Page 64 of Possession

The way I’m drawn to her when I’m alert and awake, I’m afraid of what would happen when I’m not. And since I’ve touched a good deal of her body with the only intention of keeping her safe, I’ve proven I’m no gentleman. If she enters that bed, my last two years working within the Marino organization will look like child’s play compared to the challenge of not touching her when no one is watching.

So I slipped out of our bedroom quietly and decided she can stay on that damn sofa forever.

I told the guards I had business to take care of with a customer who was trying to back out of our arrangement since Damian isn’t at the helm any longer. That was enough for no one to think twice about why I was leaving before dawn on my own. I was out of town in no time, driving the very car that will turn into our eyes and ears.

At least, that’s the plan.

While Carson’s tech crew worked on the car, I had to stand there and take shit from my CIA Officer and DEA supervisor about Landyn. And since they do have ears on every single thing that goes on in that house other than the bedroom, they know everything.

It was not a fun meeting.

Eating their shit and being their punching bag for thirty long minutes was an experience I could have done without. I took every jab and choked down every taunt about how, from the sounds of it in the control room, there’s nothing fake about mywife.

They also commended me on my dedication to the job.

How I’m really giving it my all.

Fuck me.

What I am giving my all to is my pure unadulterated willpower when it comes to LandynTorres.

And that resolve is shaky at best.

When Damian told me he was going to marry the bombshell daughter of a dried-up mobster, I assumed she’d be spoiled and self-absorbed. At the very least, I thought she’d be a pain in my ass once I realized I had no choice but to step up and take care of her. There was no way I could allow Nic Decker to put his dirty hands on anyone. My conscience couldn’t take it.

Her mob father sold her to the devil. He knew exactly what he was doing and what her fate would be marrying into the Marino family. Dennis Alba deserves to rot in hell for what he did to Landyn.

That cocksucker’s name is now scribbled in Sharpie at the top of my list of people to take down. Not only will he be charged with trafficking cocaine, but a human too.

The very human my brain and cock are completely obsessed with.

Then I assign Landyn to my Rocco-needs-a-GED project for the sole reason to give her something to do. They spent one day lamenting over geometry, making sandwiches, and bonding with the kitchen staff. Within twenty-four hours, June is talking Landyn’s ear off, Miranda doesn’t look like a terrified mouse, and Rocco is actually acting his age instead of a one-percenter wannabe.

In fact, you’d think he and Landyn were new-found siblings who had just discovered each other through some mail-your-spit-to-find-your-long-lost-family website and are now making up for lost time.

The three of us ate in the dining room last night. Landyn was by my side like she has been for every other shit-show meal we’ve hosted since she got here, but this meal was different. It was unlike anything I’ve experienced since I first stepped foot in this house.

It was normal.

No business was conducted.

It was nonstop chatter, laughing, and joking. Landyn even threw a roll across the table at our new houseguest when he teased her for being an old married woman when she announced she wasn’t allowed to swim without me.

That was when I ended dinner and announced I was ready to have my bride to myself. I forced her to tell the staff and Rocco goodnight and I told them not to interrupt us until morning. With Landyn’s hand in mine, I dragged her back to our room.

I have no fucking idea what Rocco did after that. I don’t care. I locked us away and watched Landyn glare at me before escaping to the bathroom. I heard bathwater and pretended to study bank account deposits while thinking nonstop about her naked on the other side of the door. The rest of the house assumed we were busy being newlyweds, even though there was only silence coming from our room.

I don’t know why the hell Damian didn’t have a TV in here. If I don’t have something else to focus on soon, I might lose it.

I’ll remedy that tomorrow. I need a distraction more than I need federal search warrants.

I filed another day behind me as a frustrated, blue-balled married man. But it’s time to get back to business.

I’m sending Rocco to meet with Logan in the car that’s equipped with ears and a GPS. Logan basically came right out and said they’ve got tunnels. I want to know where they are and what else they’re running through them.

And my mother-in-law is scheduled to visit for the first time. I’m anxious about this for many reasons. I’m curious to see how Nellie Alba acts after the deal that landed her daughter in the middle of Marino territory. It will be telling how ingrained she is in her husband’s business.

Obtaining a federal warrant for Dennis Alba got easier after he made the deal for his daughter. But I want more. I want to know where every dime he makes comes from. He got off clean when we took down the load because he puts enough space between him and his mules and employs a crafty accountant.

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