by K. I. Lynn
“Fuck you! You have no idea who I am.”
“Saying you’re a Vitale when I know you’re a bargain-basement stripper, showing your body for a dollar, is a fucking disgrace to the Vitale name.”
I couldn’t wrench free from his grip, and he wasn’t backing down. Without pause I swung my leg forward, right up into his crotch.
“I told you to let go of me!” I screamed out.
He cried out, his grip loosening, but the fire in his eyes only increased. I pulled away, but he was too fast.
“You fucking bitch!” His hand jumped up to my throat and he squeezed, silencing me. He pulled me up until just my toes touched the ground.
I gasped for air as I clawed at his arm, trying to get him to let go. I swung my legs, kicking him over and over until he’d had enough. He released me, dropping me to the floor, where I coughed and drew in deep breaths.
My gaze moved to the open door, waiting, begging, for someone to walk in, because I knew I’d angered him, and I wasn’t strong or fast enough to escape him.
“You’ll fucking pay for that,” I hissed. My only way was to strike fear into him. If he let fury take control, I knew things would get bad.
“If your precious la Bestia tries anything, they will all open fire on him. Then what will you do?” he taunted.
I glared up at him. “I’ll fucking kill you.”
At that, he laughed. “You’re weak. I can do whatever I want to you, and you can’t stop me. Maybe I should try that pussy out to see if it really is worth getting shot over.”
I stood, my gaze never leaving his. “Lay another finger on m—” His hand swung back and lashed out across my face. I cried out as pain radiated through my bones.
“Don’t fucking touch her!” Domenico roared, appearing at the door with at least four of my grandfather’s men in tow. He shoved Salvatore back and turned to me. “Are you okay?”
I could feel the sting of tears in my eyes as I held my face, but I managed to nod. Domenico’s eyes were slits as he looked to where Salvatore’s hand had been, then he turned back around. I could feel the rage racing to the surface, his muscles tightening. “You son of a bitch.”
“I will fucking end you, Mancini,” Salvatore growled.
Domenico made sure to shield me. “Lay a finger on her again, and they’ll never find your body.”
A gasp left me as Salvatore pulled out his gun and aimed it at Domenico. “The body they’ll never find is y—”
Domenico’s fist slammed into his face with such force Salvatore fell to the ground, his gun skidding across the floor.
Domenico hissed and clutched his side, bending over. Worry knotted my stomach as I placed my hand on his back. He looked to me, his jaw clenched, and nodded.
“I’m okay,” he said before straightening.
“I’m going to do what I should have fucking done when you were dragged in here,” Salvatore spit as he stood and reached into his jacket for another weapon.
“Enough!” my grandfather’s voice boomed out, vibrating around the walls.
There was a scramble of men kneeling, and Salvatore glared as he bowed his head.
“There will be no more of this, understand? If anyone lays a hand on either of them, they will answer to my bullet. Do I make myself clear?”
“Yes, sir.”
Domenico wrapped his arms around me, holding me tight with one arm as he gently examined my cheek with his free hand. I had no idea how it looked, but I did know how much it hurt. In all the weeks I had poked at Domenico while I was stuffed in a cage, he had never once hit me.
My grandfather looked to us before ordering everyone out. “Let’s talk in my office,” my grandfather said.
I was pressed tightly to Domenico’s side as we followed. When we entered, my grandfather immediately picked up his phone and called for the doctor.
Domenico’s nostrils were flared, his eyes locked with mine. “I thought she was safe here.”
“Trust me, there will be penance for laying a hand on her. I’m shocked by his behavior. Salvatore is one of my most loyal and level-headed men.”
“It seems not all of your men accept Ari.”
“I’m so sorry, Nipote.”
“We all know whose fault it is, Nonno, and it is nobody’s in this room,” I said to assure all present. My father was the one to blame. It all fell back on him. He was the reason I hadn’t seen my grandfather in so long.
Amelia entered with an ice pack in hand and pressed it against my swollen jaw. The doctor came in a few minutes later and poked around the area, making me cringe more than once.
“It’s not broken, but it will be sore for a few days. Keep the ice pack on, and I’ll get you something for the pain.”
“Thank you,” I said, wincing as I pressed the cold pack against my skin. The doctor headed out, and we were left in an uncomfortable silence. The confrontation would only intensify the already-strained tension.
Domenico’s jaw clenched, anger radiating from him, and I reached over and ran my hand up and down his chest to try to soothe him.
“He bruised you,” Domenico bit out between clenched teeth.
I blinked up at him and looked to my grandfather. His eyes dropped down to my neck and I reached up.
My grandfather let out a sigh. “And Salvatore will be punished for it, but not by you. This was never going to be a long-term solution, but I think it’s time for you to go. Arabella can stay, but you need to go.”
My eyes widened as I looked at him. “What?” Over one mishap?
“He’s right. This only causes more strain on the already-thin alliance.”
I shook my head. “But you’re still healing. Regardless, where you go, I go too.” Where would we go?
