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She halts, coming back to look at the dog with me. “He was digging through the trash when I got here. Must be hungry.”
“Do you think he’s a stray?”
Aspen shrugs. “Probably. I wish I could bring him, or her, home. But my husband would kill me.” My head snaps over in her direction and she waves me off. “God, you’re just as bad as King. It’s anexpression.”
“Better be.” King, and therefore Aspen, are the closest thing I have to a family. I know King hates her husband but if he’s violent toward her, I’ll end him myself.
Aspen rolls her eyes at me. “My idiot husband might be an idiot, but he doesn’t have a death wish. Pretty sure evenheknows hurting me would get him a one-way ticket to the afterlife.”
I grunt, then turn my attention back to the dog.
CHAPTER66
Payton
The pillowcaseagainst my cheek is soft and cool, and my body snuggles into the feeling.
A girl could get used to this.
My eyes slide open, squinting against the sunlight creeping past the heavy floor-length drapes covering the windows.
It’s Nero’s room. In Nero’s gigantic house.
Or as he calls it,our house.
I can’t believe how casually he said it last night. Like it’s actually mine, too. Like this is totally normal and something people do every day.
Meet a guy.
Have sex twice.
Fall in love.
Move from your tiny crummy apartment to this multi-million-dollar house and claim partial ownership.
Then live happily ever after. With the minor detail of people trying to sabotage us.
Or something like that.
I stretch my arm out in front of me, smoothing it across the unruffled bedding on the other side of the mattress.
My chest gives a funny clench, thinking of Nero out all night. But it’s not from jealousy, it’s from worry.
After King called while we were eating tacos, and after Nero made a comment aboutinviting King’s sister, Nero told me about the woman, Nikki. He told me that the same beautiful woman who had her hands all over him, was the one who slid the envelope under my door.
A wave of possessiveness made me grip Nero’s arm. I didn’t care that we’d worked out what happened at the party. It didn’t matter that we were stronger than ever. I just didn’t want him to go to her. I didn’t wantherlaying her eyes on my man ever again. Because even though Nero didn’t say anything about her motivation, I knew it was personal.
But before I could object Nero gripped the back of my neck and dragged my mouth to his.
“What’s mine is off limits. You’re mine. And people need to understand the consequences of what that means.”
With no way to argue, I did as he told me to do, by finishing my tacos and going to bed.
My fingers tap on the comforter.
I want to call him, or text him, or do something to find out if he’s okay. Talking to that bitch shouldn’t have taken all night. My teeth bite down on my lip. I have to trust that doesn’t mean anything bad happened.
Getting up, I decide to be patient. For all I know, he could be somewhere in this house, working on his laptop, or doing whatever it is a mobster with a security company does.
