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She lied to me. She didn’t seem to be in any kind of danger, so why would she lie?
“Thanks for checking on me, though. But I’m just taking it easy.”
She was definitely hiding something, but what could it be? “Of course. I’ll let you go.” I hung up without waiting for her to respond.
I stayed in the lobby as I thought this through. If she hadn’t been home in months, that meant she was staying somewhere else. She couldn’t afford to have two places, so that meant she was crashing with someone, probably a guy.
But what guy would she stay with for two months?
She hadn’t told anyone that she’d been seeing someone, and if she was living with someone for two months, then the relationship must be serious. That meant she didn’t want anyone to know about it.
But why?
Then it hit me.
Bosco.
She was staying with Bosco.
Vanessa must know about it. That was why they were so secretive all the time. Carmen must not be in any real danger. Otherwise, Vanessa would intervene. And that could only mean Carmen chose to be with Bosco.
But that was just as good as being his prisoner.
10
Bosco
I came home from the casino and spotted Carmen on the couch. She was wrapped in my t-shirt with a blanket draped over her legs, her hair all over the place and the TV on low. Like an obedient pet, she waited by the front door so she would know the second I was home.
I liked it.
I liked having a woman wait for me.
She was dead tired, because when I scooped her up in my arms and carried her into the bedroom, she didn’t wake up. I set her on the mattress and pulled the sheets over her shoulder before I stripped off my clothes. My suit had absorbed the smoke in the air, and my lips tasted like whiskey. I tossed everything in the bin and shut the lid so the maid could take care of it in the morning. I set my shoes on top so they could be properly shined.
I got into the shower next and closed my eyes as the warm water dripped down my body. The second I’d stepped into that casino tonight, there was a ripple of silence that was pregnant with respect. The Butcher was a formidable opponent, but being the honorable king I was, I’d executed him myself. I’d accepted him into the casino, and it was my job to eject him. The men didn’t say a single word to me, but I knew exactly what they were talking about.
Ronan told me everything.
The men practically bowed to me.
Ruby made eyes at me all night long, wanting my dick even more than she had before. I risked my life to protect my woman, and Ruby would give anything to be that woman. She wanted the security, the protection, and the jewels I could offer.
All of that belonged to Carmen.
It was ironic. I wanted to give all those things to Carmen because she didn’t want them in the first place.
I scrubbed the smell out of my hair with shampoo and let the suds fall around me. The door opened and closed behind me, and then a moment later I felt soapy hands on my body. She rubbed the soap across my hard body, her soft hands feeling the grooves between my muscles. Her fingers rubbed my back too, massaged the muscles deep and hard.
I closed my eyes as I enjoyed it, enjoyed this woman’s touch in so many ways. I shared my space with her completely, and our time together was so perfect I stopped worrying about the weeks we had left together. After everything we’d been through, I knew that contract didn’t matter anymore.
She wasn’t going anywhere.
She belonged right here with me.
My life had changed drastically since I’d passed that dark alleyway. Now my bed carried the scent of a single woman, someone I would risk my life to protect. I was faithful to her, not getting hard for the most beautiful woman who frequented the casino. I was immune to other tits and curves because Carmen was the only woman I wanted. I’d turned into a pussy-whipped man who wore his heart on his sleeve.
But I was okay with it.
She wrapped her arms around my waist and squeezed me, her tits pressing into my back. She rested her cheek against me, her hair sticking to my skin.
My hand rubbed her arm over my stomach, and I stayed still, absorbing her affection. The sound of the water filled the space around us, shutting out the outside world. It was just the two of us together—man and woman.
When I thought about my mother, I knew she would have adored Carmen. She would have respected her because Carmen respected herself so much. My brother thought she was wonderful. I never viewed women as people, just objects. But when Carmen came along, she straightened me out.
