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“Lucca gave me permission,” he promised her coldly, blocking her from exiting the room before he could say his peace.

That clearly only enraged the independent Maria more. “Then I’ll scream if you don’t leave.”

“Scream.” Dominic’s dangerous hazel eyes glowed in a dare. “But you won’t ever get ten minutes alone with me again, princess.” When she didn’t open her mouth, he took a stalking step toward her. “I didn’t think you would.”

Maria’s green orbs slightly grew wider as she took a single step back. The girl had never backed down from anyone, but Dominic wasn’t just anyone. Clearly, he had led her to believe he was, thinking the self-righteous man-hater would have loved the part of him that cared for Katarina. So, he had only shown her the part of himself that he was around Kat, but he was much more than that …

Dominic Luciano was also the devil’s son.

And if Maria had shit taste in men then, by God, he would show her the worst one.

“What do you want?” Her voice held a sliver of alarm.

“To see you, and to see if it’s true.” When she backed up against her bedroom wall and there was nowhere else for her to go, he continued, “If you really were falling in love.” The last word was hard for him to say. His chest constricted in a pain that was almost as unbearable as the day he had to watch his father beat Katarina. There had been nothing more he could do that day to save his sister, and he felt that exact same hopelessness now as he stared at the beautiful Maria. “I suppose it is true.”

“I don’t know what you’re ta—”

“Don’t. You. Dare,” Dominic cut her off with the same slice she had made to his chest. “Don’t you dare play the fucking stupid blonde with me.”

He knew she liked to do it around the Caruso men, so she could trick them and get her way. Her harmless flirting was actually a dangerous game that most likely costed Todd’s life, and Dominic wasn’t going to have any of it.

Something flickered in her emerald eyes as she watched him carefully.

He had let her see just how different he was from his father, from Lucca, and from her. Dominic had a fucking heart and felt full-heartedly, and that was exactly what made him more dangerous than all of them.

“How many dates did it take? Two? Three?” he asked, letting her see the pain his face and his voice.

Maria clearly had been shocked to see that he had such passionate feelings for her, but Dom knew better. She had either fought them or didn’t understand. He knew, because he had done the same thing.

“I told you what would happen, Dominic.” Her voice came out in a whisper before it turned to show her own hurt. “But you locked the door.”

“You don’t know me at all.” Dominic’s words came out in a growl as he punched the wall beside her. It closed her in, making her unable to run from the monster she had created.

Looking down at her, all the feelings he held for the beauty suddenly turned into utter disappointment. “And you’re not the woman I thought you were at all …”

Maria’s face and body tensed, her wondrous green eyes searched for the answer of why he felt that until he spoke it from his lips.

“… not if you’ve chosen Kayne Evans.”

Maria Caruso could have chosen any other man in the country, and he would have understood. Dominic would have bowed the fuck out graciously, because he himself didn’t think he deserved a woman like her. No one did. But anyone was better than a Luciano. Except for one.

Kayne.

“You know him?” she quietly asked, confused.

“I own Blue Park, princess … or did you forget that the second you left my worthless home?” He didn’t wait for the pretentious blonde to spew the bullshit that his home wasn’t worthless. “Kayne and I went to the same high school, and I know the real him. I know him more than you’ll ever know.”

Dominic didn’t know what effect Kayne had over women, but he had thought Maria was smarter than that.

“So, what then? You’re telling me Dominic Luciano is the better choice?” Maria’s tone was sarcastic, but even her own voice betrayed her—she knew the answer before he uttered a sound.

It would hurt, but Dominic let himself finally touch her. For one second, he let himself sickly pretend she was his, that she had allowed him to touch her. With his hand in a relaxed fist, he reached up to run the back of his fingertips over her flushed cheeks. He began quickly memorizing her perfect face, as it would be the last time, which made his heart break when he gave her the answer her mind valiantly tried to deny. “I know I am.”