by L. P. Dover
Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and listened to the waves. I could hear the undertone of uncertainty in his voice. I was curious to see how he’d react if I said yes, but I didn’t want to play games. “As much as I love it here, no,” I answered truthfully. I opened my eyes and turned to him. “Don’t get me wrong, it’d be nice to be near my family, but this place isn’t my end game.”
He looked away. “What is then?”
“Oh, I don’t know … first of all, getting my own place to stay,” I said teasingly. He glanced over at me and I smiled. “I can’t stay in the princess suite forever.”
“No,” he agreed, giving me that sexy grin of his, “you’re going to stay in my suite. The other will be there if you get tired of me.”
I giggled. “Which might be a lot.”
Chuckling, he rolled on top of me and pinned me down with his weight. “So you think you’ll get tired of me, huh?”
Lifting my head, I nipped the tender flesh behind his ear. “You might be the one getting tired of me. That’s why I suggested I get my own place. I’m just curious to see what your plans are.”
His smile faded when he looked down at me. “To be honest, I don’t know. For someone like me I have to live one day at a time.” That wasn’t the answer I wanted to hear and he could see the disappointment on my face. “What did you want me to say, Faith?”
I shrugged. “I’m a planner. I like knowing what I want for my future.”
He brushed a hand down my cheek. “And what do you want, beautiful?” He leaned down and kissed me. I opened up to him and moaned when he deepened the kiss.
“Definitely more of that,” I said, rubbing my leg against him. “But in all seriousness, I do want to open my restaurant. And....” I paused and looked right into his eyes. “I’d like to have a family one day.”
It was too soon to even talk about a future with him, but I was curious to see what he thought about it. I wanted to find my happily ever after.
Dominic stared right back at me. “One day I’m hoping to give you that.”
That was all I needed to hear. It wasn’t the right time for any of that, but I at least knew he wanted it too. It was good enough for me.
“What all’s going to happen tomorrow when we go back to New York?” I asked.
He kissed me again, but I could see the tenseness on his face. “Speaking of the fights, if you don’t want to go, I can have Reed keep you company.”
I had a feeling he was keeping something from me, but what? “Do you not want me there?”
He sighed. “I do, but if my enemies see the way I look at you they’ll know how much you mean to me. I’ll never forgive myself if I openly put you in the line of fire.”
I could hear the truth in his voice, but it also made me wonder what all had changed. If he was willing to leave me alone with Reed, it had to be something bad. “If that’s what you want, I’ll stay back,” I offered. “To be honest, you have me a little worried. I feel like you’re keeping something from me.”
Dominic rolled off of me and helped me to my feet. “I just want you safe, but I know how stubborn you are. I’m not going to say no you can’t come, because you’ll find a way to be there. However, I am going to say that I’d feel better if you didn’t.”
I couldn’t help but smile. “You know me so well.”
He snorted. “I’m getting there.”
Wrapping my arms around his neck, I held him tight. “Okay,” I gave in, “I won’t go. Just promise me you’re not keeping anything from me.”
He buried his face in my neck and breathed in. “I promise. Everything will be fine.”
I hoped he was right. Still, it felt like a storm was brewing. I just didn’t know when it was going to strike.
Chapter Eighteen
Dominic
Faith and I had stayed in Virginia a lot longer than expected. She wanted to see her parents again and then we got caught up in another poker game. It was a good time, and it killed me having to take her away from them, but I had no choice. In return, I promised Faith that she could use my jet anytime she wanted to visit her parents.
We’d arrived back in New York with only an hour to spare before the fights. The second we landed my phone beeped nonstop with missed messages and calls from Marco.
“Aren’t you going to call him back?” Faith asked as we stepped into the elevator to head up to my suite.
My phone started to ring again. “Nope. I’m pretty sure we’re going to see him the second we get off this elevator. Isaiah sent a text saying that he and Marco were waiting for us.” I didn’t want to risk her hearing what he had to say, especially anything concerning Cadoc Cartwright.
