Her glistening eyes pierced his. Kong stepped forward, placing a gentle kiss against her lips and wiping some of her tears. Looking into the infant’s face, suddenly the hole in her heart was filled with nothing but overflowing love. She wasn’t crazy. The thoughts and feelings she’d harbored for Neo since the first time she held him were all warranted.
“How?” she questioned.
Mozzi and Moose had come to join the circle that gathered around them, including the photographer whom Coast was testing waters with and thinking about hiring for her team.
“I told you I was going to bring him home. I owed you that and a lifetime of happiness,” Kong vowed.
Ayla burst into tears, and Coast and Inari were right behind her. She brought Neo closer, inhaling his sweet baby scent and kissing the top of his head. He shifted in her arms, making the cutest baby noises as he yawned cutely, but his eyes remained closed.
“Welcome home, nephew!” Moose announced, raising his champagne glass.
Ayla had more than one reason to celebrate that night. While she was grateful and very proud of her professional accomplishments, nothing could top holding Neo and knowing he belonged to her. There wasn’t a doubt in her mind as she sat in a chair, staring at his face. The more she looked at him, the easier it was to spot all his similarities to her, Kong, and even Kara and Kyro. She didn’t want to let him go.
Kong watched her in a daze. Knowing that he was able to bring back the greatest gift to her was enough for him. His goal was to always make sure they could count on him.
“Bro.” Mozzi came up and tapped him on the shoulder, nodding to the door behind them so Kong would follow.
Moose sparked a blunt and sat in the back seat of Mozzi’s truck. His laptop was booted and sitting open on the middle console when Kong climbed in the passenger seat, and Mozzi took his spot behind the wheel. A video feed was pulled up for one of the waterfront properties they had up for sale. The bidding war was still going on, and Kong allowed it for one reason only: to see how bad Riddle and Donahue really wanted it.
Moose leaned forward so he could peep the footage with them and passed the blunt to Kong. The nigga looked like he needed it with the night he’d had. The door to the building opened, and a light flicked on, casting a fluorescent glow over the screen as a couple of shadows appeared and walked inside.
“Wow, this is definitely worth the capital you’re putting up for it. Great location. Plenty of space.” Phoebe strutted inside with Shalice behind her and Donahue and Riddle bringing up the rear.
“Fake ass, fence riding ass bitch,” Moose muttered, shaking his head.
“This building is going to bring in so much revenue,” Riddle chimed in.
“Found something else you might be interested in before we go through with this.” Mozzi went into his glove box and handed Kong a folder.
He flipped it open while their friends on the camera familiarized themselves with the space. Skimming the information in front of him, Kong’s gaze drifted over to Mozzi, who lifted both brows and took the blunt from his hand.
“Is this for real?”
Mozzi nodded in response and pinched the blunt between his fingers before he brought it to his lips and puffed. Kong slammed the folder shut.
“Doesn’t fucking matter.”
“You sure?” Mozzi checked with him.
“Do it.” Kong stared straight ahead.
“Aight.” Mozzi grabbed his phone and hit his boy Truth with a one word text. “Go.”
Something flickered across the camera, and a loud bang caused the four on the camera to turn to the door as someone latched it closed behind them.
“The fuck?” they heard Donahue say, rattling the door to try and get it open.
“What’s happening?” Panic filled Phoebe’s voice.
“What you think gon’ happen to Nay after this?” Mozzi questioned.
“She’ll finally get to live her life for her,” Kong declared.
There was a loud click, and then a bright flash over the feed when the building exploded. A snowy image took over each square before they were cut altogether. In the distance, they heard the rumble of the property before the fire lit up the sky, and debris flew into the air about ten miles from where they were parked in town. With the amount of C4 that building had been lined with, there was no doubt in their mind that no one had survived.
Shalice and Phoebe were a bonus, and Mozzi wasn’t going to shed an ounce of concern for a woman who wanted nothing more than to undermine his relationship with his daughter in the long run. Even after learning moments before that Riddle was his biological father, Kong only had content residing in him. Every person in their life who had ever meant them harm had gotten exactly what they deserved.
EPILOGUE
