Destroying Dominic (Genoa Mafia Series Book 3)

by Ginger Ring

  Dominic slowed when he spied a man leave the back wearing a motorcycle club cut. He parked the van on the side of the street and retrieved his binoculars from the glove compartment. It wasn’t a club from around Genoa. As if an afterthought, the man stopped and glanced around before slipping out of the cut and stuffing it in one of his saddlebags. Was he in the same group as the meth heads they’d just left?

  That didn’t sit well with Dom, and he placed the binoculars on the seat. The man started his bike and eased it out onto the street. As the motorcycle cruised by, Dominic entered the man’s California license plates on his phone. A cloud seemed to drift over the otherwise beautiful day. The biker he’d killed a couple months ago to protect Stephanie was also from the sunshine state.

  Chapter Three

  He wasn’t much of a social drinker, but Dominic made an exception when surrounded by this many people. So much for slipping in at the end of the night, he’d barely taken time to shower and change before cruising to Firenza. He’d missed the dinner but didn’t turn down the cake. Taking a sip of whiskey, he leaned an elbow on the bar and turned toward the dance floor.

  It was usually quiet when he visited the place. Roman had an office there when he didn’t want to bring associates to his house. Dominic had been here many times and knew the place as well as any of the workers. Tonight, it was noisy and crowded, two of his least favorite things.

  Firenza had been an old gangster haunt at one time, and technically still was. The place was far enough away from the lake that there were tunnels under it where they used to store bootleg whiskey during Prohibition. Roman’s employees still used it to hide things they didn’t want found and it was rumored a ghost of someone buried there years ago roamed the passageways.

  Tonight, the place was decorated in blue and red. White Christmas lights and netting hung from the ceiling and lit up the tables. There were red rose centerpieces everywhere. He’d never bought any flowers but guessed that alone had cost a fortune.

  “Been fishing much?” the bartender asked as he pulled on the tap for a beer. His name was Trevor and he’d seen the guy out on the lake a couple times.

  “Nah, been busy, maybe next week.” He liked fishing. It was quiet. Not many people around. It wasn’t like being at the freaking wedding.

  “I like to fish,” a young woman in a low-cut fire-red dress slurred.

  “Good for you.” Dom turned away. The last thing he needed was some drunken long-lost cousin of the bride or groom looking for a good time. Where was that ass Jasper when he needed him?

  The music stopped and everyone turned their attention to the stage. Valentina stood waiting for all the single women to line up. He chuckled to himself as Maddy dragged a reluctant Stephanie to the group. She craved attention as much as he did.

  Valentina was a beautiful bride and Madison was equally attractive, but in his eyes, Steph was the clear winner in the looks department. The woman was tall and shapely. Not as tall as he, of course, but not a petite little thing. She was curvy in all the right places. Despite the shyness she portrayed, the woman was strong and fierce. He’d seen it firsthand. She would never go down without a fight, and that was the kind of woman he wanted and needed.

  What the hell? Dom glanced at the drink in his hand. It was whiskey, not absinthe. Since when did he need anyone? He preferred to be alone, thrived on it, in fact. Groans of disappointment brought his eyes back to the dance floor. It was Stephanie who’d caught the bouquet, indicating she would be the next to marry. Over his dead body, she would. Again, he stared at his drink. Who she dated was no concern of his, but thinking of her with someone else bothered him. It knocked him in the gut. He’d been void of feelings for longer than he could remember, yet just the sight of her calmed him, warmed him from the inside out. It was nice but concerning at the same time. Feelings were for normal people. He wasn’t one of them.

  Her blonde hair shimmered in the lights as she tipped her head to smell the colorful flowers. They were more her style than the roses. As if he was a flower expert now, but they suited her and a smile lit up her face. The heat in his heart turned up a notch.

  Stephanie was different than everyone there. Whereas the other chicks wore skin-tight dresses that would have to be peeled off with a can opener, hers was off the shoulder and flowy. Her long blonde hair was up with little flowers poked in here and there. Others wore flashy jewels around their necks and ears. He noticed she preferred bracelets. Other times he’d seen her sport ones of leather and beads, tonight, they were simple gold.

  The woman with the red dress and stripper shoes returned to the bar. A big frown was on her lips.

  “Better luck next time,” he tossed out.

  “Think you can do any better,” she challenged and narrowed her eyes, “go ahead.”

  It was on the tip of his tongue to decline when he noticed Jasper joining the group of bachelors hoping to catch the bride’s garter. Why did people care about these stupid traditions anyway? Then again, it would give that loser a reason to go talk to her if he caught it. Son of a bitch. This drink was spiked with something.

  Not bothering to respond, he left his tainted love potion on the bar and slid, unnoticed, over to the group of guys. Ryan let it soar and the little bit of lace flew over the heads of most of those gathered. Dom reached up and easily caught it on the fly. Amongst all the groans, he stuffed it in his pocket and wandered back to the bar. The music started again and he settled into his seat.

  Red dress lady was thankfully gone from sight. The bartender waited with a fresh glass. Thank god. “Congratulations, you’re the next to get hitched.”

