“Is something wrong?” Phoebe asked, taking a sip of her Cabernet selection of wine before setting the glass back on the table.
With his fork still in his hand, shifting pasta from side to side, Audiemar peered up at her from his plate. Slowly, he shook his head before letting his fork clatter against his plate.
“Not really hungry,” he said, reaching for his glass of whiskey.
“Anything you want to talk about?” Phoebe queried.
Audiemar didn’t respond as he peered at her over the rim of his glass and swallowed the warm liquid. He sensed that although he wasn’t in the mood for small talk, she hadsomething on her mind. Slowly, he lowered his glass to the table and grabbed his napkin to wipe his mouth.
“Seems like you do.”
“Have you talked to Kong? He can’t just end this thing with Nayelli like it never happened.”
Sighing, Audiemar shook his head.
His son had been distant, so he hadn’t spoken to him directly in days. The news about Ayla hit everyone hard, and he was still struggling with it. Not having all the facts, he sensed that his sons all knew a hell of a lot more than they were saying. With Moose in rehab and Mozzi and Coast newlyweds dealing with a newborn, his sons suddenly all had lives and responsibilities outside their empire. He was both happy and filled with pride in all of them, even Moose, but he couldn’t help but be concerned about the direction his family was going.
“Kong is a grown man, Phoebe. I have no control over him or the decision he makes. His reasons for separating from Nayelli are warranted.”
“Warranted?” Phoebe scoffed. “Like he wasn’t using her from jump to try and get over whatever he had with that girl?—”
“Her name was Ayla,” Audiemar corrected her sternly.
“She was the help?—”
“What is your problem, Phoebe? Hmm?” Audiemar leaned forward with his bushy salt and pepper brows furrowing above his narrowing eyes. “You still trying to live through your daughter? Why does what she do with her life concern you so much? Last time I checked, she was grown and could make her own decisions. She decided to lie to Kong about the progress of her condition, too. So, why should he trust anything she has to say?”
“He built their marriage on a lie!” she shrieked. “You really want to sit there and defend that?”
“I’m not defending anything. I’m allowing my son to live his life and make his own choices. You should do the same for your daughter.” He nodded across the table.
“This is just like you. What happened to my daughter is what happened to Jane, because of you.” She called him out. “And to Twyla because of Kong.”
“What are you talking about?” Audiemar reclined in his chair, and Phoebe’s utensils clattered against her plate as she pushed her chair from the table.
“I’m talking about all the lies that spew from this family! You walk around pretending to be so noble and honorable, but you flex your power every chance you get for yourselves. Leaning on this code that makes you think you’re above everyone!” She snatched her plate off the table and walked it over to the sink so she could shove what was left in the garbage disposal.
Audiemar barely reacted. He remained seated, thrown by her outburst. Waiting on her to elaborate on her tantrum, which he knew she would, he couldn’t keep his radar from going off. Phoebe kept her back to him, chest heaving as she rested her hand on her hip.
“I know that what happened to my daughter wasn’t an accident,” she revealed in a low whisper.
“Who you been talking to?” Audiemar’s pulse slowed, and he allowed her the floor.
Slowly, she spun, facing him with her resting bitch face and eyes full of fire.
“You know I never keep my ear too far from the street. She was a casualty in the war that you and your sons started with Donahue. I let it go because Kong did right by her, but after this… what am I supposed to do? My child is hurting because of what your son did to her! This is like what happened to Jane all over again!”
This time, Audiemar looked at her.
“What you say?” he asked, bringing himself to his feet.
For a moment, she froze, but only for a second. It was enough to cast suspicion.
“I meant…”
“You said it’s like what happened to Jane, but how the fuck do you know what happened?”
“You think people are stupid, Audie? Jane was your wife. It’s not like you’re nobody in this town. Of course, everyone had something to say about what happened to her.”
