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“Excuse m—”

“Fine,” Maria quickly cut off her wannabe boyfriend.

With all of them going out the door, he saw the brand new Cadillac that he wouldn’t be caught dead in, next to his black Mustang, and he had to decide just how far he wanted to go …

“You know what, Ted …” He tried to remember the name he’d heard on the other side of the door before they had knocked.

Maria told him he was a letter off. “Todd.”

“Todd,” he corrected, trying to pretend he gave an actual fuck what his name was. “How about you go home, and we can all just pretend Maria snuck out by herself. I think we both know I won’t touch a pretty blonde hair on her head because of what Lucca would do to me if he found out. I’m sure it’s going to be similar to what he’s going to fucking do to you if you don’t leave.”

“Bye, Todd.” Maria gave him a sweet wave, clearly wanting the same thing as Dominic.

That was all that was needed for Maria’s puppy dog to leave with his tail tucked between his legs.

“Aren’t you cold?” a fully clothed Kat asked Maria, while closing her jacket.

Dominic tried his best not to burst out in laughter. The last ten minutes with her proved the theory he had of her when she was only fourteen. He decided to keep his laughter inside, but he was going to let Maria know he knew exactly what she was if they were about to do this so-called dance.

“You can’t feel cold if your heart is dead.” Dominic gave her a knowing smile before opening the passenger side door for her. “Isn’t that right, princess?”

The look Maria gave him as she chose not to answer his comment let Dom know he had her wondering how he had found out her little secret so fast, but he wasn’t going to tell her that just yet.

Watching Maria slide into his black leather seat was a dream he never knew he needed to come true until he saw his Mustang parked beside her Cadillac. That was another reason he had wanted Teddy to scram.

Fuck. If he was going to die by the hands of the Carusos for this, then his trip to hell was going to be worth it.

Eighteen

You Never Strike A Deal Until You’ve Won

Dominic pulled his black Mustang into the expensive drive. It looked like a goddamn mansion compared to his house, and it honestly could’ve been by the looks of it out here. The perfect white house was fit for a king, as it was spotlighted to light up how perfect the façade actually was. It was the first time he entered the Caruso family home, and coming from his side of town to this side made Dominic swear middle-class didn’t even exist.

Throwing the car in Park, he supposed he should feel scared or, in the very least, nervous to walk into the enemy’s den, but he wasn’t. The fury he felt boiling in his veins outweighed his possible stupidity.

Katarina was set to be married one month from when she’d been chosen, and now that the day was almost here, regret and rage overcame him. Determined to save his sister from her fate of becoming a Caruso, he had called Lucca, asking for a private meeting.

He would have asked to be in Dante’s presence, but Dom had a feeling it was Lucca pulling all the strings, and desperate times called for desperate measures. Getting out of the car and slamming the door shut, this was that time—he was fucking desperate.

Dominic walked straight up to the Caruso family home like he was on a mission, letting his determination flow through him. Heavily knocking on the door, there was no fucking way he was leaving this home without his sister’s wedding called off.

They’ll be taking me out in a body bag if they want me to lea—

The door opening had him unable to complete his vow, as his heart thudded at the image on the other side of the door.

“Hello, princess.” Dominic wasn’t afraid to let his eyes wander at the much different ensemble than when she’d unexpectedly arrived at his home. “I thought, even at home, you might wear heels and fur. Guess not.”

Dear God, he liked what she had worn last time, but this was something else altogether. The matching pink velvet set consisted of a little tank top that displayed her midriff and tight shorts that were the size of some women’s underwear. It had him almost willing to risk it all right here.

He was unashamed of his hazel eyes taking in her body, though it was a dangerous game to stare at the Caruso boss’s daughter like that, much less in his home. Nevertheless, the family had taken almost everything away from him, and there wasn’t much to lose, so the thoughts he had of Maria since seeing her just yesterday, and the many thoughts he planned to have of her tonight, gave him the little bit of respect he needed back.