Dominick ran his hands through his hair and absentmindedly stroked his chin stubble as he thought about his siblings. “Frankie is a Marine. He’s on a nine-month deployment with the 2nd Battalion, serving his second tour in Iraq.”
“So you’re not the only Antonelli with a brave heart.” Susan smirked when Dominick lifted his brow in response.
Ignoring her statement, he continued. “Jianna lives with her husband, Benito, and their four kids in Long Island.”
“Wow. Four kids… that woman must be a saint.” They both laughed in unison at the thought.
“She truly has the patience of one, that’s for sure.”
Susan nodded. “What about your father?”
“He’s kind of a loner. My pop is also a former Marine and enjoys living a quiet, solitary life. It’s been a while since I’ve seen him.” Dominick’s eyes squinted as he tried to think of the last time he’d actually visited him, and felt a wave of guilt when he couldn’t remember when that was.
“What about your mother?”
Dominick answered with bitterness laced thick in his tone. “Divorced.”
Recognizing the melancholy expression he tried so hard to hide, Susan moved on to another question. “Have you ever been married… have any kids?”
Dominick sighed heavily. “No. Never been married. The funny thing is, I always wanted a big family, and Jianna was the free spirit who wanted to remain single. Now, here I am, single at thirty-five with no kids, while my sister is pumping out babies like a factory. Funny how life throws you a curveball like that.”
“Haven’t found the right girl…?” Susan couldn’t help but ask. She still couldn’t figure out why someone like Dominick was single. He was handsome, brave, smart, and incredibly sexy.
“I haven’t been given an opportunity to get close enough to a woman to see if there might be a chance for a future. My job has held me back from having any kind of normal relationship. It never works out.” Dominick’s grip tightened on the steering wheel, and Susan watched the ticking of irritation in his strong jaw.
“Oh.”
Her voice came out soft and quiet. What else could she say?
Silence stretched out inside the Jeep. The longer they remained quiet, the more awkward it felt. Susan had to change the subject. She blurted out a question that she’d been wanting to ask for the last year, but never had the guts to ask. “How did you end up working for Dalton?”
Dominick shifted his focus to Susan for a moment before returning his gaze back to the road. Once again, he ran his hand through his hair and down his neck. With dipped brows, she could see the wheels turning inside of his head as he thought back on how it all started.
“That’s the question I expected you’d ask first.”
Susan pivoted her body so that she was facing Dominick, giving him her full attention.
“It’s only been a few years, but it feels like a dozen have passed… I was at the Onondaga Supreme Court as a witness for a case I was helping the DA prosecute when I first ran into Dalton. The piece of shit defense attorney tried, once again, to tear into all our hard work and let a two-time murder suspect walk free.”
Dominick gritted his teeth as he thought about the past, his face reddening with unforgotten anger. “Well, there’s no way in hell this detective was going to let that fly.” Dominick sliced his hand through the air, his voice booming in the tight space.
“I abandoned protocol, any politeness, all professionalism, and let him have it. I ripped into the defense attorney and his scumbag client faster than he could call objection. I gave the jury something to think about before deciding to let him go on a technicality.”
Blowing out a frustrated breath, he shook his head in disgust. “Sometimes, the law gets in the way of true justice. Too many legal loopholes.” Glancing over at Susan, he could tell she was struggling to understand his vague ranting.
“Anyway, Dalton was sitting in the courtroom that day. His company was suing for property rights, and his case was next on the docket. Walking down the court steps, Dalton approached me outside, impressed with my ‘performance’ inside.” Dominick gave air quotes, mimicking Dalton’s voice.
“He offered me a position on his staff as an investigator for his corporate business. Dalton bought me a cup of coffee and drew me in with the promise of a better wage than I was receiving as an LEO.”
Dominick rolled his eyes and clenched his fists on the steering wheel. “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t ecstatic about working for him. High-class gig, with high-class people, for high-class pay… that’s hard to resist. It was strictly business investment backgrounds I was investigating for a while, but then he had me investigating the people behind the businesses he was interested in.”
