Page 56 of Papers Don't Lie

THIRTY-ONE

KAI

I know it’s technically our first night sleeping together in the same bed, but I wasn’t expecting Esmeray would drag the time so much. The first excuse was that she had to deep clean the room even though we have house staff for that. Then she asked one of our housekeepers to change the sheets before she came up with the idea of the last one I’m willing to let go—that she has to take a shower. She’s been in there for more than two hours, singing the songs in her infinite playlist, and I don’t want to overstep, but it’s midnight, and I really need to get to work in the morning.

While her coming back to the room won’t help me sleep in any way, at least I'll know she’s with me and safe.

There’s not just one thing on my mind anymore—keeping Esmeray safe—not when I had someone search everything about Carter Wanderson and with my suspicions about Esmeray’s sister.

An old friend of mine, Dalton, is a private detective, and he works with people that are nothing like me. They are not in the legal business side, or if they are, it’s just for money laundering. Those kinds of people don’t work with contracts and don’t care about who you are or how you get them what they want. Theyonly care about the result, and if the result is not what they want, they’ll kill you with no mercy.

They are in the mafia, where everything happens inside of a jungle. They have rules, but not the kind ones that we respect—rules that completely defy the natural.

Dalton survived all these years and is still surviving, so when I called him, I knew he wouldn’t fail. He’s just that good at what he does. Dalton called me soon after Raven came to visit Esmeray, telling me something I suspected, but I was hoping it wasn’t true.

That Carter Wanderson is part of the Italian mafia. Apparently, he has roots, and his grandfather left him an empire to rule. Dalton assured me that he’s far more dangerous than he’s letting on, and the simple fact that I threatened him and I’m still alive only means that he’s enjoying playing with his food.

I’m never letting my guard down again.

Four of my new security team members are in front of our door and my dad’s door, and two others are at each of the windows in our house. Esmeray and Dad are clueless about that, but what they don’t know won't hurt them.

My first intention was to tell Esmeray about what I found out, but I changed my mind since she has enough on her plate.

Dalton is also making sure Cielle is safe with Kiaran in Costa Rica. Cielle is Esmeray’s sixth sister, and until this is over, I have to keep her safe and make sure Carter won’t go to the extent of using her against my wife.

Now, I need to focus on finding out as much as possible about Raven and her husband.

A sigh falls past my lips as I lift on my feet and walk to the bathroom door. My fist knocks twice on the wood, interrupting the show that went on for hours. She’s as good at singing as she is at composing songs.

The music stops. “Yes?”

I lean with my shoulder on the doorframe. “Are you done delaying so we can finally go to sleep?”

She’s silent for a bit, a muffled sound ringing in the background until she opens the door, an apologetic smile on her face. “So sorry. I didn’t realize it’s almost one a.m.”

Esmeray closes the door behind her, dressed in silky pink pajamas, and her hair is loose and free on her back. When she walks past me, she leaves behind a strong smell of blueberries she’s never had on before.

“What’s that?” I ask, following her to the walk-in closet.

She looks at me over her shoulders, furrowing her brows in question as she puts the worn clothes in the basket. “What’s what?”

“Your perfume. It’s different.”

“It’s a body set I bought when I went shopping with your sister. I forgot to use it until today,” she tells me, walking back into the room, and I follow her once again. "Do you like it?” Her hips sway seductively as she occupies her place on the bed, stretching herself on it.

I nod. “Do me a favor,” I say, and she waits for my reply. “When you run out of it, buy ten more just in case.”

With ease, I join her in the bed.

I hear Esmeray turn off the lights, and I sink further into bed, inhaling deeply. Only that… doesn’t do me any good. With one single deep breath, I’m surrounded by her smell.

Fuck, she smells delicious.

“You can borrow it if you like it that much,” Esmeray suggests, shifting to find a position to sleep in.

She doesn’t even know how big of a curse that would be. I can’t even imagine going to work and having her smell on me the entire time. I have no doubt I wouldn’t be able to concentrate on anything but coming home and doing something I can’t do anyway.

I turn with my back to her, hoping to ease the feeling a bit, but it doesn’t help at all. Fuck me, I should be thinking about her safety and the severity of last night’s event, but all I can do is think how she’d really smell if I burrowed my—

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