Page 20 of His Aries Heiress
Marcellus wanted to choose his next words carefully and ease into this conversation, but the truth was, he didn’t know how to do that with something like this. It didn’t matter how he worded it. Her world was about to be flipped upside down again, and he didn’t know how she would feel about it. A lot of illegal shit came with being in the council. But one fact remained true, . . . they were untouchable. Prison was never a factor. They had every police department, mayor, judge, and even the president in their back pocket. She didn’t need to be afraid of that. It was all about her moral compass, really.
Then there was the fact that she would be a billionaire overnight. Technically, she already was. Everything Grim owned was now hers. He only prayed she did right by his OG. Looking at her, he sensed that she would. She might be a firecracker, but she seemed to have a genuine heart.
“I got some shit to break down to you that might change the way you feel about yo’ life.”
Cassydie’s brows pulled in. “I’m listening . . .”
Marcellus sighed and then dove right into the breakdown of the council and Grim’s role in it.
“. . . The rules are concrete. You’re his heir, so you have to take over for him by law. He’s the connect. We run a legalimport business right here in Ellwood. We control all the docks, ports, trucking lines, and planes through the country. We move everything from weapons, drugs, and goods across borders.
“The import business is a front for the real money, and we’re talking a lot of money, ma. How you think I was able to afford this shit? And this house ain’t even close to what Grim has.”
He stopped to take a breath as he gauged her reaction to everything he said.
She looked confused. It took her a few seconds to speak. Slowly, she said, “Okay . . .”
“Okay?” he asked. He assumed she would have more questions or be mad or something.
“Okay . . .” she drawled once again before it seemed like she made up her mind about something. “Bring me to these council people then.”
She said it so nonchalantly, like she didn’t have to think about it at all and like it didn’t matter that she would be in a room filled with generations of the country’s biggest criminals. He chuckled.
Cassydie’s brows pulled in. “What?”
“Nothing.” He shook his head. “That’s that Aries shit. Impulsive and fearless. I’m like that too.”
She seemed to think about his words before she shrugged. “I guess I am like that. I’ve also been known to adapt easily. Part of me feels like you’re just playing with me, but if you aren’t, I won’t lie and say I’m not curious. I mean, shit like this only happens in movies. Girl finds out she’s adopted. Girl finds her birth family. Girl learns she’s an heir to billions of dollars and has a seat at the table with what sounds like the most powerful people in America? One thing I’m not is scary or a bitch, so yeah, bring me to them.”
Marcellus shook his head incredulously. He was in awe of her. This was not how he thought this conversation would goat all. When he thought about it, though, he realized he was looking into the eyes of a woman who had nothing else to lose. He understood. He’d been there many times in his life. Grim was always there to pick him up. Now, it was his job—his final promise—to make sure he did the same for Cassydie.
“Aight. I’ll set it up.”
She smiled softly at him, and relief flooded him. One step closer to sorting through this mess Grim left him.
You can’t teach an Aries to play shit safe. You can, however, teach the world to get out of her way.
Nerves bouncedaround Cassydie as she sat in the back seat of the fancy truck she’d gotten used to over the past couple of weeks. Everything had been a whirlwind. Not only did they lay Gregory to rest, but she also got to see her biological father’shome, and she and Marcellus went to the headquarters for Renee Imports. Addison was Grim’s late wife’s name, and Marcellus figured she might be Cassydie’s mother.
Addison.
It was a beautiful name. So many questions swirled around her mind on a daily basis. She and Marcellus had gotten quite comfortable with one another, so she’d gotten used to asking them, but more always came. Her life felt like a big ass mystery she was desperately trying to piece together. One thing she didn’t do well with was mysteries. She was the type of person to watch the showUnsolved Mysteriesand then be pissed at the end of each episode that she had no answers.
Cassydie looked over at Marcellus. He was focused on his phone, something she noticed he did a lot when Tato wasn’t around.
“You sure Tato is okay with your friend?” Cassydie asked. She was able to spend time with Tato the past few weeks, too, and to say she was wrapped around that little boy’s finger was an understatement.
Every day, just from spending time with Tato, Marcellus put a large chunk of money into her account. More money than she had ever seen. It made her wonder how much money the man had. It made her wonder how much money she was about to have. In the next few weeks, Marcellus let her know they would be meeting with Gregory’s lawyer and sorting out his estate, which felt intimidating to her, but not as intimidating as what she was about to do.
Marcellus glanced at her and smirked. “Ronny’s good people. He been knowing Tato since he was a baby. Let me know you’re getting protective of the lil nigga.”
She shrugged. She supposed she was. “I just wanted to make sure.”
She fidgeted in her seat, and Marcellus must have noticed because he reached out and placed a hand on her thigh. He’d never done that before. They hadn’t even kissed again, even though she secretly wanted to. Her attraction to him was insane. He went from being a rude and demanding nigga when they first met to a pretty cool man who had no idea how badly she wanted to get to know him on a much deeper level.
Without looking up, he said, “You gon’ be aight, ma. I got you.”
I got you.Those words nearly melted her insides, and she couldn’t help but flirt. “Oh, you got me?”
