12. Lights Out
CHAPTER TWELVE
LIGHTS OUT
“Coast, you one bad bitch.” Inari snickered through the speaker connected to her phone’s Bluetooth in her car.
She decided to head home after their brief time at the club while Ayla joined Coast and Brim to head back to the estate.
She didn’t want to chance running into Moose because she wasn’t sure how she was going to deal with Danilo.
There was no room for guilt because she had no real obligation to him, but he would say otherwise if he knew what she was on.
“Remind me not to ever get on your bad side.”
“I’m just mad our fun was cut short. This is probably going to be one of the last times in a while we’ll get to party.” Coast pouted.
“Don’t forget about this impromptu wedding,” Inari reminded her.
Coast squealed. “So, you’re going to go?”
“Of course, I am. I wouldn’t miss it, right, Ayla?”
“I don’t know, Nari—”
“You have to go,” Coast whined. “Audiemar can survive a day without you. It won’t be the same if you don’t go, Lala.”
Coast had fallen right in with the Jacobs sisters over the last six months.
She was the fiery, feisty sister they never had.
Inari didn’t have to worry as much about Ayla with Coast around either.
Tonight was a prime example of that. Although Ayla wasn’t some weak little bird, and Inari knew that better than anyone, it never stopped her from being unsettled about her well-being.
Ever since their parents died, she’d held some responsibility for what happened to her sister.
It was why her assault always played on her conscience, and she never revealed the truth.
If Ayla knew, it would change everything.
“You’re asking me to get on a plane. With Kong. Fly to Hawaii, and spend time in proximity with him for an entire day on some romantic shit.” Ayla shook her head.
“Quit being a punk!” Inari teased, whipping her car into the driveway of her home.
Danilo’s was already parked on the curb, and she mentally prepared herself for whatever bullshit he was going to be on tonight.
Being around him was so forced, and she hated it.
Dane acted like he couldn’t see it, but she was miserable and taking it all on for his and Ayla’s sake. Another sacrifice.
“You know damn well why this is a bad idea, Nari.”
“Why? What happened? I want to know.” Coast chimed in.
“You’re going,” Inari declared before her sister could protest any further. “So, pack a bag so we can all take a much-needed getaway. I’m heading into the house so I can let Dane and Danilo know. I will talk to you hoochies later.” Inari tapped the screen to end the call and shut her car off.
Dane had shoveled the driveway, so when Inari stepped out of the car, little salt pebbles crushed under her feet.
She grabbed her purse, slipped her phone inside, and ambled over to the sidewalk leading to her front porch.
She didn’t have to use her key because the door flung open, and the screen damn near smacked her in her face.
“Where the fuck you been!” Danilo barked, towering in the doorway and blocking her path inside.
“The hell is wrong with you?” Inari’s face balled into contempt.
She pushed past him out of the cold. It was freezing, and he wanted to be on some bullshit.
“Dane said he left you at the Junction and hadn’t heard from you. I know that place right down the strip from Moose’s shop, so what the fuck kind of time you on, Inari?” Danilo slammed the door behind her with his foot.
“First of all, you need to calm the fuck down.” She whipped around on him after setting her purse on the nearby accent table near the bottom of the staircase.
Smack!
Unsure if she was living in some alternate reality right now, Inari brought her hand to her stinging face.
This motherfucker had really put his hands on her!
With blood boiling in her veins, she lunged for him.
A few punches landed upside his head, but Danilo wrestled with her, grabbing both wrists to keep her from lashing out even further.
“You stupid ass nigga! The fuck is wrong with you putting your fucking hands on me!” she screamed, bringing her knee to his family jewels and using all her strength to crush them.
She’d knocked the wind from him. With his hands tucked between his legs, he crumbled at the bottom of the staircase, releasing a wounded grunt. Inari went into her purse for the .22 she carried and cocked it before aiming it at his head.
“I will fucking kill you if you ever touch me again, Danilo! Do you fucking hear me!” She kicked him with her three-inch Manolo Blahniks.
“You remember who the fuck holding all the cards, Inari,” he growled through deep breaths with a brow furrowed in pain.
“You do whatever the fuck you need to do!”
“You sure that’s what you want? What about Dane and Ayla?” A wicked smirk tilted the corner of his mouth.
