Page 29 of Corrupt Desires

The events of the past twenty four hours have left me mentally and physically drained. Between the car chase and everything between James and I, I feel like I haven’t had time to actually sit down and process anything. My feelings for James have drastically changed, and the emotions I felt dwelling deep in the recesses of my heart have come front and center. I like James, hell, I might really like him, but he still infuriates me. Maybe that will never change. I’ve spent so many years hating the man, I’m not sure how to feel anything else.

Stepping to my dresser mirror, I take in my appearance. I opted for a black, tight-fitting, cold-shoulder top, camo leggings, and my black combat boots. I decided to pull my hair up off my shoulders today into a messy bun, loose strands framing my flushed face. There are dark circles under my eyes, like I haven’t gotten enough sleep, but I know it’s from the stress these past couple of days. I take a quick minute to put some eye corrector on, hiding the dark circles so I at least look put together. Everything else about me looks unchanged, even though internally I feel like a completely different woman.

Taking a deep breath, I take a step back, square my shoulders, and decide it’s time to buckle up and take care of business.

Twenty

James

Shutting the car door after Emilia has taken her seat in my Aston Martin, I walk around the vehicle and get into the driver’s seat. I rev the engine to life, back out of the garage, and head out onto the road.

“Where are we going, James?! You’re going the wrong way,cabrón.”

“Emilia, my love. Your colorful language for me is so endearing,” I reply, chuckling to myself at her fiery spirit. I hope she never loses it.

“Oh shut up, James. Seriously, where are we going?”

“I want to make a stop at a friend’s house. His name is Franklin, and he’s the best hacker on the west coast. I want him to look into the Romanis for us, see what he can dig up.”

Honestly, other than keeping tabs on Emilia’s home, I hadn’t given much thought to asking Franklin for his assistance in looking deeper into the Romani family when Francesca had called me about the severed head. It only dawned on me after the drive-by when we left the wedding to enlist Franklin’s expertise. Franklin is a friend of the family, but also a valuable asset. I was foolish not to call on him sooner to see what he learned.

“OK then. You could have at least told me ahead of time.”

“Honestly, love, I didn’t know if we would have enough time before going to your parents, but seeing that I finished up my work early, we have some time to spare.”

Emilia nods her head and turns to look out the window, watching the scenery as we pass it by. California is beautiful this time of year, but I’ll admit it’s hot as hell.

We drive in silence for nearly twenty minutes. It’s not an uncomfortable silence, but it is tense. I can only imagine what is going through Emilia’s head right now. It makes me want to pull over right this second and ease the tension from her, pulling every ounce of pleasure that I can wring from her delectable body. But no, I don’t. Instead, I find myself pulling into Franklin’s driveway and parking beside the black jeep he’s so fond of.

“Alright, love. This shouldn’t take too long. Would you like to come in or wait in the car?”

“I’ll come in. I want to meet this friend of yours, especially when he’s been digging up info on my enemy. I want to know what he found.”

“Fingers crossed he found something useful to us.”

We both step out of the vehicle—damn that woman for not even waiting for me to get her door—and make our way up to the front entrance. Ringing the doorbell, I take a peek into the window to see if I can see anything. Normally, Franklin can be found playing those violent video games he loves so much. All I know is they are first person shooter games that involve shooting anything and anyone that moves. I never saw the draw to video games myself, but Franklin loves them.

Not seeing anything, I shove my hands in my pockets and wait patiently. Emilia… well she isn’t being as patient, standing with her arms crossed and giving an audible huff.Feisty.

Just as Emilia turns to me, the door opens, revealing a disheveled looking Franklin. He looks exhausted. His brown hair is a mess, and there are dark circles under his normally bright brown eyes.

“Feels like just yesterday since I saw you last, Franklin,” I say with a wink. It actually was not that long ago since he, my brothers, and myself rescued Melody from that warehouse. Granted, Franklin was unconscious for most of it, but regardless he was there.

“Don’t mention it,” he replies with a wince, sounding just as tired as he looks. He reaches out a hand and makes introductions with Emilia, which she kindly returns.

“Come on in. I already pulled up some details that you two might find interesting.”

Emilia looks over at me with curiosity on her face, but I usher her along knowing we’ll learn what he found soon enough. I can tell she’s getting antsy, but she’s keeping herself in check at least.

Looking back at Franklin, I reply, “Great, let’s get this over then, shall we?”

I pull out Emilia’s chair for her at the dining room table before sitting down myself. Franklin takes the seat across from us, pulling his laptop close and typing away.

“So what do you want me to go over first,” he asks.

“Let’s hear what you found out about Anthony Romani, and we can go from there.”

Franklin pauses his typing and takes a deep breath, like he’s preparing to give a long winded lecture.

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