15

Chapter 15
Arin
“Wow!” Felicia gasps in delight as she pads into the living room of Dominic’s apartment.
I silently marvel, too. This place is massive! I don’t even want to think
about how much a place like this goes for. I’d probably have to make and sell a hundred quinceañera dresses to cover a single month here.
My little girl rushes over to the black leather couch in the living room and climbs onto the cushions, jumping up and down in her excitement. “Mommy! Mommy, look!”
“You shouldn’t do that, sweetie,” I warn her gently. “You’ll ruin the furniture.”
Beside me, Elio laughs. “Don’t worry about it, Arin. Dominic can always buy a new one. Let the girl have fun.” I can’t help but smile. Felicia looks like she’s having the time of her life.
“Damn, girl,” Lana says, looking around with wide eyes. “You really hit the jackpot, huh?”
She hands me one of the moving boxes labeled ‘TOYS.’ True to his word, Dominic took care of all the fine details. He ordered his men to pack all my things while Dominic personally spoke to our landlord, not only paying for my half of the remaining lease, but Lana’s as well. Thanks to his generosity, she’ll be able to live there for another year without having to worry about rent.
“What did you say he does again?” she asks with a wry smile. “Um… Loans and stuff?”
“Damn. I need to get me one of those. Do you know if he has any single friends?”
I laugh. “I didn’t realize you were interested in dating right now.” “I’m not, but if I can score myself a sugar daddy…”
My face flushes with heat. “Dominic’s not my sugar daddy.”
Lana rolls her eyes. “At least fifteen years older, rich as fuck, and your baby daddy. I fail to see how I’m off the mark.” She looks around. “Where even is the guy?”
Chewing on the inside of my cheek, I take in my surroundings. Dominic has been notably absent since I returned with Felicia from daycare. I wonder if he’s making himself scarce on purpose. It’s obvious there’s only so much Mob business he can divulge, but given the serious matter of the targeted shooting, he’s probably got too much on his plate right now to help with the move.
Elio picks Felicia up and places her on his shoulders. “Do you want to see your new room, principessa?”
She throws her hands up. “Yeah!”
Elio winks at me. “Consider me your official tour guide.” “What about the rest of our stuff?” I ask.
“Don’t worry. The boys have been tasked with the heavy lifting. I believe Dominic’s exact words were ‘treat her like a damn queen.’”
My heart skips a beat. “He didn’t say that.”
“No, he didn’t,” he says with an easy chuckle. “But his meaning was loud and clear. Come on, this way.”
The apartment is so big it’s divided into north, south, east, and west wings. We aren’t quite on the top floor, but we’re still high enough for a gorgeous view overlooking Central Park. Elio shows us Felicia’s new room first. This is the first time in her young life that she’s had a room all to herself.
Dominic’s apparently had the whole place stuffed full of all sorts of toys, clothes, and a new bedroom set befitting royalty. Felicia’s mouth hangs open in awe. There’s a light pink canopy hanging over her bed, a wardrobe full of new dresses, and a child’s art set and easel arranged in the corner.
“This is mine?” she asks, wandering over to the bin full of newly purchased dolls.
Elio nods. “Dominic said if it’s not to your liking, all you have to do is tell me. I’ll send the boys out shopping again.”
I shake my head. “No, this is more than enough. Thank you, Elio.” “No need to thank me, Arin. Thank him.”
“Auntie Lana!” Felicia squeals, her arms full of new toys. “Come play with me!”
Lana rubs my shoulder. “Go check out your room. I’ll keep an eye on
her.”
Elio sweeps his arm out toward the door on the other side of the hall. “Right this way.”
When I step into my room, the air whooshes out of my lungs. It’s almost triple the size of my old bedroom, complete with a four-post mahogany bed, silk sheets, an expensive Persian rug over polished marble floors, and a walk- in closet the size of my old kitchen. Dominic’s already filled it to the brim with new clothes, dresses and sweaters and pants hanging from wooden hangers. I gravitate toward the clothes, unable to fight the tingling excitement swimming through my veins.
