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His voice dropped. “I get that.”

“You can’t turn on me either.”

My eyes snapped back to his. “Why?”

“Because me and Zay are about to make changes.” His expression hardened. “And we need you clean.”

I frowned.

His thumb brushed my cheek. “You’re about to be my first lady. So act like it.”

My mouth opened, but he kept going.

“When it’s time for you to step out with me, be ready to point guns at niggas’ heads. Just not mine.”

I slid off his lap quickly. “I’m not ready to show my face as yours.”

I walked over to the vanity mirror. The girl staring back at me looked like someone who’d survived too much.

Ares stood behind me a second later. His arms wrapped around my waist slowly.

My body tensed. Then, slowly, I relaxed.

I hated powerful men, always had. But something about him made me feel different.

Unsteady.

“You’re beautiful,” he said softly.

I shook my head. “You’re lying. I have too many flaws.”

“I see the flaws you see.”

I looked at him through the mirror. “My teeth.”

“We’ll fix them.”

“I want to grow my hair.”

“Well, grow it.”

“I need to gain weight.”

“Then we eat.”

I sighed. “I have black circles under my eyes.”

“Then we sleep.”

I hesitated. “I need a new wardrobe.”

His lips curved. “We’ll go shopping.”

“I don’t want to be known as a Laveau.”

His voice softened. “I’ll make sure nobody sees your identity online.”

I stared at him in the mirror for a long moment. “You can’t fix everything for me.”