Page 89 of He is Poison

The sleek animal thatpinned him in place was gasping for breath, which wasn’t satisfying enoughgiven the situation, but at least Seth knew hewasa match for Dom’sstrength. “Now we stand up. You will walk back into the apartment on your owntwo feet, got it?” rasped Domenico.

Seth swallowed andnodded, unwilling to say a word. His failure was so epic the shame of it almostphysically hurt. They both got to their feet with Dom never letting go of thegrip on Seth’s arm and neck. They might have been training together, but Seth’stechnique was so far off Dom’s that it wasn’t even worth comparing. Seth gotled back into their apartment like the sheep he was. He couldn’t scream. Therewas no one who could save him, and the last thing they needed here now was thepolice.

With one last shove, Domlet him go, and from the sound of it, started locking the door again. Thesilence was overwhelming and this time, Seth was willing to break it.

“Do you ever fuckingsleep? I can go wherever I want to!” Seth raised his voice, even though he knewhis cause was lost. He could barely catch a breath, drowning in the thoughts ofa life in captivity. With a wife he didn’t even get to choose and a career paththat would surely lead him to an early grave. Maybe it was time to end ithimself after all? He rubbed his eyes.

“No, you can’t. None ofus can go anywhere if we want to live,” snarled Domenico, spreading his arms ina violent gesture.

Seth lunged at him withhis shoulder without another thought, in an attempt to push him away from thedoor, but Dom caught his wrists with ease and shook him.

“Mr. Villani, that’senough!”

“Stop calling me that!”screamed Seth, but the energy to fight was leaving his body like air escaping apunctured balloon.

Domenico stepped awaywithout making a sound. When he spoke, it sounded as calm as ever. “It was youwho wanted it less personal.”

“I didn’t,” Seth moaned,completely in pieces, the taste of blood still on his tongue. “It’s notprotection, it’s prison.”

Domenico scratched hishead with a sigh. He looked tired. “I can’t let you go. You need to calm down.”

“I won’t!” Sethretreated into the living room, which seemed small and cramped. Now that it wascertain he wasn’t going anywhere, he threw the jacket on the sofa. “I don’twant to waste my life and some woman’s!” Seth’s stomach hurt like something waseating him from the inside.

Domenico followed him atthe same slow pace. “You’re no wuss. You’ll be fine.”

“I won’t,” Seth utteredin a broken voice, bile rising in his throat. This was his life. Nothing more,nothing less. “But what do you care? It’s not likeyouhave to do it.”

Dom looked at the floorbetween their feet. His chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm. As if nothinghad happened. As if Seth’s life weren’t falling apart. “I would do anythingyour father wants.”

Those words were like anoose tightening around Seth’s neck. There was absolutely no hope for him if hehad no allies. He sniffed and rubbed his face. He didn’t want Dom to see himuseless like this. “But you don’t have to. No one will force you to marry.We’ll get back to Italy, and you’ll be back to fucking guys at funerals, whileI’m producing kids.”

Domenico let his headfall back with a sigh. “I did things much worse than marrying a woman.”

“I don’t doubt that.”Seth frowned at the tremble in his own voice and turned his back on Dom. It wasall too much. Why couldn’t he be like Dom? Cold like the iceberg about to hitthe Titanic without a shade of guilt. A sudden brush of fingers against hisback seemed firm enough to shatter him.

“You’ll be fine.”

It hit Seth harder thangetting his face scrubbed against the carpet in the corridor and he let out abroken sob. He was once again that child forced to witness his uncle’sexecution, forced to agree with whatever decision his father had made. Hedidn’t want to cry, he really didn’t, but when one sob turned into another,sending a shiver throughout his body, Seth turned around rapidly and wrappedhis arms around his captor’s neck. Dom stiffened, probably anticipating anotherfight, but all Seth wanted was to feel safe again. And whether he liked it ornot, at this point, Domenico was the closest to safety he had.

Strong, steady armswrapped around him, and Domenico pulled him close with a hushing sound. Seth’stears got so out of control, he wet Dom’s shirt, but as much as Seth wanted tostop, the floodgates were open. He didn’t even remember the last time he brokedown like this. Not while being kidnapped, not when his mother died.

“I don’t want to hurtsome innocent girl,” he sobbed, clinging to Dom in a tight embrace.

The contempt inDomenico’s snort was unmistakable. He kissed the top of Seth’s head. “Innocent?She’s probably more acquainted with our ways than you are.”

Seth looked up at him,hurt by the mocking. After all they’d been through together, he did hope formore compassion. Then again, what could he expect from Domenico Acerbi?

He pulled away slightly,but had no idea where he could possibly go. “How am I supposed to have anyintimacy with her?”

“You don’t need anyintimacy with her. It’s an alliance, nothing more.” Domenico shrugged, gentlyplaying with the hair over Seth’s nape, which was oddly calming.

Seth sniffed and rubbedhis eyes, but it was no use, the tears kept coming. “She’ll have expectations.”

“Yes, she will want herown villa and a nice car.” Dom’s face was like a mask of indifference. Ofcourse, he didn’t care, but Seth still pushed closer into the embrace again,inhaling the familiar, musky scent. Despite the cool exterior, Domenico’s skinradiated fragrant warmth that felt like a balm to Seth’s nerves.

“Back to the fuckingcloset, huh?”

Domenico pinched thebridge of his nose. “No one’s asking you to give up men. Certainly not me.”