“Maybe we should call it a night, Maria.” Kat was clearly trying to stop the fight.
Maria sympathized with Katarina’s dilemma. She was on the losing side, whichever man won. But Maria knew Dominic would enjoy getting a few shots in on Drago for choosing his sister for his revenge and without any consequences from Lucca. This was her present to Dominic, now that she thought about it.
“One …” Maria began the countdown before Kat could convince her husband to pull out.
The two men stared at each other without moving.
“Two …” Maria’s throat went dry in anticipation. She just hoped she wouldn’t regret this. “Three.”
The men began circling each other, waiting for the other to strike first. Maria finally had to blink, and as soon as she did, that was when they struck.
Both men had their arms wrapped around the other, and she could see their muscles straining as both tried to gain the advantage. Arms straining, they broke apart to circle each other again, each looking for a weakness to hit. Drago went first with a left hook to Dominic’s ribs, and Dom countered, swinging his fist out to plant an undercut blow right below Drago’s chin.
“No face punches!” Kat reminded her brother.
“Technically, below the chin isn’t the face; it’s the throat,” Maria told her as they both held each other’s hands tightly.
Drago returned the punch with a right hook to Dominic’s cheekbone while he shielded his ribs with his right hand.
“We said no face punches!” Maria hissed now.
“They really wouldn’t hurt each other, would they?” Kat asked anxiously.
“I’m sure they won’t …” Maria tried to lie to herself, hating that she encouraged this. Well, at least on the night before her wedding.
During the next series of hits the men traded, neither man grimaced nor made a noise of pain, each taking the hit and coming back stronger.
Kat squeaked in fear when Dom’s knuckles split Drago’s lip and blood formed around his mouth.
The blood loss didn’t make Drago lose his temper. Instead, the man went left then right before he grabbed Dominic by the waist to lift him off his feet and throw them down on the ground.
Maria let out a light scream as she would have sworn she had watched it in slow motion. Thinking he would be dead from them both being huge and falling to the ground, she was surprised when Dominic wasn’t fazed and had maneuvered himself on top of Drago somehow.
“That’s enough!” Maria screeched out, standing. She and everyone else in there could see the only way the fight was going to end was in death. Mentally both men didn’t know how to give up, and their bodies weren’t willing to either.
Dominic reared his fist back, not wavering at her words, while the grip Drago had on Dom’s neck seized.
After a tense moment, Dom got off him, then held out a hand to help his brother-in-law to his feet. Drago took it.
“Great, a tie,” Matthias ground out, staring at the money he had hoped would be in his hands, as he watched Nero put it back in his wallet. “My brother has disappointed me yet again.”
“Okay, put the furniture back,” Maria ordered, not wanting to take any more chances with Dominic’s face.
Going to him, Maria touched his swelling cheekbone. “I thought I said no going for the face?” Maria hissed over the moving furniture to Drago, who was getting looked over by Kat.
“It’s fine, Maria,” Dom assured her with a laugh. “I did throw the cheap shot first.”
“No, you hit under his chin.” Snatching the peas from Vincent’s broken nose as he passed, she placed it on Dom’s cheek where it was more important. “Now look at what you did to his face, and our wedding’s tomorrow.”
“Well, I got shot at mine,” Drago reminded her as he wiped the blood from his mouth. “It’ll make for a great memory.”
Rolling her eyes, she went back to Dom’s poor face. She had to admit, somehow, the man only looked hotter. Maria swiped her tongue over her bottom lip. “You know … I would have said yes a lot sooner if I’d known you could do that.”
“I’m out,” Nero said, grabbing Elle’s hand after the furniture had been put back. “This is still too fucking weird for me.”
Everyone was slightly scared by the hot glances between the soon to be married couple. It had them all wanting to leave.
“Hey.” Vincent stopped them before anyone could leave to ask the question that could put him in his grave. “How come you didn’t offer to fight him, Lucca?”
