Dominic (Made Men Book 8)

by Sarah Brianne

  When Dom returned Maria, the wrath of hell would exponentially increase since withholding that information from Lucca.

  At first, he didn’t know why he did it, knowing the consequences would be harsh, but when the girls emerged from the back of the store almost an hour later and he saw Maria’s face, he knew.

  Her emerald eyes sparkled the longer she was away from her Caruso bodyguard. Maria looked content, like she was genuinely enjoying herself. He didn’t want to take that away from her just yet.

  Dom also might’ve had selfish reasons for wanting to keep her in his exclusive care … He’d already planned on driving her home much slower than when he drove them here.

  Thanking God he had already tossed the bottle before they came out, he had made it up to where they stood at the cash register right when the price with far too many zeros was announced.

  “Excuse me? What?” Kat’s mouth dropped to the floor.

  Maria didn’t bat an eye as she went into her purse. “Don’t worry about it. It’s a gift from—”

  “The Carusos.”

  When a black card appeared from behind them, along with that cold voice, Dominic didn’t have to look back.

  “I really can’t accept—”

  “It’s okay, Kat.” Throwing an arm over her shoulders, Dominic hushed her while smoothly pulling her closer to him. “It’s the least they can do.”

  Outwardly, he kept his cool, but internally…. Shit, shit, shit.

  Regret seeped in at not telling Lucca where Maria was. Making sure to keep Kat close to him as they exited the store, he was ready for the underboss to unload, but was shocked when Lucca addressed Maria and not him.

  “Maria, you have five seconds to tell me why you are here.”

  She didn’t gave a single fuck as she flipped a blonde lock behind her shoulder. “Kat needed a dress.”

  “And where the fuck are my men?” Lucca’s voice was quiet, which made it even more lethal.

  Dom waited for her answer, but when she kept silent, he was surprised to find himself answering for her.

  “Kat asked me to drop her off here, and when I came in, I saw Maria alone.” That part might have been a lie, but he continued with the truth, finding himself sticking up for the mafia princess. “Instead of getting her in trouble, I decided to watch her for you and was going to bring her back home safely when they were done.”

  The silent look Lucca gave him promised retribution for not telling him over the phone.

  Maria’s eyes flashed in surprise at Dom before she nodded. “I called Kat to meet me here, and then I just snuck out and took a cab.”

  It appeared Lucca would save the tongue-lashing for their meeting tomorrow, as he looked back at Maria with harsh, blue-green eyes. “We’re leaving.”

  “Yep, so are we.” Dom wasn’t wasting any time getting them the fuck out of there. He pulled Kat in the opposite direction that Lucca was trying to pull Maria toward.

  Maria waved, clearly not scared of her brother. “Bye, Kat.”

  “Bye. Thank you for everything.” Kat smiled as he dragged her away.

  “You’re welcome.” Maria looked at him. “Bye, Dominic.”

  He, however, didn’t have the luxury of turning back to look at her, knowing, if he did, his body—that was screaming for him to stay—wouldn’t be able to control itself. It were as if his body had become possessed around her, like it didn’t belong to him, and he didn’t trust to keep his feelings in check, especially when Lucca was around.

  He also didn’t trust his voice to say the word good-bye.

  If only he had turned around, he would have seen her upset face; not saying good-bye affected on her too.

  Dominic didn’t know when it happened—the first time he met her at her mother’s funeral, the second time after Matthias opened the door, or third time when he’d looked up at her as she held Kat’s wedding dress—but he wanted her. And it wasn’t just want, she was a fucking need. Dominic needed Maria to be his, and he had to have Maria need him as well.

  When she placed that black wedding dress up against her, he had her move it out of the way because the only thought he had was that he wanted her in a beautiful white wedding dress … to marry him in.

