Highest Bidder Collection - Lauren Landish Page 0,237

so many suits. And they all look so fucking expensive. Who owns suits like these? I want to run my hands down all of the fine clothing, but I’m not here to look at his wardrobe. Focus Lilly!

I go through several of the suits, checking in all the pockets, looking for something, anything that will tell me something about the past that I feel Joseph is hiding. I come up empty. I look around, looking for a safe, some sort of bag, anything where something can be hidden. But I don’t see a damn thing.

I’m about to leave the room when my eyes fall on a shoe box that’s sitting inconspicuously next to a row of shoes. Looking at it, I know that it’s probably just shoes in there, but I can’t help myself. I rush forward, nearly tripping to get to the box, and grab it. My heart stutters in my chest at the bit of racket I’m making. I only need one more minute.

Yes! Finally! There’s a leather bound book inside with a worn gold latch. I take it out, marveling at the high quality feel.

I open it, quickly glancing over my shoulder as I sit on the floor of his closet, to see pages filled with neat handwriting. One name keeps popping up off the page; Passerotto. I say it over and over again, whispering under my breath. I don’t know what it means. I have no idea, but it definitely sounds Italian.

I try to read some of the entries, and it’s hard to keep up, but there’s a lot mentioning of La Familia. What the hell? Joseph is part of the Mafia? My heart beats faster and my anxiety starts to grow.

I read a little bit further and find out that he’s left the family, but it doesn’t give me any relief. I scan an entry. My heart breaking in my chest. He watched his mother being beaten. He didn’t do anything. I can tell by the way he’s written it, he blames himself.

I get several more paragraphs in, so absorbed in the moment that I forget the time and where I am. I can feel my heart breaking as tears cloud my eyes. Joseph. I can’t believe what he’s been through.

A loud sound of footsteps coming up the stairs pulls my gaze from the pages of the book and a curse spills from my lips, “Oh shit!” I throw the book back into the shoe box and quickly set it back in its original place.

I’m about to run from the room, when I knock over several suits on the clothing rack. My clumsy ass. Dammit. I’m the worst at this. Crap. I bend over to pick them up, but a metal glint catches my eye.

Holy fuck.

My heart jumps in my chest at the sight before me. A gun rack, hidden behind the fallen suits. It’s filled with all sorts of guns.

“Tsk Tsk,” says a deep voice from the closet doorway.

I spin around, my heart pounding in my chest to see Joseph leaning against the doorjamb, gazing at me with amusement. I swear my heart wants to run away and it chooses to try by climbing up my throat.

“Bad girl, my flower,” he says playfully, a twinkle in his eye.

My heart is beating so fast it feels like it’s about to burst out of my chest. I know I will be punished for this. And I know it will be the cage. I try desperately to come up with an excuse. Something. Anything. But I’m in his closet.

“Please sir,” I plead, holding my hands out imploringly, “I was just looking around –” My throat is so dry as I speak. My body tingling with fear.

“It’s all right, flower,” he says easily, surprising me. My heart doesn’t believe him though, it’s still fighting to leave my body, ruled by fear. “There’s nothing wrong with you having a little look. I want you to feel comfortable here.”

“I’m sorry sir,” I say softly, relief slowly coursing through my blood.

Joseph motions at me. “Come here.”

I look down at his suits that are on the floor, swallowing and bend to pick them up, but Joseph stops me with a terse, “now.”

That tone he uses makes me walk to him immediately, cringing as I step around his expensive suits left on the floor. He leads me back into the bedroom, pulling me by the hand and sitting me down on the bed. Gazing into my eyes, he gently strokes the side of