28

Chapter 28
Arin
From the moment he steps out the door, I don’t sleep a wink. It’s been seven hours and I haven’t heard a word from him. No calls, no texts. At this point, I’d even accept a freaking carrier pigeon. I pace back and forth in the living room, nibbling on my nails and pulling on my hair until the ends start to fray.
Is Dominic okay? Is he safe? What’s taking so long?
My heart stutters, my breath catching in my throat. My nerves can’t take it anymore. The stakes are too high. Every time I hear a distant siren, he’s the first thing I think about. What if something went wrong? Or, God forbid, what if he’s dead in an alley somewhere?
The sound of the front door swinging open nearly gives me a heart attack. Dominic steps in. There isn’t a scratch on him.
And he’s smiling.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything more beautiful. It’s every ounce charming and handsome and brilliant, filling the entire room with the warmth of a thousand suns. My heart skips a beat, joy and relief washing over me in one fell swoop. My body reacts before my brain does, my feet carrying me over to him quickly. When I leap into his arms, he catches me with a sweet, adoring laugh.
“We did it,” he whispers against my ear. “Everything’s going to be okay.” I greet him with a flurry of kisses, circling his neck with my arms and wrapping my legs around his hips. He picks me up with ease, holding me as close as possible. The air around us shifts, electricity crackling against our skin. A sudden, overwhelming hunger claims us both, spurred on by the adrenaline pumping through my veins. I have to have him, here and now. I’m
sure Dominic is tired, but he feels it too, this undeniable pull between us.
We don’t get very far, practically stumbling over each other as we make our way to the couch. There’s no time to get to the bedroom. Our movements are frantic, desperate. He takes off my shirt while I pry off his suit jacket. I
make a fine mess of his hair when I rake my fingers through it. I nibble on his bottom lip, sucking hard enough that his mouth comes away with a soft pop.
I’m not wearing any of my fancy lingerie, but the look in Dominic’s eyes tells me he doesn’t mind one bit. He slips off my bra and panties, mouthing at my bare skin like it’s the only thing that will bring him solace. I let my hands roam over his body, stripping him out of his shirt and pants, my fingers tracing over the hard edges of his defined muscles. I make my way down to tease the length of his growing erection, my pussy already wet and throbbing to feel him inside me.
Dominic turns me so my back is flush against his front. He grasps my chin and turns my head to the side, devouring my mouth because he knows it belongs to him and him alone.
One of his big hands slides around front to tease my breasts, pinching my hard nipples as he breathes in the scent of my hair. “Mine,” he growls, so low and deep his voice vibrates straight through my bones. His fingers make their way down even further, rolling over my clit and sliding between my wet folds. “Mine,” he mutters again. He bends me over the back of the couch, kicking my legs apart with his feet. “All mine.”
He plunges his cock deep inside me, my walls stretching to accommodate his size. He knows my body well at this point, aiming the head of his cock at my sweet spot with every thrust. Dominic has his hands in my hair, his chest pressed against my back. I am coming undone in a matter of minutes, the orgasm so intense it takes all of my concentration not to scream my pleasure. He drives me to the edge over and over again, each time unleashing stars across my vision.
Dominic finishes with a grunt, spilling his seed inside me. It isn’t long before I can feel the wetness seeping down my legs, my whole body sore like I’ve just run a marathon. He kisses me sweetly on the cheek, almost like an apology for letting loose.
“Let me take care of you, dolcezza,” he says, scooping me up like I weigh nothing at all.
He carries me bridal style to his bedroom, placing me on the sheets with the utmost care. The moment my head hits the pillow, my eyes start to droop. Exhaustion blankets me, tugging at the back of my brain to try and pull me under. I’m vaguely aware of Dominic moving about. He disappears for a moment, retreating to his ensuite bathroom only to return a few minutes later with a warm cloth. He lovingly cleans me, tucks me in, and even kisses me
tenderly on the lips.
“Felicia will be up soon,” I mumble. It’s a half-hearted protest, but I’m just too tired to get up.
“I’ll take care of her today,” he says softly. “You stay in bed and rest.” I’m fast asleep by the time he finishes his sentence.
* * *
I awake around one in the afternoon to the sound of several men talking. Dominic’s voice is distinct, but the other’s… They’re all new and foreign to me. I quietly slip out of Dominic’s bed and pull on one of his shirts. It’s so big on me that it comes down to my knees, and I have to roll up the sleeves to have use of my hands. As quiet as a mouse, I sneak out into the hall.
“Any resistance from Renato’s men?” Dominic asks.
“No, signore. So far, they’re taking news of the transition very well.
