“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 werefruit 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.”
“Don’t do me any favors, Audiemar! If I were you, and your sons, I’d watch my back.”
“Is that a threat you’re making?” he challenged, inching into her space and breathing down on her like a dragon.
“That’s up to you. I’m willing to be bought for my silence.”
“Bitch, you’re out of your fucking mind,” Audiemar said through a locked jaw.
“Hmm, then I guess you better prepare the family. The Ree Heights newspaper is about to get all this tea.” Phoebe spun toward Nayelli. “Let’s go.”
Her daughter stared at Audiemar briefly, empathy and regret filling her orbs. She wasn’t built like Phoebe, and she was tired of the toxicity of it all. Her mother meant no good for her, and it took an accident and losing her memory to realize that. She pushed her toward Kong, setting her up for heartache when she knew he and Ayla had some shit going on. All the hurt and humiliation Nayelli felt was brought on by her own mother, and some days, she didn’t know how to live with that.
The two walked through the living room to exit through the front door. Audiemar heard it slam shut and shot a text to his security at the gate. Those two were officially banned from the property, not that it mattered. This was the last time Phoebe would come around, trying to flex. Face down in his phone, Audiemar ambled toward the kitchen.
When he stepped into the hall, he found Inari there, back against the wall, shock on her face. His heart nearly jumped out of his chest. Her eyes synced with his, and he knew in that moment, she’d heard everything.
“What happened to my parents? What happened to Jane?” she interrogated.
