The Marriage Debt (Underworld Kings)

I go straight into the bathroom, where I lock myself in and sit down on the closed seat with the light turned on, so no one will think I’m up to no good.

Even though I am.

Because he’s hiding something.

I just know it.

And I’m almost certain I’ll find something, anything, in that locked office of his.

Something I may be able to use against him.

A devious smile spreads on my lips.

All I gotta do now is … wait.

Chapter 24

Luca

* * *

Days later

* * *

When the plane has finally landed on safe soil again, I am anything but at peace. My fingers thrum on my knee, my patience thin. After everything I’ve learned these past couple of days, I haven’t spent a minute without worry. Even though there’s still so much more work to be done, I couldn’t fucking stay there.

It wouldn’t be useful anyway.

I sigh to myself as the car drives past all the familiar houses.

I can’t fucking wait to be home again.

To forget everything.

To touch my bunny again and kiss those velvety fucking lips of hers.

She always has a way of making me feel good again especially when I’m frazzled.

As I go into the building and enter the elevator, my phone buzzes. I check only to find a warning from one of my home detectors. Someone broke into my office.

Hmm … whoever could that be?

I roll my eyes.

Of course she’d start snooping around once I let Lita off the hook. Just thirty minutes ago, I texted her and told her she was done for the day, so I could have some private time with Jill.

And here my little bunny is fucking snooping where she shouldn’t be.

I waltz through the corridor and burst into my own penthouse, searching for her.

“Jill?” I coax, raising a brow to see if she’ll respond.

Is she planning another trap for me?

I rub my forehead. “Jill. I know you’re in my office. There’s no use in hiding.”

After a few seconds of non-responsiveness, I barge into the room, only to find her snooping through my papers as though she didn’t even hear me.

I slam my hand into the door.

She looks up, unsurprised that I caught her in the act.

“What are you doing?” I ask.

“What does it look like?” Her sassiness brings a smile to my face.

“I didn’t give you permission to come in here, and you know that. I don’t appreciate you going through my stuff when I’m out of town.”

“And I don’t appreciate being kept like a pet, but here we are,” she retorts, shrugging it off like she did nothing wrong.

I march up to her and grab her wrist when she’s about to reach for a particularly confidential drawer. “Ah.”

She spins on her heels to look me in the eyes. “What are you trying to hide? You think I don’t know you’re a mobster?” She laughs. “Like my parents aren’t in the same business.”

“I don’t care what your parents do. What I do is my business and my business alone,” I reply.

“Oh, so I’m your wife, but I can’t know anything about what you do?” She raises her brow. “Typical.”

I try not to be offended, but it still makes me clench my teeth when she says that. “How did you break in here?”

With a smug face, she replies, “I grew up with a father who tried to keep secrets from his daughters. It’s not the first time I picked a lock, trust me.”

When I grab her waist tight, I notice she’s clenching her fist behind her back, so I grab it and push it open until something metallic drops to the floor. A hairpin.

My eyes narrow. “Inventive.”

“I’ve got my ways,” she replies.

“Gone for years, yet the shadiness never left you,” I quip.

“Like you and your family aren’t equally as shady,” she spits.

I plant my hands on the desk so she can’t escape. “I guess we both deserve each other.”

“You think? Or are you just saying that to make yourself feel better about the fact that you forced me into this marriage?”

She seems feisty today. “Here we go again.”

“I made the choice, yes, but I would never have if you hadn’t—”

“Taken your sister,” I fill in for her. “And why do you think I did that?” I raise a brow at her, the smirk on my face feeling permanent.

“Because you wanted revenge on our family,” she replies.

I laugh, shaking my head as I look down at my own feet, unable to look her in the eyes when we both know she’s wrong.

“For your brother,” she adds.

“If you keep bringing up my brother, this marriage will only get worse for you,” I say, licking my top teeth. “Take that as a warning.”

She sucks in a breath. “But you—”

I grab her throat. “My family wanted revenge. You’re lucky they didn’t want your blood and were happy to marry you to me instead.” I lean in closer and closer until our lips are mere inches away again. “Now … are you ready to act like my fucking wife?”