Page 50 of Devious Kingpin
Dante’s dark eyes watched me, a flicker of hunger gleaming in their depths. I was a mess. My hair that started the day in a French braid with diamonds weaved into it was now a frizzy disaster and my white dress had dirt smeared all over it. And then there were the black soles of my feet. Yeah, like I said… I was a damn mess.
Though you wouldn’t think it by the look in my husband’s eyes.
My husband.
The words felt foreign in my head. I couldn’t fathom how they’d taste on my tongue.
“We’ll share a bedroom,” he stated calmly, returning his attention to his phone.
I stiffened, all my good thoughts about Dante instantly turning darker. “I thought you said—”
“I won’t force myself on you, but we’ll sleep in the same bed.”
His tone was calm and measured. Soft and vehement. But there was something raw in his obsidian gaze that had me shuddering. It slowed the blood in my veins. It made the world turn just a bit slower. And the buzz of the engine just a bit duller.
“But—”
“That’s final, Juliette,” he said, a dark edge to his voice. I shivered. “Besides, there are no other beds in the house.”
His tone was dry and amused. I had a feeling he’d played me, but I couldn't be sure.
“I could sleep on the couch,” I grumbled under my breath.
He said nothing, so I returned the favor. For the remainder of our flight, I chose to ignore his presence.
CHAPTER23
Dante
Traffic was nearly at a standstill on the Eisenhower Expressway in Chicago.
I was weaving in and out of both lanes, eager to get home while Juliette sat in the passenger seat, quietly staring out the window. Her jaw was pressed tightly and she was definitely brooding. She was adamant about looking anywhere but at me.
My phone rang and I answered it without looking at the caller ID. “DiLustro.”
“You left without a word. Aisling wanted to have a word with Juliette.” My father’s voice was sharp on the phone.
Exhaling a hard breath, I kept my temper under control. As far as I was concerned, Aisling could go fuck herself. Both her and Liam Brennan. I had been researching Travis Xander, and it would seem he attended high school with Juliette. He must have assaulted her under her aunt’s watch and the dumb bitch didn’t even know it.
No girl should suffer through that. But then to suffer through it alone, it made me murderous.
“We’re on our honeymoon,” I gritted. “She can talk to her later.”
I sensed more than saw Juliette stiffening next to me. I flicked a gaze her way and mouthed, “Want to talk to your aunt?”
She shook her head and returned to stare out the window.
“Well, I’m going to get back to my honeymoon, Father.”
“Listen, son. I know you and Christian are upset,” he said, matter-of-factly, as though almost two years ago we hadn’t learned that our life could have been normal. Different. Not full of pain and torture leveled on us by his first wife. The narcissistic mother.
It was thanks to my mother that Christian was known as Priest.
“What makes you think we’re upset?” I asked coolly.
He had no fucking idea what I had been through. What Christian had been through! He was too blind being the kingpin and mourning his mistress to be involved with our lives. To see the signs.
“Anything else?” I said when he didn’t reply.
