Illicit Temptation (Astoria Royals #3)

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

Trace

T wo weeks later my blood boils listening to Shea on her office phone with Jillian, asking her if she wants to go to Vegas. Her husband, Eoghan O’Rourke, apparently can’t go due to a meeting he can’t get out of. Odd. And Rhys needs to be with him.

That’s code for he’s killing someone and needs his guard for protection and doesn’t want his wife to see him covered in blood. Hmmm. I wonder if my wife will mind me coming home covered in blood? A lot. Someone else’s blood.

With all the new O’Rourke wives walking around, Shea seems to be the only one available for her new sister-in-law in need. She lights up on the phone and looks at me with a huge grin on her face.

“This is perfect. I had a mom go into labor early so her shower is postponed. I’m free for a couple of days. I’ll be at the hangar tomorrow by ten a.m.” Ending the call, she sneaks a look at me under her lashes.

“No,” I say before she starts explaining why she thinks it’s a good idea to go to Las Vegas.

“No, what?” She sits back crossing her legs, flashing her cunt in a lace thong that I know is drenched. All the cum I pumped into her this morning is seeping out.

I’m no longer keeping her pinned to the damn bed like Quack Mike said. No point. She’s been given the worst heartbreaking news a woman can get. Stripped of the one unique gift every other woman is showered with. Motherhood.

And she’s taking it with grace. I’m proud of her for not letting this define her. Maybe she’ll never be someone’s mother, but she’s so much more. She’s her own person. Heck, she’s my wife and she doesn’t even want to admit that. She likes her independence and standing on her own two feet.

When she’s not on her back, taking my dick until we both pass out.

“No, you’re not going to Las Vegas.” I lean over her, my arms caging her at her desk.

That little notch above her nose wrinkles adorably. “Why not?”

Thinking quickly, I say, “I’ll talk to Eoghan. Remind him that Jillian may or may not be wanted dead there. That’s not enough of a reason?”

Shea waves her hand. “You of all people know these kingpins like waving their dicks around. There’s no threat. Nico Scava got on a plane and faced my brother.”

I shudder, hearing her say that man’s name. “People change their minds.”

“Eoghan is letting Jillian go. She’s closing on her condo. No offense to your ego, but my brother is psycho-stalker-jealous-possessive of his wife. If he thinks a few guards will—”

I pin her with a warning stare. “Exactly. A few guards. If there was no threat, she could fly Southwest and Uber it to the closing all alone.” I grip Shea by the scruff of her neck, loving how she blushes when I get rough with her. “Why is she asking you to go?”

“She likes me.” Her shoulders come up in an adorable shrug. “Do you not see the benefit? You’re going, too. Then we can get the marriage canceled. We agreed it’s in both our best interest to wipe that thing off the map.”

She agreed. I didn’t agree to shit.

Like most unexpected events thrown at me, I think quickly. My immediate assessment is the only way to keep her off that trip is to tie her up. Or tell her the truth about Scava .

While Shea’s been in meetings, and hosting parties, I stalked Matt Delano. He did what he was told and shacked up at the Marina Inn. Did local touristy stuff to keep busy. Went to wine tastings, saw a couple of movies, and even got laid a few times. Then left New York and I haven’t heard from him or anyone else since.

That doesn’t mean Scava won’t send someone back. I can’t keep Shea locked up and hidden from the world. And I don’t want that.

Her power turns me the fuck on. Whatever Scava has to offer her, I know she doesn’t want to live in a gilded cage. I already know even if she wants out of our marriage, she won’t agree to this arranged one with Scava.

And...

She can’t have kids. Scava doesn’t know that. No one knows that. Just me. But it’s not something I can just blurt out. That’s sensitive information.

Exhaling, I say, “Fine.”

Fingers with perfectly manicured nails slide along her desk. “Okay good. While Jillian is doing her condo stuff, we’ll go to that chapel. We both need to be there to get this marriage taken care of.”

Like it’s a living, breathing thing that needs to be murdered. Not. Happening.

“Sure, princess.” I turn away and put a plan in motion to burn the place down.

ARRIVING IN LAS VEGAS floods me with memories of my last trip to Sin City. Boy, did I sin.

I never came back, even though my parents love it here. They make the long slog of a plane ride to enjoy the hot sun and warm desert air. And gamble away my inheritance. I could give a shit. I’ll have plenty of money soon. Let them live and have fun.

Had I come back, I might have, in a moment of weakness and uncertainty, tracked down the chapel to confirm the marriage was real. For the same reason, Shea doesn’t like this reckless, whim of a marriage on our backs like stinking monkeys.

But the obsession of being married to the only woman I ever loved has dug its hooks into me.

In a rented luxury SUV riding to the Charter Hotel where Darragh keeps a penthouse villa on the strip, Jillian confirms the meeting with her real estate lawyer for tomorrow’s closing. Then calls a friend, and gets all squeaky and girly. She’s a lovely woman. But a pack of them, I can’t take.

Jillian hangs up. “I know I could have phoned in this closing. But I wanted to see Trista. We’re going for drinks later, please come, Shea.”

Shea smiles. “Absolutely.”

“And where she goes, you go, too, right, handsome?” Jillian shakes her body like I’m a stripper, not a bodyguard.

“Absolutely,” I mimic Shea with a stoic, bored bodyguard expression on my face while rage simmers under my skin at the idea of Shea being in a Las Vegas nightclub. A prime location for a certain mafia boss or his henchmen to spot her and abduct her.

Jillian gets another call and two seconds in, I can tell it’s Eoghan because she’s giving him all kinds of details down to her pulse.

Shea sticks a phone under my nose. Logan Street Wedding Chapel.

“Lovely.” I didn’t have time or the resources to plan a proper arson hit that wouldn’t leave evidence to incriminate me.

Jillian and Shea are staying in Darragh’s villa, but the other guards and I are staying in the villa next door that’s owned by the management company. Jillian doesn’t drink heavily or take meds to sleep like Shea, so it looks like my dick is staying dry for a few days. Plus, I’ll have three other guards watching my ass.

Settling into the villa, Jillian yawns. “Do you mind if I take a nap? I didn’t get much sleep last night.”

The way she’s walking, I know the reason, but I don’t call her out on it. That would be rude.

With Jillian occupied, and our bags put away, Shea grabs my arm and leads me to the front door.

“Great. A break. I need a nap, too,” I tease her.

She blinks up at me. “You’re going to take a nap? Then I’ll just take a walk on the strip and—”

I wind my fingers around her delicate throat. “And...”

“That woke you up, huh?”

Fury tears through me, but I gently take her arm and lead her into the hallway. In the elevator, I stare her down. She wants to kiss me and feel my cock against her stomach. She gets tingles all over when I’m hard for her. I deny her to be an asshole. She’ll get my dick plenty when we get home, and for the rest of our fucking lives when I figure out a way to stay married to her. And not have a bounty on my head because of it.

“I need a taxi, please,” she says to the Charter Hotel’s concierge. “I’ll pay cash.”

“ I’ll pay cash,” I say forcibly.

She peeks over her shoulder. “You okay?”

“Fine and dandy.”

She opens her mouth to say something, but with a line of taxis waiting nearby to take gamblers to their favorite casinos, ours pulls up right away. I open the door for Shea and get in next to her.

“This is for the best. I married you without a pre-nup. I’d get in just as much trouble as you if my brothers found out.”

“I doubt that.” Although, I don’t see that I didn’t anything wrong.

We were both adults. You’d think they’d be more pissed if I fucked her and didn’t marry her.

Yeah, try that logic on Lachlan and see if you live to talk about it.