“My family was involved with the mob since my great-grandfather first moved to America from Fiji. He started a business in Hawaii and knew that, if he wanted it to expand, then he would need people with money to back him. This was not easy. No one wanted to take a chance on him, and no one believed that his business would take off, but then one day, a man came to him with an offer. He would help him if my great-grandfather would, in return, do him a favor. Every month, he would receive a shipment, and that shipment would contain drugs or other items that would be distributed in the black market in Hawaii. My great-grandfather agreed, thinking his hands were clean and that, if anything ever came to light, he could say he was in no way involved.

“After a year, he got greedy and decided to begin moving some of his own items. Five years in, he was one of the wealthiest men in Hawaii. It was around that time that he met a young socialite, fell instantly in love with her, and demanded that she marry him.”

I smile and shake my head.

“She made him realize what was really important, and he started becoming concerned with his business. He could no longer say that his hands were clean, so he began cutting his supplies down and trimming back on orders.

“He and my great-grandmother were married in a private ceremony on the beach, and nine months after they said their vows, my grandfather was born. He believed he had everything he could ever want. The day he went to pick up his wife and son from the hospital, his wife was murdered.”

“No,” I whisper.

“After that, my great-grandfather lost all hope and began doing everything within his power to take over and get rid of the men involved in killing his wife. He vowed that, one day, he would take control of all of them and then crush them. I ulu no ka lālā i ke kumu.”

“What does that mean?” I ask as his fingers slide away my tears.

“The branches grow because of the trunk.” He tilts my head so that our gazes connect. “He died before his wish could be realized. My grandfather, father, and now I have become stronger than they are, and we have been slowly cutting their supplies, making them turn against each other. One day, they will fall, and I will be the only one standing.”

I pray that he is right, that, when this is all over, we will all be standing. “I’m scared,” I say, vocalizing my fear.

“A lot of thought has gone into this, Myla. This is not something that will just happen. This is something that has been planned for years. I will not say it’s easy to do, but every day, we’re one step closer.”

He moves and helps me lie down next to him with my head in the crook of his arm and his hand resting on my belly. We lie there in silence, looking up at the night sky, then watch as the sun rises up over the ocean, and only then does he take me inside and climb into bed with me.

*

“We’re landing,” Kai tells me, kissing my hair.

I lift my head, look around the plane, and feel lighter. After Kai told his mom and dad what was going on, they insisted they come with us to Vegas.

We didn’t know how long we would be in Vegas, so having them with us puts my mind at ease. I also think Kai was relieved that his dad would be with his mom and me, someone he trusted completely, since, from what I understand, most of my time would be spent at the house while Kai takes care of business.

It takes another ten minutes for the plane to land. As soon as we touch down, Kai is up and getting a bag down from the overhead compartment, which he sets on the seat he was sitting in, and opens it up, pulling out some leather and slipping it on like a vest. I notice that it has a holster for a gun under one arm and then a place for a knife under the other. Once he has the holster in place, he pulls a large knife out of the bag then a gun, and he clicks them both in place. He then reaches up, pulls his suit jacket down, and pulls it on, hiding away the weapons.

“Do you always carry weapons like that?” I ask as the feeling of unease comes back.

His eyes come to me and go soft as he squats down in front of me. “I don’t plan on anything happening, but I need to be cautious.”

“Cautious is good.”

He smiles and leans in to touch his forehead to mine. “You guys are my life, and I would die before something ever happens to either of you,” he says as his hand comes up to hold my cheek.

“Don’t say that,” I whisper.

He grunts and presses a kiss to my forehead then lips. “I want you to stick close to Pika when I’m not around.”

“I will,” I say as everyone on the plane begins to stand and retrieve their things from the overhead bins.

He nods and kisses me once more before standing and helping me get my things together so we can get off the plane.

“Are you sure you don’t want me with you?” Uncle Frank asks Kai, and I turn my head away from them to keep from laughing.

“Frank, I told you before that your son will be with me while I’m here.”

“I think you should let me go with you. You never know what could go wrong.”

“I know what could go wrong,” Aye mutters and then winks at me when I laugh.

Uncle Frank is a good guy, but he is seriously a disaster waiting to happen.

“Fine. I’ll help look out for Myla,” he grumbles, grabbing his bag and heading off the plane.

“This is going to be a long trip,” Kai’s dad says, shaking his head, watching as Frank stomps down the plane stairs.

“He means well,” Kai’s mom says.

“He’s still not helping me out. He will end up doing something stupid, and then I will have to clean up his mess,” Kai replies.