50. Camille

Chapter 50

Camille

I froze, my hand slipping from Kage’s. The sudden mention of Dante jarred me. "Why are you bringing Dante up now?" The words came out sharper than I intended. "Are you saying I should forget my own convictions? Overlook that he’s selling drugs?”

Kage didn’t flinch. His gaze remained steady, his voice calm. "Of course not. Drugs have had a huge negative impact on your life. But ending things with Dante was your first reaction. You were in shock, and that’s understandable. But what you had with him… it was special. And I can’t be a hypocrite because if you knew half the shit I’ve done, you probably wouldn’t want to be with me either. Of the two of us, I’m a far worse person than Dante.”

My throat tightened. "Just because I can’t understand or don’t agree with some of the things you do, I don’t think you or Dante are bad people. But drugs..." My voice broke, and the emotions I’d buried for so long started to claw their way up. "I can’t let that slide, Kage. Drugs destroy lives. They kill people. They create addiction and hopelessness. People think they’re escaping something, but really, they’re trapping themselves in something far worse."

“I can’t argue with you there, Rebel.”

I swallowed hard, knowing that once I said it, there was no taking it back. "You know what I fear most about my mom’s death?"

He reached out and gently rubbed his hands over my arms, making me feel more tethered to the Earth. "What?"

I looked away, the words catching in my throat. "That she killed herself," I admitted, the pain of it slicing through me like a knife. "I’ve never said that out loud before." The tears came then, hot and fast, spilling down my cheeks. Kage gently brushed them away, his touch soft and tender.

"It terrifies me that me and my sisters weren’t enough to keep her alive," I whispered, my voice trembling. "That my love wasn’t strong enough. What if she thought the only way out was to end everything? Forget accidental overdoses; how many addicts use drugs to kill themselves because they see no other escape?" I shuddered, my heart breaking all over again. "How can I stand by Dante when he’s allowing that?"

"There are plenty of other ways to kill yourself, Rebel. You could drive off a cliff, hang yourself, or buy a gun. Mental illness claims lives in ways we can’t always predict. If your mom had driven off a cliff, would you hate cars?"

"Yes!”

Kage reached down and squeezed my hands. "Look, you’re never going to eliminate drugs completely, but at least he’s trying to make things better. Did you know overdoses have gone down since he started providing drugs to Devil’s Outcasts? And even if he can’t save everyone," Kage continued, "even if he’s just buying people more time, is that really a bad thing? Maybe that extra time is what gives them the wake-up call they need to get help."

"People like Jane," I whispered, though I don’t know if Kage even knew who I was talking about.

“I’ve looked into this. Talked to someone I know in the MC. Dante’s so obsessed with keeping the drugs that come through CU clean that he loses money on what he sells.”

I felt a surge of emotion, my mind spinning from everything Kage had told me. Before I could respond, the dealer interrupted, handing Kage the keys to the new car with a wide grin. "Congrats on the new purchase!" he said, completely unaware of the gravity of our conversation.

Kage turned and glared at him, and the man immediately clammed up. “Sorry for interrupting,” the dealer muttered, backing away quickly.

Once he was gone, Kage sighed and pulled me close, wrapping his arms around me. “I shouldn’t have said anything,” he murmured into my hair. “You know your own mind. You know what you need. I wasn’t trying to sway you. I just wanted to give you something to think about.”

I nodded, offering him a small, tight smile. “You have. Thanks, Kage.”

The cool air hit us as we stepped outside. I looked at the new car gleaming under the afternoon sun. It was beautiful, sleek, and powerful—a dream. Yet, as much as I should have been excited, all I could feel was the turmoil Kage had stirred in me.

"Do you want to drive the new car home or the Lambo?" Kage’s voice broke through my thoughts, his tone lighter, as if the weight of our earlier conversation hadn’t settled heavily between us

“Tough one but I have to give the new car some love.”

Kage laughed, the sound warm and familiar, easing some of the tension in my chest. "I figured that would be your answer. Let’s head back home so I can feed you and fuck you."

His words startled a laugh out of me, cutting through the fog in my mind. “In that order?”

“Depends on whatever you’re hungriest for.”

“After driving this beauty, I’m pretty sure I’ll be craving you more than food.”