  He had envisioned it all in a split-second, from his ring on her finger to a baby in her belly; his fucking soul needed her. Dominic could feel that she was meant to be his, and his body had secretly known it since he’d first met her. Like how he knew a gun belonged in his hand at the age of two, Maria belonged to him, and he was never going to be able to get a chance with her because his last name was Luciano.

  It would be the last thing his name would take.

  “That was rude,” Kat whispered harshly.

  “Don’t care.” Dom only slowed his pace when they were far enough from Lucca. His mind still on Maria, he almost felt bad for Ted. “That psycho is on a mission to get every man in Kansas City murdered today, and I’m sure as fuck not going to be one of them.”

  That was why he knew Maria was meant for him.

  Dom would never have to pretend to be something he wasn’t around her, or have to hide what he was or the things he did. Not only did his body cry out for hers but, for once, he wasn’t afraid of being around a woman and hurting her.

  Dominic had never trusted himself around women, fearing that part of Lucifer was somewhere deep inside of him, like the anger he’d passed down to him. But Dominic wasn’t afraid that he’d hurt Maria, knowing he’d never be capable of it. What he feared was Maria hurting him.

  “Jesus, are you drunk?” Kat asked, having to throw her arm around his waist as he slumped forward so she could keep him up on her shoulders.

  “Psst … No.” Dom reached into his pocket, thanking God that weak-ass champagne had finally kicked in and that Lucca came for his sister after all. Giving Kat the keys, he hiccupped, “But you’re driving.”

  “Oh my God, Dom.” Kat shook her head. “Why exactly did you feel the need to get wasted midday?”

  Because I had to watch you try on wedding dresses! And now I’ll be forced to watch you walk down the aisle to marry a fucking piece of shit who just wants revenge!

  However, it was much easier to sum it down to a couple hiccupped words. “Lucca fucking Caruso.”

  Thinking back to yesterday, it was no wonder Lucca hadn’t killed him for not telling him about Maria on the phone. This was what he wanted, and Lucca got his retribution, as Dom was now leaving without freeing his sister.

  With all hope for his sister not having to marry the Caruso lost, he hadn’t seen Maria at first. Not until he hit the foyer and Maria’s head and eyes lifted to his from where she sat at the bottom steps of the grand staircase.

  He did his best to hide his sadness from from them both. A part of him felt dirty the second he walked out of Lucca’s office, taking the deal from the boogieman that didn’t include his sister’s freedom, regardless of how unfeasible it was.

  Lucca needed Kat as a piece on his chessboard.

  Passing Maria where she sat, he could see her sympathy reflected in her green eyes.

  “See you at the wedding,” Dom confirmed the grim reason why he had been there to speak with Lucca.

  Opening the front door, he was going to walk out, but unlike last time, he allowed himself to look back at the woman he had fallen in love with, and his hopeless heart suddenly felt … hopeful.

  Dominic gave her one final look. It was time to let her know he was stiking his claim. “I’ll be wanting a dance, princess.”

  Twenty

  A Wedding … And A Funeral

  Dominic adjusted his suit jacket, feeling weird that he didn’t have his big leather jacket on instead. Growing up, he had always wanted to dress like a Caruso, but now that he was in an expensive rental suit expertly fit, it didn’t feel right.

  While others viewed his last name with disdain, Luciano was a name he had proudly earned, just like his leather jacket. To bear that name meant he’d survived the devil and h
ell.

  Opening the door, he thought it hadn’t been long since he saw that face, but it had been. The two brothers took each other in an embrace, Dominic holding him in a tight hug for a long moment, somehow missing him more than he had before, even though he was now standing in front of him.

  “Let me get a look at you.” Dom finally let him go to see him.

  He had changed just ever so slightly. It wasn’t his outer appearance as much as the metamorphosis that had taken place inside. However, seeing this half of a whole showed him just how bad off the other one had gotten.

  “You look good, Angel.”

  “Thanks.”

  “They treating you right over there?” he asked, wanting to make sure what had happened when he’d first gone into the Caruso’s care hadn’t happened again.

