I turn the engine off, but don’t get out. I simply stare at the vast property and wonder how Sara met a man with such wealth and stature. I can’t help but feel skeptical considering Sara’s background and everything that happened to her.
My hands curl into fists as a thought crosses my mind. Is this the man that bought her? Would she really have married the man that Ciccone sold her to? Baz didn’t tell me too many details; just that he found her and that she was married.
Perhaps sensing my tension, Victoria reaches over and places her hand over mine. “Are you okay?”
I nod and then shake my head, not knowing how to express my inner turmoil at the moment. “I’m nervous,” I tell Victoria. That’s only part of the truth, however. I’m a mixture of emotions that are colliding together and exploding.
“It’s okay. I’m sure she feels the same way,” she offers. “And you two have a lot to catch up on.”
“Yes, we do,” I agree. Victoria draws her hand away, and I instantly miss her touch. Closing my eyes, I try to calm myself down before opening the car door and stepping out. I round the car and open the trunk, grabbing our overnight bags.
Victoria and I walk to the front door where yet another guard is waiting. He’s dressed in a black suit and wearing sunglasses, and I watch him carefully as he opens the door for us.
Who the hell did my sister marry? This guy has as much security as I do.
As soon as we step foot inside the foyer, I’m immediately frisked by two awaiting guards. I drop our bags to the floor while two more men rummage through our belongings. I don’t fight them, even when they start patting me down, only to pull my Glock from behind my back and my wallet out of my pants pocket.
But when I see the same men reach for Victoria to give her the same treatment, I grab one, throwing him up against the wall in anger. “You don’t lay a fucking finger on her. You hear me?” I tell him through clenched teeth.
“That’s enough, gentlemen,” a deep voice calls from the other room. The man then enters, causing all of our attention to snap to him. He’s dressed in an impeccable dark blue suit, and his dark hair is coiffed. He looks like he just stepped out of a magazine cover shoot or something.
Yeah, this isn’t exactly the kind of guy I was expecting my sister to have married. When we were kids, she always hated the preppy boys at school.
His gray eyes find mine after he inspects the contents of my wallet. “Damon Romero?” he questions, his eyes narrowing with suspicion.
“I haven’t been Arlo Rossi for a long time,” I start to explain.
But then the man is suddenly crossing the room, throwing me up against the wall and holding me in place with his forearm crushing my throat. “Who are you? Who sent you? How the fuck did you find Sara?” he snaps, the look in his eyes feral and unforgiving.
“Roman,” a small voice says from behind him.
And as if a switch has been flipped, Roman releases his hold on me and turns toward the voice. Coughing and gasping for air from having my windpipe practically crushed, I look up at the woman, who is standing only a few feet away.
She is pretty with long, dark hair. But it’s her eyes — the same dark green eyes that match mine — that have me gripping the wall for support. “Sara?”
Her gaze moves to me, and she stares at me for a few seconds, blinking away tears until she finally says, “Arlo.” Rushing forward, she throws herself into my open arms, and we hold each other as she weeps uncontrollably. “I’ve missed you,” she whispers into my chest.
“I never stopped looking for you,” I tell her. I want her to know that. “I never gave up.”
That makes her cry even harder, and I hold her a little tighter until she eventually calms down. Pulling back, her delicate hands grip my cheeks as she stares into my eyes. “You had to change your name?”
She must have been listening to the man’s accusations concerning my ID. “Yeah. I had to make a new identity so that Ciccone wouldn’t find me.”
At the mere mention of that name, Sara balks, and I can see the fear in her gaze. Leaning forward, I whisper into her ear, “I killed him. I killed him for mom and dad. For you.”
Pulling back, she stares up at me with tears in her eyes. “Thank you,” she whispers. Turning, she finally sees Victoria standing a few feet away. “And this must be your girlfriend,” she says with a huge smile that lights up the whole damn room.
Victoria looks at me with a confused look on her face, but quickly schools her features as she simply nods in response.