I was already picturing it, the way his hands would feel on my skin, the heat between us. It wasn’t just about the car or the thrill of driving something new. It was about Kage—how he made me feel seen, cherished, even as he pushed me to think harder about my choices.

Kage’s eyes darkened with heat, and he took a step toward me, his hand brushing against my cheek, but just as his lips were about to find mine, his phone rang, the shrill sound cutting through the moment like a knife.

He glanced at the screen, his expression tightening when he saw the caller ID. “It’s Seamus.”

His jaw clenched before he looked up at me. “I haven’t had a chance to talk to him face-to-face about breaking the engagement and committing myself to you. I need to do that, and make it clear what will happen if he tries to interfere.”

I trembled a little with sudden fear. Seamus interfering could very well mean that he took matters into his own hands and made sure it was impossible for Kage to stay with me.

Kage’s jaw clenched before he shoved his phone back into his pocket, cupping my face with both hands. “Don’t be afraid,” he said softly, his eyes burning with determination. “I swore to protect you, and I’ll do whatever it takes. Seamus can’t hurt you.”

I nodded, my heart hammering in my chest. "Okay."

He pressed a kiss to my forehead, lingering there for a beat longer than usual. “I’ll be gone a while if…”

"If what?"

“If you want some time alone with Dante," he said, his voice gentle, testing.

"You’re really all about Dante right now, aren’t you? I never realized you were such a fan.”

"I’m a fan of you and making sure you’re happy," Kage said, his expression serious. "As much as I wish I could be everything for you, I know I’m not."

I reached out and took his hand, his words sinking deeper than I expected. "I’m lucky to have you," I whispered, my voice thick with emotion. "You could have easily talked me out of being with Dante, but here you are, pushing me to make things right."

"Yeah, I’m a real catch," Kage said with a cocky grin, though his eyes betrayed the depth of his feelings—how much he cared, how much he wanted the best for me, even if it hurt him.

"You are," I agreed, leaning in to kiss him.

"If I could have you all to myself, I would," Kage murmured, his lips brushing against mine. "But we’ve got time for that. Just so you know, when we do get married, no one else is coming on the honeymoon."

"Got it," I said, still startled that he was speaking of marrying me so easily. "Although…" I teased.

"No chance," Kage growled, kissing me again, leaving me breathless.

Minutes later, I climbed into the driver’s seat of the new car. A thrill of excitement coursed through me. The car was powerful, and as always, being behind the wheel of such a car always made me feel powerful.

When we got back to the chateau, Kage wasted no time, pulling me against him, his hands roaming my body as we moved toward the bedroom. The hours that followed were a blur of touches, whispered promises, and a hunger that neither of us could deny. After, as we lay tangled in the sheets, breathless and sated, Kage slipped out of bed and headed to the kitchen. I washed up and followed him.

I watched him as he moved, the muscles in his back flexing as he prepared something for me to eat. My stomach growled in response, but it wasn’t just hunger for food. It was hunger for more—more of Kage.

We ate in comfortable silence, the tension from earlier dissipating, leaving only a sense of peace. Later Kage surprised me before leaving by presenting me with one of our favorite coconut cruffins.

After he was gone, the silence of the empty house swallowed me whole. I sat on the edge of the bed, staring at nothing, my mind replaying the conversation about Dante over and over again. In my heart, I accepted that Dante selling drugs wasn’t about profit. He was trying to save lives.

But how could I reconcile that with what I knew to be true—that drugs ultimately shattered lives. That they’d shattered my mom’s life and had been the means by which she’d left us, whether accidental or not. I pressed my palms against my eyes, trying to push away the images of how she’d looked when I’d found her.

How can I stand by Dante when he’s part of that world?

And yet…Dante had always accepted me, loved me as I was, no matter how broken or damaged I felt. He’d never judged me, never pushed me to be someone I wasn’t. He’d always been there, steadfast and loyal, loving me in ways I hadn’t even realized I needed.

He’s not perfect, I thought, but he’s trying. He’s doing what he can to make things better, to keep people safe.

And even if I disagreed with how he was doing, it was his intention that I could stand by.

Maybe I didn’t agree with everything he did. Maybe I never would. But he deserved my loyalty. He deserved my love, just as I had always had his.