  After Lucifer, a new enemy to the two families had emerged. One-Shot. It was a man who possessed the same power he did with a gun. When a Caruso soldier was murdered and One-Shot took his first kill, some of the Caruso men had assumed it was Angel who’d done it, and they had ambushed him in the middle of the night, beating him within an inch of his life.

  The tattooed brother gave him an assuring nod. “Yes, Lucca has done right by me.”

  “Good.” Dominic nodded back.

  Clearing his throat, the pit in his stomach ached for what he had to talk to him about. “There’s something I need tell you.”

  Angel looked at him like a soldier.

  “Dante will release you once the wedding is over,” he told his brother what the Caruso boss had told him earlier.

  “He is?” Angel, who had prepared for bad news, had happiness in his voice.

  “Yes, he will have Kat to make sure our deal stays intact.”

  Suddenly, his brother’s face turned into a mask of emotions. “Listen, Dominic there’s something I need to t—”

  “I know about Adalyn,” Dom stopped him. “I’m glad you have her,” he told him truthfully, having to look away, unable to meet his brother’s eyes. “I need to ask something of you now.”

  Angel the soldier returned with a single nod.

  “Don’t come home.” Dominic’s voice wanted to break, but he kept it strong, not letting it waiver. “For as long as Katarina is a Caruso, you must be one, too.” He forced himself to face his brother’s eyes again, knowing he deserved the decency of being faced, man to man. “We Lucianos must stick together, even if that means we will be apart. Do you understand?”

  Angel’s dark gray eyes matched the sadness in his voice. “Yes.”

  “Good. You will make sure that not only Drago takes care of her, but that every Caruso does too.” Dominic knew the cost of his ask, separating the twins would be Matthias’ downfall. “The only Caruso you can trust for now is Lucca, but do not trust him completely, Angel. He is just one bad day away from turning into our father, and when that time comes, it’ll be up to us to put Lucca down.”

  Swallowing hard, Angel nodded in understanding again.

  Dominic took his brother in another strong hug, his voice was no longer able to keep from wavering. “Make sure she’s taken care of for me, not only by Drago but by every fucking one of them.”

  “I will,” Angel promised, giving him his word.

  Letting his brother go, he quickly went for the door, needing to go to the source of his rage that was beginning to boil.

  “Keep him alive for me?” Angel asked with a solemn whisper before he walked out.

  Squeezing the door handle, Dominic wished he was able to give the same promise that Angel had for Katarina, but one of the Lucianos hadn’t mentally survived their time in hell. “I’ll try.”

  Dominic silently walked into the room undetected, slowly stalking the huge man he could only see from his back, with his hand on the Glock behind his back.

  One bullet is all it’d take ….

  His mind taunted him to take it out and pull the Glock’s trigger like he desperately wanted, and he had every intention of doing so until their reflections met in the mirror.

  Drago, who had been tightening his tie in the mirror, turned around, realizing he’d been snuck up on.

  A lot like how Anthony was for the Luciano family, Drago De Santis was that for the Carusos. He had been often called “the tank” and bore that nickname even more so after taking five bullets to the chest, which was why he was Dante’s personal bodyguard. To say he was shocked seeing Dominic standing behind him with his hand at his back was an understatement.

  Dominic squeezed the grip of his Glock until his tanned knuckles turned white. “You do anything to hurt her or be any fucking less than what Lucca has said about you, you’ll have wished the boogieman had come for you when I fucking kill you.” Taking a deep breath, he removed his hand from his back, regretfully leaving his gun firmly in place. The only silver lining was he was finally able to make a fucking promise he would keep. “And this time, there will be no coming back, Drago. Because, unlike my father, I don’t fucking miss.”

  Walking into the final room broke his heart, but he made sure to stay strong. Their fate had been sealed, no matter how hard Dominic tried to fight it or find a loophole. Lucca had won … this battle.

  Staring at his beautiful sister all done up, he wished he didn’t have to ask, “You ready?”