Everyone went deathly silent, waiting for the boogieman’s verbal or physical response to the idiot. All of them assumed they were about to witness a murder; even Chloe stood nervously beside him. What none of them expected was the underboss’s simple response.
“Because … I wouldn’t have won.”
Unbothered, Lucca wrapped his arm around his fiancée’s shoulders as they headed for the door, and all of them watched him walk away.
That was the difference that separated leaders from soldiers. Leaders knew when to surrender in order to succeed, and it was a wisdom nearly every man in the room needed to learn.
Lucca was cold, calculating, and cunning, and while Dominic would have won a match in brawn, Maria knew … Lucca would beat him any day in a game of chess.
“Adalyn …” Finally, it was Angel who noticed. “Why are you covered in glitter?”
Forty-Nine
All You’ll Ever Care To Know
“Anything else you’re hiding from me that I’ll find extremely fucking hot?” Maria asked as soon as they were alone.
Dominic put his tatted hands on her waist as he pulled her to him. “Oh, you’ll find that out tomorrow night, princess.”
“You could show me now.” She darted her tongue out to lick his lips. “I promise you, after that, I’ll still marry you.”
“I know you will.” He laughed, knowing her too well. “But no.”
Catching sight of his dimples, Maria moved her tongue to the precious dent. “You sure about that?”
“No,” he gritted out, loving that action from her, but he still held strong. “That’s why I need to go.”
Maria pulled her head back. “You’re not going to stay with me tonight?”
“I can’t, Maria. I’m sorry.” Internally, Dominic wanted to cry just as much as her, yet he stood strongly behind his moral code. “One more night, princess, is all I’m asking. Then I swear to you we won’t have to sleep apart again.”
Wanting nothing more than to con him into getting into her bed, Maria knew she could easily get him to break since the wedding was only one day away. And even though she didn’t care about her virginity, she respected the fact that he did.
Staring into his hazel eyes, she wanted another oath. “Promise?”
“I promise, princess.” He made the easiest promise he would ever make as he sealed it with a kiss. “Now you really have to let me go.”
“Fine,” she grumbled, taking her lips off his. He seemed to be in a hurry to go somewhere … “Did you like your bachelor party present?” Maria asked with a smile, trying to stall, as he walked them to her door.
“No, but Matthias appreciated it for the little bit they were here.”
“You sent them away?” she asked, confused.
“Yes,” Dom said before correcting, “Well, technically, Lucca did.”
“Why?” Maria couldn’t believe it. “Did you even get a turn?”
Dominic stopped at her door, looking at her like she was crazy. “So, they weren’t a joke? You seriously wanted strippers here?”
“Yes, it was a bachelor party.” She spelled it out for him like Lake had earlier in the night. “The outfits might have been the joke, but I wanted you to have fun.”
“Woman, I will never fucking understand you.” Dom shook his head like he had a headache for a second.
“I watched a hockey game; fair is fair.”
“Maria, you watched fully clothed men fight where you can’t see a
ny faces. That’s why you like it. And trust me; while a part of me is grateful you can’t stand a man to touch you or for you to really to gaze upon any man, I don’t exactly take pleasure in women touching me for money.”
Oh … Maria felt like a fucking idiot. “I’m sorry. I should have thought about—”
“It’s okay. You don’t have to apologize,” he assured her sweetly. “You were trying to do something nice, and I appreciate the thought, and Matthias really fucking appreciated it.” Dominic laughed. “I haven’t seen him that happy all year. Plus, the cowgirl outfits were a nice touch.”
Maria smiled. “I thought you would like that.”
“I did, but let me make one thing clear, princess.” Dominic craned her neck with a finger. “The only girl I ever want to touch or look at in something dressed like that is you.”
Her eyes rolled to the back of her head at his words and when he put his mouth on her neck.
“Wait …” Dominic removed his lips from her neck, seeing her skin sparkle up close. “Why are you glittery?”
