Kiefer (POV)
I drove home for my Jay-Jay.
The entire way, nothing else mattered. Not the threats. Not the names. Not the war waiting to start.
Just her.
When I stepped inside—
She was awake.
Standing there.
Waiting.
Something in me cracked the second I saw her.
Before she could even speak, I closed the distance and pulled her into me, kissing her hard—like I needed to prove she was real. Like she was still mine. Like no one had the right to even think otherwise.
She didn't pull away.
She held on.
When the kiss finally broke, we were both breathless.
My hand stayed wrapped around her, holding her close as I rested my forehead against hers, trying to steady something inside me that refused to settle.
"Kiefer," she whispered.
God… the way she said my name.
It did something to me every time.
"Hm," I answered softly, still not letting her go.
"Where did you go?" she asked, worry already in her voice.
Of course, she saw through me.
"Just outside… something came up," I said, pulling her closer, tightening my arms around her as if I loosened even a little, something would take her away.
She didn't question it.
She just held me back—tight, steady… like she was telling me without words that she was here.
With me.
I brushed my fingers through her hair, slower than usual.
"Why are you awake?" I asked quietly, still keeping her close.
"I can't sleep when you're not next to me," she said.
My arms tightened instantly.
Yeah…
She was just like me.
I couldn't sleep without her either.
Somewhere along the way, she stopped being a part of my life.
and become something I couldn't function without her.
I moved us to the bed and sat down, pulling her into my lap, holding her there… close enough that I didn't have to see her fully.
Because if I looked at her right now—
really looked—
I'd break.
And she'd see it.
So instead, I buried my face against her shoulder, holding her like that was the only thing keeping me together.
"Kiefer… what happened?" she asked, hesitant this time.
I didn't answer.
I just buried my face in the curve of her neck, breathing her in like it was the only thing keeping me steady.
The thought of losing her—
It didn't scare me.
It unraveled me.
"Hey… tell me," she tried again, softer now. "Is everything okay?"
A quiet sound left me. Not quite a reply.
How can everyone think they have a choice with you?
How can they even imagine it?
Is my love not enough?
Because to me—
You're everything.
I didn't even know how I lived before you.
Those four years… I wasn't living. I was just moving, building, surviving.
Then you came back—
And I finally learned how to breathe again.
And now—
They want to take you from me.
Again.
My arms tightened around her without me realizing.
Nothing's going to happen to you; no one's taking you away from me.
It wasn't reassurance.
It was a promise.
But the thought wouldn't leave.
What Clyden said—
It stayed.
It broke something in me the moment I heard it.
How could she ever be someone else's?
"Wife…" I said, my voice already unsteady.
The word felt heavier than it ever had.
"What if I die?" I asked, barely holding it together. "Will you… marry someone else?"
Silence.
It hit harder than anything.
Cold. Sharp.
Then—
"What the hell did you just say?" she snapped, trying to turn and see my face.
I didn't let her.
I pressed my face deeper against her back, hiding it.
Hiding everything.
Because even asking that—
was tearing me apart.
"Jay… please," I said, my grip tightening around her, almost desperate now.
"Why would I even be alive after that?" she said, her voice trembling—but steady in a way that cut deeper.
"If death takes you, it won't take just you… I'll come find you. Heaven, hell—I don't care… I'll be there."
It hit me.
Hard.
Because I had never thought about death with her.
Not once.
Every thought I ever had—every plan, every fight, every breath—
was about living.
Living with her in my arms.
Taking her somewhere far if the world got too loud.
Building something quiet… something ours.
I was ready to fight the world for her.
But she—
She said it like she would follow me out of it.
My grip loosened just slightly.
Not because I wanted to let go—
But because something inside me broke differently.
I felt… stupid.
For asking.
For even thinking it.
For letting that fear touch something this pure.
I pressed my forehead against her back, eyes closing.
"Jay…" I whispered.
But she didn't stop there.
"When I say I love you… I mean it. Even death doesn't get to separate us."
Something in me gave way.
The tears I'd been holding slipped free—not out of fear… but because she chose me so easily. Even in something as final as death.
And here I was—
afraid she'd leave me.
Before I could pull myself together, she turned in my arms, cupping my face and wiping my tears with her thumbs. Then she kissed me—soft, grounding… like a promise that she was here. That she wasn't going anywhere.
