Page 147 of The Bad Husband

“Yet you bothered to risk your life to make him feel a pinch of pain. Who’s feeling the pain now?”

She weighs her answer.

“Listen. I know it’s hard for you to understand how other people see life. You have this fuzzy image of life. All about it is only nuances in your view. Risks that have never been taken. Dreams that have never been fulfilled. You’ve always aimed low, Lila. But once in a while even someone like you is lifted off the ground and plays in the big league. That’s where you are. You look around and don’t understand a damn thing. You have this man and don’t know what to do with him, and the funny part is that that’s exactly what he likes about you. There’s no way someone like me can compete with that or the kind of dullness you bring to his life. I never thought you two would hit it off. Had I had the slightest suspicion it would happen, I would’ve come up with a plan to keep you away from him. I just didn’t think he’d fall for your simplistic way of seeing things.”

She gestures, annoyed, before she goes on.

“It doesn’t matter now. Think about what I’ve asked of you. I’m serious now. You don’t have to do it for me. You let him cool off a little. If he wants you, truly wants you, he will do what you’re asking of him. If not, you’ve got your answer, and you've bitten the bullet, so to speak. If you two stay together, make sure you get a prenup and prepare yourself to live a life of crime. Even though he wouldn’t involve you in his affairs, you will unwillingly witness some of the stuff he’s doing, and when shit hits the fan you’ll become a target just like him. Don’t say I never warned you. That part is not for the faint of heart. Just give me an answer before tomorrow night.”

With that, she finally pushes to her feet and leaves.

The terrace becomes quiet again while I have a feeling that something bad is hovering over me, about to happen.

25

LILA

I hear his voice soon after I fall asleep.

I know that because it takes me forever to drift off to sleep, and when it finally happens, the thundering of his voice not only wakes me but it sends me into a spiral of panic.

“Lila?”

I push upright, not knowing where I am or what’s happening. The sky is pink above the horizon. I move my hand over the nightstand, checking for my phone.

Sleeping in his bed probably wasn’t the best idea.

He’s in my room.

He must be there. His voice echoes on the floor.

“Lila Skye? Where are you?”

I slide off his bed, wearing only panties and a cami, and rush to the door.

His silhouette fills the doorframe, and I almost collide with him as I try to get out while he enters the room.

His arms loop around me and catch me at once.

He smells like cologne, a hint of smoke from other people I suspect, as he isn’t a smoker, and metal.

He’s tense, a stern expression on his face, a smile barely moving his lips.

“Are you all right?” he asks, trying to hide his turmoil, failing at it, it seems, or maybe I’m excruciatingly perceptive.

“Yes, I am. I’m sorry. I thought it would be all right if I waited for you here.”

“Yeah, yeah. Sure.”

He moves away from me, swiftly removing his shirt.

“I need to take a shower. I’ll be right back.”

He vanishes into the bathroom, while I pick up the shirt he dropped on the chair, lift it to my nose, and inhale the sexy smell caught in his shirt.

He enters the room with a towel hung low around his hips, his hair damp from the shower.

He smells fresh.