Chapter 12 #4
“How did you do that in under five minutes?” She laughed.
“I been around the block more times than you, youngin’. I subscribe to your channel, too. I see you got a podcast airing with Sarah Paul. Congratulations. I’ll be putting my order in first for a new set of pots and pans and spices for my new chef. Maybe a cookbook.” He tipped his glass to his lips.
“New chef?” She repeated, appalled as she nudged him playfully with her shoulder against his.
Audiemar chuckled. “I tried not to hire anyone permanently because I just couldn’t bring myself to do it when you were gone.
Now that you’re back, I know you have way more opportunities out there than ever before.
So, I have to come to terms with that, but she can at least have your cookbook and everything at her fingertips so she can figure some things out. ”
“I’m touched,” Ayla gushed, pressing her hand against her chest.
Audiemar came off so hard. Like steel. Unbreakable. But over the last year, she’d gotten to know him. He was lowkey funny, with dry humor.
“You know who you remind me of?”
“Who?” Audiemar turned to her.
“My dad,” she answered, watching something shift beyond his features.
She wasn’t sure what she’d said, or how it registered with him, but clearly, she’d hit a nerve. Audiemar swallowed the rest of his drink.
“Is that right?”
“Yeah. What I can remember about him. He had that dry humor just like you. He kept my mama laughing,” Ayla recalled.
Audiemar cleared his throat and looked at his glass.
“I think I’m going to get a refill.”
“Okay.” Ayla frowned, watching him stand and pad across to the other side of the pool.
“Ayla! Come in the pool and play with us!” Kara cheered from one of Dane’s friend’s shoulders in the water.
She was going up against Sailor in a fight; he was on one of the other friend’s shoulders.
“Not right now. Maybe later.” Ayla sipped from her cup, and Kara pouted but quickly recovered when it was time to go up against Sailor.
“Can I sit with you?” Kong’s deep, rugged voice pulled her from her thoughts.
She had to cross her legs to keep herself from leaking into the seat of her panties. In his vintage hip hop cargo shorts and white tank top, he gave rugged sexiness. With a cold Bud Light Platinum in his hand, he took his father’s position at her side.
“I’m sorry,” were the first words out of his mouth, surprising her.
Kong took a moment to speak again, trying to figure out how he wanted to word himself with her.
“Instead of being grateful for having you back, I was worried about the wrong shit.” He shook his head.
“Hey,” she said, reaching for his hand and grabbing it.
His slanted orbs found hers, and he assessed her pretty face.
“I get it. I was defensive because… it’s hard to think about or talk about.
Not every day do you come back from no shit like this.
All those girls there… some of them had been there for longer than I was.
Months, years. Mira kept them high if they got too high strung or fought back.
I learned early, and one of them… Angel, she told me how to stay on Mira’s good side. She was one of her money makers too.”
Kong’s nostrils flared thinking about Mira’s bitch ass and all the harm she’d caused these young women and girls.
Some of them would never be the same. For some, that kind of life would unfortunately be all they knew.
A few might bounce back and overcome, but there was always going to be those scars of what they went through.
“If you can’t deal with it, I get it.”
Kong quickly snapped his attention in her direction, and his thick brows furrowed.
“Nah, you don’t get it.” He shook his head. “I love you.”
Those words startled her, causing a gasp to slip through her lips as he slid an arm around her waist and pulled her close.
“None of what you went through was your fault. I don’t like none of that shit, but… it’s not like you had much of a choice. I feel like it’s my fault—”
“Don’t.” Ayla reached up, palm landing on the back of his neck where she gently stroked his head. “I think we should make a promise.”
“What kind of promise?” Kong’s eyes drifted to her lips, then her nipples hardening under her tube top.
“The kind where we’re honest with each other. No matter what. And, where we learn how to keep the past in the past. If it doesn’t affect our present or future, then we leave it where it is.” She shrugged.
Kong bit into his bottom lip and nodded.
“I think I can do that,” he voiced after a little thought.
“Really?” Ayla’s eyes widened, and she hiked her brows.
“I’m willing to do whatever it takes to make sure you’re good, Ayla Jacobs.” He crushed his lips against hers before their tongues swept over one another.
“So, does that mean you’ll come home with me and the kids tonight, too?”
“Hell yeah,” he agreed, right as his phone buzzed in his pocket against his thigh.
He pecked Ayla’s lips again before fishing the device from his pocket. There was a building on the market that had a current bidding war going on over it. Kong planned to use it to his advantage.
“Good news?” Ayla caught the smile toying with his lips.
“Something like that,” Kong replied.
