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The only thing that kept Cassius from laughing at the fear in Elio’s face was his desire not to undermine Mars’ threat by turning it into a comical moment.
“Whatever,” Elio scoffed, waving him off. “It doesn’t matter what you say; you and Ria could never be a thing. It’s law, and we all know that.”
“And we all know you,” this time Cassius spoke. “Just to be clear, regarding your earlier statement, Aella and I aren’t becoming a thing. We are one. And what my wife loves, I love. That includes her sister, who, by default, is now my sister. Mars already let you know what it is, but if, for whatever reason, you decide to be a fuckin’ fool, which you’re good at, and not listen to him, let me spell it out for you. You’re not getting close to Ria. Because if you ever decided to get pissy drunk one night and put your hands on her, they’d never find all the pieces of your body. This has already been made very clear to your father, but if you choose to be stupid and try to get at her anyway, I’m sure Mars won’t hesitate to ensure his face is the last one you see.”
“And I’ll sleep like a fucking baby afterward,” Mars confirmed. “Fuck with me.”
Elio took a step back, wide eyes bouncing between the two. “So that’s how it is?”
“Cross that line and find out.”
The challenge had been issued, but Cassius and Mars knew Elio would never take it. He was a coward who liked to terrorize those who couldn’t fight back.
“Bet. I see how it is. So much for The Family,” Elio sneered.
“Which, by your words, is something I’m not and will never be a part of, remember?” Mars reminded him.
Knowing he’d lost the battle, Elio backed off, attempting to keep what little pride he had left intact.
“Whatever,” he muttered, disappearing.
“That nigga is such a bitch.”
“Yeah, well, we know that. Let’s get to what’s important,” Cassius downed the rest of his drink. “What the fuck happened between you and Ria that has you going up for her?”
“Nothing,” Mars shrugged, as nonchalant as ever. “Nothing needs to happen between us for me to know she’s too damn good for that nigga.”
“Agreed.” Cassius nodded as Aella caught his eye again. It was the first time she’d been alone all day, and he didn’t plan on missing the opportunity to be in her space.
“I’ll be right back.”
“Do your thing, I’ll be here.”
Leaving Mars where he was, Cassius crossed the room in a few strides, closing the distance between them. Maybe it was a trick of the light, but he could have sworn the minute Aella noticed him approaching, relief, and perhaps even excitement, danced in her eyes.
“What’s up, beautiful?” He tucked his hands into his pockets, leaning against the wall. “Long time no see.”
“I know, right?” A smile tugged at the corners of her lips. “Where have you been?”
“That’s a question I should be asking you. It feels like you’ve been ducking me since you agreed to be my wife. Let me find out you changed your mind already.”
Aella full-out laughed. “Let me find out Mr. Arrogant is questioning his game.”
“Under normal circumstances, I’d never, but you have a way of making me question every-damn-thing.”
“Sounds like an amazing skill to have if you ask me.”
Suddenly, his discussion with his mother shot to the forefront of his brain.
“Speaking of questions, Elle, there’s something I want to ask you about. Privately. Are you busy next tuesday?”
“I’ll have to check but I’m pretty sure my schedule is clear after work.”
“Cool. I’ll pick you up at seven for a date,” Cassius announced, pressing his lips to her forehead before returning to Mars.
“I never agreed to a date,” Aella called to his back.
“But you’ll be ready on time anyway because you’re dying inside to see if my arrogant ass can actually pull off romance,” he replied without looking back. He was almost back to Mars before a figure slid in his path. Cassius stepped back, ready to curse out whoever it was, until he noticed it was Severo.
