RIVER'S POV

I hightailed out of the kitchen intending to seek sanctuary in our bedroom but my legs failed me halfway up the staircase and I fell on my knees.

What the actual fuck?

Mafia. My wife was a mafia princess? What had I gotten myself into? What kind of family had I married into?

This could not be happening but it was. It was all true as advertised by the armed men standing in my kitchen and the leader of them all calling my wife his daughter.

I felt hurt, scared, lost and worst of all betrayed. River had kept the truth about where she came from me. Was anything she had ever told me about herself true? My mind went back to all our talks over the past few months and I didn't know what was true or false. They had pulled their guns at me and if not for River I would be lying dead in a pool of my own blood. That memory shook me to my core and made me even more scared of the men in my house.

My mind went back to what she had told me before she left the car.

Whatever happens from now onwards know that I love you with all my heart and I am so sorry.

I loved River with all my heart, I had made her my wife for crying out loud but the fact that she had kept such a huge thing from me about her life was heartbreaking. I tried to take comfort in the fact that she loved me too but I couldn't stop overthinking and doubting the very basis of our relationship.

I heard the front door open and close and thought that they had left but when I heard River and her father walk into the living room, I knew my prayer was unanswered. They could not see me from my position on the staircase and I could not see them either but I could hear them. I should have moved to give them some privacy but I found myself stuck in place.

I was glad to hear that her father held no grudge towards her because of the money she had stolen. At least that part of her story had been true. That money had helped River and I greatly, we were able to buy a car, travel Kenya, support my family, finance our wedding and buy our home. Mr. Anderson truly was a rich man if such a huge amount of money did not faze him.

"Isn't it obvious. I am here to bring you back home so go up there and pack your bags, the jet is waiting. Or better yet don't bring anything with you, your room is still the same as the day you left." Mr. Anderson demanded and my breath hitched as I waited for her reply.

"Dad I am not coming back with you. I have a husband, a new family and a new life here in Kenya. I am not going to just leave it all behind." River answered making me smile.

Her father was not pleased with that answer and he began to challenge her but River defended me fiercely making me a happy man. At least I could trust River and her feelings towards me even if she had lied about everything else.

The mention of divorce had me clutching my chest in pain. River and I could not get divorced. I loved her and she loved me and hearing her defend our marriage made me very proud of her. I knew I didn't have any money to my name but River was the most important person in my life and I would work my ass off to treat her right and give her the life that she deserved.

The more I listened the more I understood why River had runaway in the first place. Her father was a tyrant, a dictator who did not deserve his angel of a daughter.

When River asked her father how he had found us I was not surprised to hear that it was through Demi. Yes, we had been careful but having Demi had come with its own risks and it looked like we had not been careful enough. That was under the bridge now anyway. Her father had found River and I wanted to see how it would all unfold.

I was so lost in thought I nearly missed River's speech as she begged her father to let us be.

"Dad I know it was wrong of me to run away from home the way that I did but I could not let you marry me off to a gay man. I like Evan, he is my closest friend after Demi but us getting married would have been disastrous. You and mom were an arranged marriage as well but it was a good fit and you eventually came to love and care deeply for each other. I wanted a marriage of love and mutual attraction. That is what Dean and I have. Please see that dad and let us be happy together." She pleaded.

It hurt me to hear my wife beg on our behalf but this was a conversation she needed to have with her father alone. As I expected Mr. Anderson denied her request. He would not have flown all the way to Kenya if he intended to go back empty handed. Listening to River interact with her father gave me an insight into their relationship and the more I listened the more I saw River's side of things and began to understand her.

"Then you are going to have to carry me back in a body bag because I refuse to leave." River threatened defiantly.

I knew my girl had a level of crazy in her but she was not about to end her life, was she?

"You know better than to defy me darling. I cannot kill my own daughter but you do have a new family and friends that you care about here right. Maybe if I drop a couple of them into body bags you will be more willing to join me." Mr. Anderson threatened and his words shook me to my core.

He was threatening me and my family! That would have been the perfect time to go to River and be by her side but I couldn't bring my body to cooperate as I sat stuck on the staircase.

"You wouldn't dare." River cried.

"Oh darling, you must have forgotten who your father is. I will kill all of them if that's what I have to do to make sure you come back with me. And if you try to run away, I will still kill them and follow you to wherever you run to killing anyone you come in contact with until you get the message and come back home. There is no corner on this earth I can't track you to." Mr. Anderson threatened his words so menacing I immediately knew I would do anything to shield River from him.

