Page 66 of Ruthless Dream

Pulling the cameras up, I watch Adeline unlock my front door. I’d left her a key when I’d headed out on Monday.

She drops her backpack on the ground, shucking her shoes off like usual, and pads into the bedroom. She uses the toilet and comes back into the living room, now wearing a pair of sweatpants.

She opens the fridge, then plops onto the sofa. I squint at my phone, trying to understand why the fuck she’s holding a brick in her hand. A second later, I realize it’s a massive hardback book.

Adeline settles in some weird position, holding it close to her face.

I’m called into Cormac’s office, but for the next hour, every time I check my phone, I find Adeline on my sofa, reading.

Sometimes her knees sway, other times she stretches her legs out over the back of the sofa. If she’s not careful and drops the book on her face, I’m certain it’s heavy enough to break her nose.

She never breaks her concentration. Adeline is completely absorbed in her reading.

The guard posted right outside my flat smirks when he sees me stepping out onto the landing. I ignore him, not showing any signs of irritation despite the fact our shoulders aren’t even an inch apart when I unlock my door.

Adeline jerks upright, the book crushing against her chest.

I drop my phone, keys, and wallet onto the kitchen counter. My shoes line up beside Adeline’s. “Your guard is right outside my door.”

Her frown is cute when it’s not directed at me. She hates her guard as much as I do, but now that Boris is aware that Wallen is making threats, he’s ramped up her protection.

Adeline shuffles past me, opening the door, clearly irritated that her guard hasn’t shuffled off into the shadows like usual. “Marco, shoo, get out of here.”

She doesn’t like his reply. “You and my dad might think this is funny, but it won’t be when I call your wife.”

Warmth spreads in my chest, Adeline making me laugh no matter what. But when she slams the door and sees me taking out two plates and opening the fridge, her frown comes back.

“I already ate lunch.” She curls back up on the sofa.

“A Diet Coke and an apple isn’t lunch.”

I pull out bread and lunchmeat. After I cut my creation into two triangles, I take a photo.

Ian’sBrother: Flowers don’t keep you fed, @TheAdelineAkatov. #Ipromisedyoulunch

She’s got bruises on her tits, but since I’ll kill anyone who looks at her, I use this twenty-first century modern way to publicly mark and claim her.

When I place her plate on the coffee table, she doesn’t look up from her book.

“My roommates are awful,” she mumbles.

I pause, glancing at her book. A dragon fills the fiery red cover.

“The final book in my favorite series released today,” she adds, still pretending to read. “I’ve been looking forward to it since the date was announced.”

“Yeah, all right,” I say and head into my room to change into something more comfortable. There’s a slew of notifications on my phone, all from Seamus, who’s already seen my post.

Seamus: Sandwiches!

Seamus: You’re telling me she was hangry???

Seamus: I’m telling Ian about this.

Good luck getting him to reply. I come back out of the bedroom, eating my own sandwich in front of my computer. I research something Cormac asked me about.

Adeline snuggles into the couch, nothing but crumbs left on her plate. She pads into the bathroom, doing that same little adorable half walk thing she does. She goes straight back to her book. Sometimes I’ll see a hand reach out for her Diet Coke. Once she startles me, sitting up straight, her eyes wide at whatever she’s reading.

We don’t talk about it. About whatever the fuck we were fighting about. When the afternoon shifts to evening, I ask her about dinner.