Page 22

Dominic

I have watched Gwen most of the day, my eyes drifting to her from time to time. Besides the two-hour meeting I had with Lily and Romona this morning, my attention has been split. We met at the spa Lily had been trying for a long time to convince me to provide protection for her business. I sat in a conference room in the back, waiting for them to arrive. The rhythmic ticking of my watch filled the silence as I leaned back, watching the door. When they finally walked in, side by side, both dressed in sharp suits, they looked every bit the businesswomen they wanted to be perceived as.

I stood, adjusting my jacket. “Ladies.” They each pulled out a chair and sat. “Dominic,” Romona greeted flatly. Her distrust of me was evident in her tone. I nodded in acknowledgment. “Dominic, I’m surprised you wanted a meeting.” Lily’s voice was laced with curiosity as she batted her long lashes at me, trying to draw me in.

I smiled, playing along. “Well, I’ve given some thought to the opportunity you presented before.” Romona turned to Lily, a sharp edge to her gaze. “What is he talking about, Lily?” Lily hesitated only a second before responding. “Before we became partners, I offered Dominic a deal. If he provided protection for the spa, I’d let his men have special arrangements with the girls working here.”

I watched as Romona weighed the pros and cons of bringing me into their illicit operations. “Things have changed, Dominic,” Lily continued. “Romona is now my partner. She provides the houses for more than just the usual hourly specials. The properties we manage are now available for extended stays rented through us until they’re sold. Customers select a girl and a house, booking for a day, a week, sometimes even a month upfront. So, the protection we need isn’t for the spa anymore it’s for the houses.”

Perfect. I already knew all of this, but I played dumb, feigning intrigue. “Really? That’s quite the setup you have going.” I leaned in slightly, letting my fingers trail over Lily’s hand, a subtle, calculated touch. “I’m interested. For a price, of course.” Romona cut in before Lily could react. “Name your price, Dominic.” I smirked, meeting her gaze. Now we were talking.

“Well, since you asked let my guys have their picks first, and I want a cut of the payment.” Lily runs her eyes up my arms, fucking me in her mind. I know the effect I have on her.

“Alright, we can do that.” Romona stands, pushing her chair back. “One other thing the real estate agency and the spa are throwing a get-together in a few days. Having you show up would really get the word out, bring in new customers. More business.”

I nod. “I’ll be there.” Lily stands and leans into me, licking her lips. “But you have to be my plus-one.” “Sure, babe. Whatever it takes.” She winks at me, and both women exit the room. Plan one in progress.

A knock at the door snaps me back to reality. “Come in.” Trey walks in, rubbing his temples. “You didn’t tell me the girl was crazy.” He drops onto the couch. “What do you mean?” I ask. “Gwen walked to work this morning, so I followed her like you told me to. She noticed me and lost it. Came up to the car, hitting the window. I tried to calm her down, and she shoved me yelling loud enough for the whole neighborhood to hear. Then flipped me the bird and kept walking.” I’m not even surprised. Gwen is a walking time bomb right now, barely holding herself together.

Trey shakes his head. “This can’t be good. She knows I’m tailing her. She’s ready to break or kill someone. I don’t know.” I can’t help but laugh. She’s a firecracker; I’m calm and collected. She’s wild and free. Together, we’re a hurricane waiting to happen. But I’d wait out the storm for her.

Pulling up the camera on my screen, I watch her tossing and turning in bed. She’s wearing my shirt the one she took home the first night I brought her back. Every night since I stepped away, she’s put it on to fall asleep. There’s still a glimmer of hope that she doesn’t completely hate me.

Her safety is my priority, but Jimmy isn’t as stupid as he looks. The first sign that she’s mine, he’ll run. As of now, everyone believes I have no intention of having Gwen. And I know a little bird has been keeping him informed. Gwen’s mother confides in her partner a little too much. Lily hates Gwen, sees her as competition. She wants me, so for now, I’ll let her think she’s winning until I’m close enough to snap Jimmy’s neck with my bare hands.

The resentment I have toward that rat is unlike anything I’ve ever felt. It didn’t take much to uncover the torment he put my girl through. Arrest records. Medical files. Broken fingers. Black eyes. And worse rape kits. I pulled every string I had with the police and the hospital. The anxiety Gwen carries is the weight of her past. She didn’t run from me she ran from a lifetime of hurt, straight into my arms. And because of Jimmy, I had to hurt her too.

Unlike that rat, when I have him begging for his life, Gwen will walk on feathers. She will want for nothing. I will hand his broken body to her on a silver platter.

That is… if she’ll have me back. And if she won’t, I’ll spend the rest of my life fighting for her forgiveness. For the next few days, she’ll want nothing to do with me. But once the smoke clears, she’ll see it was all worth it. Trey sits with his eyes closed.

“Wake up. We have work to do.” I rake a hand through my hair. “I need you and Bash to head to Lily’s spa. She’ll give you addresses. You’re there as protection. But Jimmy and his men are at one of those locations we need to find out which one.” Trey stands, shaking his head. “I’ll fill Bash in, but I’m making some calls up north. We need more men. We’re taking out every single bastard who pledged allegiance to that rat.”

“Good.”

He heads to the door. “Trey one more thing.” He stops. “Shoot and don’t miss. Leave no bodies. One by one, his friends will fall before he shows his face.” When he leaves and the door shuts, I pull out my cell phone, dial her number, and press call. On the third ring, she picks up, her sweet voice coming through the line.

“Finally, my little brother decides to call his big sister.” I chuckle. “I’ve been busy running the family business, but I always have a few minutes to catch up with you.” Silence. She knows I’m bullshitting her. “What do you need, Dominic?” she asks, amusement lacing her tone. “Arm power, sister. I need more eyes and more muscle.”

A pause. “All right. How much?” “A few extra eyes and a few men not afraid to get their hands bloody,” I say. “Preparing for war, are we?” Her voice turns sharp, serious as a heart attack. “Maybe a small war,” I admit, walking over to the large office window overlooking the parking lot. I fill her in on every detail, and she gives me her opinion on it all. Then she adds, “Well, I think I’ll come with my guys to meet this special girl.” I hesitate. I’m not sure how I feel about my older sister stepping into the middle of a brewing storm. But she’s as hardheaded as I am there’s no talking her out of it.

As the call ends, I grab my whiskey glass and down the liquor in one go, savoring the burn as it slides down my throat. Tomorrow, my guys will hit the locations they were given, and with each death, I’ll breathe a little easier knowing Jimmy’s army of drug addicts is shrinking. Instead of refilling my glass, I grab the bottle straight from the bar. This whiskey is the only relief I have until I can get my girl back in my arms, back in my bed.

I brace myself for the days ahead. I drown thoughts of my princess with every swallow, the bottle becoming my only comfort tonight. I’m not going home. I’ll sleep here at Chophouse. Transferring the security feed to my phone, I settle onto the leather couch, the bottle still in hand. My gaze locks onto the screen, watching my princess sleep. The steady rise and fall of her chest soothe something raw inside me. My eyelids grow heavy. The whiskey dulls my thoughts. And I let sleep pulls me under.