8. Top Off #2
“Nothing. Just had some shit on my mind.” He tipped his glass back and swallowed the respado tequila.
Kong pinched the blunt between his fingers and brought it to his lips. Taking a seat in the empty chair beside him, he peeped Moose’s rigid demeanor and how he rocked anxiously back and forth in his chair.
“What’s up with you and Ayla?” His brother turned and questioned.
“Pssh. Nothing.” Kong sparked his blunt and took a tug. “It can’t be anything because of all the other shit I got going on. She doesn’t deserve to be part of that. What about you and Inari?”
“She just blew me off through text,” Moose declared with a scoff before shaking his head. “Trying to figure out what the fuck happened or what I did?”
“Maybe you didn’t do anything. She might just be going through some shit.” Kong shrugged.
“Shit was good earlier, though. We was in a good place and made plans to hook up tonight. Then she basically text me on some ghost shit. Blocked me and everything.” Moose voiced.
Kong took a few more puffs before extending his arm with the blunt. Once Moose gripped it, Kong leaned all the way back and stared up at the sky with his arms draped over his abs, watching a plane fly overhead, blending in with the stars shining on them.
“I think with all the shit we got going on, it’s best to keep our distance. We have a business to protect, and right now that is priority. Ayla and Inari are liabilities to us. That’s why I decided to marry Nayelli,” Kong revealed.
Moose nearly killed himself choking on weed smoke. He slammed his fist into his chest a few times before he gave up and passed the za back to his brother.
“The fuck you mean marry her?” he croaked, finally able to speak.
“I’ve thought about it. I have to keep Nay close. This shit that happened to her was because of me.”
“Ain’t like you set that shit in motion with intentions of hurting her, bruh. She was in the wrong place at the wrong time. It could have been anybody.”
“But it wasn’t,” Kong rebutted. “And all I keep thinking about is what if it was Ayla? What if she had my kids with her?”
“So, it’s okay to put Nayelli in the path of destruction, but not her?”
“Nayelli is safe. For me. Shit might not sound ideal—”
“Nah, what it sounds is fucked up,” Moose divulged.
“If something happened to her, yeah, it would be fucked up, but it wouldn’t devastate me. It’s different with Ayla. She reminds me of Jane, and Twyla sometimes too.”
“I can see that,” Moose muttered.
“Like I said. Safe.” Kong continued to smoke.
“How you think that shit went with our crew?” Moose wanted to change the subject from matters of the heart.
He’d never been good with that shit, and dwelling on it too long put him in a position where he was ready to do something to somebody, and that wasn’t going to help things.
He’d never been in the business of chasing a bitch.
Maybe shit was happening with Inari like it was supposed to.
Ever since the heist at her job, he’d been waiting for the other shoe to drop, wondering when it would fracture things between them.
“Hard to say. I think everyone is on edge waiting on some shit to happen. So, we stay on point. Between the shit at the tower, Nickel, Mozzi provoking Sipes over Coast, and what just happened to Fire… I think it’s safe to assume some shit will hit the fan. We just don’t know when.”
Audiemar lingered near the French doors of his home, sipping Bourbon and listening to his sons share their woes before interrupting.
“Although unfortunate that you have to cut Inari and Ayla out of your lives, it’s for the best. I’m glad you’re both able to see that, even if you don’t like it.
” Audiemar stood near the pool, burgundy silk robe tied around his black, two-piece pajama set.
“Not just for the two of you, but for them as well.”
Neither of his sons knew what he meant by that.
Inari and Ayla both reminded him of someone, and the last name, Jacobs, rang bells as well.
After making a few inquiries, he knew exactly who they were.
Not only that, but who their parents were.
That discovery alone was enough to rattle him.
Hearing that his sons had cut off their connections to both women made him feel better.
The last thing he needed was any of them getting too close to the truth.
“Is Ayla being here going to be a problem?” Audiemar addressed Kong.
Sitting up, he clasped his hands together, the za starting to affect his mood as he studied the water in front of him.
“Nah. We’ll move out.”
“Move out? What about the kids?” Moose queried.
“It’s for the best.” Kong swiped his pants legs and stood. “You should keep her on. The kids will still be visiting, and you do need someone to make your meals, right? She’s almost done with school, and she needs this job right now.”
“She can stay,” Audiemar agreed.
“You were right. I need a wife.” Kong voiced to his father. “I need a partner. This accident has changed Nay. I don’t know if any of you have noticed—”
“She can’t remember shit.” Moose dragged smoke into his lungs from the blunt again. “What happens when she does?”
“Right now, I’m not worried about that. She’s better with the kids, and I think it’s time we move back into our own home again.”
“You playing with fire, bro. Big ass fucking flames,” Moose described.
The growing familiarity of Mozzi and Coast’s banter floated through the doors outside. In joggers, a pair of slides, and no shirt, he sailed into the kitchen ahead of her, chewing his ass out in one of his big t-shirts and socks up to her calves.
“I can’t believe you ate all my damn wings, Moses! You are a fuckin’ asshole!” Coast sounded like she wanted to cry.
Gathered in a semi-circle, Moose, Kong, and Audiemar all listened with half grins. Mozzi didn’t let anybody talk to him crazy, but Coast matched his energy, and it was comical to see.
“I thought you was sleep! And that ain’t no fucking reason to throw no damn remote at me, Trouble!
I swear to God if my eye turn black, I’m fucking you up!
Gon’ have muhfuckas out here thinking I got my ass whupped ’cause yo’ ass worried about some damn food!
” He yanked the freezer door open and reached inside for an icepack on one of the shelves.
“Order me some more damn wings!” Coast yelled, punching him in the shoulder when he came back to the counter.
“Fuck!” Mozzi growled. “You really gon’ punch me like that in the shoulder where I got fucking shot!”
Moose snickered and Kong shook his head. Audiemar looked on with humor. Jane would have loved to see this. Coast’s hands flew up to her mouth, and a gasp slipped off her lips.
“I’m sorry.” She tried to move closer, but Mozzi shot a hardened glare in her direction.
He was pissed, and in pain, but not wanting to take anything for it still.
“Yo, don’t fucking touch me right now. I’ll order your fucking wings.” He inched away from her, but Coast didn’t move.
She snatched the ice pack out of his hand and moved toward him as he tapped at his phone screen on the counter.
“I’m sorry,” she repeated, pressing it against his eye.
She leaned into him, and Mozzi’s arm slipped around her waist. Coast stood on her toes and kissed his lips, which he accepted, and they went back to normal.
Or as normal as those two knew how to be.
Audiemar knew one thing in that moment, if anything ever happened to Coast, it would be the undoing of his son.
Mozzi deserved to experience this. Moose and Kong knew a woman’s love aside from Jane. Their younger brother had no idea.
“At least one of us is happy,” Moose muttered.
“For now.” Audiemar tipped his glass to his lips.