Chapter 3

That night, I heard Dillon go into Monica's room.

Monica locked the door behind them.

I stood on the balcony and lit a cigar, listening to the sounds from next door. My ears burned. My heart seized.

Monica's laugh was coy. "I thought you hated working out. When did you get abs?"

"You like them?" Dillon teased.

"Oh, stop." Monica shoved him, then laid down the rules. "No crossing the line tonight. You sleep on your side."

"No promises. Not sure I can help myself. Colton's the one who insisted we share a room." Then the light went dark.

I stopped the recording on my phone.

There were other rooms available. Monica chose to share one anyway.

And somehow it was my fault.

Unbelievable.

I didn't sleep that night. Laughter drifted through the wall every now and then.

I couldn't make out what they were saying. I only knew that every laugh cut into me, and the intimacy in those sounds nearly suffocated me.

A soft sigh of satisfaction from Monica made my entire body go rigid.

I bit down on my lip and swallowed it all.

I didn't fall asleep until dawn.

When I woke, I sat downstairs eating breakfast.

Monica came down looking polished and put together. Dillon walked out in one of my suits, saw me, and gave a small smile. "Morning. Didn't sleep well, ended up sleeping in. Excuse the late appearance."

Dillon might have looked refined, but everything he said left a bad taste.

Monica clicked down the stairs in her heels. "Why are you apologizing to him?"

"Let's go. We're going to be late."

"Where are you two going?" I asked.

Dillon laughed under his breath. "Oh, I forgot to mention. Monica's interested in the drug trade. I happen to have a connection to introduce her to."

"Think of it as a welcome-home gift."

I shot to my feet and looked at Monica.

For years, the Family had shifted to legitimate businesses. We didn't touch that kind of thing anymore.

I wouldn't allow any member of the Family to go near it, and there was one reason for that.

I knew exactly how dangerous it was.

Monica didn't care. "You think keeping me cooped up at home is for my own good? Compared to you, Dillon is far more generous."

"You're just afraid that if I can make it on my own, I'll leave you."

Hearing that, I calmed down.

In ten years of marriage, the only thing Monica had ever done was spend my money, travel wherever she pleased, and buy designer everything.

I worried that someday the Family's position might slip and I wouldn't be able to provide for her, so I had offered multiple times to hand over key operations to her.

But Monica had only shot me a cold look. "So I spent a little of your money? And now you're doing this? Aren't you just resentful that I don't earn my own?"

"You can afford what I spend, so what's the problem? Besides, the Family's business is dangerous and complicated. You just want to pile all the risk onto me."

After that, I never brought it up again.

I just never imagined that when Dillon offered her a drug connection, she wouldn't say a word about danger. She was thrilled.

Just before Monica and Dillon walked out, I stopped them.

I pulled out the divorce papers one more time. "Sign these before you go."

Monica's brow creased. She glanced at them and exhaled. "Are you done? I'm heading out for actual business today."

"You just want to keep me locked up at home like some useless housewife. You're using divorce to threaten me."

"Can you not be so controlling?"

"You're so selfish."

Monica clearly wasn't taking it seriously.

I pressed on. "If you sign now, this doesn't have to get ugly."

"Otherwise, you'll regret it."

Monica gave a soft laugh. "Are you threatening me? Fine. Let's see what you can possibly do to make me regret it."

The tension between us was thick, the air sharp.

Dillon draped his arm around her shoulders. "Come on, don't get upset."

"Don't worry, I'll take good care of Monica. I'll bring her back in one piece after the event tonight."

"Stop being so jealous. If something were really going on between us, you'd have lost your chance a long time ago." Dillon gave a quiet laugh, then walked her out the door with his arm still around her.

I stood there, my wrists trembling, every breath burning.

The moment they were gone, I got in my car and followed.