Page 79 of Bound in Debt

“That sounds like a better plan,” she replies. “It’d be harder to get me pregnant for real since I’m on the pill.”

Of course you are, princess.

Just keep rubbing in how complicated this shit is and how available you are.

“Do you know anyone?—”

“No,” she quickly replies. “It’s not like girls go around flaunting that fact. I can do some digging, ask around. I might have better luck over at Graham, honestly.”

I nod my head. “Good. To get the other quarter, you just have to show you’re pregnant, right? Nothing more?”

“Yes. I made sure of that. But I thought you said we may not need to pay Angelo.”

“It’s just another backup,” I state. “In case Lombardi starts getting too antsy. I don’t want to test him when he has a whole mob of killers at his disposal. I’m hoping to keep him as happy as possible for now.”

“How are you going to do that?”

By beating the shit out of the sheriff’s son.

I’m not looking forward to it but, if he really was stalking some girl and decided to rape her, he deserves it.

“I’ll take care of it,” I mutter. “Don’t worry?—”

“I’m not doing that,” Victoria interrupts, her voice dripping with annoyance. “This vague shit. I’m not looking for you to tell me every single detail, but if you’re about to do something stupid, I need to know where you’re going to be.”

I quirk a brow. What the hell does she think she’s going to do? “I can handle myself, princess. I’m not going to take you with me.”

“I didn’t ask you to. But I am expecting some measure of transparency. My life is in your hands and vice versa. By protecting and looking out for me, you’ve put a target on your head. And I want to be able to keep you from harm, too. I know it may not be worth much, but I’ll have your back.” She pauses, taking a deep breath. “I can be useful. I just don’t want any surprises.”

“I don’t think you can handle all my secrets, princess. It’s best I keep you in the dark as much as possible, just in case I become the focus of a criminal investigation.”

“You can’t be that bad at your job. You’re still walking around a free man, after all.”

“I’ve been to prison before,” I remind her. “So obviously I’m not that good.”

“Was it for illegal activity?”

“No, but?—”

“Then you’ll be fine,” she says with equal parts confidence and inexperience. “Meanwhile, I’ll work on the pregnancy test, but what will you be doing?”

“Princess—”

“I’m not a child, Dante,” she scolds exasperatedly. “Obviously.”

Obviously.

Pulling in a deep inhale, I give her a small piece of what my role is. Hopefully it will shut her up. “Lombardi has me doing a job.”

“What kind of job?” I stare at her, silently telling her I don’t want to discuss it further. “I don’t care, husband. Treat me like an equal partner.”

“We’re not equal,” I blurt out because it’s the truth.

While I might be the man capable of murder, she could easily be the reason for it. The force that could make me execute another man, either because her pretty little lips asked or because he touched what belongs to me.

The idea infuriates me and only confirms my suspicions.

I don’t like the thought of Liam having her, Angelo taking her, or any other man learning what she sounds like when his tongue slides inside her mouth.