“I’m not going to run.” It was said for her benefit as much as his. She’d spent more time with Dominic in the past few hours than she ever had. As much as the man repulsed her, he also fascinated her. Whenever he was near, her gaze naturally drifted to him. How could someone who did such evil things create such beauty? Could be so beautiful? The man was a work of art. His touch didn’t make her want to flee; it was the opposite. He drew her. Dominic had pulled his hair up in the back. A man bun, they called it, and on him it was sexy as sin. She unconsciously flexed her fingers just thinking about running them through those long strands. The sun had created natural highlights in his hair, and they reflected the glow from the wall sconces as they walked down the hallway.
“So, do you have a dungeon here or something?” The place was a legendary gangster spot that used to have parties during prohibition. For all she knew, there were probably hidden rooms and tunnels throughout the place. They finally stopped at Valentina’s office at the end of the hallway.
Dominic just glanced at her quickly before knocking on the door twice and then opening it. A spark ignited when he placed a hand on her lower back and pushed her through the doorway. It was hard to tell which had caused her heart to race faster, having an audience with Roman or Dom’s touch. Roman sat behind the desk and motioned for her to take a seat. For the next thirty minutes, he drilled her about the accident.
Fortunately for her, she’d an answer for everything. That came from living a double life for many years. Not that she lied, she just twisted things a notch or two. Her reasons for having Madison take the blame? She’d lost her driver’s license. It was true she didn’t know where her original one was. The one in her wallet was a fake.
Did she know there were phony plates on her car? Yes, she knew but wasn’t going to admit it. She played dumb and said they came with the vehicle. No, she didn’t know the man she hit. Technically, Stephanie didn’t know his name, just his face. And it went on and on.
“Look, cut the bullshit, Barclay. The only reason I’m sitting here talking to you is because you’re my wife’s friend. I’m going to ask you this once and only once. If you need help, let me know.” Roman sat forward in his chair, and she pondered her response. It would be so easy to say yes. I am in trouble, big trouble, and have been for longer than I can remember. The problem was what came after that confession. There was no way she wanted to bring the people she was hiding from here. It was best to do what she’d been doing for a long time. Keep her head down and not cause any notice.
“It’s the truth.” Stephanie crossed her legs and sheepishly glanced over at Dom. He leaned against the wall, his arms crossed in front of his chest. His dark eyes were unreadable as he stared back under thick black lashes.
“Aren’t you interested in how the man you hit is doing?” Roman brought her attention back to him.
“I, ah, well, of course. I was going to call, but I knew they wouldn’t give out confidential information.” His condition had been the last thing on her mind.
“You could have visited.” He lifted an eyebrow.
“I’m sure they wouldn’t have let just anyone in.” That was the last thing she would do.
“They let me in.”
“Oh?” It was her turn to do the eyebrow raise.
“Yes.” He rested an elbow on the desk.
“And how is he? Doing okay, I hope.” If he was who she thought he was, it would be just the opposite. Hopefully the man really hadn’t recognized her or thought she was someone else.
“He’s staying overnight for observation but should be fine. Don’t you want to know why he’s here?” The man was fishing, and she wasn’t about to take the bait.
“No, why should I? It’s none of my business what others do with their lives.”
“The man said he’s from a biker club out of California and they’re looking to start a new chapter here.”
Even with no mirror in sight, it was a good bet that her face had just gone white. She shivered as the blood rushed from her face. “You’re not going to let him, are you? That would bring the wrong sort to this town.” Her fingers shook, so she placed her hands on her thighs.
“And am I the right sort?” Roman chuckled.
“Your sort is better than his, I’m sure.” She’d take Roman and his crew over crazy biker dude any day.
“And you’ve experience with his sort.” He wasn’t giving up.
“I saw on television that some of those west coast gangs are very dangerous. We wouldn’t want them to set up house here.” She’d seen firsthand what one of those gangs could do.
“Do you have anything else to say? As I said, I’m only asking once.”
“No.” Her gaze dropped to the floor, and she studied the pattern of the rug. How had her life come to this?
A long exhale from the man behind the desk brought her back to the present. She flinched as he rose and came around the desk. Completely out of character from what she knew of him, Roman placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and told Dom to see her home. With that, he was out the door. Now it was her turn to let out a deep breath, and she relaxed in the chair.
“Let’s go.” Dominic stood by the door.
“Where to?” She twisted in her seat.
“Wherever you want me to take you.”
It was on the tip of her tongue to say, “Far away from here.” Anywhere that would let her forget the things she’d seen. But there was no escaping memories.
“I’d like to go to my place.” Steph stood up. “Wait. Do you know where my purse is? I just remembered I don’t have my keys. I don’t have a phone. I don’t have anything but the store key.” What was she going to do?
“I don’t. Maybe Madison has it. Do you want me to take you to Roman’s?” he suggested.
“No thanks, not after I just got the third degree. No, just take me to the store. I can sleep in the office.” Stephanie started down the hallway while Dominic stopped to check a text. He then turned off the lights in the office and locked it up.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t do that.” His voice echoed down the hall.
