Page 7 of Worth Risking It

“It has a billiard room, a wet bar, media room, an exercise room. Baby.” I propped a hand on my hip and gazed sternly. “It has a spa and massage room. I mean.” Scoffing, I flipped a dismissive hand. “How can it be any more perfect? And, Lake Michigan is literally across the street.”

“Numbers, I want numbers.”

Sniffing sharply, I raised my eyebrows and muttered, “Two nine.”

His face blanched, his jaw hitting the floor. “Two – what? Two nine what?”

“Million,” I stated, my resolve waning.

“Chastity!” he screamed, bolting upright, his fists at his temples.

“It was four two, but I talked them down.”

His mouth clamped, his arms crossing. “You talked them out of one point three million dollars?”

“Yup.” I returned my attention to the cutting board, chopping up a few carrots. My insides were a fuzzy mess of apprehension, still not sure which of the crossroads my life would be taking before the night was over.

“Is she serious?”

Wyatt chuckled, his smoke filling the air. “It was the craziest thing I ever saw. She had those people eating out the palm of her hand by the time it was over, and only put three hundred thou as a down payment.”

“Shit. I think I need to bring you with me to more business meetings then.”

My nerves prickled, the knife pausing in mid slice. Was that acceptance? Was that the road my future was taking? I had to admit, part of me was ten seconds from crying, relieved I wasn’t facing a shallow grave.

“Why would you do this without me?”

“Can we not afford it?”

“No, no, we can. I mean, we have to get rid of the penthouses now.”

I cast a knowing glance over my shoulder. “If we have a house in Evanston, why would we need places here in the city? Any reason we would need two homes? There’s an office at the house.”

He visibly bristled, his sight darting to me out the corner of his eye. “No, no reason. It’s just really short notice, is all.”

Testing the boundaries, my shoulders squared off. “If we can afford to buy this house, surely we can afford to break the lease on yours.”

Did he pick up the bitterness in my tone? Did I come out and admit that I knew he was lying and that he owned both penthouses, so his “four months left on the lease,” was utter bullshit?

Willing myself to not look at Wyatt, I decided to keep that secret, for that would mean exposing he’d confessed Milo’s lies. The last thing I needed was for him to know his best confidant wasn’t so loyal these days.

“Look, I’m not raising my babies in an apartment in the city. I want a yard they can run around in. You said!” I snipped, spinning around with the knife. “Whatever I wanted to make me happy. This makes me happy. It’s for our future. Are we not supposed to be planning for our future now that we’re engaged?”

“Is this how she talked to the realtors today?”

A sense of pride glinted in his blue eyes as he smashed out his cigarette, blowing the smoke through his nose. “Pretty much. She’s brutal when she wants her way.”

Milo shifted his weight to one leg, hooked a finger in the air, and beckoned. Apprehensively, I set the knife down and rubbed my palms on my jeans, closing the distance between us. He brushed his knuckles on my cheek and flashed a bright smile.

“When do you get the keys?”

“In about three weeks when we go in and sign the paperwork. Why?”

“So, I can take the entire day off because I am going to make love to my future wife in every single room of our new home.”

At first, I was too stunned to react. I thought for sure I was either getting dumped or killed tonight. This was not what I was expecting.

Holding my cheeks, he pulled me forward and kissed me. So, married into the mafia was the route I was taking. Interesting.