Page 13 of The Criminal’s Cure

Joe is talking. His mouth is moving and words are coming out, but he might as well be speaking another language with what I’m retaining.

The investor’s content expression suggests things are going smoothly, yet my attention has been monopolized by a certain blonde doctor who has no fucking clue the power she holds over me.

We sat there for hours last night, just talking and sitting under the stars.

The drinks came easily, and the conversation even easier.

I opened up about parts of my life that I haven’t shared with anyone, and Maddie took it all in stride.

The fact that she barely flinched when I told her I was in the Mafia was still a little baffling, but a welcome surprise.

All my cards are on the table now, and she isn’t running scared.

That should be a relief, but it isn’t, because my life would be a lot easier if she had run. If Maddie was turned off by what she heard and put her walls up, I wouldn’t have to fight so hard to restrain myself. To stay away from her. To keep things professional.

I wouldn’t have to stare at the rosy flush in her cheeks and fuck-me look in her eye like I didn’t want to do just that.

I wouldn’t have to wake up with an excruciating hard on that even a cold shower can’t touch.

I wouldn’t have to lie awake in my room all night fantasizing about what could have happened while she’s right on the other side of the wall.

Jesus, I need to get laid. There’s no shortage of options in a city like this when I’m looking for a nameless, no strings fuck.

Tourists looking for a good What Happens in Vegas story, bachelorette parties throwing themselves at you for VIP access, even some of the local dancers and cocktail servers take little persuasion.

The opportunities are endless, but none of that sounds the least bit appealing right now.

It all pales compared to what’s waiting for me at home, which, ironically, is one thing that’s staunchly forbidden.

The line between us couldn’t be harder, and honestly, I’m pretty damn proud of myself for walking away from it last night.

That resistance took an ungodly amount of strength, though, and I can almost feel that resolve fading.

Last night on its own was enough to rattle me, but this morning was the final nail in my coffin.

It’s not just my physical attraction towards her that has me by the balls; I’m obsessed with everything about her.

She’s considerate and generous and wickedly smart.

As of late, personality isn’t the first thing I look for in a woman, but it’s what really seals the deal for me with Maddie.

She’s a knockout in every way, and if I know what’s good for me, I’ll stay away.

There will be no one time with Maddie. No casual.

No temporary. I’m already wound too tightly for that.

The only problem is, I don’t know how to do anything else.

The only exception to my rule was Talia, but nothing about that relationship was real.

We both saw other people on the side, and apart from when we were trying to have a baby, we never slept together.

Commitment and the long term aren’t in my DNA, so I already know that I’ll fuck things up big with Maddie.

Somehow, someway, she’ll wind up hurt. Even worse than my less than stellar loyalty record, my world eats good girls like her up.

She’s too pure for the darkness and danger I’d bring into her life, and that’s not something I want on my conscience, no matter how much I want her.

It’s stupid and reckless to even consider anything else.

I’ve made it this far. Only five more months to go. How hard can that be?

The thought makes me snort out loud, and both Joe and our investor shoot me confused looks. Fuck, I’ve got to pull myself together.

I used to be good at compartmentalizing. I kept my home life at home, and work had my full attention when I was here. Today, though, that feels next to impossible. Maddie saved my ass by stepping in to watch Ty so I could take care of things.

Except, I’m not really taking care of things. I’m sitting here fantasizing about where I’d rather be and what I’d rather be doing.

Maddie is at the top of that list. It’s like the more my brain tells me no, the more I want her. And if last night and this morning are any indication, she wants me, too.

When I brushed up against her to grab the coffee mugs this morning, the heat between us was hotter than a Vegas summer.

The way she pressed against me. The tilt of her hips into mine.

The longer-than-necessary linger. The morning could have easily taken a different turn, and I wish more than anything it had.

I’ve been relatively well behaved for now, but anymore chance encounters like that, and I can’t make any promises.

Jesus. Just like that and I’m down the rabbit hole again. Luckily, the meeting looks like it’s wrapping up.

Joe and the investor stand up, and I follow suit.