“What do you mean?” She turned, and he was by her side already. Those long legs could make up a lot of ground in a hurry. “Your boss told you to take me home.”
“You don’t have a key. Do you want me to leave you on the doorstep?” In no time at all, they were outside. The wind had picked up, and she shivered as they walked across the parking lot. Bits of dirt and dry leaves swirled across the blacktop.
“No, like I said, I can just stay overnight at the store.” It was the last place she wanted to go, but there wasn’t any other choice. Without her purse, she couldn’t even stay at a hotel. She shrieked when a flash of light blinded her, followed by a deafening bolt of thunder. The overhead lights in the lot went dark before fluttering back to life. A big raindrop landed on her shoulder.
“I can’t do that.” He opened the door to the SUV, and she quickly settled in her seat. As Dom got in, he started the engine and turned on the heat. It was all for her benefit, as the guy wore short sleeves and didn’t seem to feel the cold at all while she was warming her hands in front of the vents.
“What do you mean?” She couldn’t see his face in the dark.
“I’m not going to let you stay at the store alone.” He put the vehicle in drive.
“What do you mean you aren’t going to let me? Your boss told you to take me home. I thought you mob guys had to do everything your boss tells you or you’re dead. Bound by honor and all that crap.”
“I can’t take you home, and this isn’t mob business. This is looking out for Madison’s friend. Would she be good with me just dropping you at the store to stay overnight? Especially in bad weather?”
The man had a point there. Madison would be furious. “No, I guess not, but I have no money to stay at a hotel. I don’t suppose you would lend me some money for a room?”
“Nope.” They were at the exit of the driveway, and he’d stopped to lo
ok both ways before turning right. Right? That way went out of town. He switched the windshield wipers on once to clear the moisture.
“Nope? Wait.” Panic set in again. “Where are we going?” She knew nothing about this guy except for what he did for a living, and that wasn’t good.
“To my place.”
“Ah, no, hell no.” Damn, where was her phone? She’d not felt this helpless in a long time. “Take me to Madison’s then.”
“Can’t.” They were now outside the city limits.
“Why not? You were going to take me there not too long ago. What changed?” Stephanie groaned. Well, that was just perfect. She was heading out of town with a killer in the middle of a fricking storm. Her whole body ached. What a stressful day. All she wanted was a hot shower and a good night’s sleep. Would this day ever end? Could it get any worse? The radio beeped in with a tornado warning. She shook her head and rested her chin on her fist.
“I don’t believe a word you said to Roman. I think you were trying to hit the guy on the bike.”
Staring out the window, she could see the lights of people’s televisions in their homes as they passed.
“Why would you think that?” The guy was smart and was on to her.
“There were no skid marks at the scene. I think you tried to hit him.”
“I what? You’re crazy.” Thinking back, it was an unconscious thing. She identified the guy and floored it. It was a flight or fight response, and she went with the latter.
“Well, then, it won’t bother you that the text I received was to tell me that the guy you hit is out of the hospital.” He turned her way briefly. “Still want me to take you to the store?”
A lump knotted in her gut. The guy was out. She had mace and a few other things back at her place, but they weren’t going to do her any good now. “I thought he was staying overnight.”
“He signed himself out. Roman had Jasper watching the place. He sent the text.”
Stephanie twirled a strand of hair around her finger. She tied it in a knot, then two, then three, and then undid them. Nothing helped relieve her stress.
“Do you still want to go back to town knowing that guy is out on the street?” Dominic put on the blinker, but there was no driveway in sight. It was raining hard now.
“No.” She’d rather be taken to the cleaner than spend a minute alone with that club member.
“I didn’t think so.” He turned off the road, and they traveled down a dirt path with trees lining each side. At the end was a small log cabin next to a lake…which body of water, she wasn’t sure. Dominic parked close to the building and got out. Cold rain touched her skin as soon as he opened the door. “Coming?” He was getting wetter by the minute. It started to pour.
Slowly she exited and then ran with him to his house. The lights blinded her as they entered the last place on earth she ever thought she’d be. It was simple in design with an open floor plan. The kitchen, dining, and living room were all in one room. A large television set hung on the wall with a couch and table in front of it. The table was covered with about a dozen knives. Had she just traded one nightmare for another?
CHAPTER FOUR
Dominic
Stephanie sat in front of the television, her eyes glued to the local weatherman. Madison had sent him a text asking about Steph. She was worried about her friend being alone in the storm. A tornado had hit in the next county over, and Maddy was concerned she’d be freaking out.
Dominic: Don’t worry. She’s with me at my cabin.
Maddy: Oh. Send her my love and be good.
The “be good” comment had to be a joke. He’d never been considered good. Another loud clap of thunder shook the ground. The lights flickered. It was a wonder they hadn’t gone out yet. Taking a swig of beer, he noticed his guest was shaking.
“Do you want me to start a fire?” He set the bottle down and strolled over to where she sat on his couch.