"If you die," she murmured against my lips, a hint of teasing breaking through, "and if I marry someone else… you'd haunt them as a ghost, wouldn't you?"
A faint smile finally reached me.
"My wife knows me too well," I said quietly.
I let out a soft breath, my thumb brushing over her ring finger—the one that carried my name, my promise.
There wouldn't be a chance for that.
No one gets close enough to take this off.
Not while I'm here…
and not without you choosing it.
The thought stayed in my head, heavy and certain—something I didn't say out loud.
Instead, I just held her a little tighter, pressing my forehead against hers like that was enough to keep everything in place.
I grabbed her wrist, my gaze flicking from her eyes… to her lips… then back again. Something unspoken passed between us.
She leaned in first.
That was all it took.
I kissed her—slow at first, then deeper, like I was trying to drown everything else out. My mind, the threats, the fear… All of it disappeared the moment she responded, her hands finding me, holding onto me as she felt it too.
I opened my eyes briefly.
She was there—completely there with me.
Feeling me.
Choosing me.
That alone pushed me further, the kiss deepening before I even realized how far I'd gone—how I'd moved her, how she was beneath me now, how everything in me was pulling her closer like I needed her to breathe.
I needed her.
More than anything. When I held her wrist, about to remove her clothes… it hit me harder than anything else.
It hit.
Hard.
She was pregnant.
The realization snapped through me like a shock.
I broke the kiss instantly, pulling back, breath uneven.
"Jay… we need to stop," I said, my voice low, rough—but controlled now.
"Why?" she asked softly.
"You're pregnant… and I won't be able to hold back if we keep going."
She smiled.
That confused me.
Before I could react, she pulled me closer by my collar, her lips brushing near my ear.
"It's okay," she whispered. "Just… be gentle."
My breath caught.
She said it so easily—like she trusted me completely… even when she knew exactly what I could become.
"Come here, hubby," she murmured, opening her arms.
That was it.
I buried my face against her, holding her like I'd been holding myself together for too long.
Her fingers moved slowly, grounding me, pulling me back from everything that had been tearing through my head.
And then I kissed her again—
not rushed this time, not consuming—
but deeper.
Slower.
Like I was finally allowed to feel her instead of fighting the world.
Somewhere in that moment, the fear I'd been carrying all night…
just dissolved in her arms.
"I missed you…" I murmured against her skin, my voice quieter now—but heavier with everything I couldn't say before.
"Me too… I missed you," she whispered back.
Something in my chest tightened.
"You're mine…" I said under my breath, my hand tightening around her just slightly. "Only mine."
I pressed my lips to her neck—not harsh, but enough to leave a mark… something that stayed.
Not for the world.
Just for me.
I kissed every part of her, as if trying to remember every inch of her being—every cell—because she was mine, and no one would ever be allowed to lay a finger on her.
She didn't pull away.
Instead, she lifted her hand and kissed my forehead.
That was enough.
More than enough.
The storm inside me quieted instantly.
Moments later, her breathing softened.
She fell asleep in my arms.
I didn't move.
I just sat there on the bed, holding her in my lap, the sheets wrapped around her, keeping her warm.
I glanced at the time—it was late.
Too late for everything that had happened tonight.
But none of it mattered now.
I looked down at her again, brushing a strand of hair away from her face before pressing a soft kiss to her forehead.
She was here.
Safe.
With me.
"I love you, Jay… my beautiful wife," I whispered, kissing her forehead again.
A faint smile touched her lips as she heard me… like she understood, even in sleep.
I just held her there, close, feeling her warmth settle into me.
And in that moment, I knew—
Nothing in this world could ever buy this.
Not even everything I owned.
I took my phone and sent a message—we needed to meet. Section E group.
Then I went back to her.
Carefully, I lifted her into my arms and carried her to the bath, settling her gently against me. For a moment, I just looked at her… at the faint marks I'd left, something in me tightening and softening at the same time.
A quiet smile slipped through.
I cleaned her up slowly, carefully—like she might break if I wasn't gentle enough.
After that, I dressed her in one of my shirts. It hung loose on her, swallowing her frame in a way that made something warm settle in my chest.
I carried her back to bed and laid her down, adjusting the pillows around her so she wouldn't roll or shift in her sleep.
