When my bottom lip slid against hers, I vowed.
Never again.
I’d never do this again.
Because doing this again meant temptation I couldn’t afford.
The first time I’d ever been tempted to go against anyone’s wishes in my life.
From one simple innocent girl, with lips like heaven.
“Nine minutes left.” I nibbled her lower lip. “I’m going to make it worth it.”
I deepened the kiss with a moan, lifting her body into my arms as she wrapped her legs around my waist.
I vowed to make those eight more minutes feel like a lifetime — because I knew in my heart that was something I’d never get with her.
A lifetime.
CHAPTER TEN
Tanit
My brain was having an extremely difficult time telling my body that this was a bad idea. And my heart? Well maybe it was just more stupidity on my part — but the moment Dom’s lips touched mine — it slammed against my chest demanding that I recognize its existence and the one guy capable of making it feel alive.
Making me feel something.
Other than fear.
Since my father dropping me off at the school and basically abandoning me.
And there I was.
In Satan’s clutches.
Feeling safer than when I was back in New York in my parents’ home.
Dom groaned something inaudible against my lips then pulled back. “I still get five more minutes.”
I was in no position to ask for more — and yet it was so tempting, the desire to ask for five more on top of that, ten, twenty — a lifetime full of his brand of kisses.
I couldn’t trust my voice.
It was as treacherous as my heart.
I licked my lips, tasting him there, wishing for a miracle that would keep his taste exactly where I wanted it so I could sit in class and daydream about this moment because I was pretty sure after today I wouldn’t get any more of them.
Not if his family knew who I was.
Not if he found out where I came from.
And not if I wanted to actually stay alive and away from the very people who stared one of my uncles in the face, grinned, asked for an explanation, and when he opened his mouth — shot him before he could take his next breath.
“You’re shaking.” Dom’s voice lowered. “And as much as I’m aware my kissing skills are unparalleled, I’m pretty sure I’ve never had a girl look that pale in my arms unless—”
My eyes widened.
“Whatever you think I was going to say…” He kissed me softly on the mouth and retreated. “Don’t.”
“I think we’re down to four minutes,” I said groggily. “And then you get to take me back to campus.”
He sighed, running his hands down my bare arms and back up again, his gaze penetrating, searching. “Be honest, where do you feel safer, campus or here?”
I opened my mouth then closed it, as betraying words lingered on my lips.
“Either you’d rather not lie to me,” he mused, “or you’ve been bred to say only the right things.” He shrugged. “Pity, I guess I’ll just have to take the situation into my own hands, then, huh?”
“Something tells me that’s not a hardship for a guy like you, taking things into your own hands.”
“Just like I took you.” His eyes flashed. “And I don’t like giving things back.”
“You don’t own me.” I kept my voice light even though I knew this conversation was sailing into dangerous waters, and my ship was missing a captain as well as a sail.
“Ah…” He gripped my chin between his fingers. “But I’d like to.”
So stupid. The way his possessiveness washed over me.
Maybe because my father had literally dropped me into enemy territory and basically told me not to die.
Maybe because I’d never felt part of anything.
Wanted.
Needed.
Dom grinned, kissed me on the cheek and grabbed my hand. “Let’s go.”
“What about those four minutes?”
Yeah lame. I sounded so lame in that moment. Was I really arguing? Staying in that house? With those people? In his arms?
He tightened his grip on my hand, his warm chuckle washing over me. “Don’t worry about it, I’ll fill out a rain check. Maybe by the time I cash it in, I’ll be able to add more minutes. I figure once I do what I’m about to do, you won’t be able to resist.”
Like I was resisting now?
We walked hand in hand back down the hall.
One of the guys, one of the least scary looking ones but so deadly attractive I averted my eyes, approached. He stopped in front of us, arms crossed. “You two headed back into the depths of Hell?”
“Something like that,” Dom answered thoughtfully. “I have a favor…”
“Whatever you need.” The guy said it so quickly, so firmly, that I knew if Dom said hey can you knock off the professor who gave me an F in chemistry? it would be done so efficiently, so effortlessly, that it would look like a happy accident.
“Send me back to the dorms.”
The guy burst out laughing then suddenly stopped and raised his eyebrows. “Oh hell, you’re serious?”
“Eh, it’ll be good for Eagle Elite morale.”
“This from the guy who got in trouble for setting the mascot on fire?”
“Bullshit. You would have done the same thing. In fact, I’m pretty sure your exact words on the first day of class were ‘I’m burning this place down.’”
The guy chuckled again, “Yeah, all true.”
“Dante…” Dom sighed.
“God, you’re a pain in my ass most days.”
“But not today?” Dom said hopefully.
“Not today,” Dante agreed.
I finally looked at him, really looked at him. He was too pretty to be a killer, which meant he was probably one of the worst of them all.
Dante’s smile widened. “See something you like, college girl?”
“Mine.” Dom pulled me against him.