Dominick shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “Ellora’s case was the first time he’d asked me to do something different. I had no idea I was working for a fucking monster the entire time.” Susan jumped at Dominick’s sudden violent outburst, punching the steering wheel and the dashboard.
“Fuck! I was blinded by the money he threw at me. I’m so fucking stupid. I should’ve run a background on him from the very beginning instead of willingly allowing the piece of shit to manipulate me. Maybe none of this shit would’ve happened.”
Susan scooted closer, gripping his wrist to prevent him from assaulting the dashboard anymore. “Listen to me. There is nothing you could’ve done any sooner than you did. There was no background check in the world that could’ve given you a hint at the evil person Dalton truly is. I should know. His wealth and powerful connections helped keep the vile things he’d done hidden.”
Dominick shook his head in denial. “I’m sorry I couldn’t get you out of there sooner, Susan.”
Susan cradled his face in her hands and stressed sternly, “If you hadn’t started working for Dalton… If it was someone else, anyone else, Ellora would probably be dead. I would still be stuck in the prison he’d created for me. Countless more lives would be ruined.”
Unbuckling her seat belt, Susan sidled up as close as she could to Dominick’s side and placed a tender kiss on his stubbled cheek. “We all owe our lives to you. You risked yours for all of us. You flew all the way out to Scotland to protect Ellora. You risked your career to help Giddeon break free from Dalton.” Without thinking about the consequences, Susan blurted out what she’d been holding back for over a year.
“You’ve sworn to keep me safe. As promised, you’re here with me now, protecting me, protecting my family… And I love you for it.”
Dominick sucked in an audible breath the moment those last few words left her mouth. The silence was deafening as those words echoed in the space around them. Realizing what she’d said out loud, Susan removed her hands from Dominick’s face carefully, as if he’d strike her like a cornered animal.
She climbed back into her seat and buckled her belt without another word. Besides, what more could she possibly say after that? Her eyes drifted out her passenger side window and watched as they whizzed past other cars, with her unanswered words replaying in her mind over and over.
The stifling tension and deafening silence were driving Dominick crazy. He wanted to return the sentiment but didn’t want it to sound like a rehearsed response… thoughtless, meaningless. No. He would tell her when the moment was right. But now, he was at a loss for what to say to her. Everything he thought up sounded stupid in his head.
He chuckled in exacerbation, grabbing her attention. Dominick met her eyes and smiled. “So tell me, Suzie Q, what are your top five favorite movies of all time?”
His ridiculous question was rewarded with a stunning smile from the woman he was falling in love with. Thankfully, she allowed the change in topic. Going along with him, Susan began listing her favorite movies and TV shows.
The ride was long and brought them outside of the general population. Dominick’s Jeep took them deep into the woods on an unpaved, weathered, rock strewed road.
“I thought we were going to
the gun range?” Susan questioned after her curiosity got the better of her.
“We are, sweetheart. It’s a private outdoor range on my father’s property. I do not want to run the risk of Dalton’s men following us into a public range. It’s secluded. We’ll be alone. It’s safer training here.”
“Alone…”
Susan relaxed into her seat with the knowledge that they’d be secluded out here. The thought of being around a crowded group of strangers in an enclosed area nearly gave her a panic attack. After working as his secretary for so many years, Dalton had made her paranoid. She constantly wondered where and how far his reach stretched and who was working for him. It could be anyone.
This scenario was much safer, but now, she couldn’t help but feel anxious at the reality of her new situation. She would be in the dense woods… alone… with the man of her deepest desires. Susan tilted her head, risking a quick look over at Dominick through her curtain of blonde waves. Catching her weighty stare, Dominick glanced over at Susan.
Biting her lip, she quickly averted her gaze out the window. Susan mentally shook her head and scolded herself silently.
Get a grip, Suzie, and focus. Don’t make a fool of yourself by panting over him like a cat in heat… again. He already said you're too young for him.
