Page 30

Dominic

A s I turn my earpiece back on, Bash comes in loud and clear. “The Rat has just arrived.” That’s when I hurry out of the bathroom, making sure Gwen is going to leave. Carmin is rounding up the men who want to head back to the rooms with the women. Searching for Jimmy’s face through the crowd, Gwen suddenly appears right beside me. The next thing I know, she shoves her panties into my pocket and punches Lily in the face, before she and Maddie dart for the door. I can't help but admire the woman she's becoming. I fought and fell for the girl she portrayed, but now I’m falling even harder for the woman she’s growing into.

Lily is on her knees, cupping her face, with Romona kneeling beside her. “Romona, make the call. Now!” she shouts. Romona pulls out her phone and hits call. As the line picks up, she tells the person on the other end to go ahead. I can hear a man’s voice when I snatch the phone from her hands, trying to catch the words. “I’m already on the move,” the voice says. Then, a scream echoes over the phone.

I throw the phone back at Romona and bolt toward the front entrance. My eyes catch a glimpse of a black dress and blonde hair being shoved into a car. Pulling my gun, I pull the trigger, aiming at the car. It’s too far for a pistol, but I still light up the night sky with flashes of gunfire and smoke. The car spins its tires, tearing down the road like a bat out of hell with my girl inside.

Maddie lies on the ground, knocked out. I speak into my earpiece. “Bash, get out front now! Santino, light these fuckers up!” Bash runs out the front door, spotting me as I lift Maddie into my arms. “What the fuck happened?” he asks, taking Maddie from me. Suddenly, the sound of gunfire erupts like fireworks on the Fourth of July. Santino and the others do their job, as screams fill the air from inside the building. The women who attended the party come rushing out the front entrance, screaming, and a few men follow.

Through the smoke, a shadowy figure emerges a petite form, walking with an AK-47 strapped to her waist. It’s Carmin, heading straight for me and Bash. He helps Maddie to her feet as she stirs. “Take her to Chophouse,” I say, and Carmin lifts Maddie’s arm over her shoulder.

“Where’s Gwen?” she asks, scanning the area. “He got to her first,” I reply, anger simmering in my voice. “But there are two bitches inside who know where he took her.” Bash grabs the AK from Carmin’s other hand, and we head back inside. Both women are on the ground, covering their ears, sitting side by side behind the table that held the cake. Broken glass litters the room, and decorations have fallen to the floor as gun smoke hangs heavy in the air from the men lighting up the back rooms in a blaze of glory.

As Bash and I step toward Romona and Lily, Romona begins sobbing, while Lily weakly begs with useless words. “Shut the fuck up,” Bash growls. “Where did he take her?” “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Dom,” Romona pleads, her face streaked with tears and blood. Bash lifts the machine gun and presses it toward them. They sob harder. “I’ll blow your fucking head off right now if you don’t answer,” he threatens.

Romona’s eyes widen in fear, and through the sobs, she speaks. “He’s going to call us. Set up an appointment to trade her to you for his debt. He knows you’ve been looking for him.” She starts crying uncontrollably, and I know we’re getting closer to finding Gwen. You sold your own daughter out, you piece of shit." I spit at her. In my world, the lowest form of disrespect is spitting on another person, and I have no respect for these two. "She needed to go back with him anyway. It’s not like she wouldn’t return to that life. It’s all an act for now," Lily cries.

Before I know what, I’m doing, I lift my foot and kick her in the face where she already kneels. Romona screams as Bash takes the back of his gun and strikes her across the head. I watch her collapse backward from where she was sitting.

My earpiece buzzes. "Trey, is all the escort out and gone? Bring the van to the front." Before the shootout, Carmin made sure that while all the men were in their assigned rooms, the girls slipped out the back, away from harm’s way. "They’re all gone, boss. Santino and I are headed up."

I feel the blood pumping in my veins. I was a minute too late. Jimmy has my girl, and all I can think about is how scared she must be. Seconds later, Trey and Carmin’s guys pull up to the front and step out, walking inside. "Tie these two up and take them to Chophouse. Straight to the basement." Santino grabs Lily’s deadweight body and throws her over his shoulder, while another guy does the same with Romona.

I step outside into the cool night air, trying to steady my breathing. I fucked up. I should have gotten her out of here myself. My mind is a mess. My world is crashing. How did I not plan for this? Jimmy must have seen Romona first she was never supposed to be there in the first place.

Rubbing my hands down my face, I pace back and forth. I need to find her quick. A hand clamps down on my shoulder, and I turn, swinging my balled-up fist. Bash ducks the hit and grabs me. "We’ll find her, but I need you to calm the fuck down." I shove him off, but he pushes me back. "Dom, calm the fuck down." I swing again, rage bubbling from my core, and my fist connects with his jaw. He lands one right back. Both of us are panting. "Fuck. You good now?" He rubs his jaw, standing straight."Yeah," I say, and he holds out his hand. I grab it, straightening my posture. "Let’s go find some answers and get your girl back." He digs into his back pocket and tosses me my car keys. "I’ll let you drive just this once." Screams curl my toes as I step into Chophouse. The main floor is dim, occupied only by Carmin’s guys lounging in booths, drinking beer. I tread past them, heading straight for the basement door. The screams are louder now, piercing my ears.

Descending the stairs, I take in the scene: two women, wrists tied to the ceiling, their bodies jerking with every fresh wave of agony. Death would be too easy for them. Carmin stands between them, flicking her lighter, singeing their skin in different places. She gives each just enough time to catch their breath before scorching the other.

Trey sits in the corner, while Santino leans against the concrete wall, watching in amusement. Carmin is a lioness, playing with her prey before the kill. The terror she inflicts excites her even more. She’s swapped her party dress for blue jeans, black leather boots, and a white tank top. My older sister taught me how to be the ruthless king I am today. Bash is right behind me, watching her work. The women are stripped down to their underwear. Sweat runs down their faces, their arms pulled tight, manicured toes barely touching the concrete beneath them.

I shrug off my suit jacket, undo my cuffs, and loosen my tie, hanging it over a chair. "I’ll take it from here, big sis." She turns to me with a pout. "Fine." Then she smirks. "Bash, your lady is in Dominic’s office. I gave her some meds to sleep off the pain." She kisses his cheek before exiting the basement.

I roll up my sleeves, revealing tattooed forearms, and step toward Lily, running my hand down her heaving chest. "Be a good girl, Lily, and tell me where Jimmy is. Don’t make me do something terrible to get you to talk." She weeps, closing her swollen eyes and shaking her head. Her face is bruised from Gwen’s punch, her nose likely broken from the swelling. "Still not going to talk, huh?" I exhale, my voice cold. "Well, there are ten or so men upstairs who haven’t had any pussy in a while. It’d be a shame if you and your little partner were left alone down here… hanging… vulnerable."

Her eyes snap open in shock. "You wouldn’t dare!" Romona shrieks. I smirk. "Oh, but I would. I’ll do whatever I have to do to get my girl back. There are no limits to the kind of torture I’m willing to inflict on you."