She didn't wake.
She just breathed… soft and steady.
I leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
"I promise… I'll fix everything," I murmured.
I looked at her one last time.
She didn't know.
And I'd make sure she never had to.
And then—
I walked out.
Not for a meeting.
Not for a discussion.
For war.
I headed straight to Yuri's house.
The night was quiet—but it didn't feel peaceful anymore.
I knocked once.
The door opened almost instantly.
"You're late," Yuri said.
I stepped in without answering.
Inside, everyone from Section E was already there—half awake, still in their pajamas, like they had been dragged out of sleep without question. No one bothered with formality.
That's how it always was with us.
"What happened, Kiefer?" Yuri asked.
I didn't waste time.
I explained everything.
King's Ground.
The hit list.
The auction.
Jay.
Silence followed.
Heavy.
Then—
"I'll tell you everything about Jay," C-in said.
"Jay is really a magnet for trouble," Rory muttered.
I didn't react.
"We'll keep an eye on her," David said immediately.
"We'll split shifts," edrix added. "No gaps."
"Don't let her suspect anything," I said, cutting through. "You know how she is… if she feels something's off, she won't stop until she finds it."
They all nodded.
No arguments.
No hesitation.
That was enough.
I stepped outside.
Yuri followed.
"Kiefer…" he called.
I stopped.
"Sorry," he said.
I frowned slightly. "For what?"
He exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "Because of me… Jay got dragged into this again. I chose Sakura. My mother didn't accept it. Marrying into a yakuza family—this was bound to happen."
I looked at him for a second.
Then asked one thing.
"Are you happy with your wife?"
He didn't hesitate.
He nodded.
That was enough.
"Then that's all that matters," I said.
A pause.
Then, quieter—but sharper—
"Let's keep our wives safe."
I glanced back toward the house.
"And fight our war."
From that moment on, we moved.
I informed Jare, Percy, and Aries. We had a rule—unspoken, but never broken.
If it involved Jay, nothing stayed hidden.
No secrets. No delays.
Only action.
We used every connection we had. Old allies, buried contacts, favors owed from years ago… even people who once stood against us.
Anyone who crossed the line—
We erased them from the path.
Clean.
Silent.
Final.
The nights blurred together after that.
Sleepless.
Relentless.
War didn't come all at once—it spread slowly, like something tightening around us.
By the time I walked back home each night, it was always late.
And she—
She was always the same.
Asleep.
Curled slightly, holding onto her pillow like she was waiting for me without knowing it.
I'd stand there for a second… just looking at her.
Then I'd lean down, press a quiet kiss to her lips, and fall beside her.
Three hours.
Sometimes less.
That was all I allowed myself.
But even that—
It was enough to bring me back to life.
To remind me why I was doing all of this.
Why I couldn't afford to lose.
Section E stayed close to the house.
Close enough to protect her.Close enough to make sure she never felt alone.
They spent time with her, kept things normal, kept her laughing… as if nothing had changed.
Like there wasn't a war quietly building around her.
And me—
I stayed away more than I wanted to.
She'd text me sometimes.
How was your day?
Simple.
Normal.
But it wasn't enough.
Because what I missed wasn't the words.
It was her.
The way she said my name—soft, like it meant something only when she said it.The way her eyes softened when she looked at me.The way she leaned into me without thinking.
Even though I saw her every night…even though I held her…even though I felt her warmth—
I still missed her.
More than I should have.
I needed to hear her voice.
But I knew—
if I stayed…
I wouldn't leave her side again.
And right now, I couldn't afford that.
So I forced myself away.
For her.
Sometimes, when it got too heavy, I'd sit with the caretaker.
Talk.
Not everything—but enough.
And every time, I told him the same thing—
"Don't let this reach her."
Don't disturb her peace.
Because as long as she was smiling—
This war was still worth fighting.
Days passed.
Everything was set in motion.
Controlled.
Arranged.
And then—
The invitations came.
Watson crest.
Formal.
Official.
An elders' celebration. One of their birthdays.
On the surface, it looked harmless.
Routine.
But something about it—
felt wrong.
Because it wasn't just me.
Everyone of us received it.
I stared at the card a second longer than necessary.
This wasn't a celebration.
It was a move.