The elevator opened and she stepped out first. “What about Reed, Micah and Connor?”
About that time, Isaiah opened my suite door before we could get there. “Reed and Micah will be up in about ten minutes. Your uncle is already in the elevator and Connor is down in the pit warming up with Taylor.”
“Good,” I said, following Faith into my suite. She headed straight to the bedroom but I noticed a letter on the kitchen counter in Francis’ handwriting. I picked it up and walked down the hallway to the bedroom, setting our bags on the bed. “As soon as the fights are done tonight, I’ll be right back up here.”
She nodded and glanced down at the letter. “What’s that?”
I shrugged. “Don’t know. It’s from Francis.” I opened the letter and smiled as I read it. “I think it’s for you.”
I handed her the paper and she slapped a hand over her chest. “I swear that man knows the way to my heart.”
“Hey,” I said, grabbing her around the waist. “What about me?” I tickled her as we fell onto the bed, and refused to let her go. She laughed so hard she got the hiccups. Chuckling, I let her go.
She stood and smacked me on the arm. “Every man should know that chocolate is the way to any woman’s heart.” In the letter, Francis had written that he’d left her some of his chocolate mousse. He used to do the same for my sister when she lived at the hotel.
I pulled her back down onto the bed. “I’ll remember that next time.”
Down the hall I could hear Marco’s voice. Faith sat back up and reached for her bag. “You have to go, don’t you?”
With a heavy sigh, I sat up and straightened my tie. “Probably. I need to see what all Marco wanted.”
She kissed me and smiled. “Go. I’ll see you later tonight. I’m going to rinse off in the shower and change clothes before Reed gets here.” She fumbled in her bag. “Have you told him that he’s staying with me?”
I stood. “No, but I’m sure he’ll have questions,” I said, knowing there was a hint of annoyance in my voice.
Faith looked up at me, her gaze narrowed. “Why do you say it like that?”
Huffing, I threw my hands in the air. “Reed is Reed, Faith. His concern is for you and you only. The man may be part of my family now, but he won’t hesitate to take you away from me.”
She burst out laughing. “I don’t think so. I’m not going anywhere.”
“What if I asked you to?” I said in all seriousness.
Her smile faded and she stared at me, her eyes searching mine. “Do you think it’ll come to that?”
Taking her hand, I pulled her in close. “I don’t know,” I lied, already knowing it would. “If it does, I need to know you’re safe.”
She waved me off. “Let’s just hope it doesn’t. I don’t want to think about that right now.”
Neither did I, but it was about to happen. All I wanted was a few more days with her. “In the meantime,” I began, “can we tell Reed you weren’t feeling well?”
Her lips pulled back. “I can do that.” She kissed me and let me go. “I’m getting in the shower. It’s a shame you can’t join me.” Walking backwards, she slowly took off her clothes and my dick grew so fucking hard at the sight of her. Memories of our last shower together flooded my mind. She giggled when she noticed what she’d done
to me.
“You better be ready for me tonight when I get back,” I claimed, shifting my cock to the side.
She stepped into the bathroom and smiled. “Oh, don’t worry … I will be.”
Once the door shut, I took a few deep breaths and waited for my dick to go down before leaving the room. I’d never been so turned on by a woman in my life. Around her I was a walking hard on. We’d been together nonstop for days and I still hadn’t gotten enough of her.
As soon as I was ready, I walked out of the bedroom to the living room. Isaiah stood by the front door while Marco waited for me with an impatient look on his face, holding a glass of whiskey in his hands. “Phone broken?” he snapped.
I glared at him. “I didn’t want Faith hearing anything about Cartwright.”
Marco huffed and tossed back the last of his liquor. “Speaking of that son of bitch, he met with that woman again.” He stormed over and showed me his phone. “Her face is still covered, but I got a picture of her.”
