Page 41 of Claimed By the Enemy

“Stay in the house today,” I tell her. “Please.”

“Dom-”

“Just… trust me on this.”

Something in my tone must convince her, because she nods. “Fine. But you owe me an explanation.”

“I know.”

I leave her standing there and make my way back to my study.

I need help. Someone I trust to stay with Sophie while I figure out who’s behind these threats.

Chapter Eleven

Dom

Raff picks up on the second ring, his voice thick with sleep. “This better be important, Dom. It’s barely eight in the morning.”

“I need a favor.”

“What kind of favor?”

I pace my study, the threatening letter still clutched in my free hand. “I need you to come to the house and stay with Sophie for a few hours.”

There’s a pause. “Stay with Sophie? Why?”

“I have to go somewhere. Handle some business. I don’t want her alone.”

“Okay…” Raff draws the word out, clearly confused. “Can’t she just come with you?”

“No.”

“Dom, what’s going on? You sound—”

“Can you do it or not?”

Another pause, longer this time. “Of course I can do it. But you’re being weird about this. Weirder than usual, I mean.”

“Just get here as soon as you can.”

“Give me thirty minutes.”

“Twenty.”

“Dom—”

I hang up before he can ask more questions that I don’t have the answers to.

All I know is that someone wants to hurt Sophie, and Giuseppe Caruso is the only person who might have insight into who’s behind these threats. The same Caruso who warned me about bringing a Bellini into my company— the one who suggested I make Sophie disappear.

I fold the letter and slip it into my jacket pocket, then head upstairs to check on Sophie. She’s in her room, sitting at the small desk by the window with her laptop open.

“Raff’s coming by. He’ll be here while I’m out.”

That gets her attention. “Out where?”

“Business meeting.”