The man was threatening my wife and my family and yes, I was just a mere uber driver but there was no extent I wouldn't go to, to protect those I cared about.

"I can see that I have given you much to consider. I will give you tonight to think about it. The jet leaves Wilson airport tomorrow at eleven am. The lives of everyone you care about including Demi and Evan depend on the decision you make tonight. I know you will do the right thing." Mr. Anderson declared as if he just hadn't dropped a bomb on my wife shoulders.

As soon as I heard him leave my legs came back to life and I discovered that it was fear that had me glued to the staircase. I walked in the living room right on time to catch River before she fell on the floor.

"It's okay waridi. I've got you." I whispered gently as I pulled her into my arms and sat on the sofa with her on my lap.

River curled into a ball on my lap burying her face on my chest as she cried her heart out. It broke me to see her in such a state and I felt guilty for leaving her to deal with her father on her own. I tried my best to reassure her but even I could tell that the threat of her father's words was heavy and burdening.

I could almost hear the wheels turning in River's head and I knew my wife was going to make herself the martyr but I refused to let her shoulder that burden alone.

"It's okay waridi. Everything will be okay." I assured her kissing her head.

"No, it won't but I will make it so." River sniffed as she pulled away cleaning her face with the hem of her dress.

I knew exactly what she was thinking and I was not going to let it happen.

"We are not getting divorced." I declared before she could think of saying those words.

I was not going to give River up. I refused to and if that meant going head-to-head with the head of the Italian mafia then that is exactly what I would do.

"What are you talking about?" River asked me.

"I overheard your conversation with your father and I will not let do it." I explained.

I was admitting to being a nosey-nelly but I didn't care, it was my house. River sat up and faced me.

"I don't have a choice Dean, I can't let you or your family pay the price." River reasoned her face red and puffy from the crying.

Even with a blotched face River was still the most beautiful woman in my eyes and I would give my life to protect her, even from her father.

"I know waridi, you are going to sacrifice yourself and I will not let that happen." I argued knowing my wife so well.

"I can't think of another way." She cried.

"I know you want to protect my family but I can't lose you or give you up that's why I will come to the states with you." I declared.

My words shocked me more than they did River but I could not imagine my life without the beauty in my arms and if us staying together meant following her across the world then that is what I would do.

"What?" River mumbled in shock.

I smiled at my wife and kissed her softly. "I am coming with you." I declared sure as the day I had said 'I do' to my now wife.

"I can't lose you River, I love you so much. You are my wife and if that means following you across the world then that's what I will do." I expressed further while River just gaped at me like a fish out of water.

It was a rushed decision but I could not let River be taken away from me. It would hurt to leave my family but it's not like I would never see them again. My fear of never seeing River again if she got on that plane with her was all the motivation, I needed to know that she was not going anywhere without me by her side. Together we would fight her father for us, for our marriage and our future.

"Dean you are not coming with me to LA." River declared.

"Oh yes I am." I asserted.

River got off my lap and started pacing in front of me. She paused ever few seconds to stare me down before going back to her pacing. It was a very funny sight but the situation we were in was serious so I couldn't afford to laugh but I did manage a smile.

"Dean."

"Waridi."

"This is crazy." She laughed finally stopping in front of me.

"I know but we both knew our relationship was not normal from the beginning." I assured her getting to my feet and pulling her into my arms.

River relaxed into my embrace wrapping her arms around me.

"What about your family?" she asked.

"We don't have to tell them where we are going. We can just tell them its an extended honeymoon just the both of us. We'll say goodbye tomorrow morning before we live." I answered.

My mother would be skeptical but we just had to fight to be convincing enough.

"What if we never come back?" River cried skeptically.

"We will waridi. We just have to show your father that we love and care for each other. I will not lose you River Mae Kamau. You are the other half of me and now that I have found you, there is no me without you." I confessed.

"I love you too." River said looking up at me.

She stood up on her tiptoes to kiss me. I kissed her back tightening my hold around her wishing we could get even closer but there was no space left between us.

"So, we are really doing this?" River asked me.

"Yes, we are." I nodded kissing her nose.