Maria quickly opened her door and started shoving him out like she had after Angel asked that question to Adalyn.
He was no longer as eager to leave. “Are you sure you all didn’t go to a strip clu—”
“I’ll see you at the altar.” Maria gave him one last kiss that stole his thoughts and breath away in an instant. Pleased with herself, she shut the door. “Goodnight.”
Dominic left smiling, wishing he had gotten the chance to tell her he loved her one last time before they were married. But as he walked down the hall, his thoughts went to his upcoming meeting. He just hoped he came out of it alive ….
“Why are you here, Dominic?” the man behind the desk, smoking a cigar, asked after several awkward moments.
Dom knew this wasn’t going to end well, and even though Lucca had told him he would handle his father, Dominic still needed to face him, man-to-man. If he didn’t have the balls to face his fiancé’s father, then he didn’t deserve to marry her at all.
“Dante, I came to you out of respect to tell you—”
“That you’re fucking my daughter?” Dante finished for him. “You think I don’t know what is going on in my own damn business? You’ve been prancing around here with her for days.”
Flexing his jaw, Dominic managed to keep his cool, even with the boss’s blatant disrespect for a situation where he didn’t have the correct facts.
Beginning again, he spoke the words harshly so he would not be interrupted this time. “I came here to tell you that I’m marrying your daughter.”
Dante impassively puffed on his cigar.
“You already know,” Dominic said, not seeing any additional hatred in the man’s ice-blue eyes than what was already there.
He’d been more upset at the thought he was fucking his daughter under his roof than marrying her. Like everyone else, Dante was no different, assuming a man with the last name Luciano had bad intentions. Dominic Luciano had shown more respect to the Caruso boss’s daughter than his own soldiers, and it wouldn’t matter if he told him, Dante wouldn’t believe it.
“Unfortunately, my son has already informed me.” Grabbing the cigar from his mouth, he almost crushed it. “You should have listened to Lucca when he told you not to come see me. Whatever it is you want from me, Dominic, I’m not fucking interested. You can see yourself out.”
Nodding, Dom stood up, seeing that Lucca had been right, but the second his back turned, he turned right back around to face Dante a second time. “I didn’t come here as the Luciano boss; I came here as a man to speak with the father of the woman I love.”
“She hasn’t told you?” he asked, putting the cigar back to his mouth.
Dom’s brows furrowed. “Told me what?”
“When she cleared your name as One-Shot, I told Maria, if she saw you again, she would be dead to me.” The boss blew out a puff of smoke. “I knew no dance with my daughter would be harmless, and I was right.”
The rage that flowed through Dominic took everything he had to not let his fist meet that man’s face.
It hadn’t only been Lucca who had told him not to see him; Maria has said it as well. It was no wonder she didn’t want to invite him to the wedding. Dom didn’t want her to regret it one day, and it was part of the reason why he’d come, in hopes her father would be there to see his only daughter marry. Then again, Maria didn’t look at him as a father anymore—and there was no way she could after he’d disowned her.
“Those are unforgivable words, Dante, words you will come to regret once your son takes every last thing from you. When that happens, I want you to remember that it was you who managed to destroy the only precious thing you would have had left—and you did it all on your own.”
“You do not know what it’s like to father a child.” Dante’s cigar crashed as he hit his hands to the desk and stood. “And you do not know what it’s fucking like to have your daughter marry the son of the man who murdered your wife.”
“You don’t care to know a thing about me, Dante.” Dominic released his clenched fist as he went to the door. Dante would never see past the seven-letter name … “My father being Lucifer is all you’ll ever care to know.”
Fifty
The Truth Of It All
If it was up to Maria, they would have gone to the courthouse and tied the knot right after that ring was put on her finger. An imitation Elvis Presley could have married her for all she fucking cared, but Dominic wouldn’t allow it. He didn’t want a wedding that was a joke or one that looked like it was a spur-of-the-moment decision, even if it was. Maria, however, never saw herself committing to spending an eternity with a man in a church for everyone to witness. Hell, Maria hadn’t seen herself marrying anyone ever. So, they had compromised. They would have a small wedding for only family, not a joining of the two mafia families.