Victoria looks absolutely stunning in her light purple dress and matching heels. But the tears shimmering in her blue eyes have my hand reaching for hers. Giving her the support she needs, Victoria blurts out, “Sara…I’m so sorry!”
Sara looks from her to me and then back again in confusion. It takes a few moments before understanding finally dawns on her beautiful face. “Victoria?” she asks, as if she can’t believe her eyes. “Oh my god, it is you,” Sara cries before wrapping Victoria in a huge hug.
I step back and let the two most important women in my life have a tearful reunion. Meanwhile, I eye the man across the room. He’s watching all of us with a guarded expression. And when his gaze meets mine, his eyes narrow. He doesn’t trust me. But, hey, the feeling’s definitely mutual.
Sara wipes away her tears and steps towards the man. “I want you both to meet my husband.”
“Roman Trentino,” he offers, stepping forward and holding out his hand. I shake it, nearly crushing his bones in the process. He winces and quickly pulls his grip from mine. “I hope you don’t mind if I keep your Glock in my safe until you leave.”
“I don’t mind at all,” I tell him with a smirk. It’s his house, after all. I would do the same thing in my own home. And I can respect a man who is trying to keep my sister safe.
Roman then shakes Victoria’s hand before telling her, “I’ll have your bags taken upstairs to one of the guest bedrooms.”
After Roman and Sara leave the room, Victoria whispers to me, “You told your sister I was your girlfriend, and now we’re sharing a room?”
I shrug my shoulder and give her a sheepish grin. I never corrected Sara when she assumed over the phone that I was bringing my girlfriend. And I’m definitely not going to protest to both of us sleeping in the same room in a strange house where I can keep an eye on her.
Victoria shakes her head and walks away from me in a huff.
Groaning inwardly, I realize this is going to be a long weekend.
CHAPTER 28
VICTORIA
AFTER GIVING US a tour of the downstairs of the mansion, Sara disappears upstairs while the rest of us eat lunch in the enormous dining room.
The table is big enough to sit twenty people, but the three of us all gather at one end. The tension between Damon and Roman is so thick you can practically feel it in the air, but I’m hoping that they soon put their differences aside for Sara’s sake.
“There’s one more person I’d like you to meet,” Sara says when she enters the room.
In her arms is a beautiful baby boy in a blue onesie, sucking on a pacifier. “Damon, I’d like you to meet your nephew. This is Arlo.”
Damon’s eyes snap up to meet his sister’s as he realizes she named her baby after him. Sara holds her son out to Damon, and he fumbles with the little guy before he gets a good grip. “I don’t… I’ve never…”
“It’s okay,” Sara says with a grin. “You won’t break him. Just support his head.”
Damon cups his large hand under the baby’s tiny head and holds him close to his chest. “Like this?”
“You got it,” Sara says with approval.
And seeing a baby in Damon’s arms has my ovaries nearly exploding. I turn to Sara, and she gives me a wink. Perhaps she’s trying to give us both baby fever.
When I see Damon pressing a gentle kiss to Arlo’s forehead, my heart melts, and I know in that moment that Sara succeeded.
Damon glances up to me an
d then does a double-take. A sexy smirk forms on his lips as he stares at me. “You want to hold him?” he asks.
I nod, unable to form words at the moment. Taking the baby into my arms, I hold him close as I coo and babble to him in only a language he would understand. He sucks on his binkie and stares up at me with big, gray eyes that match his father’s.
“You’re a natural with him,” Sara remarks.
“Yeah, she is,” Damon comments, causing my cheeks to flush.
“He’s beautiful,” I tell Sara. “He looks just like his daddy.”
This earns me a smile from Roman, who has remained mostly brooding and quiet since our arrival.
“Daddy’s little mini me,” Sara says with a smile.
Little Arlo begins to get fussy, and that’s when Sara takes him from my arms. “He never stops eating just like his daddy either,” she explains. “We’ll be back in a bit,” she tells us before leaving the room.
