Page 99 of Vicious Kingdom

The word felt foreign on my tongue. Husband. We’d been married less than twenty-four hours, and already everything was falling apart.

Did you really expect a ring to make a difference?

Hating myself for being a dreamer, I stood outside his door for a full minute, hand hovering over the knob. Finally, I turned it slowly, wincing at the slight click. The door swung open without a sound. Moonlight spilled through the half-drawn curtains, illuminating Leo’s form on the bed. He was still wearing his dress shirt. His soft breathing told me he slumbered peacefully.

Creeping forward, I eased myself onto the mattress.

He didn’t wake.

Just a few minutes.

But as I lay there, where I convinced myself I belonged, a yawn tugged me into relaxation. Just a little longer, I commanded myself.

When I woke with a gasp, I knew I needed to sneak back to the other room. How had I allowed myself to fall asleep here? I should leave before he woke to find me. I should spare both of us the confrontation and tiptoe back the way I came. My heart raced at the thought of him waking, just as angry but at least relieved that I was gone.

Just as I decided to ease off the mattress and make my move, his soft breathing was an unexpected lullaby. I stifled a yawn. Just a few more minutes, I thought, mustering the courage to stay. I shut my eyes for the briefest of moments. But then I summoned the courage to leave.

As much as I want to get you out of my system, our lives are intertwined.One way or another, I was coming back. My place was here, at his side.

Chapter 35 – Leonardo

Some bloody stupid pop song blared from the portable speaker. Perched on the kitchen counter, Anna kept sneaking globs of cookie dough from the bowl Penelope was spooning chunks out of to roll into cookies.

Both my brother and his wife had been at the ceremony, watching from the back of the church. Tonight’s dinner party was their way of celebrating our union. While we talked shop, the girls prepped the Tex-Mex feast. When Sandro took a call, I came to check on them, only to discover they were making a fourth pitcher of drinks.

They painted a cute picture, baking and chatting, while dinner was set aside on the back counter. My presence felt like an invasion, but I couldn’t bring myself to leave even though my wife was clearly ignoring me.

It was my own damn fault.

I was a bad husband.

Sandro barged into the kitchen. His wife shot him a disgruntled look at the noise, but he was focused on me.

“Nothing,” he said with a tight shake of his head.

My fingers curled into a fist.

Baldwin Acquisitions was still closed for business forty-eight hours after the raid. The assets were frozen. Yellow tape barred our entrance.

“There’s no smoking gun,” Sandro murmured as he stopped beside me and poured a healthy glass of scotch.

My brother’s blind faith that they wouldn’t find anything rattled me. “If there isn’t one, they could alwaysmakeone.”

Sandro shot a glance to where his wife sipped her margarita and watched the timer on the oven count down.

“Has she found anything on Voss?” he said with a little more volume, his gaze shifting to my own bride.

Annaliese stiffened. Bracing her hand behind her, she leaned over. “Shehas been busy planning an impromptu wedding.”

Sandro grunted. “I’m going to need you to start looking…sis.”

Anna gave him a mock salute before turning her attention back to Penelope and the raw cookie dough. She plucked the wooden spoon from the bowl and, with long licks, began cleaning the utensil.

Heat rushed to stiffen my groin. There was something else she could use that pretty little mouth for.

“Hey!” Penelope protested.

Anna held it out. “Want a taste?”