There was a black scarf over her head, but I could see strands of her red hair underneath. I didn’t recognize her either. “Save that for now. Maybe we’ll see her again.”
Marco nodded and slipped his phone away. “Is Faith coming tonight?”
I walked over to the bar and poured me a glass of bourbon. “I told her I didn’t think it was a good idea. The farther I can keep her away from Cadoc, the better.” I turned to face him. “I’m sending her away next week before the meeting. If he wants to bring her into the middle of our war, I’ll have no choice but to do what has to be done.”
Marco’s eyes widened. “And what is that?”
I could feel the rage burning in my gut. “He needs to go.” Saluting him with my glass, I lifted it to my lips and let the smooth, amber liquid slide down my throat. I poured me a little more and met his gaze. “I’m going to kill him.”
Marco didn’t approve by the look on his face, and I honestly didn’t give a shit. I was sick of the Cartwrights using the people I loved to get to me. If he wanted the city’s power, he needed to come after me and me alone.
Isaiah cleared his throat. “Reed and Micah are here.” He opened the door and they walked in.
Dressed in jeans and a black tank top that showed off his tattoos, Micah had the biggest smile on his face. “We’re going to kick some ass tonight. Taylor’s on fire.”
He walked down and I shook his hand. “Good. We got a quarter mil riding on this fight. Have you seen the Rossi fighter yet?”
Micah nodded. “He’s a good one, but we’re better. I say it’ll be over in the first round. Connor and Luca are with Taylor right now. I told them I’d be right back.”
I slapped him on the shoulder. “That’s what I like to hear. Thanks for helping out. I’ll be down there in a few minutes.”
Micah turned on his heel and hurried out the door. Out of him, Reed, and Connor, Micah was the one who surprised me the most. He was made for my kind of world. There was a certain level of darkness that people like me had in them and Micah had it, hidden underneath that not giving a shit demeanor of his.
Reed glanced around the room. “Where’s Faith?”
Drinking the last of my bourbon, I quickly glanced over at Marco and set my glass on the coffee table. “That’s what I want to talk to you about. Faith’s not coming tonight.”
“Why not?” he asked.
“She’s not feeling well,” I lied. “I was wondering if you could stay with her.”
He nodded. “Of course. Is she okay?”
“She’s fine,” I assured him. “She’ll be out in a minute.” I looked down at my watch and sighed.
Marco stepped up to my side. “We have to go. It’s almost time.”
I placed a hand on Reed’s shoulder. “Keep her safe.”
He stared right into my eyes. “Always.”
Marco and I left the suite with Isaiah right behind us. Once we were in the elevator, I looked at them both. “Keep an eye on the Cartwrights tonight, especially Cadoc.”
They both nodded. When we arrived on the basement floor, the elevator opened and the bouncer stepped out of the way so we could pass through the red door to the pit. The place was packed. As I looked around, I saw members of all the different mafia families in the city, except one. Cadoc Cartwright was nowhere to be seen.
Chapter Nineteen
Faith
Once I got out of the shower, I threw on a pair of yoga pants and a pink tank top, and twisted my hair into a bun. Everything was quiet all throughout Dominic’s suite. I walked out into the hall and turned the corner to the living room. Reed stood the second he saw me, looking sophisticated in his suit.
“Hey, you okay? Corsino said you weren’t feeling well.”
I closed the distance between us and hugged him. My head had started to hurt and I felt nauseous so it wasn’t exactly a lie. “I’m fine. Just a little headachy. I feel better now that I took a shower.”
He let me go and studied me, his piercing green eyes transfixed on my arms. The bruises had lightened a bit, but they were still there from when Philip grabbed me. “What the fuck is this?” he growled, holding my arms out. “Did Corsino do this to you?” I’d never seen Reed so angry. He jerked around and headed straight for the door.
“Oh my God, no,” I gasped, stepping in his way. I placed my hands on his shoulders and pushed him away from the door. “I never got the chance to tell you. It happened after you left.”
