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“And I told him to fuck off,” Dominic said, not letting her take it from his grasp.

“You told Vincent to fuck off?” she asked curiously with a smile, forgetting her phone for a second.

“Yeah, he’s a little prick.” Dom made it clear what he thought of the young Caruso soldier. “Is he always such an ass?”

“Why do you think I sent him?” Maria finally snatched the phone from his hand.

Dominic glared at her. “You’re lucky I didn’t kill him, Maria.”

“I knew that was the worst-case scenario, yet it was what I hoped for.” Maria gave him a disappointed look before starting to close the door.

Within an inch of it shutting, Dom stopped her by shoving his foot between the crack.

“He looked familiar …” He thought a second before it finally clicked. “You sent the Caruso consigliere’s son to my home!” Dominic whispered harshly. “Are you fucking crazy? If I had even laid a hand on that kid, like I wanted, my ass—”

“Oh, stop being so dramatic.” Maria shushed him with a roll of her eyes. “You would have not only done me a favor of never having to hear his mouth again, but you would have done Lucca one too.”

“You’re psychotic. You know that, right?” Dom said, glaring at her.

“I’m aware.” Maria went to slam the door again, but this time Dominic stopped it with his hand. “May I help you?”

“I came by to give you the phone this morning, but you weren’t here. I would have come last night, but I thought you needed some space.”

Maria took a breath, trying to be polite for one second. “I was at the hospital. They discharged Leo today.” Okay, long enough. “And he’s finally asleep now. So, if you don’t mind? Good-bye.”

Dominic didn’t let her shut the door again.

“What the hell is your prob—”

“Princess, you have two choices. Option one: you let me inside so we can quietly talk.” Dominic glowered at her. “Or option two: I stand out here all night … not so quietly.”

Maria narrowed her eyes into beady little slits that told him every fucking cursed thought she had of him—motherfucking asswipe, dick-headed bi—

“Fine!” she grumbled. “But be quiet.”

“No problem.” Dominic blew through the door and past her, letting her know, if he had wanted to come in at the beginning of the conversation, he could have.

Bitch! she finished her last thought as she quietly shut the door he left behind him.

Walking into the living room that he showed himself to, Maria saw Dominic’s concern of a sleeping Leo.

“Will he be all right?”

“Physically, yes,” she answered with a bit of sadness in her voice.

Going up the glass stairs, she motioned for him when he still didn’t move from watching Leo. “Come on.”

Staring at him for another second, Dominic then followed behind Maria, through the penthouse and to a bedroom that was obviously hers. The champagne silk bedding and matching, sheer, floor to ceiling curtains were obviously for extravagance and not for modesty as the city lights twinkled below.

“Wow,” Dominic mouthed, going to the window and looking down at the best view in all of Kansas City.

Maria had watched him curiously for a second. It was a view she stared at almost every day and it still amazed her. But to watch someone experience it for the first time tugged at her lips.

After setting her phone down, she slowly walked up beside him, her emerald gaze not going to the city but to his face. She liked the way the colors danced on his tan features, how the light moved through his brown hair, and mostly how the green in his hazel eyes glowed. Dominic was more than handsome … he was beautiful. The life he led made him look rough around the edges, and the full, but short, scruffy beard, along with his coat and hand tattoos only made him ooze that much more of a don’t-fuck-with-me appearance. But the stern look he constantly held in his eyes and brows that caused the two lines between his brows to cut deep, all disappeared when he relaxed … like he was right now.

Underneath it all, if Dominic had been born outside of this city and the mafia world, he would have been behind a camera or on a catwalk, just like she would have been. Both of them might have looked like models, but only Maria got the luxury to keep it up. The money she was born into, and the endless time of not having to work, afforded her things she wanted to do to be the most beautiful woman in Kansas City. She had never seen Dominic in a different jacket than the one he wore now, and still he was easily the hottest man in town.

“One thing about you, Carusos”—Dominic reached out, touching the glass with a fingertip as he stared at the other tall buildings around—“you sure are fucking brave.”