14

Chapter 14
Arin
“Were you ever going to tell me?”
“I don’t know. I tried at dinner, but… And I didn’t know if I could trust you or not. But now…”
“But what?”
“Now that I know my baby girl is the daughter of a mobster, I’m inclined to knock you the fuck out so you forget all about it!”
Dominic stares at me like I’ve just slapped him across the face. If I’m being honest, I’m feeling just as raw and blindsided. All the signs were there. Why didn’t I trust my gut? I was foolish to take him at his word.
“Looks like we’re both liars,” I grumble bitterly under my breath.
“Where is she now?” he asks, speaking far more gently than I’ve ever heard him.
“Why?”
“Because they know what you look like now.” “Who?”
Dominic tenses. “I can’t tell you.”
“For Christ’s sake, you can, and you will.”
“You’re not one of us, Marina. I can’t tell you about our business, or I risk being put to death.”
I flinch, fear spiking through me. He really is dangerous. “I’m not telling you a thing.”
“Don’t be stubborn. I’m trying to protect you.”
“Protect me?” I echo, incredulous. “By dragging me into a shootout and bleeding all over my couch?”
“I’ll have it replaced.” “That’s not the point!”
“You harmed Renato’s men.”
“I was defending myself,” I argue, gesturing wildly with my arms. “They
started it!”
“They’re not going to care if they started it or not. The fact of the matter is that you handed their asses to them, and that’s a slight they will take very personally.”
“What are you saying?”
“I’m saying they’ll stop at nothing to find you now. They need to turn you into an example.”
Cold, ugly dread sweeps through me, chilling me all the way down to the marrow. “Turn me into an example? You can’t be serious.”
“I know this is a lot to take in, Marina, but you have to believe me when I say I’m on your side. I tried very hard to keep you out of my affairs.”
“That’s why you wouldn’t give me the loan,” I realize aloud. “Because you didn’t want me to be in the pocket of your… don?”
“No, my capo.”
“What’s the difference?” “I can’t tell you.”
I groan in frustration. I’m two seconds away from pulling my hair out by the roots. “And those assholes who were hassling me outside your office. Are they, like, made men? Is that what you people call them in the Mafia?”
“No, they’re associates.”
“You don’t make any damn sense.”
Dominic takes a step forward. I take a step back. “You and your daughter are in grave danger if I leave you unprotected,” he says firmly. “I need to move you somewhere deep within our territory.”
“Wait a second. You want me to move?”
“You’ll be safer there where I can have my men keep an eye on you.” “Absolutely fucking not!” I snap. “I can’t just get up and leave. What
about my roommate? I’d have to find a new daycare to take Felicia. What about rent? The only reason I can afford this place is because I’m splitting the bill with Lana, and it’s rent controlled.”
“I’ll take care of all that.”
“Don’t I have a say in any of this?” “No,” he says harshly. “You don’t.”
I’m just about to give him the tongue lashing of a lifetime when three sharp knocks suddenly sound at the door. I yelp, my heart shooting straight into my throat. Are we under attack? Are Dominic’s enemies here to finish the job? No, that makes no sense. Why would they announce their presence if
that were the case?
“It’s me!” a man’s voice shouts from the other side of the hall. I haven’t known him for very long, but I recognize Elio’s voice.
Despite being in obvious pain, Dominic answers. “About fucking time you showed up,” he grumbles.
Elio flashes a charming smile, shrugging casually. He’s got a hefty first aid kit in one hand. “I came as fast as I could. Those assholes tailed me for twenty city blocks before I was finally able to lose them. How are you holding up?”
“Fine,” Dominic says, even though he doesn’t sound fine. “Do you want me to stitch you up?”
“After you left a nasty scar the last time? Fuck no. I’ll do it myself.” Dominic snatches the first aid kit and turns on his heel. “I want you to call an emergency meeting with the other capos. And get me Lorenzo on the line.”
“Sure thing, boss,” Elio answer dutifully. “Anything else?”
“Have some of the boys move Arin and her daughter into my place —” “Hey!” I interject. “You can’t just make that decision for me.”
“I already did,” Dominic replies coolly, not bothering to ask for permission as he enters my small bathroom at the very end of the hall. “Get it done, Elio,” he calls over his shoulder before locking himself inside.