Embarrassment still burned brightly in her cheeks after she’d professed her feelings. For crying out loud, she used the L-word. His silent, unreciprocated reply spoke volumes.
He’s not interested.
The thought of Dominick rejecting her back home in the kitchen still stung painfully. She could’ve sworn this man was just as deeply affected by their connection as she was. He had to be holding back due to the job unless it was wishful thinking on her part and she’d imagined the whole interaction.
Hearing a low chuckle beside her pulled the contemplative girl out of her head. Glancing over at the man in question, Susan could’ve sworn she heard him mutter under his breath, “This is going to be a very interesting couple of days.”
The dense oak that lined the beaten path thinned until the Jeep broke through the forest line and into a wide clearing. A charming cabin stood proudly in the very back, situated with the forest standing guard behind the dwelling like an impenetrable fortress wall. Dominick cut across the thick underbrush, pulling right up in front of the impressively sized cabin.
Susan was half-aware of Dominick pulling the keys out of the ignition and hopping out. This location was breathtaking. It reminded her of the adorable cottage in one of her favorite Disney fairytales. Dominick strode around the vehicle, coming to a stop at her door, then opened it for her with pride. The scent of the damp forest rushed inside, invading all her senses with the intoxicating aroma of fresh pine and the smoky scent of logs burning in a bonfire.
Closing her eyes, the exhausted girl breathed it deep into her lungs.
“Come, Susan, I want you to meet my father.” Grasping her elbow, Dominick led her onto the stately wrap around porch, their shoes clicking loudly on the old wooden planks, to the ornately carved front door. Just as the detective went for the wrought iron door pull, heavy footsteps marched toward them from around the side of the cabin.
A large, imposing older man came into view, clutching a Remington 870 tactical rifle leisurely at his side. Susan knew this man was Dominick’s father immediately. The older model shared much of the same features her detective possessed—strong jaw, serious expression, intimidating eyes, and a well-defined physique. This man still had a head full of salt n’ pepper hair. His tanned skin and expression lines had taken up a permanent residence on his face that only made him more handsome, in a no-nonsense, authoritative kind of way.
A warm smile broke out across his stiff lips, showing bright white teeth.
“Hey, Nicky. To what do I owe this pleasure? What’s brought you all the way out here in the sticks?”
“Hey, Pop. It’s been a while.”
The burly man grabbed his son roughly by his forearm, pulling him in for a tight hug. Dominick pounded his back lovingly, then shifted his focus to the blonde left standing beside them. She tilted her head, taking in the rare moment of softness from the hardened detective.
“Pop, this is Susan. She’s under my protection. Her Witness Protection detail was compromised, so I brought her here to instruct her on how to operate and fire a weapon. Susan, this is my father, Vincent Antonelli.”
The elder Antonelli reached across his son to grasp Susan’s outstretched hand, enclosing her tiny palm with both his meaty hands around hers. “It’s a pleasure, Miss. Welcome to my home. You have two of the greatest instructors at your disposal. In the meantime, make yourself comfortable. My house is yours.”
“Thank you for your hospitality, Mr. Antonelli…”
“Oh no, drop the Mister, sweetheart. We don’t stand on ceremony here. I like to keep things casual in my home. Please, call me Vincent.”
Susan smiled up at Dominick’s father, touched that he’d used the same endearment his son always used. She watched as he brought her hand up swiftly, laying a chaste kiss on the back of it like he’d done it a thousand times before.
Shouting over his shoulder, he marched passed her. “Ya’ hungry? I’ve got the pit roaring and ready for some meat.” Glancing over at his son, Vincent inquired, “Does she eat venison? Or are you one of those veggie only ladies?”
Dominick laughed as he glanced over. “You all right with venison, sweetheart?”
Susan smiled up at him as he guided her around the house with his hand resting on the small of her back. “Yes, I’ll eat whatever is available. I’m starved and could eat an entire horse.” Dominick nodded his appreciation, happy that she didn't kick up a fuss about eating Bambi.
