Chapter 24

TWENTY-FOUR

ARIANNA

I think we’re all broken inside. Wyatt stole some piece of me that I can’t get back and I’m angry. Furious with him for it.

How ridiculous to be mad at a dead body!

But I am.

And it’s not just for me. As I stand next to my stoic husband, who hasn’t been able to sleep for a week, I know my rage is for him, too.

They say that anger is the second emotion. That it usually covers up fear. And if I look deep within myself, I think it was me who caused the problem. That I killed him just as much as my parents. When Asa and I are awake at night together, we both feel the same way.

It’s just not true, though. Despite how much guilt he holds on to, Asa needs me to be there for him. This could have torn us apart, but it brought us closer than ever.

He tugs me into his side as we continue to stare at the gravestone underneath a myrtle tree in the back lot. Next to where Asa had his beloved Golden Retriever buried when he was ten, he told me. I don’t know what that means, but he seems to take comfort in it.

“Do you want alone time again?” I ask.

When I usually leave him, I know he rants and raves at Wyatt’s ghost. The worst part is, though, that he never responds. If we could have just gotten an answer, maybe we could have stopped it.

The what ifs may kill me.

His blond hair has grown out some this week, and as my husband shakes his head, some falls across his forehead. “No. I think I’m done yelling.” Taking a big breath, he stares at the clear blue sky. “At least for today.”

I hate the weather. How dare the sun shine when our world has been torn apart? Couldn’t it rain just to give us some solace?

As usual, Asa turns me to face him and rakes his thumbs over my cheeks, gathering up my tears. “Do you want to yell?”

“No. Not today.”

Pulling me closer to his chest, we hold each other. His body has been my biggest comfort over these last several days, and I know mine has been his.

He presses his lips to my forehead, saying the words I need to hear twelve times a day. “We’ll get through this together.”

“Boss?” Dave strolls toward us with a worried look on his face. His outstretched hand holds an envelope.

“What is it?” Asa asks, taking the paper from him and holding it like it may catch fire in the heat.

“We scavenged his place like you told us, and this had your names on it. That’s really all we found. It was behind a loose brick in the wall.” Nodding at us, he backs up a pace, then solemnly strolls away.

Gasping, I glance at the envelope. “It’s his handwriting.” Wyatt’s familiar scrawl covers the front. ‘To my loves: Maverick and Vixen.’

Asa glances at me, and I encourage him to open it. His hand shakes as he does, but I place my fingers on his wrist to steady it. Pulling out a plain piece of paper, he clears his throat and reads it aloud.

“Maverick, I don’t know if you’ll ever find this, but if you do, that means I’m dead. And I’m sorry. I’m addressing you because I can’t even think about my vixen without breaking down. It hurts. I think she knows about me. And if she does, that means that I need to cut you both off. For your own good.

“The parliament controlling me dictates my life and always has. They need my blood, my legacy to finish their plan, but if they don’t have it anymore, then you could be safe. Your kids may be free. From me, at least.

“They will enact policies to encourage more trafficking under the guise of being good for the children. The baby my love carries inside her is in danger. Family Strauss is the root cause of all the problems for destroying my family line and allowing these two societies to combine, doing their bidding for decades. But they say Vlad is attempting to derail their goals. If that is true and I am dead, then he’s likely the person who can stop them as much as I hate to even write that.

“Please understand, everything I felt was real. In my fantasy, I married you two, and we moved to a private island and raised our children together. Vixen, I loved you the moment I saw you. You own my heart. Always keep riding. And you, the ace up my sleeve. You’re stronger than you know, and I always believed in you. You have my soul. I love you both.”

It’s hard to breathe with the pain sitting in my chest. But he loved us as much as we loved him, despite everything that he was doing. If only we could have found some way to save him.

Asa’s blue eyes hold my gaze as he folds the letter and sticks it in his pocket. Pressing his lips to my forehead, he whispers my favorite words. “Let’s go eat some cake.”

Turning as a unit, we amble toward the house where Jinx and Hoss are arguing in the pool until it becomes a wrestling match. “Fucker! That’s mine!”

It seems since they’ve gotten more sober, all the wolf pack are grouchy pups ready to rip heads off. Except Cass, who’s been the rock we needed. Dave hits Jinx and Hoss over the head with floats to calm them down as Cass shakes his head at our approach.

“The new lawyer starts today. Gave him the tour this morning. Anything else you need?” Cass has been a godsend as a new casino manager. Perfect fit for the role since he’s been around it as long as Asa has.

“Nah, nah. We’re good. Just going for that cake the chef made. You want some?”

His dimple shows as he smiles and rubs his stomach. “Yeah…uh, I already had a few pieces, sorry.”

My elbow meets his ribs gently. “Hope you saved a bite for me.”

“Of course, sweetheart. I wouldn’t do you dirty like that.”

When Asa and I make it to the dining room, he slips me onto his lap and pulls our plates forward. Chef cuts off two slices and hands us forks, then fills our glasses with milk. It’s become our after-lunch routine now.

“I’m ready,” Asa says, with his mouth full of the chocolate goodness.

Licking some frosting from my lips, I ask, “Ready for what?”

“To step up. To be the King of South Side. Get back to work or, you know, actually work. Take an active role.” He kisses my shoulder. “And still be a great dad.”

Smiling, I tell him, “Well, your father did all those things, so I think you can, too.”

“But the thing is, Arianna, I can’t do this by myself.” Twisting me so my legs hang over the sides of his thighs, his eyes hold a serious expression.

I swallow my bite before responding. “I know, that’s why Cass is so great to have now as manager.”

He shakes his head. “No, that’s not what I mean. You’re the best boss. You and I work so well together. I need you with me. By my side. Do you think you’re up for something like that?”

My mind goes to the meeting with my brother and Livia. To her making the household decisions and even helping him make decisions about East Side. To Veracity taking charge with Cal when they told us about the societies. With utter confidence in my chest, I say, “Yes, I am.”

For the first time in what feels like forever, Asa’s face lights up with a broad grin. “Good.” Then he picks up a bite of the cake and feeds it to me.