I’m fuming. Where the hell does he get off telling me what to do? The only reason I’m in this mess is because of him. If Dominic really is adamant about protecting me, then the smart thing to do is leave Felicia and me the hell alone. Now that I know he’s some top-dog mobster, there’s no way I’d be comfortable letting him into my daughter’s life let alone move in with him.
“This is ridiculous,” I mutter bitterly. “He’s lost his damn mind.”
Elio offers me a sympathetic smile. “He means well. Try to go easy on him.”
My eyebrows shoot up. “Go easy on him? Are you fucking kidding me?”
He scratches sheepishly behind his ear. “These last few months have been really hard on him. He lost his brother last month, and now with everything that’s going on—”
“Wait,” I say with a frown. “Dominic has a brother?” “Had,” Elio corrects.
“What happened?”
“I’ve already said way too much.”
I grasp him gently by the arm. “Please, I have to know.”
Elio pauses. I can practically hear the gears turning inside his head. I wonder if he’s weighing the consequences for telling me the truth.
“Tommaso was his kid brother,” he explains finally. “He’d just finished college with plans of shipping off to medical school in the fall.”
“He wasn’t a part of the Mob?” I ask. “No. Dom wouldn’t let him join.” “Why not?”
“Because once you swear your life to this lifestyle, the only way out is death. Dominic didn’t want that for his little brother. Say what you want about Dom’s mean mug, but deep down he’s a good man. At the end of the day, he only wants what’s best for the people that matter to him.”
My stomach rolls. I can practically hear the admiration and respect in Elio’s tone. “So… what happened?” I press on, my curiosity burning a hole in my lungs.
Elio lets out a heavy breath. “They were out and about. Went to lunch. On their way back, they were ambushed. There was a shootout in broad daylight.”
I bring a hand up to my mouth in utter dismay. “Don’t tell me…” All he has to do is shake his head. It’s answer enough.
“I know this is probably hard to believe,” he continues, “but Dominic is one of the greatest men I’ve ever had the privilege of knowing. He’s a dickhead most of the time, but I promise he’s one of the good ones. To you, he might have lost his mind. To him, he’s doing what he must to protect you.”
Down the hall, Dominic grunts.
“I should probably go check on him,” Elio says. “He’d rather bleed out than let anyone help him, that stubborn fucking mule.”
“Let me,” I offer, stepping forward before Elio has a chance to move.
My body moves on its own, drawn to the sound of his voice. I don’t bother knocking, though now I realize I probably should have. Dominic’s hunched over the sink, his shirt off and crumpled on the floor. There isn’t as much blood as I thought there’d be — he must have cleaned up the majority of it — but the air still smells heavily of salt and iron.
I shiver when I spot the bullet at the bottom of the sink basin.
He’s done a shoddy job of stitching himself up, but at least the wound’s closed. Now he’s struggling to cover the area up with gauze, his stamina draining too quickly to reach across his body.
“Let me,” I offer, stepping forward to take the gauze from him.
Dominic watches me silently, an injured animal trapped in a corner. It feels like a triumph when he relaxes against my touch, his pained expression melting into something fond, grateful. Being this close to him sends a shiver down my spine and goosebumps trailing down my arms. The sight of his taut muscles and tattooed skin leaves my mouth impossibly dry.
This man… He’s power personified. And he’s letting me take care of him.
If I’m being perfectly honest, I am terrified. Terrified of the implications of being involved with a mobster, terrified of dragging my daughter into a complicated situation. But the more I think about it, the more I start to understand that I’m not terrified of him.
Dominic has never done anything to hurt me. In fact, he’s actively tried to protect me. Do I wish he’d told me the truth from the get-go? Of course, but I can’t blame him for wanting to keep that information from me. If our positions were reversed, wouldn’t I try to keep our worlds separate for as long as possible?
I peer at him, studying the hard features of his face. I’ve always admired that sharp jawline and those full lips, but his dark gaze cause my heart to race. He’s a scary, dangerous man, but I’m not the least bit afraid of him. For some reason, I know being by his side is the safest place I can be.
“Felicia’s at daycare,” I tell him softly. “I need to be there to pick her up.” Dominic nods. “Take Elio with you.”
“Okay. But let me make one thing clear.” “What is it?”
“I’ll agree to moving in with you, but if anything happens to my daughter, I will kill you myself.”
Dominic takes my hand and presses my palm against his chest. It feels very much like we’re sealing a vow. “I expect nothing less, dolcezza.”