“He’s good enough to knock a man to the ground,” my grandfather pointed out. He looked to Domenico and gave him a nod. “Thank you for not killing another of my men.”
“That would be a foolish move if I had. He deserved the hit, though,” Domenico said.
“I don’t disagree there. Tensions are high with you here. Even without a weapon and wounded, you are formidable.”
“Has there been any chatter?” Domenico asked.
I tried to understand what he meant.
My grandfather’s lips formed a thin line. “Some. The trail went cold when Arabella came here. It is the last place they would suspect.”
Domenico nodded. “Especially since the only people who know who she is are Roman and her father.”
“I can’t convince you to stay, can I?” my grandfather asked, his gaze beseeching.
I shook my head. My place was with Domenico. I couldn’t and I wouldn’t abandon him.
With a sigh, he stood and stepped over to reveal a hidden wall safe. Once open he reached in and pulled out a wrapped stack of cash. “Take this.” He held it out to me. I stared at it, then back to him. “You will need it. He will need more rest before he can continue being your monster and savior. That requires safety.”
I nodded and took the offered stack, but Domenico stopped me.
“Thank you, but we have money,” he said.
“There are no strings attached,” my grandfather stressed.
“I understand, but it still is not necessary.”
He nodded and replaced the cash. “Where will you go?”
“I have a safe house,” Domenico revealed. “Few know about it.”
A safe house? Why hadn’t he mentioned it earlier? And why didn’t we stay there before?
“Won’t they be watching it?”
“That is where we could use your assistance. I’m not sure they are, but a distraction to pull any potential spotters away would be helpful.”
If they were watching, then it wasn’t as safe as the name implied.
My grandfather moved back to his chair and sat. “What can I do?”
“Call Giovanni. Talk to only him, and tell him you have me,” Domenico said.
My grandfather looked to me, then back to Domen
ico, his spine straightening. “He didn’t know.”
Domenico shook his head. “The entire ordeal was orchestrated by Maurizio and Roman. My father is unaware of her true identity.”
He nodded. “It interests me that your father has not been informed.”
“He hasn’t been told because I claimed her—and because I also only recently found out.”
“If Roman had her?”
A growl vibrated in his chest. “She’d be a prize he would be parading around. On a leash if he had to.”
“And you?”
“She is mine,” Domenico answered plainly. “Before I knew she was from your family, she was mine. And I will protect her. Always.”
The conviction in his tone set the butterflies off in my stomach.
That seemed to satisfy any last doubts my grandfather held. “I will call him right away. How long will it take you to get where you need to go?”
“Half an hour.”
My grandfather gave a curt nod, then stood and pulled a set of keys from his pocket. “I had the bulletproof windows replaced and repaired the body damage. It also got a new paint job to help. They’ll never notice it’s the same car.”
“Thank you again,” Domenico said as he took the keys from my grandfather’s palm.
“I’m leaving her in your hands. Don’t make me regret it.”
“I won’t.”
I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around my grandfather, taking in his familiar warmth. “Thank you, Nonno.”
It took only a few minutes to pack up a bag of our clothes, and we were back in the foyer. The doctor handed us a bag and gave instructions. The bandages would still need to be changed, and he had to make sure to continue the antibiotics. There were also pain meds for me.
“Good luck,” Luca said as we passed.
I gave him a smile while Domenico nodded. We would need it.
We stepped outside and my mouth dropped open. What was once an all-black Mustang was now matte gray with a black racing stripe.
Domenico’s lips formed a thin line, but he didn’t need to say anything. I knew he wasn’t happy about the paint job, but it really did change the look. Not the body shape, but Ferrante’s men were looking for a black Mustang.
His steps were a little stunted from his healing wound, and I could tell he was holding back the pain. I gave one last look to my grandfather, then slid in the front seat.
I was shocked. There were no traces of blood anywhere in the car, and all the windows had been repaired. It looked like a completely different car.
Sadness washed over me as we passed through the gates, not knowing if I would ever see my grandfather again.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
“My house,” he replied.
“Your safe house?”
He glanced to me, then looked back at the road. “My house.”
I turned in the seat to stare at him. “Your house. You really don’t think they’d be watching that?”
“No, but for now it’s the best place to be. There are fortifications and supplies there. If we keep the lights low and the blinds closed, it will be days before they notice.”
“They are watching.” That was why we had to sneak in.
“It’s possible, which is why there are a few rules,” he said, glancing at me.
Ah, his beloved rules were coming out.
“Don’t open the curtains or blinds. Don’t turn on any lights at night.”
“How are we going to get around?”
“I have a standard set of lights that are always on, so we’ll be fine.”
I bit down on my lower lip. “How long will we be there?”
“A few days,” he said.
“Will the phone call work?” I asked. Anxiety was thrumming through me. If they were watching, if they did see us, what then?
“I don’t know.”
That was the unanswered question. The only thing I did know was that we were sailing on a fucking wing and a prayer.
The air was tense, Domenico’s guard up as he surveyed every street, which indicated we were close. He crept down one street and pointed at a ten-foot-high brick wall that surrounded a box-like structure.