  “Yeah, tell me another story.” He took the shot and slammed the glass upside down on the wood. “I just did it to prove a point.”

  “And you can dance with the girl who caught the flowers.” Trevor wiggled his eyebrows.

  “I don’t dance, but I might.” Dom exhaled. It was a losing battle as far as she was concerned. As much as he tried to stay away, he craved her like a bad habit.

  “Well, you’d better hurry. Looks like someone already beat you to it.” The guy pointed with the towel he had in hand.

  There on the dance floor was Jasper with Stephanie in his arms. That son of a bitch! He should have thrown him out of the van and run him over when he had a chance.

  “So what are you going to do about it?” Trevor rested his elbows on the bar.

  “Something I shouldn’t,” he said under his breath.

  Dominic weaved in and out of the couples dancing. It was his bad luck that the pair he searched for was now on the far side of the room. At one point he lost sight of them and panic set in. He’d made it a point to avoid her for the last couple months, but seeing her tonight just caused the attraction to return. In the middle of the floor, he stopped. Where were they? A few dump sites for Jasper’s corpse flashed before his eyes.

  Finally, he caught a glimpse of her pretty hair and quickly headed their way. Jasper was damn lucky he hadn’t tried anything. It was bad enough he was touching her, if things went any farther, he’d have to kill the guy. No questions asked.

  Dominic hesitated. He’d always been a person who shunned contact with people, yet she was different. Stephanie was the only woman to ever step a foot into his house except for Madison, and that was just to pick her up. His home was his sanctuary, his asylum from a boisterous world. It was the one place he could get away from people. She’d only spent one stormy night there but her presence still lingered

  “Hell.” Dom stomped toward the couple and tapped Jasper on the shoulder. “My turn,” he shouted over the music, and he could see Stephanie’s green eyes widen.

  “Only if it’s okay with the lady.” Jasper nodded toward the woman in his arms.

  Her lower lip quivered and she finally said yes.

  “Well then, thanks for the dance.” Jasper smiled and then whispered in Dom’s ear, “Took you long enough.” He then disappeared into the crowd.

  The music stopped and th
en restarted with a slower tune. Fuck. He hated dancing. What was the point? Had he ever danced with a woman? Dom couldn’t recall. Finally, Stephanie stepped closer and took one hand in hers and rested the other on his arm. Her touch reassured him, called to him.

  The corners of her mouth turned up. “I never pictured you for a dancer.”

  “I’m not.” He stood firm. “Can we sit down?”

  “No.” The woman could be stubborn, it seemed. She was in his arms, so why not enjoy it. He wasn’t ready to let her go anyway. He wrapped one around her waist and pulled her closer. They didn’t take any steps but that was fine with him. “You look beautiful tonight.” The woman always did, even when she wasn’t trying, which was most days.

  “So do you. I mean, you look handsome.” Stephanie blushed and then laid her head on his shoulder. Was she embarrassed about what she said and wanted to hide? All that mattered was that she was pressed against his chest. The woman was an angel in the arms of the devil. Her scent was light and fresh. Not some heavy perfume like that chick at the bar. She smelled like the wildflowers that grew around his home. He breathed deeply in the hopes it would lock in his memory for some long, sleepless night.

  They didn’t drift much from the spot, just moved back and forth where they were. It was as if they were in their own little world and didn’t want to be disturbed.

  All too soon the music ended and the lights flickered on. They stepped back, dropped their hands, and let their eyes adjust to the brightness. Stephanie wet her lips and glanced everywhere but toward him. “Uh, thanks for the dance.”

  “I don’t dance.” He tried to deny it again.

  “Yeah, well, whatever. I have to get back to work,” Stephanie mumbled and looked at the floor.

  “Work? It’s over with now.” He watched Ryan and Valentina shaking hands and hugging their guests goodbye.

  “Yes, but I have to stay and make sure everything is cleaned up before I can leave.”

  “Don’t they have people for that?” They’d really not talked at all since what happened a couple months ago, but it needed to be done. Whether he wanted to or not.

  “I am one of those people. Excuse me, I have to speak with Val before they leave.”

  “I’ll go with you.” Dominic motioned for her to lead the way. He’d never been one to stare at a woman, but he couldn’t get enough of the gorgeous blonde who’d just left his arms. She had a long, elegant neck and the off the shoulder dress highlighted her tan skin. How he yearned to reach out and see if her skin was as soft and smooth as it appeared. There was a tattoo on the back of her neck but it was hard to make out what it was. Did she have any others? Jeez, he was following her like a love-sick puppy, and that needed to end. As soon as he touched base with her about the biker, he was gone. Out of there and back to his quiet place.

  “Dom.” Roman came out of nowhere and stopped him in his tracks. “Everything go all right today?”

  “Yeah.” He focused his eyes on Stephanie’s ass as she kept walking.

  “Did Jasp help?” The man had a drink in one hand and his other arm wrapped around his wife.

  “Yes, but I prefer to work alone,” he grumbled. The last thing he wanted to do now was talk shop.

  “I know you do, but I need to have others know what to do in case I have you working on something else.” Roman placed the empty glass on a nearby table.

  “Speaking of working on something else, I noticed you dancing with Steph.” Madison grinned.