I reach out, sucking in a breath when I feel the fabric. This is high quality stuff. Silks and cashmere and genuine leather. They still have their tags on. Gucci, Prada, Louis Vuitton, Dior. The collection goes on and on, but I’m too shocked to take another step.
“Is he serious?” I ask breathlessly. “Did he really buy all this for me?” “That’s not all,” Elio says with a smirk.
I’m about to lose it. “What do you mean that’s not all?”
“Dominic had me arrange a special room for you. Do you see that small handle on the back wall of your closet?”
I turn and find the handle in question. It blends in well with the shelf, hidden behind a pair of Christian Louboutin heels. Reaching out slowly, I turn the handle and hear the heavy metal click of a mechanism unlocking.
The wall swings forward, revealing— A workshop.
On the other side of my walk-in closet is another massive room. It’s incredibly spacious with lots of natural light courtesy of the floor-to-ceiling windows along the north-facing wall. There are several large worktables lined up in rows on the opposite side of the room, carrying all sorts of draping tools, fabric pressing equipment, a big bin of thread, fabrics, and cutting mats. There’s at least five different dress forms in different sizes in the corner, along with a drafting table where I can bring all my ideas to life.
My brain blanks. This is all so…
“Amazing,” I gasp. “This is a whole-ass fashion studio. Did Dominic really tell you to put this together?”
“He told me to spare no expense. I hope you like it.” “Like it? I love it.”
Elio sighs dramatically. “Thank God. Dominic would have killed me
otherwise.”
I chew on the inside of my cheek. “You don’t mean that, do you?” “Of course not.”
I meander over to the new sewing machine sitting on one of the workstations. It’s a Singer 9960, a computerized sewing and embroidery machine with almost six hundred built-in stitch patterns and one-step buttonhole styles. This bad boy retails for just shy of a thousand dollars — something I’ve dreamed of one day owning but could never even begin to afford.
And Dominic gave it to me.
“When’s Dominic going to be back?” I ask. “I need to thank him.”
Elio scratches behind his ear. “Honestly? I’m not sure. Things are, uh… kinda tense right now.”
“Because of the shooting?”
“That, among other things. Sorry, there’s only so much I can tell you.
Them’s the rules.”
I nod slowly. “I understand. Just… He’s going to be alright, right?”
Elio smiles. He has a very calming, assuring presence. “Dom’s as tough as nails. There’s no need to worry. Besides, if those fuckers come back and try to finish what they started, they’ll have to get through me.”
For some reason, this makes me smile. “You really care about him, huh?” “Dom’s the big brother I never had. I’d do anything for him.” He turns, gesturing vaguely at the studio space. “And he’ll do anything for those he
cares for.”
The thought gives me pause. Does Dominic care for me? Or is he doing this because he feels obligated? There’s no denying the electricity between us, but have we known each other long enough to care?
“Mommy!” Felicia calls from the other room. “Mommy, come play!” “I’m coming, sweetie!” Before I can leave, however, Elio steps in front of
me. I look up at him, confused. “Is something wrong?”
“I meant what I said before, Arin. I’d do anything for Dom.” “O—kay?” I say slowly.
He dips in close, speaking in a low tone. “I need to know I can trust you.
He’s generous to those he deems loyal, but are you? Loyal?”
Something in the air suddenly shifts. I’m no longer speaking to cheerful, goofball Elio. Now I’m face to face with Dom’s right-hand man. His sudden about face is jarring, but I’m not intimidated.
“I would never hurt him,” I answer carefully. “That’s not the same as pledging your loyalty.”
I swallow hard. I don’t know what to say. “I didn’t realize that swearing my undying allegiance was a part of the move-in package,” I retort dryly.
And just like that, Elio takes a step back, slipping back into an easy smile. He shrugs nonchalantly. “No, I suppose it’s not. I just want you to know that if you do anything to hurt him, there will be consequences.”
I put my hands on my hips. “Well, it’s a good thing I don’t ever plan on doing that.”
Elio chuckles. “I’m glad to hear it.”
He leaves first, humming a playful tune, while I remain in place, ignoring the cold twist in my gut. Elio may be on Dominic’s side, but I need to be careful. Felicia and I might be safe under Dominic’s protection, but it’s clear there’s more than one shark in these waters.