Dante licked his lips his eyes slowly meeting mine again. “Nixon’s gonna shit a brick.”
Something shifted in the way Dom held me, and then he let me go, like he was being too possessive — showing his cards too early? I could have sworn guilt flashed across his face before he replaced the expression with boredom. “Call it in today.” Dom shrugged. “Oh, and put me in her room.”
Dante bit down on his lip then failed at another menacing grin in my direction. “Don’t let him influence you too bad, Tanit, he’s a straight A student but suffers from distraction… and pretty things.”
Dom rolled his eyes. “I’ll just put a bag on her head when I need to focus.”
Dante nodded his approval. “Solid plan, let me know how that works out for you two, and is this between us?”
“Nah,” Dom shrugged, “Nixon sees all, knows all, does all — it’s not like I can ever keep anything from him anyway.”
“Not for lack of trying,” Dante agreed, “All right, I’m on it.”
I was still in shock by the time we made it back to the car and was ready to hyperventilate when we drove back to campus in silence.
When Dom helped me out of the fancy car.
When Dom grabbed my hand and led me into the building.
When every single girl shot me a murderous look while probably imagining him without his clothes on.
And when he walked me to the door and didn’t leave me there, but followed me in and closed it with the finality of a gunshot.
That! That’s when I started to lose my mind.
“You can’t be serious!” I roared.
He jerked back and grinned.
“And stop smiling! You can’t just move in to my room!”
Slowly, Dom walked over to the other bed, where my roommate, some other girl, was supposed to be sleeping, living with me. And sat. “Well, look at that? Just did.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Dom
/> I couldn’t wipe the grin from my face as I laid back against the down comforter.
It was nice.
It was also the only thing in her room — probably because I’d stolen her before she’d had a chance to set up. I could feel the tension rolling off of her. She wanted to tell me to go to hell.
It would really only encourage me more.
Besides, keep your enemies close.
What better way to sleep with one eye open when I have her across from me.
“This—” Tanit took a deep breath and then muttered, “—is highly inappropriate.”
“Is it?” I moved to a sitting position then stood, taking my time with each step as I sauntered over to her and then tilted her chin toward me with one simple movement of my thumb against her soft flesh. “Because I have ideas about what’s inappropriate if you want me to demonstrate.”
She swallowed, slowly, like she was buying time, thinking. “I’m going to unpack.”
I hid the disappointment from my face as she quickly moved away from me and walked to the other side of the room where one solitary suitcase perched against the wall.
I shoved my hands in my pockets, mentally calculating how long it was going to take me to get all my shit from home, or at least what I needed from home, and into the dorm. They already provided bedding at Elite, but beyond that I’d need all of my clothes, and something to counter the fact that I was going to be living with a girl who with my luck probably loved pink and unicorns.
I frowned as she quietly started unzipping her suitcase, her body tense. “Where’s the rest of your shit?”
Her hands stopped moving.
She froze like she was afraid.
It was her tell — the way she hesitated to buy herself more time, and I both hated and loved the fact that I was figuring her out that fast — because it meant this wasn’t going to last long, whatever the hell it was. There would be a day where she’d either end up hating me forever or trying to kill me herself, and if she knew the real reason behind my little self-invitation into her room, she’d probably wait until I was sleeping and then hold a knife to my throat.
“Tanit?” I said her name softly. “Your things?”
“Right here.” She stood straight, putting her hands on her hips. “One suitcase.”
“One.” I bit down hard on my lip until I tasted blood. “Suitcase?”
“Yup.” She didn’t seem as upset as I was about the whole scenario, but what the hell kind of parents just dropped her off at a school with one suitcase.
I moved to look over her shoulder.
Clothes.
Nothing personal.
Not even an embarrassing stuffed animal from her childhood.
“I’m going to ask you something, and I need you to not lie to me,” I whispered.
She crossed her arms and turned, her expression completely closed off.
“If,” I said, and moved closer, lowering my voice, “I bought you a stuffed animal, would you set it on fire or would you sleep with it?”
“Huh?” Clearly that wasn’t what she expected. “Why would you buy me a stuffed animal?”
I shrugged. “First, it’s sad as hell that you have nothing personal in here except a suitcase that I’m assuming you’ve never seen until today, probably didn’t even pack yourself. Second, it makes me want to commit extremely violent acts on your behalf when I see nothing from your past, nothing to tell you everything’s going to be okay — that the world isn’t this dark and lonely place even though it feels like it a lot of the times. I see nothing. And since you’d probably kick me out of your bed if I offered said cuddling services, I thought I could negotiate a stuffed…” I narrowed my eyes. “Cat?”
She smiled, and damn that smile burrowed straight past my cold heart and nestled in my chest like it was meant to exist there. “Dog?”
“Elephant.” I countered. “You seem like a stuffed elephant kind of girl.”
“How do you figure?” She leaned closer to me.
