Page 46 of Sweetest Sin

I should tell the truth. But I can’t. Because doing so would mean putting Damien in danger, and I won’t do that. It’s my job to protect him.

“My boyfriend!”

“Dammit, Peyton!”

He raises his hand, and I cower before the blow can land. Only instead of hitting me, his hand lands on the wall next to me.

“Are you fucking serious? You think I would hit you?”

“I know what you’re capable of!” I yell. “You’ve killed people! Is it so far of a stretch to think you’d hurt me?”

He backs up slightly in shock at my accusation, and I use that as my chance to escape. Ducking under him, I run toward the door, but before I can get it open enough to get out, he slams it closed. The action sends my body into the door, and with his arms caging me in, I’m trapped.

“Please,” I beg, my entire body shaking, “don’t hit me!”

Images of my dad pushing my mom around hit me hard, and I close my eyes, praying Dominick doesn’t hurt me the way my dad hurt my mom.

“I’m not going to fucking hit you!” he barks, spinning me around so I’m forced to look at him. “Now, stop fucking lying to me. We both know who Damien is, and you’re going to fucking say it!”

“No,” I shout back, “I’m not! I want you to get the fuck out of my room and out of my life! I already told you?—”

Knock. Knock. Knock.

“This is security. We’ve had a noise complaint. Please open the door.”

I move to the side, but instead of Dominick opening the door, he glares at it for several seconds.

Finally, with an annoyed sigh, he takes a step back and opens the door. “Everything’s fine,” he tells the security guy. “I was just leaving.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, Mr. Antonov. I didn’t know you were here …”

Seriously? Does everybody but me know who this guy is?

“No worries,” he tells the gentleman.

I assume he’s going to leave without another word, but he turns around, his cold gray eyes meeting mine.

“This isn’t over, Peyton,” he warns, sending a chill up my spine.

Because I know his words aren’t empty, and it’s only a matter of time before he comes for me and forces the truth out of me, which is why I need to leave as soon as possible.

As if Dominick can hear my thoughts, he adds, “Before you think about leaving, I’ll be back in the morning. And you’d better fucking be here and be ready to speak honestly.”

He doesn’t wait for me to answer. He simply saunters away like he didn’t just threaten me.

Despite his menacing words, I know without a doubt, I will not be here in the morning.

16

Dominick

This fucking woman.Four and a half goddamn years of keeping this secret. And even knowing that I fucking know, she still won’t admit it.

“Boss,” George, one of the guys who works for me and Matteo, says when I step around the corner.

“I want you on that fucking room. If she leaves, you follow her.”

I stop and remember the way she freaked when she thought I was going to hit her. She had told me about her dad being violent and her mom getting away. I might be pissed, but I would never lay a hand on a woman.