What we were about to do was no easy feat but I believed in River and in our love for each other. Our love would conquer the obstacle that was her father. I was scared that I would fail River but not going with her was not an option either so get ready LA because a Kenyan would be gracing their streets soon.

"So, what do we do now?" River asked looking up at me for guidance.

"First things first, we lock up and make sure that none of our unwanted guests lingered." I replied.

River nodded and we left the house hand in hand to close the gate making sure we didn't have anyone lurking around. Thankfully the compound was empty and even the gate was locked, one wouldn't have known that the place was littered with armed mafia men less than an hour ago. I double checked the whole compound jut to be sure before leading River back into the house and locking all the doors and windows.

"We should pack a suitcase or two or everything. I don't know how long we will be gone." River lamented walking into our walk-in closet and taking a seat on the futon in there.

I joined her and pulled her into my arms understanding that she was overwhelmed and so was I but one of us had to be the strong one.

"Calm down love. We will pack what we can and what we can't we will buy." I consoled.

"You're right, I need to be calm about this. But we should mostly pack for you. I still have a closet full of clothes back home." River replied.

"Then that is what we shall do." I nodded kissing her temple.

Neither of us said anything much after that, just sat in silence holding each other trying to wrap our heads around what had happened. I was confused about a lot of things but at least I was confident in River's feelings for me and mine for her. The rest we could handle together.

"I am so sorry Deanie." River hiccupped and I realized she was crying.

I pulled her face up and saw tears streaming down her face, her eyes red rimmed with tears.

"Oh, baby no, don't cry. None of this is your fault. You have nothing to be sorry for." I consoled wiping her tears away with my thumbs.

"But your life is about to change because of me. Maybe if I had not gotten into your cab that day at the airport, you and your family would be safe." She cried.

"You regret meeting me?" I asked unable to keep the hurt from my voice.

"God no! Not in this life on the next. I just know that your life would be better without me in it." She explained.

"River Mae Kamau, I want you to listen to me and listen good. My life is better because you are in it. We all have baggage from our past and yours comes with a mafia legacy but that does not define you. You are my waridi, the sweet rose-colored lipped beauty that got into my cab that late January evening and changed my life. You said that being here in Kenya with me and my family has changed you but I am different now because of you. I am happier, in love and married to the most gorgeous woman on this side of the Indian ocean. I love you waridi and I will choose to love to the ends of time. You are my soulmate, my better half and there is no me without you." I expressed hoping she could see the sincerity in my words.

River leaned up and kissed me, her lips soft and salty with tears.

"I love you too Dean and I am so glad I met you. I now have something worth fighting for and no matter what happens know that I will always choose you." River replied.

I grinned and kissed her knowing that we would be okay. I held her in my arms for a little while longer until we had to get up to pack. I had no idea about the weather in LA so I kept River company while she packed for the both of us, more especially me.

"We need to contact Jomo and Wangeci about taking care of the house when we are gone. We can drop off the shopping we did with your mom when we go to say goodbye tomorrow morning." River said as we got into bed later that night all ready and packed for our trip the next day.

"That's a good idea babe. I just realized that I do not have a passport, do you think that will cause any problems?" I asked River.

"No. we own a private jet so I think the rules around that are pretty laxed and I will make it imperative to my dad that I am not going anywhere without you." River assured me cuddling to my side.

At the mention of a private jet and the power that her father had I was once again reminded just how River really was. Ever since we met, I had been exposed to a lavish lifestyle because of her but now I was about to experience the full blast of it.

Dear lord.

"You okay?" River asked and I realized that I had been silent too long.

"Yeah just thinking about tomorrow. Hopefully your father won't have his men put a bullet through my head." I replied.

"I will not let that happen I promise you." River assured me and after seeing how she had protected me earlier when all those guns had been pointed at me, I did not doubt her for one second.

"I know waridi. Sleep now. We have a long day tomorrow." I whispered kissing her forehead.

"Tonight is the first night we are going to sleep without having sex ever since we came back." River commented.

"Yeah I know, sex is the last thing on my mind right now." I mumbled.

"Me too."

I loved having sex with River, she was sexy beyond words but at the moment my mind was too preoccupied for me to even get a hard on.

"Goodnight my love." River whispered kissing my chin.

"Goodnight waridi." I replied switching off the bedside lamp and shrouding us in darkness.

Time to sleep and rest while waiting to see what dawn would bring.