“Lennon has two. Isn’t that enough?” Mason asks dryly. “Plus, you’re kinda occupying the extra room.”
“What are you trying to say? I’m the reason you’re not having babies?” I feign offense, dramatically pressing a hand to my chest.
“Stop it,” Sophie scolds, smacking his arm with a laugh. “We’re getting married first before any baby making happens.”
“But we can still practice, right?” Mason taunts, waggling his brows.
“Trust me, the entire house hears you doing just that.” I playfully roll my eyes, then walk out of the kitchen with my mug.
“I told you,” Sophie hisses. “You’re loud.”
“Me?” He gasps. “You’re the one who bought the vibrating cock ring. What’d you think was gonna happen?”
“Oh. My. God.” I loudly exaggerate each word. “The walls are thin, and everything echoes. Stop talking, please.”
“Why? Virgin ears can’t take it?” Sophie snickers, and Mason’s laughter follows.
“I hate you both, and hope you have ugly children,” I shout in response, then turn on the TV to stop this awkward conversation.
After an old episode of Love After Lockup, which reminds me of Liam, I decide to send him a text.
Maddie: Did you get the guy yet?
Liam: Fuck yeah, I did. On the way to the station now. Bastard’s real mouthy. Reminds me of you.
Maddie: Oh yeah? He have a great ass, too?
Liam: Definitely. But it doesn’t compare to yours.
Maddie: Keep dreaming, playboy.
Liam: You’re absolutely in my dreams, sweetheart.
Grinning, I roll my eyes at his relentless flirting. Arranged marriage or not, I still feel guilty about it. I can’t deny it’s nice having Liam’s attention, but I don’t want it if it’s only because he’s jealous that I’m trying to move on.
I want to trust him. I want to believe that he’s only married for convenience, but considering he can’t tell me why makes me suspicious. For these past several months, he’s been all kinds of strange—the casino receipt and chip, the Mercedes he can’t afford, flying to Vegas more than usual. I can’t quite put my finger on what’s going on, but I’m guessing a gambling addiction is to blame.
Liam would never marry someone he hardly knows, not without introducing us to her before they got hitched. The whole situation sends up a plethora of red flags. Maybe she’s an immigrant and needs a green card? Or health insurance? Though she looks like she can afford to pay out of pocket for everything. Maybe she has a terminal illness and getting married is her last dying wish? Or something her family pushed for? Realistically, it’s probably something else.
He agreed to this for a reason. Money? She could be paying him a salary and gifting him expensive things, which would explain the car.
Anything is possible at this point.
With my mind going crazy over the different scenarios, I decide to find the answers myself. He has to have something that’ll prove he’s being truthful. Once I do, I’ll keep it a secret so no one, including Liam, will ever know.
Setting my tea down, I head upstairs while the happy couple are still discussing wedding plans in the kitchen. Liam keeps everything in his room, so if he’s hiding something, it’s bound to be up there. When I find whatever I’m looking for, it’ll be the confirmation I need that he was genuine, and hopefully, the guilt of kissing a married man will disappear.
I shouldn’t sneak around, but that thought doesn’t stop me as I quietly enter his bedroom. Immediately, I scowl at how messy it is. Liam’s closet looks like a tornado blew through and half of his clothes are on his bed or the floor. Considering it was clean while Victoria was here, it only took him three days to destroy his space.
However, his room being a disaster zone helps me since he won’t be able to tell I snooped. I start with his dresser and move crumpled boxers and random socks that he’s haphazardly thrown in. After searching through every drawer, I go to his desk, which is surprisingly the only clean part of the room. It’s where he keeps his work files and research data when he’s tracking fugitives. When I first learned what he did and the details the job entailed, it was amazing to learn how much time he puts into finding criminals.
Knowing it’s all organized, I carefully sift through his files, and when I don’t find anything there, I dig in his desk drawers.
“What the hell?” I lift a large photo of Liam and me in front of the house, walking toward his truck. It was a day I had errands to run and needed him to drive me. I must’ve been giving him shit or something because there’s a smirk on his lips, and I’m laughing. However, it’s the big red target over my face that has me shaking with fear.
Who sent him this and why?