“Thanks for meeting with us today, Roman. I feel like we’ve made some good progress and hopefully we’ll be working with each other soon.”

“Absolutely.” Damn it, I don’t even know his name. “We’ll talk things over and be in touch soon.”

Joe eyes me like he knows I don’t have any fucking idea what we’ve spent the last hour talking about. “I’ll see you out, Raymond.”

Raymond .

We shake hands, and Joe leads him to the lobby.

Important meetings like this are always conducted at our office instead of at the warehouse.

It’s more of a commute than I’m used to, but it’s worth it for the view.

From the twentieth floor, we’ve got an incredible vantage point of both the Strip and the mountains.

To the outside world, it looks like a standard shipping company, but this conference room has witnessed vile, gruesome conversations that most people could never dream up.

A few minutes later, Joe is back, and he lets the door slam behind him.

“Did Raymond get off okay?”

Joe snorts. “Do you care? You hardly said two words to the man during that meeting, and don’t even pretend like you weren’t daydreaming about your new plaything.”

“Maddie isn’t my new plaything.” I clench my jaw. How dare he talk about her that way? “She’s working for me. An employee. That’s it.”

“Maddie?” He eyes me.

“Forget about it, okay?” I brush him off, bracing myself against the polished oak conference table. “If I’m distracted, it’s because I’m worried that shit is falling through the cracks here while I’m trying to chase down the men who shot a park up to go after my son.”

Joe stiffens, but he doesn’t take offense to my claim that he’s letting things slip because we both know I’m deflecting. The last thing Joe is is sloppy. Perceptive is much more his style. “We’re solid,” he says. “But I had some guys look into Russ after your text this morning.”

“And?”

“And she’s right.” Joe clicks his tongue, obviously a little surprised. “I didn’t want to believe it, but one of the car ports had a surveillance camera put up a while ago. Russ knew about it, and conveniently, all the footage was deleted. I spent all morning recovering it.”

Joe pulls out his iPad and slides it in front of me.

The footage is grainy, but I can clearly see Russ in the alleyway.

He’s alone, which is odd because he was supposed to be meeting a client to deliver.

Russ glances around the area and then he breaks the lock on our unit and starts piling gun parts out.

A second later, another person pulls up like he knows Russ.

The two talk and start loading pallets of my product into the car.

Hundreds of thousands of dollars of product. The motherfucker was stealing from us.

I glance up at Joe, who nods at the screen. Great, there’s more.

After they get a good amount loaded, a fight breaks out between the two partners and the other man shoves Russ down. He cuts his leg on the side of the garage, tearing it on some shredded metal, just like Maddie said. Russ pulls his gun out and shoots the guy point blank.

“What the fuck did I just watch?” I toss the screen onto the table, rubbing my temples.

“You watched a man who has been with us for the last ten years try to steal almost a half mil in product, shoot his partner dead over some kind of disagreement, and fabricate a story where he’s the victim so we wouldn’t now.”

“Did you bring him in?”

Joe nods. “He sang like a fucking canary. Admitted the entire thing. And it’s not the first time. He’s been swiping a few parts here and there to sell on his own. So small that no one would know the difference.”

“Jesus Christ.” I rake my fingers through my hair. There aren’t a lot of hard and fast rules in this business, but stealing from the hand that feeds you? Yeah, that breaks every fucking one of them.

“How do you want me to play this? He’s locked up now. We can do it quickly and quietly if you want, or…”

“Or make an example out of him.”

Joe nods. “You make the call.”

With all the turmoil over the last few months, a show of force might not be the worst thing. Especially when the act of betrayal is so personal and so blatant. I won’t tolerate this behavior from any of my men; it’s best to just nip it right in the bud.

It’s easier to make a call like this when it’s someone you don’t know. A rival. An enemy. I guess that’s what Russ has made himself into, though.

“Let him rot for a few days and then we’ll make a show of it.” I grit my teeth. “I don’t want this happening again.”

“You got it.” Joe nods. “I’ll set it up.”

Joe and I finish things up at the office and I head home.