He was taking far too much pleasure in this.
He considered the last few months his get back for her leaving him high and dry when he got locked up.
Making her uncomfortable and forcing her into this situation out of obligation to the only two people she really gave a damn about was something he reveled in.
Fucking her and making money was a bonus.
He couldn’t help but be resentful, though, because she made it clear he was not what she wanted.
Danilo was under the delusion that if he tried hard enough, he could force her into feeling something for him again.
He’d tried taking her out, buying her gifts, and doing little shit like giving her bread for her hair and nail maintenance, but Inari wasn’t budging.
She purposely kept him at a distance, and Danilo felt he didn’t deserve it.
The least she could do was try and give them another chance.
It was clear that nigga Moose had invaded her heart.
“I fucking hate you,” Inari whispered, tears flaring in her eyes.
“Ma! Is that you?” Dane called from the top of the stairs.
She lowered her gun, making sure to remove the bullet from the chamber and put the safety back on.
Before Dane could reach the bottom of the stairs, she swiftly stuffed it back into her bag.
Sniffling, Inari peered up at her son curiously looking down at his father who was starting to sit up on the second to the last step.
“Y’all good?” Dane queried, eyes volleying from Inari to Danilo, who leaned against the wooden railing.
“I don’t know. Danilo, are we?” Inari asked, hiking a brow.
Scowling, his nostrils flared before nodding calmly.
“That’s great to hear,” she drawled.
“Where you coming from looking like that?” Dane asked, looking her over in her hot girl attire.
“That new club, Avalon. I went out briefly with your auntie and Coast. Things got a little hot in there, though, so we ended up cutting the night short. I’m tired, and I have plenty to do before this party tomorrow night. Dane, did you find something to wear?”
“Yeah. Me and Pops went shopping.”
Against her wishes, Danilo had invited himself to the Blackmoor Christmas party. Inari didn’t want to argue, but her gut told her this was a bad fucking idea. She didn’t want Moose and Danilo anywhere near each other. Grabbing her bag from the table, she started toward the stairs.
“Oh, and after the party, I’ll be taking a trip. Coast and Mozzi are getting married. They’re eloping to Hawaii. It should only be a day trip, though, so I’ll be back Monday afternoon.”
“Yo, I can’t go to Hawaii?” Dane posed.
“No. You’re going to stay here and work on getting that extra credit work done so you can get those grades up next semester. I’ll bring you a souvenir.” Inari kissed his cheek, and Dane sucked his teeth.
“That is not the same, Ma. It’s cold as hell here. I want to get flew out!” he argued. “I promise, y’all won’t even know I’m there.”
“Son, chill. When your mama gets back, we can plan a family vacation. Ain’t that right, Nari?” Danilo stood, although his balls were still inflamed when he faced her now beside Dane on the stairs.
“Cut the shit, Danilo. I’m giving you some grace because it’s the holidays. It’s supposed to be a time of family, forgiveness, and learning how to let things go. How about you take notes? Tell your son what’s really going on and why you’re putting on this act like we’re some happy fucking family.”
“What she talking about?” Dane’s head snapped in his father’s direction.
“Nothing.” Danilo growled, eyes darkening and fixating on Inari.
“Right. Nothing.” Inari muttered, shaking her head and starting up the steps.
The minute she was inside her room, she snatched out of her dress and went to run a shower.
After tying her silk Vera Wang robe around her, she removed her makeup in the mirror, brushed her teeth, and did her facial routine before getting into the steam filled glass encasing.
Something told her Danilo would be on some bullshit.
The cold gust of air up her spine let her know he was near and had opened the shower door.
Gripping her pistol on the shower shelf, she faced him, menace clouding her usually warm cinnamon brown eyes.
“The fuck you think this is?”
“This shit is done when I say so, Inari. You can pull that gun on me all you want, but we both know you ain’t pulling that trigger.
Not if you don’t want your sister in the crosshairs of Tulla and her department.
Or how about Dane?” He sneered, swiping his tongue across his lips.
“You think our son will be understanding if he knew the truth?”
“The truth? Like the fact that I was protecting my sister? Or the fact that his father and twisted ass auntie are holding it over my head!” she snapped, watching his confidence fizzle when he came to terms with her reasoning.