“I don’t know,” Alani answered. She feared the worst. She knew Ethic’s pedigree. She knew there were no small crimes with him, and she prayed that he wasn’t harboring secrets that were now threatening to ruin them.

20

You good, Mo?

Aria kept staring at the text message. She had sent it hours ago and then dozed off. Morgan had never responded, and Aria was unsettled. The only thing that made her feel better was the fact that she had called Ahmeek. She was sure he would take care of things, so instead of anticipating a response, she finally clicked out of the thread. Her worry about Mo had distracted her from the fact that Isa wasn’t home. She looked over at the empty spot beside her and then swung her short legs over the side of the bed. She threw on a Michigan State hoodie and didn’t bother with pants as she walked out of the room. The house was silent. Aria’s fingertips graced the red walls in the hallway as she made her way toward the living room.

“Isa?”

She heard the faint sound of his voice and followed it to the living room. The front door was wide open, and Aria frowned.

Her heart fell when she saw him leaned over onto the roof of a car. A girl was parked curbside. The car window was down, and both his hands were on the roof as he leaned into her. Aria felt like she would be sick.

“You got me?” The sound of Isa’s voice made tears come to her eyes.

“Yeah, I got you. You know how I get down.” The girl’s response ripped through Aria. The disrespect was high, and Aria’s tolerance was low.

“I’m so stupid,” she whispered. She wasn’t even disappointed in Isa. She had failed herself. She knew what type of man she was dealing with. She had chosen him against her brother’s wishes, fighting her better judgment, and she felt like a fool. Determination filled Aria as she took heavy steps back to their bedroom. She grabbed her Chanel bag and then grabbed Isa’s keys and phone, dropping them into the toilet on her way to his safe. She emptied it inside her oversize tote. There was a price for pain and a tax for wasting her time. He was lucky she wasn’t headed toward his storage unit. If she were dirty, she would leave his ass on empty, but Aria loved fair and fought fair. A man would never be able to burn her name after she left a relationship. The money she’d taken was what she was owed plus a little more for pain and suffering. It wouldn’t break Isa. Just bruise his ego and stroke hers. Aria slipped into ripped jeans and Valentino boots before heading to the front door. Isa was waltzing in as she rounded the corner. He froze.