“No,” she mumbled. It was a lie. Steph shook like a leaf. He touched the back of his hand to her arm. It was ice cold. If what Madison said was right, she was probably so traumatized by what raged outside that she didn’t realize it.
Dominic grabbed some wood stacked nearby and started a fire in the fireplace. The flame caught, and soon it snapped and cracked as it burned. He squatted in front of it and stared at the glow. There was something about a fire that calmed him. As many times as he thought about bringing a woman to his home, he never had until now. Stephanie Barclay was the last person he’d ever pictured here.
He warmed up a mug of apple cider in the microwave and added a shot of brandy. Dom handed it to his guest, who still stared lifelessly at the TV. From what he’d seen in the past, this wasn’t like her at all. Most thought she was timid and shy, but even from a distance he could see she had strength beneath the façade. She didn’t want to bring attention to herself.
“Drink.”
Her eyes were unfocused as she drank the whole thing down at once.
The fact that she did what he said proved she was shutting down. Dom heated up another and added two shots this time. An alert flashed across the bottom of the television screen. Another tornado had been seen, and there was now a tornado warning for Genoa. This time he noticed Steph starting to rock back and forth. Shit. Now what was going on?
Wind roared outside the cabin, but they would be all right according to the radar they’d just posted. Dom found a blanket and wrapped it around her shoulders.
“Here’s another.” The couch cushion shifted as he took a seat beside her and handed her a second drink.
“Thanks.” It was an automatic response. She drank half and placed it on the coffee table.
A flash of light, a loud boom, a buzz sound zapped, and everything went black. They’d lost power. The only sound inside was the fire roaring in the hearth. It took him a moment to realize she was pressed up against him. Did she even realize that her arms were wrapped around his waist?
Dominic froze. When was the last time someone hugged him? Perhaps when he was a child, but those years had been forgotten a long time ago. Slowly he pulled the blanket around them both and gently caressed her hair. It was soft as silk and smelled like roses. After a few minutes, the woman in his arms stopped shaking, but she made no movement to leave his embrace.
“I wasn’t always afraid of storms.” Her voice sounded distant and flat.
His hand stilled as he waited for her to continue. She snuggled closer and laid her head on his shoulder.
“I used to love them. I would sit on the deck and watch. Sometimes my hair would stand on end from the electricity in the air. I felt alive. I would dance in the rain as a kid.”
“What changed?”
“Something bad happened, and every time it storms, the memories come back.” Careful not to scare her, he reached down and lifted her legs so they lay across his lap. Her hand now moved to settle on his chest. Could she feel how fast his heart beat?
“Does it have something to do with that biker in town?” He held his breath. The guy was connected somehow.
Stephanie stilled.
“Tell me.” He pulled her closer.
“Yes,” she whispered.
“Did he hurt you?” It was dark, but he could see red. If that man so much as laid one finger on her, he would lose an arm inch by inch, and he had all the tools to do it.
“No, but others were hurt.” Her words slurred, and when the lightning flashed, he could see her eyes were closed.
“Please tell me what happened so I can fix it.” Having her in his arms brought out the urge to protect her. He may be a monster himself, but he would never hurt a woman or a child. Right now, he would kill anyone responsible for her fears. The urge was so strong it shocked him to the core. He’d stopped caring about people a long time ago, except for the Caponellis, that is.
“No one can fix it.”
“Why not?” He gently shook her, as it was obvious she was falling asleep.
“Because I don’t wan
t anything to happen to you.” She yawned and pulled the blanket tighter.
“I can take care of myself.” Did that comment mean she cared about him? It was too much to hope for. Having her in his arms right now was probably the only time that would happen.
“Yes, but others can’t.” She was drifting off again. “Madison. People in town.”
“Roman and I will take care of whoever is threatening you.”
It was no good. She’d fallen asleep, and she needed it. Dom, careful not to wake her, put one foot and then the other up on the table and slid a little back into the couch. He may be the devil, but right now he had an angel in his arms. The storm outside had moved on, but inside it was just beginning. One way or another, he would find out what happened to cause Stephanie such pain and fear.
Stephanie
Taking a big yawn, she stretched and pulled the blanket higher on her chest. She took a look around, and it all came tumbling back. The accident, the meeting with Roman, the storm, and ending up at Dominic’s cabin. Her eyes opened wide. Steph’s last thought from the evening before was going to sleep wrapped in his strong arms. She was alone on the couch now. Maybe that was part of a dream.
Sitting up, the place was empty. Where was he? The smell of bacon tickled her nose. Bacon! Every time she got a whiff, she perked up like that dog on the bacon treat commercial. It was here somewhere. She spied it. There on the counter in the kitchen. Pushing the blanket to the side, she sprinted barefooted over to the food. When had she taken her shoes off?
Water shut off from the bathroom. He must be taking a shower. Heat rushed to her cheeks just thinking about those lucky beads of water trailing off his skin. The door opened, and Dominic came out dressed in some low-riding sweat pants. His muscular chest was bare as he towel dried his gorgeous hair. She dropped her gaze to the food. It was a toss-up as to which sight caused her to drool more.
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