It was safer, as well, since One-Shot was still at-large. Another big meeting of the families would only end in more bloodshed as tensions were still high. It worked out for Maria, because a wedding was never what she wanted, and all Dominic wanted was a ceremony that held meaning, and if his siblings were there and he was marrying Maria, then that was all he cared about.
In only a month’s time, Maria had pulled off the biggest wedding for Katarina and Drago, so pulling off a little one in a day wasn’t so hard. Plus, she had people for that. The joys of her family owning the biggest Hotel Casino in Kansas City meant they held multiple weddings a year. The small ceremony and reception was easily set up in a matter of hours. The only decor Maria wanted was the view.
Her father might not have approved of the wedding, but Lucca did, and he gladly let her have the wedding she wanted.
Maria stared at herself in the mirror. She had tried on so many wedding dresses through the years and dressed up every day of her life. She could have bought the most expensive and prettiest dress in the world, but it wouldn’t have mattered to her. Maria wasn’t looking for beauty.
Looking down at her white dress, it wasn’t really a dress at all, as it was two pieces. The light sheer skirt sat high on her waist and cascaded down her long legs, allowing the slightest hint of her tanned skin. Underneath she wore a bodysuit that hugged every curve, reminiscent of the nude dress she had worn on their date. It was low-cut and made of the thinnest lace, displaying her perfect breasts. The dress was so perfect, it even held a secret that she couldn’t wait to reveal to Dominic at the end of the night.
She had her makeup perfected with her favorite nude lipstick and soft glam eye look with wings. Her gold hair had been perfectly curled, then tousled in a light wave. Now she only needed one last thing ….
Maria went into her closet to get a pair of heels but immediately stopped when she saw a box sitting on her velvet bench in the middle of the room.
She read the note that laid on top.
For my princess. I love you.
-Your soon-to-be first husband
Maria couldn’t keep the
smile off her face as she carefully laid down the card, then picked up the box. Having bought thousands of pairs of shoes, she knew what would be waiting, but nothing prepared her for the perfection inside.
The stilettos were sky-high with the classic pointed toe, and they were encrusted in Swarovski crystals that glittered as she slid them on her feet, but it was the red bottoms that proved he had taste.
Maria Caruso was truly marrying the perfect man …
For me.
For the first time, Dominic wore a true Italian suit that was fit for a Caruso but tailored to him. He had shoes, but staring down at the box, he figured he might just be changing them when he picked up the note.
For my red bottom man.
Love, your princess.
Opening the top of the box, he saw expensive men’s black dress shoes by Maria’s favorite brand—Louboutin.
Smiling, Dominic couldn’t believe they both had bought coordinating gifts without even knowing it. Now he and his bride would have matching blood-dripped shoes.
Dominic Luciano was truly marrying the perfect woman …
For me.
Descending the steps, Maria was just about to open the door to go to her wedding when the front door suddenly opened.
“Dad?” She stood in place, stunned to see him. It immediately wore off when she remembered those three words. “Sorry I didn’t invite you to my funeral. I must’ve forgot.”
“Maria, I came to talk to you,” he said as she tried to pass by him.
“I’m dead to you, remembe—”
“Please.” He motioned for the couch. “I have a few things I need to say.”
Taking in her father’s sincere tone, she took a seat on the couch, wanting to hear what he had to say.
Dante unbuttoned his jacket as he sat down beside her. It took him a few moments to find the right words. “I don’t know Dominic, but I did know his father, and while I can’t hold a son accountable for his father’s sins, you can’t expect me to be able to get over the fact that Lucifer took the love of my life away. When I see Dominic, I see Lucifer, I see the man who took my wife away from me.”
Dominic (Made Men Book 8) Page 36
