Page 112 of Theirs to Rule

“Are you sure, Kage?” I said after he announced it was the one.

He cupped my face. “As sure as I am that I’m in love with you, Rebel, and I’m never letting you go.”

I sucked in a breath, my knees almost going out from under me.

As the dealer began to handle the paperwork, I turned to Kage. “Thank you for this,” I whispered, wrapping my arms around his neck. His embrace was warm and reassuring, a silent promise of everything to come.

Kage’s arms tightened around my waist, pulling me closer.

“But I hope you know I’d love you even if you were broke and living out of a cardboard box,” I said.

“That wouldn’t be nearly as fun,” he said. “Because then I couldn’t spoil you like this.”

“I don’t care about being spoiled,” I argued, my gaze locked onto his. “It’s you I love, not your money.”

Kage’s expression softened, his gaze intense and unwavering. He grabbed a fistful of my hair and tilted my head back, kissing me with such fervor that my lips tingled.

“Money is part of me, just like being from a mafia family is. There’s good and bad in everyone. To love someone means accepting all sides of them.” Kage’s voice was steady, his eyes searching mine for understanding. “Just like with Dante.”

Chapter 50

Camille

Ifroze, 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 youorDante 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’reescaping 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.

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