  “I don’t dance.” He tried to deny it but her smile got bigger. “I just wanted to talk to her about something.”

  “Anything we need to be concerned about?” Roman wanted to know everything that was going on in town. If he didn’t tell him, someone else would.

  “When I dropped off Jasper today, I noticed a biker coming out the back door of the building where she lives. He wasn’t a local. I was going to ask her if she knew who it was.” Their relationship was strictly business, at least that was what he wanted others to think.

  “Did you get plate numbers?” Roman inquired. “After the hit and run a couple months ago, we can’t be too careful.”

  “Yeah, I sent a text to the tech guys but haven’t heard back yet.”

  “Is something going on?” Madison wrapped her arms around Roman’s waist. “Do we need to be concerned about Stephanie?”

  Roman touched his finger to her chin. “Nothing to worry about. You know I like to keep tabs on everyone. But just to be on the safe side, Dom, I want you to make sure she gets home safe, and let me know as soon as you hear anything on those plates.”

  “Yes, sir.” They may have been around the same age, but Roman was still his boss and demanded respect. He’d also just given him an excuse to stick close to Stephanie. That was a job he wouldn’t mind doing.

  “Good night, Dominic,” the couple added before leaving for the night.

  He spied Steph carrying a tray full of empty glasses and quickly hurried to her side. “Why are you doing this? They have busboys.”

  “What? I told you I have to make sure everything is cleared out before I can go.” She placed the tray on the table and went to pick up more glasses. “Why do you want to know anyway?”

  “Because you’re coming home with me.”

  “What?” A glass spilled onto the table.

  Chapter Four

  Stephanie

  “I’m what?” She shook her head to clear the noise. The music had been so loud all night that her ears were ringing. Surely she didn’t hear him right.

  “I’m to see you home. Roman’s orders.” He tugged at his collar. At least she wasn’t the only one overheating. It was hard to concentrate when he was near. That was one of the reasons she’d stayed away for so long.

  “Well, good thing I don’t have to follow Roman’s orders.” She righted the glass she’d knocked over and placed it on the tray with the rest.

  “Everyone does Roman’s bidding.” Dominic grabbed an empty tray and started to help with the cleanup.

  “Why?” Her face paled.

  “Why what?”

  “Why do you have to see me home? Not that I’m complaining. It’s been a little scary ever since the light in front of the building burned out. I swear the super never fixes anything.” She handed her full tray to a passing busboy.

  “How long’s it been out?” He finished stacking his tray and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

  “At least two weeks, but I’m usually home before it gets dark. I just happened to notice when I worked late at the art center one night.” She fidgeted as she talked and finally grabbed and folded the tablecloth.

  It was a good bet that first thing tomorrow Dom would be there to replace the light and install new locks on her door. That was the way Roman and his men worked. They never liked to wait around for others to do things when they could take care of it themselves. No matter what it was.

  “I saw a biker with California plates parked out back of your place,” he said quietly.

  “You did? When?” Recently, she’d heard a bike come in late at night but was too tired to care. Her car and apartment were in the front so she never had reason to look around back. Living in a place like she did, she’d learned to steer clear of her neighbors. They probably had more to hide than she did.

  “I had to drop off Jasper today and I saw the guy.” He placed both hands on the table and a strand of his long hair came loose from the messy bun. She had to calm the urge to reach out and push it behind his ear. For a self-proclaimed misfit of society, he was sexy as hell.

  “Jasper lives near me?” There were more and more of Roman’s “family” members moving to town every day it seemed. Soon, the whole town would be overrun by Mafiosi.

  “Close enough.” Dom stopped and looked her straight in the eye. “I drive by sometimes to make sure you’re okay.” His gaze dropped to the floor before returning to hers. “You know. To check and make sure they haven’t come back.”

  The fact that s
omeone cared touched her like never before. She’d made a home here and the last thing she wanted was for the ones looking for her to come to Genoa. Just the thought of it made the room swim before her eyes and he reached out to steady her.

  “Sit down.” He pulled out a chair.

  As much as she tried to push it out of her mind, it was no use. She had nightmares. Nightmares about what happened years ago and also about what happened a couple months ago. Stephanie fidgeted with her bracelets and held one charm between her finger and thumb. The metal warmed to her touch.

  Dominic went for her hand but she pulled away. Now was not the time to break down or call attention to herself. She needed to concentrate on getting the place cleaned up and fast. Most of the guests had gone and the band was packing up. She nearly jumped out of her skin when the drummer dropped one of his cymbals.

  “Don’t worry,” he reassured her.

  “How can you say that after what we did?” Not only did she have to worry about the motorcycle gang coming after her but about potentially going to jail. They’d killed someone! Well, Dominic did, but she’d told him to. That made her an accessory to murder, even if it was self-defense. They could have let him go and called the cops. The problem was that the guy would have come back and probably brought more criminals with him.

  “It was self-defense. You didn’t have a choice. If we’d let him go, is there any doubt he would have returned with reinforcements?” Dominic voiced her thoughts out loud.

  “No, but we didn’t call the police after the fact. Did we?” This time, it was Stephanie who crossed her arms.