“Ayla, if you don’t bring your reclusive ass over here!” Inari yelled at her sister.
“Come on.” Kong grabbed her hand and stood.
“I’m kind of hungry.” She turned her nose up when they arrived at the table.
“Me too. Let’s go get something to eat.” Coast handed Iara back to Mozzi, and she and Ayla stepped away.
“Bring me back a brat and some potato salad!” Inari shouted after them as she brought the blunt Moose handed her to her lips and took a puff.
“The fuck them bitches doing here?” Moose nodded to the door as Nay and Pheobe materialized.
Nobody could say they weren’t some bad bitches. With all the work Phoebe had done, she looked like Nay’s sister. Kong blew out a harsh breath and swallowed the last of his beer while shaking his head.
“I don’t know, but I’m about to start recording.” Mozzi picked up his phone and went right to the camera. “Look, Des on they ass!” He chuckled, watching his grandmother march right over to the mother/daughter pair. “Hold her. I’ll be back.” Mozzi hopped up, setting Rara in Kong’s lap.
The minute she saw her daddy walking off, she started pulling at Kong’s tank top, trying to climb into a standing position.
“Dada!”
“He know damn well he can’t leave her with nobody when he within ten feet.” Kong wrestled with his niece as she grunted in his arms.
“Looks like I need to fire the guards at the gate.” Desiree declared.
“You are exactly what they mean when they say everyone with money doesn’t have class, Desiree,” Phoebe sneered.
“I got more than enough class, and I’ll still whup your ass!” Desiree hissed.
“Phoebe.” Audiemar emerged from behind his mother through the sliding glass doors to his home.
“I got an invite months ago, Audie. Or don’t you remember?” She smoothed out the sarong to her swimsuit as Nayelli shifted uncomfortably beside her.
Eyes roaming the scene, she spotted Ayla walking with Coast back to the table to join Kong, Moose, and Inari. Kong grabbed Ayla’s waist and pulled her onto his lap, so she could eat and feed him a scoop of her potato salad. Immediately, envy swam behind her gaze. That didn’t take long.
“You didn’t think that still meant come after everything,” Audiemar surmised.
“I thought it would be the perfect time for us to talk,” she insinuated.
Growing impatient, Audiemar’s grip tightened on his glass, and he looked at the dark liquor first before taking a slow sip.
“Mama, take my glass to the table for me. I’ll be over to eat in a minute.” Audiemar handed her his glass.
“Bu—” Desiree wanted to object so bad, but watching him snatch Phoebe by her arm and discreetly drag her inside was satisfying enough. Nayelli lowered her eyes to the ground and trailed behind them a few feet.
“Aw, man, Pops, you ain’t have to cut the rest of us off from the show!” Mozzi aimed the camera at Desiree and grinned. “Say something, Gran.”
“Boy, get that phone out my face before I toss you both in the pool!” She huffed.
“I’ll drag yo’ old ass in with me. Quit playing.” Mozzi ended the video, and Desiree swatted him while Inari brushed by them in a rush to get to the nearest bathroom.
She’d already gone through two cups of margaritas. Inside, Audiemar dragged Phoebe into the dining room. The buffet and everything else had been arranged in the kitchen, but there were fruit trays, veggie trays, and a display of cupcakes, cookies, and brownies scattered on the table.
“You’re hurting me!” Phoebe yanked out of his grasp and glared into his cold eyes.
Audiemar had never looked at her that way in all the time she’d known him. Contempt. Rage. Like he wouldn’t pour water on her if she was on fire. Nayelli remained in the doorway, arms tucked over her chest, watching the interaction.
“You got a lot of fucking nerve bringing your ass around here! I could do a lot worse!”
“But you won’t.” A satisfied smirk danced over her mouth.
“Do you want to know why? I’m going to tell you.
Because I know what you don’t want anyone else to know.
All about you, Jane, and Ottie and Izaahn Jacobs.
I realized after you put me out, and after talking to Riddle that I still had leverage.
You might not like it, but how would your sons feel knowing that all this time, their mother died because of you?
Oh, and then to add insult to injury, the Jacobs died because of Jane too.
All because she was nosy and couldn't stay in her place, making them a casualty in a war they knew nothing about,” Phoebe went on, expression smug like she’d reached some kind of victory.
“Ma—” Nay reacted from the doorway. “We need to go. We shouldn’t have even come here.” She pushed herself off the wall and rolled her eyes.
“You should listen to your daughter,” Audiemar growled, fed up with Phoebe and her games. “I was being nice by letting you slide the first time.”