I watch Roman as his eyes follow Sara and his son until they’re completely out of his sight. I see an emotion in his eyes whenever he looks at them. Pure, undiluted love for his family.
I don’t know their full story yet, but I have a feeling Sara will tell us when she’s ready. And even though I know Damon is suspicious about Roman, I can’t help but think that he’s the best thing that ever happened to her. They clearly love each other. And love is all you need; right?
CHAPTER 29
DAMON
THAT NIGHT AFTER dinner, I can feel a change in Sara. I have a feeling I know what’s coming, and I don’t know how to possibly prepare myself mentally for it. And so, when she starts talking, I find myself sitting ramrod straight in my chair, bracing myself for the impact that’s bound to hit me like a ton of bricks.
“I want to tell you about what happened to me after I was…sold,” she says, swallowing hard on the last word. Roman reaches across the table and holds her hand in his for support. Sara looks at him fondly before continuing. “I was shipped off to Russia where a very cruel man kept me for years under his control.” She stares off into the distance as if remembering some horrible memory before shaking her head to clear her thoughts. “And then, one day, five years ago, Roman rescued me. See, that’s what he does. He rescues people who have been sold to very powerful men.”
My eyes dart to Roman. That’s what he does for a living? Then how the fuck did he amass such a fortune? None of this makes sense.
“How did he know where to find you?” I find myself asking.
“He rescued our mother,” Sara says softly. “Her dying wish was for Roman to find me and save me from that monster.”
My brows furrow as I try to process her words. I think back to the obituary that Baz shared with me. Our mother died from cancer, and someone was kind enough to put her obituary in the newspaper and give her a proper burial. And I now know Roman is that someone.
My gaze softens as I stare at Roman, and the fervent suspicion I had before slowly melts away. “Thank you for taking care of my mother, and thank you for saving my sister,” I tell him.
He gives me a nod in return.
“It took me a long time to heal. Some days are worse than others, but Roman showed me that love can conquer any obstacle.” She grips his hand tightly, and he raises it to place a gentle kiss on her knuckles.
I stare around the vast room. “And all of this?” I gesture with a wave of my hand before eyeing Roman.
“I’ve dealt with a great deal of families who paid me a lot of money to get their loved ones back. I needed a safe place for the people I rescued to come back to before they went back to the real world, to their families.”
So that explains all the security.
“I’ve since passed my extraction duties onto other people, my most trusted men. But I still secure information and find those who need help the most.”
“It’s dangerous work,” Sara speaks up. “I begged him to hire men to do the rescues.”
He’s practically beaming at my sister as he says, “And I can’t deny a single thing you ask of me.” He clears his throat before saying, “And, besides, I have my own family to worry about now.” His eyes dart to Arlo, who is snoozing away in his bouncer.
I watch the two of them. They appear to be really in love, but I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop. Maybe it’s my years of living on the streets and not catching a break after my family was torn away from me that makes me so bitter and pessimistic, but I can’t help it.
However, I’m willing to give Roman the benefit of the doubt since he did help rescue my mother and sister. Until he gives me a solid reason to not like him…or want to punch him in the face, I’ll keep my cool.
Sara yawns. “I hate to say goodnight so early, but I’m absolutely exhausted.” Then she adds, “Ah, the joys of motherhood. In bed before nine every night.” She scoops Arlo out of his bouncer and says, “And it’s past this little man’s bedtime anyway.”
Coming over, she kisses my cheek. “See you tomorrow,” I tell her.
Roman stands. “You two are welcome to any of the rooms in the house. We have a gaming room, a movie theater room, a gym. If you have any questions, I’m sure you’ll find one of the staff meandering about.” He stifles a yawn. “My wife isn’t the only one who thinks nine p.m. is late anymore.”
We say our goodnights to them all, and then it’s just Victoria and me sitting in the large, silent room.
“What do you want to do?” I ask her.
With a smile, she says, “I want to check out the gaming room.”