They’re awaiting your orders.”
“Our main priority is rebuilding. We’ve got several contractors on our payroll. See to it that they’re paid promptly. I want everything repaired and up and running by the end of the week.”
“The end of the week?” I recognize this voice. Milo. “Someone’s being a little ambitious, don’t you think?”
“Mind your tone,” I hear Johnny snap. “You’re talking to a capo now.”
My heart freezes. A capo? Dominic got a promotion? Was this his plan from the start?
“See that it’s done,” Dominic says firmly. “And I want you all to keep an eye out for Elio. I don’t buy for a second that Renato’s men managed to get their hands on him. There should have been some trace of him left. I want you to track down every rumor, every possible eyewitness account. I need to know what happened to him.”
“Yes, signore.” “You’re all dismissed.”
The sound of shuffling feet against the polished tile floors tells me it’s
safe to come out from hiding. I round the corner, my eyes falling on Dominic and Felicia, who’s fast asleep against his shoulder.
As cute as they are together, a flicker of worry rolls in the pit of my stomach. “I don’t want you having those meetings in front of her.”
Dominic smiles, walking over to kiss me on the forehead. “She’s fast asleep, dolcezza. It’s not a big deal.”
The feeling of worry melts into irritation. “Not a big deal? You have no idea what she could be absorbing. I’d really appreciate it if you’d host your meetings elsewhere, or at least where she isn’t right in the middle of things.”
“She may as well get used to it, Arin. This is her world now.”
I frown, taking my daughter from him. Felicia nuzzles against the crook of my neck, snoozing without a care. “I never agreed to that.”
Dominic doesn’t look irritated, necessarily, but it’s close. “The simple fact that I am her father means she will be treated with all the respect due to a child born into this life. The same goes for you as my—”
“As your what?” I challenge. “Your girlfriend? Your mistress?” “As my woman.”
My chest stings. That isn’t good enough, but… do I really want more? Would a sane person even want this? I’m not saying I want to get married, but the thought has occurred to me before. Where are things going between us? Yes, Dominic is the father of my child, and there’s no denying our connection…
But he’s a criminal. I’ve seen firsthand how danger follows him at every turn. Can I really continue to be with him knowing that I willingly put Felicia in such a precarious situation? What if someone targets us? What happens if, one day, Dominic doesn’t return home because one of his enemies got to him?
“So, what?” I ask. “You’re a capo now?” “As of seven this morning, yes.”
“And what does that mean for us?”
“Nothing changes, Arin. I will continue to provide for you and our little one. I vow to keep you safe, happy, and healthy, just as I’ve done up until now.”
“Nothing changes,” I echo, as if repeating it will somehow make me feel better.
Sometimes I can’t believe it. I’m in bed with a mobster, a soldier turned
capo. I reflect on why that scares me so much. He’s still the same man, but
everything feels different. The more I think about it, the more I feel helpless. Dominic is climbing the ranks, and in any other career track, I’d be over the moon for him. Except a promotion for him means more than just an increase in responsibility. It also means a bigger target on his back.
It’s the fear of losing him, I realize, that makes me so uneasy.
Because I care about him. I love him. And if anything were to happen to him, I don’t know what I’d do. I’ve given my heart to a mobster, and if that isn’t the most foolish thing a person can do, then I don’t know what is.
Dominic caresses my cheek, his expression softening. “Do you trust me?” “Of course I do.”
“Then believe me when I say I have everything under control.” I nod slowly, even if it’s a struggle. “Okay.”
He presses a kiss to my hair and smiles gently. “Tell you what. I’ll do everything I can to keep our worlds as separate as possible. I won’t hold meetings in our home anymore, and I’ll keep you and Felicia as far away from my work affairs as I can. When we’re here together, it’s just the three of us. She doesn’t ever have to know. She can grow up like every other normal child, and you can have an equally normal life.”
“Do you really think that’s possible?”
“I’d do anything to try to make it happen.”
It sounds too good to be true, but I so desperately want to believe it’s possible. It’s like living a double life, going about my day willingly ignorant to the reality of who Dominic is and what he does. But I can’t stand the thought of leaving him, either. I don’t know if there’s a way out of this where I don’t come out unscathed. For now, the only way to protect my heart is to take him at his word and pray harm never befalls him.
Dominic kisses my cheek. “Get dressed. I have a surprise for you.” “What is it?”
“I can’t tell you. That’d ruin the surprise. It’s nothing nefarious, I swear.” He takes Felicia back, holding her against his chest. It makes me unbelievably happy to see him getting more and more comfortable with carrying her. “Go ahead and get changed,” he says. “I promise you won’t regret it.”