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Fear gripped Cassius like a vice as he wondered what would have happened if anyone else got to Aella. As far as he knew, the contract only outlined a kidnapping. There’s no telling what anyone would have done to her beyond that.

“I hear you. I’ll find a way to talk to her and let her know what’s up.”

Kenyon raised an eyebrow. “You’ll find a way to talk to her? That doesn’t sound good,” he tittered.

Releasing a breath that formed a stream of condensation, Cassius said, “She’s pissed at me right now, so we aren’t on speaking terms. Shit, for as much as I keep calling her my wife, I don’t even know if she still wants to go through with marrying me.”

“Whew,” Kenyon whistled. “Been there. I don’t know exactly what y’all’s issue is, but me and mine didn’t speak for years.”

“Damn, how’d you get back on her good side?”

“Me being on my wife’s good side depends on the day,” Kenyon chuckled. “But our long story short, I botched a job some years ago, and I had to walk away from her to keep her safe. A couple of years later, her father reached out to me to let me know she was in danger, and it was a wrap. I didn’t think twice before coming back to the city to make sure she was good. She gave me hell for it every step of the way, but my love for her outweighed my feelings about her anger, so I took all the hits until I had a chance to fix us.”

“Me and Elle’s situation is a little different. Our families have some bullshit going on, and a union between us was supposed to be a fix. Shit would be so much simpler if I could frame it as business, but…” he trailed off.

There was silence between the two men before Kenyon broke it. “Very rarely do we see that particular train coming before it runs us over. For it to be so loud and bright, it seemingly comes out of nowhere and hits harder than anything you’ve ever experienced. In my case, my wife is it for me. I knew from the time we were teenagers that I loved her beyond life. But I also know that despite her being Marquis Paolucci’s daughter⁠—”

“Shit!” Cassius hissed. He’d never met Marquis Paolucci in person, but he was more than familiar with the name and reputation.

Kenyon laughed quietly. “Yeah. My wife is Iniko Alexander, formerly Paolucci. And if I had a million lives, I’d give them all up for her. But I also handle her with the understanding that being a woman in his world is ten times harder than it is for a man. I’ve seen mafia wives deal with raids, bids, possible jail time, other women, outside kids, and the possibility of losing their lives, all because of who they were sold or bartered to, or fell in love with. Some husbands don’t care, but⁠—”

“I ain’t one of them,” Cassius declared before Kenyon could finish his statement.

This time, Kenyon’s laughter was loud. “You have my Black ass out here in the snow trying to help you figure out who wants to hurt her, so I never assumed you were. The point of my pep talk is to help you realize that even though Aella grew up with a mob boss as her father, this is the first time she’ll have one as her husband and life partner. Something that may be small to you might blow up her entire world. So, just be easy. And accept that you’re going to fuck up. Even when you think you didn’t fuck up.”

“Nah, this time is on me. She went through something traumatic, and the next morning, my ex, for all intents and purposes, was in the house talking shit to Elle after I’d stepped out for a few.”

“Oh yeah, you fucked up for sure,” Kenyon snorted. “But pretending to have her kidnapped so you can find and kill whoever actually has it out for her is a good step into getting back into her good graces.”

Dragging a hand down his face, Cassius shook his head. “Everything about that sounds so fucked up.”

“But it’s the life we were born into,” Kenyon shrugged. “Or in my case, chose. But it’s cold as fuck, so I’m about to roll. Let me know what’s up after you talk to Elle, and we can get the ball rolling.”

“I got you.”

The two slapped hands and went their separate ways, Kenyon in one direction and Cassius in another.

He’d just made it to his car when his phone buzzed in his pocket. Fishing it out, he answered without looking at the screen.

“What’s up?”

“Aye, you need to get to your girl asap.”

“Elle?” Cassius’ stomach plummeted. “Why? What’s up?”

“There was a raid at her family’s spot, and every news channel in the city is in front of their house trying to get the scoop about why.”

“What?”

“Yeah. Severo’s on a rampage, and you should probably rein in your father-in-law before he ends up in jail. He already sent the order for Calder to be executed, but now isn’t the time.”

“I’m headed over there now,” Cassius said, climbing into his car. His main concern was getting to Aella to ensure she was okay. “I’ma let you know what’s up when I get there.”

“Bet. I’ll be on standby.”

Mars hadn’t been lying. There were so many people outside of Aella’s home that he had a hard time pulling into the driveway. Still, he didn’t let that deter him. Climbing out of his car, he pushed through the throng of reporters to get to the front door.

“Cassius!” a reporter screeched as he stalked past. He didn’t even wonder how whoever it was knew his name. A slimy reporter had a way of finding out whatever they needed to when necessary.