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“I do,” Cassius nodded, a murderous glint in his eye.

“Uh oh,” Mars sang. “I know that look.”

“I want everyone in this city aware of who Aella is to me. I need them to see with their own eyes that I’m willing to rip a person apart with my bare hands if they even think about getting within five feet of her. She’s not a target, and she’s not a pawn to get to her father. She’s a wife whose husband doesn’t mind painting the sidewalk red behind her.”

Armond nodded. “I’ll speak to Severo about setting up dinner.”

“I’ll do it,” Cassius overrode his father’s declaration. “There’s something else I need to pick his brain about anyway.”

Armond looked as though he wanted to argue, but kept quiet.

Picking up on his father’s energy, Cassius sat at the edge of his desk and explained himself. “I’m tired of fuckin’ around. I want to know who’s behind creating all this fuckin’ chaos and end it.”

“Just let me know what you need from me,” Mars said, sitting up. “You know I got you. And Elle.”

“I, too, would love to know who’s at the end of this never-ending rope,” Armond sighed. “So I’m also here for whatever you need, son.”

Covering his left wrist with his right hand, Cassius replied, “Good. Because what I need is the head of whoever’s been threatening my wife in my hands.”

Fear held Aella in a vice-like grip, nearly suffocating her in her sleep. Beads of sweat rolled down her back as her body rocked violently. Flashes of the night’s events replayed in her mind’s subconsciousness, forcing a fearful whimper that instantly coaxed Cassius out of his slumber. He was already a light sleeper, and the night’s events had him on even higher alert. Aella’s stress had him awake immediately, pulling her into his arms.

“Hey, hey, hey,” he murmured, gently urging her awake. “Wake up, love. It’s just a dream.”

Aella pried her eyes open, warm tears creeping down her cheeks as she sucked in a lungful of air, clinging to Cassius.

“You’re good, Elle. I got you.”

Unable to formulate a sentence, she kept a tight hold on him, breathing deeply until it registered that she wasn’t in the park, fearing for her life but safely tucked into his bed.

“That didn’t take as long as I anticipated,” a chuckle rumbled deeply in his chest.

Recognizing his attempt to make her laugh, Aella slapped his chest. “Shut up. That’s not funny.”

“You smile a little bit, though,” he teased, bringing her closer. “You want to talk about it.”

Aella fervently shook her head. “No. I just want to forget that any of this happened.”

Cupping her face, Cassius rested his chin on top of her head. “I know, Elle. I wish I could erase it for you.”

Curling her arm upwards, she rested her hand on his wrist, gripping tightly. “Is this what the rest of my life will be like? Constantly looking over my shoulder, wondering if someone is out to get me?”

“The irony of you asking that question is that’s always been what our lives have been.”

“Not mine,” she argued. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m well aware of what our lifestyle entails, but until now, it’s never been this…” Aella trailed off, trying to find the best word to express her feelings.

“Real?” Cassius suggested. When Aella nodded, he continued. “I hate to break it to you, Aella, but you’ve been walking through life with rose-colored glasses, and in a way, that’s a good thing because it means your father shielded you from the ugliness of it. But the downside is that you’re getting a crash course more violently than you anticipated.”

“I don’t know if I can do this, Cass.”

“I’ma chalk that up to the nerves talking because, as terrifying as things are right now, one thing I’ve learned in these past few months is that Aella Torrisi isn’t a quitter. She doesn’t scare easily, and she doesn’t let a damn thing run her off.”

“Fear of death is a hell of a motivator,” she mumbled, angering him.

“You think I’d let you die?”

“I think neither of us has a say in what life has planned for us. And as much as you may want to protect me⁠—”

“There’s no want. I’m going to protect you. Believe me, Elle, if I have my way, I’ll stop breathing before you do. I can promise you that.”