One of the things I love most about Victoria is her competitive streak. “How did I know you were going to say that?” I ask with a big grin.
CHAPTER 30
DAMON
AFTER VICTORIA KICKS my ass at chess three times and I kick her ass at pool five times, we decide to call it a night.
I enter the opulent guest bedroom first, followed by Victoria. I can practically feel the nervousness coming off of her in waves, but I have no intention of making this arrangement difficult.
I point to the king-sized bed in the middle of the room atop a plush rug. “You take the bed. I’ll sleep on the floor.”
Before she can argue, I grab one of the blankets from the bed and a couple of the pillows and get to work setting up my space on the floor.
Victoria hesitates, but doesn’t say a word as she slips into the bathroom to get ready for bed.
After she’s done, I go in to brush my teeth and change into more comfortable clothes. When I come out, Victoria is in bed and turned with her back facing me.
Fuck, she looks so small in that bed, and I just want to crawl in and wrap my arms around her. But I force myself to the floor, curling up in my makeshift bed, which is hella uncomfortable.
It takes me a while to get into a position that isn’t wrecking my back before I close my eyes and force myself to sleep.
I doze off after a little while, but the sound of yelling wakes me up. At first, I’m disoriented, thinking I’m having another nightmare with Sara’s screams filling my mind.
I bolt upright, and that’s when I realize that the screams aren’t in my head. They’re real.
“No! Don’t touch me!” Sara screams.
Practically leaping to my feet, I rush towards the door.
“Damon!” I hear Victoria cry behind me.
I don’t even look back as I pull open the door and run down the hallway towards the horrendous screams coming from my sister.
“That son-of-a-bitch,” I curse under my breath as I run. I knew this place was too good to be true. Sara is being abused again at the hands of her own husband.
Ready to pounce on the bastard, I burst through their bedroom without hesitation, my hands curled into fists, ready to fight. But what I see has me stopping in my tracks.
Roman is on the floor, holding Sara in his arms and rocking her back and forth as she fights him. She punches and scratches at him, but he continues to just hold her, trying to soothe her.
&
nbsp; “You’re all right, Sara. Just a nightmare, baby. Just a nightmare. Please come back to me. Please wake up.”
Sara’s eyes are closed, so I think she’s still dreaming. Tears track down her beautiful cheeks as her husband tries to calm her down.
Eventually, she stops fighting him, and her eyes slowly flutter open. A mournful cry comes out of her mouth as she gradually brings herself awake.
“I…I’m s-s-sorry,” she sobs in his arms.
He smooths a hand down her hair and back. “It was just a dream, baby. You’re okay. I’m here.” Holding her tightly, he tells her softly, “I won’t let anyone ever hurt you again, Sara.”
Sara’s eyes eventually find me standing in the doorway of their room. “Arlo,” she whispers. Then, grimacing at her mistake, she says, “Damon. I’m sorry you had to see this.”
My fists slowly unclench as I stand there, unable to even speak. Thankfully, Victoria steps up behind me, wraps her hand in mine and speaks for me. “It’s okay. He’s been helping me deal with some nightmares myself. He’s used to it by now I think,” she says lightheartedly, trying to clear the tension in the room.
Sara gives her a soft smile. “I’m glad you two have each other.”
Victoria gives my hand a squeeze, and I relish in the feel of her extending that lifeline to me right now.
Sara looks at Roman. “I’m going to go check on Arlo. Make sure I didn’t wake him up.”
Roman gives her a nod and helps her stand.
I feel a tug on my hand, and I realize that’s our cue to leave. “We’ll see you both in the morning,” I tell them before turning and leading Victoria back to our room, hand in hand.
Once the door is shut behind us, I release her hand and go to the window. I can feel an intense amount of rage filling me up inside. More than I’ve ever felt before.
“Damon?” Victoria calls from behind me. I can hear the unease in her voice.
Victorious: A Dark Mafia Romance (Deviant Series Book 2) Page 9
