CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

RITCHIE

THE ROAD HOME

M y boss’s unhinged rampages had gotten out of control. But after his woman left on my watch, I’d handle whoever he needed me to in order to calm the beast inside of him just for today.

As expected, my boss kept Tex, and me occupied all day, even well into the night.

So you can imagine my shock when Ezra called around one in the afternoon to tell me there had been an explosion at the hotel where Tori worked. The anger inside me raged uncontrollably. Despite having a team of men surrounding her for protection, my anxiety only worsened. While I trusted Ezra’s capabilities, all I wanted was to be by my wife’s side, keeping her safe.

Was I too aggressive with the torture today? Most likely. The men tied to wooden chairs in the warehouse had no involvement in Lexis’ escape. However, they were responsible for disrupting the cash flow near the casinos owned by the Esposito family. So, they became my outlet for venting my frustration.

Stepping into the house, I immediately spotted Tori’s shoes scattered on the floor. A grin spread across my face as I flung my keys onto the kitchen counter.

“Hey Ritchie,” Ezra greeted as he walked over to me.

“It’s good to see you in one piece. Arlis told me about your injuries.”

“Yeah, Arlis patched me up. I’m fine now.”

“That’s a relief. How’s my stubborn wife doing?” I asked, as I loosened the tie around my neck.

He shook his head. “She’s just as stubborn as ever. And she’s injured too. I don’t think she fully recovered from the first explosion.”

My jaw twitched. I was going to ring her neck. She let me pound into that sweet, tight pussy like she wasn’t hurting too badly. Deep down, I knew something was wrong when we were in Vegas, but I couldn’t resist her.

“I don’t want you to panic.” He held his hands up in a gesture of peace. “Tori is asleep,” Ezra continued after a momentary pause.

“She was shouting while she showered earlier. I passed by the master bedroom multiple times, but the sound of the shower never ceased. Luckily, Simone was here, and I asked her to check on Tori and make sure she was decent before I entered.”

I blew out a breath and patted his shoulder. “Thank you, Ezra.”

Simone’s presence was a blessing. Because of Tori’s unique issues, there were occasions when Ezra would find her unconscious and unclothed. I didn’t want anyone else seeing my wife in such a vulnerable state, but what could I do? Luckily, Ezra was trustworthy and only had eyes for Simone.

“Ritchie, Tori is struggling with PTSD. We found her asleep on the shower bench.”

My hands clenched into tight fists at my sides. “Have Brock fill in for you tomorrow.”

“Okay.” He nodded.

“How’s Luca doing?” Ezra inquired.

“He’s so far gone, I doubt he’ll be right in the head anytime soon.”

“Sounds like Nick. He was so fucked up after he lost Kinsley. They say time heals all wounds. That’s bullshit. However, he’s calmed down somewhat. Doesn’t gruesomely torture his enemies anymore.”

“I know all too well. Catch and I were with him at the bar after he and Kinsley parted ways for good. He was a mess, completely lost. But at the time, he had an obligation to the Pitucco family to marry Norah. Nick will never be right in the head again.”

“I’ll check on Nick tomorrow,” Ezra added.

“Tell him we’re going out for drinks. It’s been a while.”

Ezra smiled. “He’ll like that.”

“Have a good night, Ezra,” I stated as I sauntered through the atrium.

“You try to do the same, Ritchie.”

If he thought I didn’t see his wedding ring, he was mistaken. I’d ask him about it later. Right now, it was important Tori, and I had a talk.

I stalked up the stairs two at a time. My anger was taking control again. Once in our bedroom, I moved into our walk-in closet and placed my thumb on the door of the safe. A red light flashed, and it popped open. I reached inside, grabbed my wedding band, and slid it on my finger.

As a bodyguard, we had to be extra cautious about revealing any personal information, including our marital status. Our boss’s enemies could kidnap our spouses to get information about them. I made sure no one who wanted to harm my boss would even have the chance to target my wife.

And as for telling my boss I was married, I’d wait until I thought he’d moved past losing Lexis. After tearing out of my clothes, I sat on the edge of the bed in only my black boxers. With my elbows resting on my knees and palms on my head, I took a moment to replay the events of the day.

My wife could’ve died today all because she felt she had to go to work. The woman didn’t even need to work.

I glanced over at her, lying there in tranquility. The light from the bathroom illuminated her body. Her blonde hair was hidden under a golden bonnet. In a fit of rage, I pulled back the blanket to reveal her bare cinnamon-colored legs, clad only in my t-shirt.

My fucking t-shirt.

I reached up under her t-shirt to see if she was wearing panties.

No sign of them.

“Fuck,” I muttered quietly.

Her warm, smooth skin felt good under my touch. My heavy hand came down on her ass.

A loud smack echoed through the room.

She yelled out in a groggy voice, “What the fuck?”

“Tori, it’s time for your punishment.”