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“Have you been doing drugs?” Lavena interrupted sharply. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“You said!” I shouted, frustrated. Frustrated at her for not just dropping it, at myself for everything. “At the island, you guys said that only stupid women wanted men in the life and those were the kind of women who got their men killed because they weren’t from that world and didn’t understand the way of things and—”
“Kami.” Sasha took my hand again and squeezed gently. “Sweetie, we weren’t talking about you. The women we were referring to are outsiders.”
“Like me,” I murmured, hating the hot tears burning my eyes. “I’m an outsider. I’m not like you guys.”
“You have always been one of us,” Lavena said softly. “You are family, Kami.”
“What if I get him killed?” I whispered. “You said only an idiot would—”
“Me,” Lavena cut me off. “That’s me. Those are my problems and my fears. Will nothing bad ever happen? I don’t know, but you seem to forget something, you have us. You’re not alone and you never will be. We will always have your back. Darius never has to worry about you.”
She had no idea how wrong she was. It was sweet and heartwarming to be so loved and cherished, but Darius had made up his mind to keep me away from that world and I’d made up my mind that I needed to protect him.
I swiped at the lone tear and sighed. “It doesn’t matter now.”
“But it does.” Sasha shook the hand she was still holding, making the whole arm wobble. “You are going to march upstairs and—”
“It won’t work,” I snapped, wishing they would stop. “This is what he wants.”
“He said that?” Lavena asked.
I answered with a non-committal shrug.
“Who is this woman?” Kas demanded. “What makes her better than you?”
Everything, but I knew they wouldn’t understand.
“Give me a name,” Lavena pushed, digging her phone out of her pocket and pulling up the browser.
“Abilene Beaumont,” I relented, hoping that once they saw what a big deal she was, they would drop the subject.
Instead, all three stopped and stared at me with varying degrees of confusion.
“What did you say?” Lavena lowered her phone to her lap.
I repeated the name and got the same expressions with an added exchange of glances with each other.
“What? Who is she?”
“Are you sure you heard that correctly?” Sasha asked.
“And youheardmy dad say marriage?” Lavena stressed.
Their combined confusion only intensified my own uncertainty. Suddenly, I wasn’t sure of anything.
“Well, not marriage by name,” I murmured. “He was telling Darius Abilene was the right choice in a partner and she would have stipulations just like Marcella had when she and Alexander first started dating. But I am definitely sure he said Abilene Beaumont. I’m sure of it.”
“Maybe your dad’s on drugs,” Kas said to Lavena.
“Is there something wrong with her?” I demanded, terrified that maybe I shouldn’t have judged her based on such a lovely name. Maybe she was a monster, someone cruel and horrible.
“Wrong? No,” Lavena explained slowly. “She’s always been really nice the few times I’ve met her at dinners and whatnot. We’ve known her family for a while and occasionally dobusiness. Her great, great, great something grandfather started a weapons empire selling guns and stuff. He made a killing—”
“Lavena!” Sasha hissed.
Lavena rolled her eyes. “No pun intended, okay? Anyway, her family is still wildly powerful. They have a huge contract with some military and some non-military people and are definitely the sort of people you don’t fuck with.”
