Page 21

Dominic

T here isn’t much I remember about last night, besides Dominic telling me I was never good enough for him. The thought sends a sting into my chest. I am still in my dress and heels. I don’t remember how I got home last night. I slept on top of my blanket, heels still on. Dominic did a pretty good job of kicking me while I was down, hypothetically. Lying here, I try to rewind how last night went, playing it over and over in my head. I sit up straight in bed as the memory of Bash carrying Maddie back into Chophouse flashes through my mind. Shit. How did she get home? Fuck, I don’t even know how I got home. My jaw is sore, my eyes dried out.

I go to get out of bed when I feel my stomach rising in my throat. Jumping up, I run to the bathroom, falling to the ground and grabbing the toilet as every ounce of liquid I consumed last night comes up. It burns just as much coming up as it did going down. I fall back on my ass, regretting my decision to make it my life’s mission to get as fucked up as possible.

Sitting there, trying not to move, I hear my bedroom door open.

“Gwen?” Levi’s voice cuts through the haze. He pushes open the bathroom door, standing there. I try to smile at him, but it doesn’t really work. He steps inside and sits on the floor beside me. “Are you okay?” he asks, concern in his eyes.

“Yeah, buddy, just promise me you’ll never drink.” He crinkles his nose, smelling me. “If it makes you smell this bad, you don’t have to worry about it.” I let out a dry laugh, reaching down to undo my heels. He stands, holding out his hand to help me up. I take it, and he pulls me to my feet. Running my fingers through his curly hair, I sigh.

“How did I get so lucky to have a brother like you?” He swats my hand away. “Come on, let’s get you some breakfast.” We head to the kitchen. I make him breakfast, doing my best to keep my stomach contents down. I manage, but not without a struggle. “Where’s Mom, Levi?” I ask, watching him chow down on an egg sandwich. “She and Lily left early this morning. I guess they had something to do.” He shrugs.

I really can’t stand that woman. My mother is consumed with her work and keeping up her good reputation with Lily. “Okay, buddy, I have to get ready for work. I’ll be home right after, okay?” He nods, mouth full. Looking in the mirror, I brush the tangles from my hair, then brush my teeth and throw water on my face. Grabbing a towel, I pat my face dry. Catching my reflection, I’m hit with the memory of looking at myself before I ran from my past. I look so different, yet still the same. I ran from one hell, only to put my heart in a hell far worse.

I have grown so much in the last two months. My mind has been so consumed with Dominic, I pushed aside the reality of hiding out from Jamison. I walk into my bedroom, lifting my mattress, revealing the stack of money and the revolver beneath it. I never would have thought I’d be here, living life as if I was never that girl. The thought of burning every dollar crosses my mind, sending the remaining part of my past to ashes. Probably the worst thing I could do.

Maybe my time is up here. I’m sure my mother would be happy to have me out of her hair. Sliding my tight jeans over my ass, I grab the revolver from its temporary home. Feeling the weight in my hand, I point it at the wall, looking down the barrel. A girl can't trust a man, but she can trust a gun to protect her. Giving it one last look, I put it back, hiding it from the world. Grabbing my phone, I head out of my room and down the stairs.

It’s a bit of a walk to Lori’s, but I could use the fresh air. Opening the door, I step onto the sidewalk and head toward the gate. As I push it open and step onto the street, I notice a car parked uncomfortably close to my house. Squinting, I can’t make out much just the shadowy outline of someone in the driver’s seat.

Oh well, maybe they’re just waiting for someone. Sliding my headphones into my ears, I start my walk to work. A few minutes in, I glance over my shoulder my stomach tightens. The car has moved. Slowly. Deliberately. Following me.

You have got to be kidding me. After the bullshit from last night, now this? I’m not even scared I’m furious. Pissed at the world. So, of course, I do the one thing I probably shouldn’t do. I spin on my heel and charge straight at the car. My fist slams against the tinted window. The door swings open.

And then, I see him. The guy from the other day the one who approached my Uber driver. “What the fuck? Are you following me?” My voice is sharp, my pulse hammering. I shove his chest, but he doesn’t move an inch. He just stands there, unwavering. Then it clicks. Pieces of last night slip back into place. Dominic standing there after ripping my heart out. His cold, unreadable expression. His words: Take her home.

This guy he’s the one who took me. His eyes lock onto mine, and I can tell he knows. I see the realization settle in his gaze. “Oh, you’ve got to be fucking kidding me. You are following me.” My voice rises. He lifts his hands slightly, trying to calm me. “Why don’t you get in the car? I’ll take you to your job.” I scoff. “Unbelievable.”

Dominic doesn’t want me but he has someone tailing me? What the actual fuck? “Trey, right?” I snap. “I should’ve known the other day. You were following me then, weren’t you?” I throw my hands up in frustration. “Let’s not make a scene,” he says smoothly. “Get in, and I’ll take you to Lori’s.” Trying to shut me up.

“Fuck that. And fuck you for following me.” My voice is razor-sharp. “Tell Dominic I said I hope he burns in hell.” I shove Trey’s chest one more time before turning on my heel, flipping him off high enough for Dominic’s little lapdog to see. I keep walking, ignoring the car as it creeps behind me, rolling slowly down the street like some pathetic excuse for subtlety.

