Page 101 of Barristers & Bones

Did Roman still plan to frame me and ruin my life? Maybe afterward, he’d throw me out and divorce me. Was all this–our marriage and this life together–just another sick way to hurt me?

When I walked into the mortuary apartment an hour later, the place felt lifeless and still as I lugged my suitcase inside. That’s what I’d thought about Roman’s house the first time I was there. Then I remembered Luna had started taking Carl down to the funeral home during the day so he wouldn’t be alone up here, and the space felt even more desolate.

I walked into my room and looked around. It seemed the same, except there were fewer books, and half my clothes were missing. Looking around the room, I realized I’d never fully moved into Roman’s stark modern home. I probably knew on a fundamental level that the relationship wasn’t real.

With my father being who he was, and him contributing to Roman’s traumatic past, I was a fool to think he would ever care about me. And maybe I wasn’t worth caring about. I just didn’t know Roman had planned to set me up in the most brutal ways possible and wreck years of sacrifice and work.

So why string this out? Lionel was dead and we could all return to where we were before Klim started this mess. Except I knew that was a lie–at least for me. I hadn’t felt this level of betrayal and hurt since my father shut that closet door.

I lay on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. Roman would look for me here first, and I needed to tell Sylvie and Fenn what I’d found out, then get away from Roman’s reach. But I didn’t move. He was still at work and I had time. Besides, I was just… tired. Turning to my side, my eyes blurred with unshed tears.

Chapter 33

Roman

Ivan wanted to spar, so we took off early to the No Name boxing gym. The place smelled like disinfectant and sweat, and it hummed with grunts and the clang of equipment.

As we faced off against each other, Ivan eyed me and shook his head in disgust. “You look fuckingcheerful. Are you getting it regularly from the missus?”

I raised an eyebrow. “You jealous, Knox?”

“Hell, yes. You’re a bastard, yet you end up with a gem like Luna when you deserve someone manipulative and shallow like Marla.”

“That’s low, even for you, asshole.” Ivan’s digs put me in the right headspace to spar with him, and by the time we called it, we both had a few bruised ribs.

When I walked inside the house an hour later, the stillness seeped into my bones. Dusk had fallen, and dark shadows danced on the walls. Shaking off a strange foreboding, I glanced around for signs of Luna, calling out to her. Only silence greeted me. I walked into the kitchen and checked the back patio but didn’t spot her.

Over time, Luna had added plants and a few odd knickknacks that meant something only to us throughout our house. She’d also started using the stark, modern sculpture in the entryway that had cost me seven figures as a coat hook. My lip quirked when I noticed a black hoodie hanging on it.

Sometimes, she curled up on one of the loungers under a blanket with her headphones on, studying or reading. She had become one of my favorite views, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. I checked the garage and saw Luna’s car was gone. When I called her cell, it went straight to voicemail.

Then I dialed Milo. “Have you seen Luna today?”

“Yeah. Late this morning she brought me food and asked me about getting shot. But I haven’t seen her since. Everything okay?” he asked.

“I think so. She’s probably with one of the damn Spade cousins.”

Disconnecting, I pulled up the tracker locator and realized with rising dread it was in our bedroom. My fists clenched when I found her wedding band sitting next to the collar on my nightstand.Fuck.What had happened between this morning and now? We’d been slowly building a life together, and things had been so fucking good lately. She’d opened up to me, and she seemed happy and content here. So what made her run? The smell of her skin and the citrus body wash she used lingered in the air as I sucked in a long breath. She didn’t know the depths of my ruthlessness or obsession if she thought I’d let her just walk away.

My naughty little wife also didn’t know that I’d put tracking on her phone and car. Without an ounce of regret or guilt, I pulled up the app and saw she was at the apartment over the mortuary.

I considered texting her and telling her to stay put or face the consequences. It’d be the fair thing to do based on my mood. I pocketed her collar and ring and strode to my car. Fuck that. It seemed she still needed to learn she wasmine. We’d do this the hard way then.

Chapter 34

Luna

My body hummed, and I smiled drowsily as sleep receded. Roman had pushed my shirt up and trailed his fingers along my torso. I lay on my side with him spooning me from behind, my hips instinctively pushing back so I could rub against his hard length.

When he palmed my stomach and pulled me into him, my eyes snapped open and my body locked as it all came rushing back. Then I yanked away, jumped off the bed, and turned to face him.

He lay on his side, his head propped casually in his palm, but the angry gleam in his eyes gave him away. “Hello,wife. Do you remember your promise regarding this?” He threw my collar and ring onto the bed between us.

I stared down at them, my mind reeling. Dull pain and anger seeped through me when I thought of that video again.

“Nothing to say, hmm?” He sat up, fury rolling off him as I instinctively backed up. “What the fuck are you doing here without your wedding ring?”

His words finally penetrated the haze in my brain. “Go screw yourself, you sadistic bastard. Every promise I made became null and void after I listened to you casually discuss with your partners how you’re going to ruin my life.” My voice broke as I picked up my phone from the nightstand.

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