Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 69945 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 350(@200wpm)___ 280(@250wpm)___ 233(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69945 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 350(@200wpm)___ 280(@250wpm)___ 233(@300wpm)
No, the fuck he’s not. Nothing could convince me of that after the way he’d fucked me. I hated feeling so damn confused.
How had my life taken this turn? I was living with a mobster while waiting to testify in court. My law firm had fallen apart, and I wasn’t even sure what I wanted anymore.
You want Dom.
I did. I wanted to take care of him, to fix him, to fuck him. I’m such an idiot. But what if….
You don’t have enough in common. It will never work out.
I might as well go ahead and call Valentino. Dom would have a solid reason to hate me, but it would be easier to walk away knowing someone else was looking after him.
Beatrice refilled my coffee, and I took the cup to my room. Sitting by the window, I pulled out my phone and typed in the number she’d given me. After a few rings, Val answered. “Who the hell is this?”
“It’s Corey. Beatrice gave me your number.”
“This is my private line. I’m not used to seeing unknown numbers on it.”
“I’m sorry. I asked her for it because I’m worried about your father.”
“Shit, what’s going on?”
“Did you know he gets migraines?”
“He got them in rehab, but he said that wasn’t an issue now. You’re telling me he lied?”
“I…” Shit, I wasn’t about to outright call Dom a liar. “He has one today, and I thought I understood that it wasn’t unusual for him.’”
“Fuck. Do you need me to come over?”
“No, not now. Dom contacted Lucien, and he sent Vinnie over.”
“Yeah, that’s good. Vinnie’s a solid guy. But why the hell didn’t Pops call me?”
“I told him I would call you or Vito, but he told me not to tell you.”
“And yet, here you are, doing what he told you not to do.”
I’d clearly lost my mind. “I thought you needed to know. He insists on doing everything alone, but he does need help. I have no doubt he could push himself to do whatever was necessary to defend me. He’d fight through the pain and only collapse after I was safe, but he shouldn’t have to do that. Not when he has family who care.”
“Damn, you really are something. No wonder he’s enamored with you.”
“I… That’s not… He’s not….”
“Are you telling me there’s nothing going on between you two?”
“Um….”
“That’s what I thought.”
“If you want me to put an end to it, I will. I promised not to hurt him, and that’s what I’m trying to do.”
“Thank you for calling me.”
“He has no idea how to ask for help or accept it when it’s offered, but I keep trying anyway.”
“I can imagine how that’s going.”
“He let me help him walk to his room. The headache started in the sunroom, and I ran into him partway back.”
“Fuck, he must have really been suffering.”
“He was. He is… Well, he’s sleeping now. I’ll check on him again soon.”
“Call me anytime if you need something or Pops does. Vito and I have no intention of letting him go after Lisa alone.”
“Good. Thank you.”
“We’ll stop by tomorrow to check on him.”
“Great. Just please don’t tell him I told you.”
“We won’t rat you out. Don’t worry.”
Dom was still sleeping when I checked on him. I forced myself to leave him alone for a while. But after a workout and taking out some aggression on a video game, I returned to his room, stripped down to my underwear, and crawled into bed with him.
He made a contented sound when I spooned him and he pushed back against me. I stroked his hair and kissed his neck before closing my eyes and letting myself drift to sleep.
When I woke hours later, the house was dark and quiet, and Dom was no longer in bed.
I checked the bathroom, but he wasn’t there either. I hoped he was feeling better. Maybe he got hungry.
I pulled on my clothes and headed downstairs.
22
DOM
Itensed when I heard footsteps, but the cadence told me it was Corey. I should have known he’d come to find me if he woke up and I wasn’t there.
“Are you feeling better?” He asked as he entered the kitchen. “You must be.”
“I am. I couldn’t sleep anymore, so I came down here.” He took in the flour on the counter, and the dough I was mixing.
“You’re baking again?”
I shrugged. “I didn’t feel like working.”
“I think you work too much.”
“Not since you got here.” I hadn’t been able to concentrate for shit.
“But aren’t I your work? Isn’t protecting me your current assignment?”
“You really do just get cheekier every day you’re here, don’t you?”
He smiled. “Dom, I’m not afraid of you.”
“You were the first night.”
“I thought you were going to shoot me.”
“What would be the point of assigning me to be your bodyguard if I was going to kill you? I don’t fuck up like that.”