By the time I push open the door to Lori’s, the bell ringing overhead, Trey finally drives off. I shake my head. How the hell does Dominic think this is okay? I don’t need him. He doesn’t want me, so why the hell does he care if someone follows me? What he just wants to make sure I don’t go home with someone else?

A bitter laugh rises in my throat. Maybe I was right all along. Maybe Dominic really is crazy. Good. Because if he wants to play games, he has no idea the level of crazy I’ve been holding back. And I’m so goddamn tired of holding back. Tired of being walked on. I am enough. I don’t have to be that broken girl I was with Jameson.

And I don’t have to feel like I am beneath Dominic either. The rest of the day at Lori’s goes by quickly. I stay busy restarting, taking orders, and cleaning. My mind jumps back and forth, reliving the last few years of my life. When I ran, I promised myself I would never be that girl again. And I never will. On my break, I call Maddie to check in on her. She’s coming to pick me up and take me home. I need to know what happened to her after everything last night.

Lori is closing up as a BMW pulls into the parking lot. I wave goodbye and head to the car, sliding into the passenger seat. Maddie looks exactly how she feels exhausted, with no makeup to hide the effects of a long night. Like she spent the night out drinking too much.

“Are you okay?” I ask. She nods but scoffs. “That was crazy! Dominic wasn’t playing. I thought for sure he was going to kill those guys.” I let out a breath. “He is nuts! And I never want to see him again,” I say firmly. I keep repeating it, trying to convince myself. Deep down, though, I’m not so sure. He’s bringing out the worst part of me. For the rest of the ride, we talk about everything else that happened.

“You know, Bash took me home and never touched me,” Maddie says, her voice tinged with disappointment. “Honestly, I’m kind of sad. I’m so curious how the man is in bed. Instead, he put me in his bed and slept on his couch. Then, this morning, he just took me back to my car.” I snort. “Hopefully, he’s nothing like his best friend.”

She gives me a sad look before reaching over the seat and wrapping her arms around me. “Gwen, know your worth, babe. You are a dime piece!” I nod, swallowing hard. “I love you,” I tell her. It’s the truth. I’ve never had someone in my life who was really in my corner.

When I get inside, the house is dark and silent. No one is here. I walk through, searching for Levi or my mother, but they’re nowhere to be found. I guess it’s just me tonight. My mother is probably out somewhere with her friends. I roll my eyes at the thought. Maybe Levi is with his friends too. I make my way to my mother’s master bathroom. She’s not here, so she shouldn’t mind. Stepping inside, I walk over to the massive tub and turn the water on. Rifling through the cabinets, I find the bubble bath and pour it into the stream, watching as bubbles rise.

Stripping off my clothes, I dip my toes in, savoring the hot water as I sink in until only my head is above the surface. I close my eyes, letting the warmth wrap around me, trying to wash away the troubles of the day.

Once I’ve had enough of the bath, I wrap my hair in a towel and slip on a robe. The embroidered print on the breast pocket reads "Lily’s Spa." I guess Romona Rivera is now an official partner. Anything to make her presence bigger in this town. I turn off the light and head to my room, but as I walk down the hall, I pause outside my father’s study. I haven’t been in there for so long. No one’s home now would be the perfect time. Maybe I could get some closure. My hand lingers on the doorknob. My father wouldn’t have approved of the choices I’ve made since his death. I didn’t know how to cope, so I did everything I could to numb the pain.

Taking a deep breath, I turn the knob and step inside, shutting the door behind me. His picture still hangs on the wall. The same black wooden desk sits in the middle of the room, shelves filled with books of all kinds. Nostalgia washes over me, and for the first time in days, I smile a real, genuine smile. Running my fingers over the desk, I take in the familiar space.

Papers are stacked everywhere, my mother’s belongings scattered across the surface. Pictures of new homes on the market, printed details of addresses her image in every corner of each flyer. As I pick up a few, flipping through them, a key falls from the pile of documents.

I pick it up, curiosity sparking. What does this unlock? I try it on every drawer of the desk, but it doesn’t fit. My gaze drifts to a filing cabinet in the corner. Heart pounding, I take the key and slide it into the lock. It clicks open. Inside, there are files each labeled with a different woman’s name. A strange unease settles in my stomach. I pull one out and open it. Nude pictures. Descriptions of services. Addresses. At the bottom of each page, payment breakdowns: per day, per week, per month. At the top of the page, in bold letters, it reads Lily’s Spa Services.

I can’t believe what I’m seeing. This is the partnership she agreed to? The front door creaks open. My mother and Levi’s voices drift through the house. Shit. I shove the file back, slam the cabinet shut, and lock it. My heart is racing as I rush out of my father’s office, only to come face-to-face with my mother as she climbs the stairs.

"What are you doing in my robe?" she asks, her gaze sweeping over me. "Oh, uh, I used your tub. I wanted to soak for a minute. I hope you don’t mind. I left my clothes in my room, so I just grabbed this to put on." She eyes me for a moment before nodding. "It’s fine. Just make sure you put it back."

She brushes past me and heads to her room. The second she’s out of sight, I dart into mine, locking the door behind me. My breath is shallow, my mind spinning. My mother is involved in escorting. My father would have never been okay with this. This week has been a mental torment, I am having a hard time wrapping my head around it all. Dominic, the chaos surrounding him, and now this. The more secrets I uncover, the more I start to think that mine aren’t so bad after all.