Total pages in book: 131
Estimated words: 126682 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 633(@200wpm)___ 507(@250wpm)___ 422(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 126682 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 633(@200wpm)___ 507(@250wpm)___ 422(@300wpm)
“Sorry, brother. I have no idea where she’s hiding.” His words are sugary. “If I hear anything, I’ll let you know.”
“I suggest you enjoy the next few days. Maybe spend them with the people you care about.” If his voice is sugary, mine is pure evil. “They’ll be your last ones on Earth.”
With my message delivered, I hang up.
What the fuck was Raphael doing with Mary at the center? If he went there to kill her, she would’ve been dead. Why did she stab her caretaker and escape the very next day? Is that why she wanted to see Anya and Claire? Did Raphael put her up to it? Did he pay her to spy on us?
Rubbing my burning eyes, I get up and try a few steps without the cane. It’s still difficult, but I’m determined to beat this disability. Continuing with the hated cane, I find Anya in the lounge in front of a giant bouquet of roses in every color of the rainbow. The perfume of the blooms sweetens the air.
She pulls a card from a spike stuck in the arrangement when I approach.
My jealousy is like a live wire, ready to set spark to the mother of all explosions. Yet I somehow manage to keep my voice normal. “Who’s that from?”
She sighs and hands me the card.
Congratulations on your big win.
PS: I didn’t know your favorite color, so I got them all.
The note is signed with BB.
Benson Bennett.
Suppressing the urge to crumple the thick cardboard paper in my fist and grab my gun before going to his club, I return the card to my wife. “He seems smitten with you.”
She dumps the card on the coffee table. “I feel so guilty about the whole thing.”
That makes me smile. My good girl feels guilty about cheating.
Wrapping an arm around her waist, I pull her against me. “I love your morals.”
“I cheated. I don’t have morals.”
“Oh but you do.” Unable to resist, I kiss her lips. “Or else you wouldn’t feel guilty.”
A flush spreads over her cheeks. “Please don’t remind me.”
“Fine.” I sneak in another peck on her lips. “We won’t talk about it again.” My tone darkens. “You didn’t tell me he propositioned you.”
Her eyes flare. “Who told you?”
“The man himself.”
“What?” She leans back in my hold and cranes her neck to study me. “Benson?”
“He came to the club.” I utter a wry chuckle. “In the hope of seeing you.”
She frowns. “I told him I was married.”
“Oh, he knows. There’s not a person in this city who doesn’t know you belong to me.” Possessiveness sparks in my gut when I say, “You’re Mrs. De Luca now.”
Another man’s interest in my wife makes me hot under the collar. It makes me want to prove to him, her, and the whole world that she’s mine. She wears my ring, and she carries my surname. More than that, she chose me. She fucking chose me. I want to rub that in Bennett’s face.
I hold her to me, unwilling to let her go. “Some people don’t care about a ring, tesoro. They’ll take what’s not theirs with no qualms about promises and vows.”
“I care,” she says, searching my face.
“In the future, please tell me.”
“Do you think I enjoy making you jealous? That’s not who I am. Anyway, I thought about his ridiculous proposal for all of one second. That’s how inconsequential it was to me.”
“Just tell me.”
“Why?”
“Because I don’t want to hear it from someone else.”
A smile softens her face. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think about it like that. If someone propositions me in the future, I’ll tell you.”
“Good.” I kiss her again just because I can. And again. “But I’m still going to burn the flowers.”
Her smile turns coy. “That will be a sad waste. How about donating it to the hospital instead? Some patients have no one to bring them flowers.”
“I’ll consider it,” I say, slipping my hand from her middle to cup her tight ass.
She bites her lip.
“What, tesoro?”
“Does that mean you’re not going to cheat on me either?” she asks with a hesitant light in her whisky-colored eyes.
“Cheating is a hard no for me.”
Her expression saddens. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have brought that up. I know it’s a painful subject for you.”
“This isn’t about my ex. This is about you and me.” I squeeze her ass. “Got that?”
She sucks her bottom lip into her mouth and nods.
“I told you once we’re exclusive.” I drop the cane on the sofa so that I can catch her chin between my fingers and tilt her head for her gaze to meet mine. “That hasn’t changed. It will never change. Do you remember what I said about touching another man?”
Her throat ripples as she swallows. She manages another nod in my hold.
I continue in a dark tone. “If Bennett touched you, he’s dead. I can promise you it will be slow and painful.”