Joseph Fallen (The Estate Series) Read Online Free PDF Page B

hint of a green discoloration dotted
within.    She was unsure how
long she stayed there silently observing the evidence of Joseph’s loss of
control, but when she heard the front door open and then close, she wrenched
herself from her thoughts and attempted to paste a fake smile on her face when
she stood to greet her husband.
    His steps were heavy as he crossed the room swiftly to take
her hands into his.   Like light
bouncing off steel, a glint came into his eye, alerting Arianna to his rush of
excitement.   She smiled shyly, not
yet understanding why he appeared elated.
    “You’ll never guess what happened today.   I have to tell you everything, but baby,
this news will change our lives.   I
met with two men at the office, they offered a deal to me that I would have
been stupid to refuse.”   His words
were difficult to understand due to the quickened pace of his speech.
    He picked her up, not noticing in his haste that she’d
winced from where he pressed on one of the many bruises on her body.   Spinning her around, he laughed and
gazed up into her face before placing her back on the floor and steadying her
from falling.   “Is dinner
ready?   I’m starving and I want to
tell you about it.”
    Straightening her skirt, she looked up at him warily,
concerned that he seemed to have forgotten what had occurred the evening
before.   Pushing past her
hesitation, she nodded ‘yes’ and grasped his hand to lead him into the kitchen
so that she could prepare their plates.   When they finally settled at the dining room table, Arianna toyed with
her food while listening to Joseph tell her about his day and his new business
venture.
    “And were these the same men that I saw approach you at the
ball last night?”
    Joseph eyed her across the short expanse of the table.   Anger flitted across his brow briefly
before he settled his shoulders back into a relaxed posture.
    “Yes.   I gave
them my card and they called me in the morning to set up our conference this
afternoon.   Arianna, this could make
us the wealthiest family in town.”
    “But, they’re criminals, Joseph.   What they are asking you to do…”
    “I WON’T BE COMMITTING ANY CRIMES!!”   He stood up from the table, jostling the
table settings when his fists came down on top of the wood.   “Why are you questioning my decision?
I’m doing this for us – for you!”   His anger was immediate and
unexpected.   Arianna jumped back in
her seat, shrinking down in response to the anger in his tone.   Too afraid to speak, she sat silently in
her chair watching as he moved from his seat and paced the floor.   This wasn’t her husband, Joseph had
never acted this way before.
    Seemingly calmed down, he stopped pacing, but she noticed
how his hands continued to clench.   Her voice was soft, mouse-like, as she spoke.   “Joseph, I didn’t mean to question you,
I just don’t understand how dealing with common criminals will help your
career.   You’re doing well enough on
your own, why take a risk?”
    “These men are not common street trash, Arianna.   They are
educated men.   I’m doing fine, yes,
but what they are offering is easy money, LOTS of easy money.   Wealth beyond anything you or I have
ever known.   It will propel me
forward ten times as fast as I’m moving now.”
    “But Joseph, you’ll be supporting common criminals.   People who are spreading death and chaos
over society.   I don’t care if the
men you spoke with are wealthy or educated, the men they support are the ones
on the streets feeding drugs to children, taking the lives of innocent people,
why would you even consider their offer?”   She knew she should shut up, knew that he’d been acting strange since
the ball, but she had to say something to introduce reason back into the mind
of her husband.
    His expression blank, he moved to the wall, leaning up
against it while running his hand through his hair.   She knew that motion, knew he was
struggling