the camera, and a loud bang caused the four on the camera to turn to the door as someone latched it closed behind them.
“The fuck?” they heard Donahue say, rattling the door to try and get it open.
“What’s happening?” Panic filled Phoebe’s voice.
“What you think gon’ happen to Nay after this?” Mozzi questioned.
“She’ll finally get to live her life for her,” Kong declared.
There was a loud click, and then a bright flash over the feed when the building exploded.
A snowy image took over each square before they were cut altogether.
In the distance, they heard the rumble of the property before the fire lit up the sky, and debris flew into the air about ten miles from where they were parked in town.
With the amount of C4 that building had been lined with, there was no doubt in their mind that no one had survived.
Shalice and Phoebe were a bonus, and Mozzi wasn’t going to shed an ounce of concern for a woman who wanted nothing more than to undermine his relationship with his daughter in the long run.
Even after learning moments before that Riddle was his biological father, Kong only had content residing in him.
Every person in their life who had ever meant them harm had gotten exactly what they deserved.