Chapter 4
CHAPTER FOUR
TAKING HITS
“Hey, what are you doing?” Ayla yawned and strolled into the kitchen in her pajamas, robe, and slippers.
With her bonnet still on her head, she watched Inari move around at the stove while humming along to gospel music playing from the Bluetooth speaker that Ayla kept on the counter for when she cooked.
Her sister was all in her space, moving around busily, which automatically triggered her curiosity.
Still in her pajamas, Inari glanced at her baby sister over her shoulder and turned back to keep whipping the pancake mix with a whisk.
“Making breakfast.”
“Uh oh. What happened?” Ayla asked, pulling a chair out from the circular oak table.
“It’s Saturday morning. I thought we could have a hot breakfast together. Was Dane awake?” Inari asked, moving to the griddle to pour the batter.
It wasn’t that she couldn’t cook; she just didn’t have a lot of time to do it.
Ayla was definitely better at it, but Inari was decent.
Noticing the plate of sliced fruit and yogurt dip arranged, Ayla reached for a small saucer and piled it with strawberries, blueberries, and pineapple to start as her sister continued to move rather erratically.
“I think so. You got in late. I was expecting a wake up to drink wine and listen to all our favorite heartbreak songs.” Ayla studied the blueberry in her hand before plucking it into her mouth.
“Yeah. I was tired.” Inari used her spatula to flip the first few pancakes.
“Okay, spill, Nari. What is going on? The only time you cook is when you have something you want to talk to somebody about. Obviously, it’s weighing on your mind when you wake up early on a Saturday after working late.”
Removing the first batch of pancakes, Inari piled them on a plate and shook her head.
“The fucking devil is at work; that’s all I can say. Danilo is out.”
Ayla practically choked on the pineapple chunk she’d just shoved into her mouth. Coughing, she slapped her hand against her chest and reached for the Simply Orange juice container and an empty glass.
“Are you serious?” she questioned after gathering herself.
“As a heart attack. Which he nearly gave me, sneaking up on me in the parking lot when I was leaving last night.” Inari walked the plate of pancakes over to the table.
Dane strolled in, an extra swagger in his step as his slippers scuffed against their hardwood floors.
This house was the only home that he or Ayla had ever known.
Inari had it remodeled from top to bottom over the years, trying to rid it of the stain from when she used to push work out of it.
With a pair of basketball shorts hanging off his hips and a black tank top, he joined Ayla at the table and snatched up a piece of bacon off a plate.
“Who almost gave you a heart attack?” Dane questioned, shoving the swine in his mouth and barely chewing.
Standing at his side, hand on her wide hip, Inari stared down at him with a spatula in one hand, prepared to fess up.
She didn’t talk about Danilo to Dane, and he’d stopped asking about him years ago.
She wished like hell he had some kind of male influence in his life but was thankful he was an all-around good kid.
She opened her mouth to speak when something caught her eye.
He’d applied some kind of ointment over her name in cursive letters inked in his skin a few inches below his ear.
“Boy, what the hell is that on your neck?” Inari swatted him with the spatula.
“Oh, so, the team all decided to go get tatted last night. Kind of like a brotherhood, ritual type thing. There was this grand opening at this spot called Ink Realm. The artists in there are cold, Ma!” Dane reached for a pancake off the plate and took a bite.
“Aw, it’s kind of cute.” Ayla gushed after standing to look at the tattoo.
Inari cut her mocha tinted eyes at her sister.
“What?” Ayla scrunched her nose. “It’s sweet. Next time, I want my name on you.”
“You are not helping,” Inari quipped sternly.
“Nari, he’s growing up.” Ayla shrugged. “He’s also a good kid and makes good grades. If he was in the streets wilding out, I might object, but… my nephew is one of the best human beings I know.”
Dane grinned as he picked up another piece of bacon, but Inari still slapped him on the back of his head.
“He’s fifteen! Who the hell would tattoo a bunch of kids?” Inari sneered.
Frowning, Dane rubbed the back of his head and cut his eyes at the woman who birthed him.
“Oh, Moose cool as hell. His shop is lit too!” He chimed in after swallowing.
“Moose.” Inari huffed. “I’mma get that nigga shut the fuck down in the same damn week.” She picked up her phone off the table and went right to Google to find out where Ink Realm was located.
“Ma, don’t do that,” Dane argued. “All my homies already talking about going back and getting more. How it look if they find out my mama got the shop shut down? Most people gotta travel outside Ree Heights for a decent tattoo artist.”