Susan was relieved that Dominick didn't push her right into lessons the moment they got there. She was too tired from the long ride. Instead, they’d sat around the fire pit, stuffing their faces with barbecued venison and sipping on cold beer. Vincent made her feel like a part of the family as he regaled hilarious stories about his son growing up.
Surprisingly, Dominick didn’t mind in the least. He wasn’t embarrassed at all and took all the stories in stride. Susan sat back as it dawned on her how many years had passed since she’d felt this relaxed, carefree, and safe. She smiled over at the amused expression on Vincent’s face as he shamelessly spewed stories of Dominick as a rambunctious, troublemaking kid.
“…So I’m woken up in the middle of the night to a series of frantic pounding on my front door. It took me right back to ‘Nam. I thought the enemy was descending upon me while I slept…”
Susan’s cheeks burned from smiling for the longest stretch of time in her entire life. Vincent’s animated arms flailed as he told the story from his exaggerated point of view.
“…I leaped out of bed, grabbed the shotgun, and dashed to the door in nothing but my boxers. Well, it was my very angry next door neighbor in his bathrobe and slippers standing on my front porch. He was leering at me while gripping my unfortunate son by the neck of his shirt, looking every bit as guilty as he was disappointed with being caught.”
Susan laughed so hard, eventually, no sound came out. She could picture a younger version of the detective causing all kinds of trouble.
“What was he doing over there?”
After Vincent was able to control his own laughter at the memory, he pulled some much-needed oxygen into his seizing lungs and continued.
“Oh, Nicky always wanted to be a detective. He wanted to be just like his favorite crime show heroes that he watched on TV. He always tried to solve the crime before the actors had. Well, all his friends thought it’d be a good idea to rid the world, and our cul-de-sac in Syracuse, of all the forces of evil.”
Vincent patted Dominick's head, ruffling his hair and taunting him.
“They set up their operation center in our garage and took turns spying on the neighbors. They recorded all their suspicious, daily routines, and logged the times down in notebooks. I thought
it was cute.”
Susan glanced over at Dominick and winked. “Always the hero.”
“Mr. Onackie was a disgruntled, crotchety old man who hated the world and everyone in it. So, of course, my son and all his friends were convinced he was up to no good. They were sure he was hiding something. So my boy here thought it was a brilliant idea to sneak out of his bedroom in the dead of night and spy on the man.” Vincent glared at Dominick, remembering the moment like it’d happened yesterday.
“Apparently, this goon here climbed up the side of his dense hedges on the side of his house, and up to his second-floor balcony. Armed with a flashlight, walkie-talkie, and his notebook, Nicky was ready to catch him committing some kind of crime. Mr. Onackie was readying himself for bed. He approached the slider doors to close the curtains and caught my son red-handed peering inside.”
Susan keeled over, erupting in a loud, long-winded laugh, along with the uncontrollable tears that followed. Dominick’s face turned three shades of red, finally showing signs of embarrassment at Susan’s hysterics. Smirking, Dominick shook his head at his father.
“All right, Pop, you had your fun.” Running his hands through his hair out of sheer habit, he glanced over at the stunning woman sitting cross-legged next to his father. That smile… It took his breath away.
Vincent rose from his seat and began gathering up all their dirty dishes. “It’s my job to bring up embarrassing stories about you, Nicky, but I’ll leave you two alone. I’ve got to get this all cleaned up anyhow.”
“I can help you with that, Vincent. I don’t want to be a burden…” Susan collected her plates, ready to follow him into the cabin.
“Nonsense. You’re a guest here. Don’t think anything of it, sweetheart.” Vincent snatched the dishes out of her hand and marched inside.
It was strange to be waited on; Susan had been taking care of her mother and brother for so long that she didn’t know how to let go of the reins. Glancing over at Dominick, who was already eyeing her, Susan’s stomach flipped nervously as their eyes met. Neither one said a word; they just gazed at each other, the crackling bonfire the only sound for miles. Feeling the tension between them intensify, Susan was the first to break the silence.
Past Forgiven Page 11