  When Kat stood, her black, expensive gown flowed around her as she took some nervous deep breaths.

  “I want you to know that, even if it meant my death, I would not let you walk down this aisle if I didn’t know you could handle it,” Dominic told her, his eyes boring deeply into hers.

  Kat’s voice came out in a whisper. “I know.”

  “We knew this day would come, Katarina,” Dom reminded her of the many talks they’d had in the months leading up to their father’s demise. They’d known Dominic’s journey of taking over his father’s position in the family wouldn’t be an easy road, just like the road to get the Luciano throne had been daunting and long. There would be a price to pay, but Dom had promised all his siblings one thing …

  I’ll make the Luciano name mean something again.

  She gave him an encouraging smile. “Yes, we did.”

  “You’re going to be the one to save us all, and I couldn’t be more fucking proud. They might not know what you’re capable of but, one day, they will. They’ll know what we are all capable of.” Dominic finally smiled. “Make him fuckin’ regret picking you, Kat … Give. Him. Hell.”

  “I plan on it.”

  He’d known the second he had picked her up in his arms the night so long ago that she would mean more than him and his brothers combined. Katarina was giving him his first step into Kansas City’s new world order, and if Dominic did become king one day, it was going to be all because of her.

  He held out an arm with a heavy breath, and she took it as she picked up her blood-red bouquet of roses.

  The walk was long, but as the church doors swung open, it wasn’t nearly as long as that painful walk down the aisle. Passing the pews in the same Catholic church he had met Maria in years ago, he was glad Kat looked the part in her gothic dress because, with each step they took, it felt like they were taking part in a wedding … and a funeral.

  He felt so sick with every step closer, by the time they reached the alter, he wasn’t sure he was capable of giving his little sister away. It wasn’t until his eyes caught the angel dressed in white, sitting in one of the pews, was he able to give Kat one final hug.

  The two siblings, who were more like father and daughter, hugged for a precious moment, and Dominic could have sworn he saw Kat’s life flash in front of his eyes, from the time he first picked her up, to the time he lay broken while Lucifer beat her, and all the way to the moment they were in now.

  Giving her away to Drago broke another part of his soul, but the only fucking reason he was able to do it was for the angel in white a few pews over that his body called out for.

  And if he didn’t get his angel …

  I’ll fucking kill every
last one of them.

  Dominic looked over to her brother, suited in black from head to toe beside her.

  Starting with you, Lucca.

  Twenty-One

  To Lock The Door Or Keep It Unlocked?

  “Have you seen the bride’s dress? She’s Luciano trash, for sure.”

  It hadn’t been the first time Dominic had heard that, and he’d bet every penny he had that it wouldn’t be his last. Hell, he’d heard it about five times since the wedding reception had started, from every rich asshole and bitch in here, but by the look on Maria’s pretty face, she hadn’t experienced it yet.

  “I thought she’d get more use out of a black dress, Luisa.” Maria’s green eyes glowered at the old woman, who clearly came from the Caruso side of the family based on the diamond broach she wore. “I’ll tell her to wear it to your funeral.”

  By the look of the old bitch’s face and her equally old friend, they were about to let Maria have it—until Dom let his presence known by coming up to stand behind her. Needless to say, the old bitches moved away in a hurry.

  “I have to say that was better than anything I could’ve come up with, princess,” Dominic said with a smile. It had been the first time he’d heard anyone stick up for a Luciano who didn’t bear the name, and it only made him like her that much more.

  Maria spun on her heels, seeing why the old women had left in a hurry.

  Noticing the glass in her hand was empty, he took it, repaying the favor she had given him at the bridal boutique by placing a filled glass in her hand from the tray a waiter was carrying. He raised a brow, still smiling at the clever but ruthless words she spouted off to the women. Everyone wanted to tell off old folks who thought they could say whatever they wanted and get away with it because they were old … but no one actually did it—except Maria.