“I don’t care. Nobody should be in business operating like this. The shit is illegal.”
“And you know about illegal, right?” Ayla piped up, grabbing an empty plate so she could make her own.
Inari paused in the middle of typing her review, dragging the business, and glared across the table at her sister. Lifting both brows, Ayla shrugged and snatched up a few pieces of bacon, a couple of scoops of scrambled eggs, and three pancakes before walking it over to the microwave.
“You trying to be funny?”
“No.” Ayla hid a smile and shook her head.
“I’m finding someone to remove that thing too.” Inari aimed her phone at the tattoo.
“Ma, come on. I can’t do that,” Dane complained.
“Moose asked me two things when I sat in his chair. Why I wanted a tattoo and what I wanted. I told him because I rocked with my team, and the first thing I thought about was you. Now, every girl that ever comes at me knows my mama comes first. Period. If she can’t rock with that, she ain’t fa me. ”
“Oh, my God, he’s growing up.” Ayla pressed her hands against her chest.
“You full of shit, Dane. Don’t be using me as an excuse with these little hussies!”
“Ma, the hell is a hussy?” Dane cocked a brow.
“After you eat, get dressed. We’re going to pay ya boy Moose a visit,” she instructed.
It was almost noon when Inari arrived outside Ink Realm.
The shop was located in the local strip mall district.
Not only was it on the corner with a big sign hanging above the building, but it was also surrounded by all local businesses.
There were nail shops, barbershops, salons, and other finds scattered among the outdoor shopping area.
A small barbecue place, BBQ Junction, was about three doors down.
Charcoal and mouthwatering grilled meat smoke filled the air.
Two large grills were set up in front, and the two brothers who owned the spot, Stacks and Kool, sipped cold Budweisers while chopping it up with a few people seated at small tables outside their doors.
Inari parked and looked over at Dane nervously seated in her passenger seat.
Yesterday was her cheat day, but the smell of that food had her considering another.
Her son glanced at the front door of the tattoo shop when it opened, and a tall, toasted brown skinned, ridiculously fine figure emerged.
Almost every inch of his rich skin was covered in some kind of marking.
A wife beater hugged his broad chest, accenting the muscles in his arms as he lifted a Styrofoam container toward his mouth while taking a bite of a meaty rib.
His diamond clustered tennis chain dangled from his neck, and he’d slung his t-shirt over his shoulder as he peered down the block and chewed with a scowl.
Sideburns, goatee, and hairline were all neat, and his dark brown locs were pulled back in a barrel style.
Inari’s initial perception of him was that he was mean as hell.
When he turned, even his side profile was sexy as his eyes locked with hers through the window of her car.
“Is that him?” she asked.
“Yeah, that’s Moose.” Dane nodded.
“Come on.” Inari pushed her door open and stepped out.
Moose’s dark eyes lingered over her pretty face first before drifting along her full frame. He licked his lips and tossed the bone to his rib in his container. Dane got out next, head down when he planted his feet on the sidewalk. Moose chucked his chin at her before picking up another rib.
“What’s up, mama? You trying to get some ink?”
“So, is that how it is at Ink Realm?” Inari questioned. “You just walk right in and get tatted up, damn consent?”
Moose frowned, slightly confused as his gaze bounced over to Dane leaning against the side of Inari’s ride.
“You remember him?” She aimed a finger at Dane, who could barely look Moose in the eye.
Narrowing his eyes, he slung his rib back into the to-go box and slammed it shut.
“Yeah. He was in here last night with his homies.” Moose lowered the box in front of him.
“Well, did you check IDs, or you just took a bunch of baby-faced ass little boys’ word for it that they were of age?” Inari sneered.
“They all had consent waivers. I didn’t think shit. Honestly, a nigga was faded and happy that business was booming opening night,” he expressed with a shrug.
“Of course.” Inari bobbed her head before scoffing. “Not very responsible of a new business owner.”
“Look, I ain’t 5-0. I don’t appreciate you coming over here barking on me because you can’t control your fucking kid either!” His thick brows bunched together, and he stepped closer to Inari.
“Fuck you! You don’t know shit about me!”
“Whoa, Ma, chill!” Dane finally stepped in, using himself as a fence between the two of them.
“Dane, stay out of this!” Inari pushed him aside. “It sounds like you might want to run a tighter ship! I can’t be the only parent concerned about something like this.”