“This is your house?” I asked as I stared up at the modern structure.
He remained silent as he hit something on his phone and a large gate slid open. He arranged the car and backed up through it, hitting the button again as soon as we were in. Another button and the garage door opened and he slipped the car in, then shut it as well.
“Quietly,” he whispered when his eyes met mine.
I nodded and grabbed the bags from the back seat and climbed out of the car, shutting the door as quietly as possible. He held his hand up, listening, then took my hand. We walked through a door that led to the backyard. And while it was surrounded by a huge privacy fence, he still walked quickly to the back door. Another press of something on his phone and he ushered me in, following right behind.
I drew in a deep breath, not even realizing I’d been holding it.
He led me through another door, and suddenly we were in a kitchen and I understood what he was talking about. All the under-cabinet lights were on, as well as two lamps in the living room.
“Why do you keep so many lights on?” I asked.
“Habit. That, and it makes people unsure if I’m here or not.”
Everything on the interior was as minimalistic as the exterior. The kitchen was all clean lines and shiny surfaces. The family room held a couch, chairs, lamp, and table, with one painting on each wall, and that was it. There was nothing homey about it, but at the same time it seemed very much him.
I turned to say something, but he was missing. “Domenico?”
A blue glow came from a doorway on the opposite side of the house. Inside was an entire bank of screens. Cameras, dozens of them, captured every angle on the outside of the house, and another dozen captured the inside.
Fortifications was right. I understood why he wanted to come here. It was his house, but it was also his sanctuary, the one place he could relax, and he made sure that nobody could sneak up on him and disturb that.
“The doors are armed with a strong electrical current, and I’m alerted to anyone who gets too close.”
“This is a fortress,” I said in awe.
He scanned the screens, one of which was on rewind. After a few minutes of watching the images fly past, he stopped.
“There,” he said as he pointed to a car sitting on the opposite side of the street from the front door.
“When was that?”
“Two days ago. It doesn’t look like anyone has been by since.”
I leaned against the desk. “So we were fine. He didn’t need to call.”
“He needed to call.”
“Why?”
Sometimes talking to him was like pulling teeth. I knew we weren’t flying completely blind, but he also had a habit of not telling me things.
Domenico turned to me. “Because my father needs to know who you are. If this goes all sideways, if we don’t make it…it’s the only way your father will go down with us.”
“And Roman?”
His jaw clenched. “Roman is my problem. Roman has always been my problem, and I will take care of him.”
“If we get through this, I think we’re both owed some retribution.”
He took my face in his hands. “And we will get it by any means necessary. I meant it—I will burn my family to the ground if it means you’re safe.”
I relaxed into his touch and wrapped my arms around his waist. “Just promise me you won’t burn with them.”
He pulled me close. “Tutti ui vogliono morta ma dio non vuole, perche chi ha tonti nemici non muore mai.”
“I don’t care if God doesn’t want to see you die—our enemies are numerous, and I don’t want them taking you from me.”
He cupped my face, his thumb brushing against my bottom lip. “I have ideas, thoughts, partial plans, but everything
requires a sacrifice. It just depends on what we are willing to pay.”
When Domenico mentioned provisions, what he really meant was weapons. Food wasn’t in large supply, but I was able to make some pasta for dinner.
When we were done, he gave me a tour of the second floor: two bedrooms with a shared bath and a large master suite. As soon as we entered the master bedroom I fell down on the bed. The last few hours at my grandfather’s house had been exhausting, and I was ready for sleep.
There was little lighting on upstairs compared to the main floor. A bright night-light in the bathroom illuminated enough to get around, but blackout shades in the bedroom allowed us to turn on the bedside lamp.
After stripping down to nothing but my panties, I sat down on the bed and an odd feeling settled in me. A sense of normalcy after months, a sense of right. We were where we were supposed to be.
I watched him walk around with ease and comfort, the constant hackles of la Bestia relaxed. Just a man, if even for a few fleeting minutes.
This was his castle, his sanctuary.
I wasn’t dirty or hungry or cold. I was warm and clean and…relieved. We were far from out of the woods, the edge still miles away, but for the first time we were able to relax a little.
“What?” he asked as he stopped in front of me.
Slowly I trailed my eyes up his body, taking in each piece of ink that covered his skin. The rose to signify his family sat right over his heart. A crow, a skull, and other shapes folded in sharp lines and splashes of red and black from his shoulder down to his wrist. A lion sat on his right pec—a nod to his persona.
Each muscle was pronounced, and when I finally reached his gaze, a shiver rolled through me. I blew out a breath and fanned myself.
“Just admiring the view.” I smiled at him.
He tilted his head to the side, those silver eyes studying me. “Do you realize you did that while lying on my bed almost naked, right?” I nodded. “And that in doing so, you are making sure that I fuck you in said bed.”
I bit down on my lower lip. “Oh, I was counting on it. Do you think you’re up to it?” I asked, eyeing the gauze that still covered his wound.
He followed my gaze, then stepped closer, looming over me. “I don’t care if I break open again. I will have you.”
