Page 47 of His to Ruin

“Mila practically mounted Niko in front of everyone. Us fucking in a cupboard isn’t something she’d care about.”

“Laundry room.” Olivia corrects me as if the venue really matters. “Maybe she didn’t care about that, but she hated me. She picked on everything I said.”

“She was trying to discover your worth.” I reach across the table and take her hand. “You impressed everyone last night, Olivia.”

I’m not saying it to make her feel better. Massaging egos isn’t my thing. When I tell her everyone was impressed, I mean it. She held her own on every topic of conversation and showed great insight when Niamh asked her about whether Gio might make a suitable husband for the Cameron girl. Olivia even suggested how they could win Antonio’s support for the idea by helping with a problem he’s been having with the Irish on one of his Midwest supply routes.

“Maybe,” she concedes.

“Why is it so important for Mila to like you, anyway?”

“It isn’t,” she denies.

I suspect my wife has a bit of a girl crush on Mila. She certainly made a bigger effort to speak to her than anyone else last night.

“Really?”

Olivia glances at the clock on the wall behind me to avoid answering. “Didn’t you say you have things to do this morning?”

I didn’t share my plans with Olivia, but she’s right. There are several important matters that require my attention, especially after last night’s meeting. I need to do my part to ensure the Albanians who’ve been messing with our business in Marseille are put in their place.

“I do.”

Olivia nods curtly, her disappointment palpable. She quickly covers it with a tight smile. “And I have a big day planned, so I’d better get ready.”

As she gets up and heads for the door, she brushes past me. I grab her arm and pull her back.

“Where’s my goodbye kiss?”

“It crawled up my ass and died along with everything I was stupid enough to wish for.”

“I have no idea what you mean.”

“Of course you don’t.” Olivia yanks her arm out of my grip. She leans down, getting right in my face. “If you want me to be a good little wife who kisses her husband goodbye and welcomes him home with open arms, then act like a husband and not some asshole who fucks me, then puts me back in my box.”

I’m so stunned by the vitriol in her voice, I don’t react. Olivia storms off and a few seconds later, the bedroom door slams shut. I wouldn’t be surprised if she took it off the hinges. Fuck, my wife is magnificent. I don’t know what’s got into her, but as I wonder what to do about the raging boner she’s left me with,I realize something. This woman’s going to be the death of me. What a sweet way to go.

CHAPTER 16

Olivia

There’s a sign not ten feet from me declaring the grass in this park off limits, but I don’t give a single shit. This is where I want to eat my picnic and if someone wants to arrest me for it, good luck to them because I am not in the mood to go quietly. I’ve been here for thirty minutes so far, soaking up the sun and enjoying my charcuterie. Nobody has challenged me. With Jimmy, Marko, and Vlad standing guard, they wouldn’t dare.

As I’m relishing my third slice of thick-cut garlic sausage, I spot a familiar figure striding along the path toward me. There’s no need to ask myself how Piotr found me. I’ve sent him regular updates on my activities throughout the morning, and I’m sure he can track the Range Rover Vlad has been driving us about in.

I can’t help noticing he’s changed his clothes. At breakfast he wore his signature black pants and black shirt, sleeves rolled up to his forearms. Now he’s in jeans, still black of course, and a white t-shirt. Dark sunglasses shield his eyes from the glaringbrightness. Damn, he looks hot. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him dressed so casually.

I tense as he steps over the short metal fence blocking off the grassy area and comes toward me. Shit. I’ve eaten a ton of strong-smelling food. My breath is going to stink. I hold my hand in front of my mouth and breathe out. Yuck! It’s a good thing I wasn’t planning to kiss him, I suppose.

“Can you not read French?” Piotr asks as he walks up to me.

“I know whatinterditmeans.” I flick my hair back over my shoulder. “But I chose to ignore it.”

He snorts in what I think is amusement as he hovers over me. I don’t get up, even though I feel incredibly small and vulnerable right now.

“What are you doing here?” I ask as he sinks to the ground with irritating grace and stretches his legs out on my picnic blanket.

“Thought I’d give the husband thing a go, since it means so much to you.”

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