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I sniffled. “What’s that?”

“This,” he said, pushing it toward me. “This is how you fix it, La’Belle.”

He said my name like it disgusted him. Bile crept up my throat as I opened the box. Inside was a solitaire oval cut diamond ring. It had to be at least three carats.

“Dez, what are you doing right now?”

“You’re gonna help me solve a problem.” He poured himself another glass of wine. “I need a wife so I can become the head of my family. Marry me and you’ll never have to do no guttersnipe shit like scamming niggas again. You’ll have access to everything I have. Every account, the properties, all of it. My money makes that little two million sitting in your portfolio look like chump change.”

“Head of your—” I stopped. “What does that even mean?”

“Your middle name is Mafia, you know what it means.”

I was too stunned to speak.

This was worse than having to repay him. I’d done all that work to keep from ending up like Regina, only to find myself in the same predicament anyway.

I shook my head furiously. “Fuck no. I’ll drain my accounts if I have to, but I’m not marrying you. You know how I feel about that. I told you⁠—”

“Sit down, Belle.”

I didn’t realize I’d stood until he said it.

“Are you listening to me?”

“Sit the fuck down!” I jumped as he brought his fist down on the table. “There’s something else you need to see before you make your decision.”

He picked up his phone and sent a text as I sank back into the chair.

Two figures came out from the back of the restaurant.

My hands flew to my mouth as my cousin came into view. Her lip was split and her eyes were red and swollen from crying. Her hands were zip-tied in front of her. The man had a gun at her back, guiding her toward us.

She looked at me with tears in her eyes before she pressed her lips together and stared down at the floor.

My chest tightened. “Jody.”

“Lala—”

“Shut up.” The man behind her nudged her with the gun.

I turned to Cardez. He was watching me with a smirk on his face.

“This is who I really am, Belle. This is the side I’ve been keeping from you.”

“Did you put your hands on her?”

Something flickered across his face—like the question offended him—but he didn’t answer.

I got up and ran over to Jody. “I’m sorry.” I felt her flinch as I pulled her into me. “I’m so, so sorry, Jo. I never meant for you to get pulled into this.”

She pulled back and shook her head. She’d already given up on me fixing anything.

I charged back over to Cardez and punched him. My right fist caught him in the eye, then I came back with the left and rocked his jaw. I ignored the pain shooting up my arms.

He brought a hand to his face and looked at his fingers like he was checking for blood. There wasn’t any but that eye was definitely gonna be black by morning.

“You’re a piece of shit,” I spat, shaking out my hand.