His eyes blazed. “Who hurt you? It looks like handprints.”
I grabbed his arm and pulled him back into the living room. “Philip cornered me that morning as I was heading to the café. He’d just found out about his lawyer turning him in.”
“That motherfucker,” Reed snapped. “Please tell me Dominic beat the shit out of him.”
“Actually,” I said, laughing. “He did, but I got in a good swift kick to the balls in before Dominic threw him out of the hotel. I have a restraining order against him.”
Reed shook his head and gently lifted my arms to get a better look. “Good. If I’d only stayed with you a few minutes longer that morning it wouldn’t have happened.”
“It’s not your fault,” I told him. “The good thing now is that I have my money and half of the firm. A part of me wished Philip was dead so I could get the other half. That place is going to go to shit without me. I worked hard there.”
Reed grinned. “Damn. I’d like to say I rubbed off on you, but I think that’s all Corsino. I can help you get rid of him.”
“No,” I gasped, even though the thought had been tempting weeks ago. “He lost the battle. That’s all I could ever ask for. The man may be a complete jackass, but I don’t want him dead. I might have at first, but he got what was coming to him.” I moved over to the couch and sat down. Closing my eyes, I rested my head against the couch and rubbed my temples.
Reed sat down beside me. “Head still hurting you?”
“Yeah,” I said, sighing. “I don’t get them often, but when I do, they make me so nauseous. I think it’s because I’m hungry.” When I opened my eyes and looked over at him, he focused on my stomach.
His brows furrowed. “You’re not pregnant, are you?”
Bursting out with laughter, I smacked his arm. “Good God, no.” I could see the relief on his face. Things between Dominic and I were so new. It was easy to get lost in it all, but I was smarter than that. “How was Wyoming?” I asked. I tugged on his suit jacket. “I bet you couldn’t wait to get back into your flannel and boots.”
He chuckled. “You bet your ass I couldn’t. I don’t see how Corsino wears this shit every day.” He took off his jacket and laid it across the back of the couch, his holster and gun on full display. “Did you have fun in Aruba?”
I nodded. “Tons. But yesterday, he surprised me by taking me home. Getting to see my parents was the best part of all.”
Reed’s eyes widened. “Wow. Didn’t expect that. Do your parents know what he’s all about?”
&nbs
p; “Yes and no,” I admitted in all honesty. “They seem to love him so that’s all that matters to me. Plus, he offered to let me take his jet anytime to visit them.”
Reed blew out a sigh. “Can’t compete with that. I’m surprised he wanted me to be the one to stay with you tonight.”
That made me smile. “That’s because he knows I’m your only concern. If you had to choose between me or Dominic, who would it be?”
Reed snorted. “You.”
“Exactly,” I said. “And he knows that. Other than Layla, you’re my best friend. I want you in my life.” I patted his arm. “And since you’re my friend, I’m going to share something with you.”
He chuckled. “Oh hell, what is it?”
One of the things I loved about Reed was that I could be silly with him. I went straight to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. Inside were four glass jars of Francis’ chocolate mousse. I grabbed two along with two spoons and carried them into the living room.
Reed shook his head and smiled. “You’re going to make me fat making me eat that.”
I handed him one of the glasses. “It’s good for the soul. I love this stuff. When I open my own restaurant, it’ll be a permanent dessert on the menu.”
“Speaking of your restaurant, when do you plan on doing that?” he asked, taking a bite of the mousse.
I shrugged and swallowed down a spoonful of the yummy goodness. “Don’t know yet. I’m still trying to figure out where I want it to be.”
His brows furrowed. “What are your choices?”
I hadn’t spoken to anyone about it, not even Dominic. I wanted to give it time before I made my decision. Reed stared at me, waiting for an answer, and I felt foolish for even thinking of a future with Dominic. It was too soon. Luckily, I wasn’t in a hurry to start my restaurant. I had plenty of time to think about it.