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Dominic caught him before his knees hit the soon-to-be wet pavement as death came to greet him. Then, letting his body fall completely to the ground, his unremorseful hazel eyes unconsciously went to the phone that was lit up with Maria’s name.

He watched the raindrops hit the screen as it sat in a puddle of blood, knowing she had heard it all and now she sat waiting on the other end of the line.

Picking up the shattered phone that had fallen to the ground, he heard her unsteady, “Hello …?”

He gripped the phone with blood-soaked hands that even the rain would be unable to wash away, while staring at the dead body before him. He breathed heavily, trying to catch his breath after that confrontation.

He knew what it would do to her when she heard whose voice it was coming from the other end … but Dominic did it anyway.

“Hello, Maria.”

Twenty-Four

I’ll Kill You

Maria had been sitting motionless on the floor in Kayne’s apartment for what seemed like hours. The only light coming into the bedroom was from the window she stared out of. She had been so irrevocably numb and out of it that she hadn’t even heard she was no longer alone.

“Maria …,” a dark voice spoke from behind her in the doorway.

Knowing who the voice belonged to, she still had to turn to look at him. She couldn’t believe the set of balls that man had on him to come here after what he had done.

“Leave,” Maria hissed at him, giving the brave man a warning that he shouldn’t underestimate her.

“No,” he answered simply.

“You have five seconds to leave, or so help me God”—Maria glowered at him, promising she’d make her next words true—“I’ll kill you, Dominic.”

Standing in the doorframe, Dom crossed his arms. “I’m not leaving without you. We need to get out of here.”

Maria moved like a flash of lightning. Grabbing one of her heels from where Kayne had placed them beside the bed that he had held her all night in, she stood mere inches away from Dominic as she pressed the end of her stiletto lightly into his neck.

“You just couldn’t see me fucking happy with Kayne, could you? You couldn’t handle that you lost, that I fell in love with him and not you.”

“What you felt for Kayne wasn’t love, princess.” Dominic’s hazel eyes bore into hers, unafraid.

“And you suppose I felt it for you?” She snickered evilly. After their dance, Maria had one fucking dream about the man standing before her and she was more interested if Dominic really did have the dimples when he smiled, over anything else that happened in that dream. “I never felt a thing for you, Dominic Luciano, and I never fucking will.” Pressing her pointy heel deeper into his tanned skin, she continued, “I won’t even feel hate for you when I get done killing you. You don’t even deserve that after what you’ve done.”

“I deserve to die,” Dom told her wholeheartedly, pressing his own neck into her heel. “But not for this.”

“You lied,” Maria whispered, feeling disbelief that she had ever believed a word out of his mouth. “You lied when you told me you were nothing like your father. You’re worse.” Her words lashed him like a hot whip across his face. “At least Lucifer knew he was a monster … You act so fucking righteous you’ve let yourself believe you’re not.”

“Probably so.” Not even Dominic could hide the slight hurt in his eyes at her words. “But the only thing I regret is ever thinking you could love me.”

She lifted her eyes to the single drop of blood trickling down his neck as she came to a decision. “I’m not going to kill you. I want you to suffer with the thought that I’d rather love a dead man and be alone for the rest of my life than ever love you.” Releasing the heel from his neck, she lifted her lashes back up for her eyes to meet his once more. “Now get the fuck out of here and out of my life, because I swear to God, Dominic, if I ever see you again, I’ll take the thing you love most and kill it … just like you did me.”

If Dominic and the rest of the world thought she was cold before … they haven’t seen nothing yet.

With one last look, Dominic didn’t even look at her the same. It was as if he was suddenly void of any and all emotion for her.

“Good-bye, Maria.”

Watching the Luciano boss walk away, a part of her hadn’t believed the words when he had said them before. This time … she knew he fucking meant them.

Maria stared down at the glittering city below. Like her older brother, Lucca, she enjoyed the view, often visiting his office at the Casino Hotel whenever he wasn’t around to be alone.