I took another step, tempted to pull her into my arms again, tempted to kiss her, to steal pieces that I was already feeling guilty for not giving back. “Easy,” I shrugged, “Elephants have good memories, they’re smart, and they’re intimidating in their own right. Just like you.”
Surprise widened her eyes. “Are you calling me an elephant?”
“I could have called you a cat, and I think cats are possessed by demons, so…” I offered a shrug.
She licked her lips and then rose up on her tiptoes. “An elephant it is.”
I pulled her into my arms, just enough so I could touch her.
“And Dom?”
“Hmm?”
“I never said I’d kick you out if you offered your cuddling services. You just never asked, but now that I’ll have an elephant…”
“Damn it, walked right into that one.”
She tapped her head, “I’m quick, what can I say?”
I brushed a kiss across her lips. “I like it when you smile.”
“As opposed to what?”
“The frowning. The fear.” I pulled back, way back. I had no business making her believe in a happily ever after when I was more death dealer than Disney movie. “Now, let me help you unpack your five shirts and few pairs of pants, and you can tell me everything I need to know so I can be a good roommate. Snoring, bathroom routine, naked time—”
“Naked time?” She scoffed. “There will be no naked time.”
I smirked. “We’ll see, won’t we?”
CHAPTER TWELVE
Dom
It was midnight.
I was exhausted.
But I had none of my shit.
And a part of me felt guilty that she’d had nothing, just clothes on her back, some in her bag, and nothing personal, no pictures.
It was like her family didn’t want her to keep anything that would trace her involvement back to them.
And when I texted Sergio again he wasn’t very forthcoming with information. When I texted Chase, I got a middle finger back followed by, “Go to Hell.”
Damn, the guy was charming only when he wanted to be.
Nixon’s house was dark.
Two men stood outside, smoking.
They gave me a wave and then a wide berth as I walked between them, purposefully, making sure they understood that they didn’t just report to Nixon but me as well.
I shoved the door open.
And froze.
Tex.
I clenched my fists.
He smirked and then pressed his hands against the kitchen counter, his muscles flexed with what I knew was pure delight in envisioning punching me in the face.
I read his thoughts.
He read mine.
We both only wanted one thing.
A chance to go at it like we did the first day I stepped into his world, the first day I showed him proof of who I was.
The first day I challenged him as Capo.
“Halfling.” He sneered. “What brings you here?”
Halfling. His favorite name for me.
Half-brother. Brother from the same bastard father.
My mom had been raped.
She married my dad to hide the pregnancy.
Wasn’t that how all royals were born?
“Big brother.” I grinned. “Isn’t it a bit past your bedtime? I know how much you enjoy the early bird special… God I love Sizzlers.”
He didn’t bite.
Just smirked even harder. “How are things progressing?”
“Faster than if you were doing the same job, I imagine.” I shrugged. “I came by to grab some stuff.”
“Dorm life.” He shook his head. “You’re either hell bent on proving yourself or you want to get naked with the enemy.”
I kept my face indifferent, my expression bored. “Where’s Nixon?”
“Sleeping,” he snapped. “I came by to drop off another black folder for the vault and decided to steal a bottle of Nixon’s best whiskey.”
“At least steal it in front of him so you get a good fight out of it.” I shrugged.
“Who needs a fight with Nixon when I can spar with you?”
I almost groaned.
Almost.
I was a big guy.
Bigger than a lot of them.
Tex was the biggest.
It was like he snacked on small children for breakfast then dumped horse meat into his protein shakes during lunch.
It made absolutely no sense.
It was like the older he got the more his muscles grew.
And to be honest, it kinda pissed me off. The guy had too much power already. Why give him both physical and mental, and then the freaking mafia crown on top of it?
“Sorry, you’re going to have to find another victim. I need to get back on campus.” I made a move to pass him.
His hand shot out, gripping my forearm so tight I held back a wince. “Don’t mess this up. She’s one of them.”
“And what, exactly—” I jerked away. “—do we have against them?”
His eyes searched mine before he said in a low voice. “Everything.”
“So we blame her for her birth?”
“No. We blame her for existing.” He slowly pulled his hand away before giving me a single nod and walking out the door, Nixon’s whiskey in his clutches.
I stared down at the hardwood floor.
Thinking.
Trying to figure out why such a small girl would be a big threat.
And I kept coming up empty.
Why was she important?
Who was she?
And what was I getting myself into?
Because it felt like the deeper I fell — the more I wanted to, the more I was doing it for me, and not for them.
And I knew thoughts like that didn’t just get you shot at, they got you killed.
I’d seen it firsthand.
I’d seen what the guys had dealt with.
The blood.
The war.
The loss.
I didn’t want to be buried six feet deep, just because I lost my head and my heart all at once.
The thoughts haunted me as I went into my room and started packing bags, and when I saw a few things I thought Tanit might like, I grabbed them.
And cursed myself for my weakness when it came to her eyes.
Just like I cursed myself for her weakness when I thought about her kiss.
Exposed Page 4
