Exposed

by Rachel Van Dyken

  I narrowed my eyes.

  And waited.

  Phoenix only smirked harder and then nodded down to Dom, “He’s going to need someone to watch him tonight, just in case.”

  I gulped. “Just in case?” I still couldn’t wrap my head around what had just happened. Had Dom hurt me? Had Phoenix? Had they all? And what the hell was going on?

  He knelt down and felt the pulse in Dom’s beautifully stretched neck, all muscles and gold. “He’ll be okay, I’ll have Sergio remove the bullet, and we’ll put him back in his room, but it would be nice to have a nurse…”

  I glared. “And that would be…?”

  “You.” He grinned. “I mean, if you want the job. If not, I can take you back to campus with Ax…”

  My stomach sank.

  I was with killers.

  Mafia.

  Enemies.

  People who wouldn’t even blink before killing me.

  A man who slept with me and then with the same hand harmed me. But did he? I wanted to ask, was this him? Them?

  I was too confused to know.

  Too exhausted to think about it.

  And just… angry and terrified and so many other things I couldn’t even begin to try to lay it all out.

  “Right,” I finally said. “I guess… I’ll just…” I motioned up with my hands. “Follow you?”

  He snapped his fingers.

  And a second later, two huge burly guys came and grabbed Dom into their arms and carried him out of the room.

  Phoenix left.

  I followed.

  Not knowing what else to do.

  I walked up the stairs, slowly.

  And came into a huge open kitchen where every enemy waited, including Nixon. He eyed me speculatively, like I was the bad one, not the good.

  And when I passed the Capo, a chill wracked my body.

  He stopped me, gripping my arm as he whispered in my ear, “Hurt us, you and everyone you love… dies.”

  I stared down at the floor with tears in my eyes as I replied. “The only one I love… isn’t even conscious right now… I think you’re safe.”

  His face softened.

  He hung his head and patted me on the back whispering. “Hell of an answer, De Lange.”

  “A plague,” Nixon whispered after him. “We’ll never be rid of them, will we?”

  A really pretty woman approached and pulled me in for a hug. “I hope not. God, I hope not.”

  My blood heated.

  I had no idea why.

  She released me.

  And I walked into another room where Phoenix laid Dom on a nice, fluffy bed.

  Another guy, Sergio, I think, walked in and started doing something with the bullet wound. I couldn’t look.

  Ten minutes passed.

  Then twenty.

  Thirty.

  Finally, a hand landed on my shoulder. I jumped a foot as Sergio grinned. “He’s fine. Just sleep and thank you.”

  I frowned. “For what?” Suffering? Being a victim? Kicking him?

  “For being a damn liar. Sometimes, we respect the liar more than the one who shouts the truth. Let the enemies speak the truth, let your friends speak the lie.”

  And with that, he left.

  And I was alone with the only man I ever wanted.

  I gripped his hand and whispered, “Come, back.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  Dom

  I hurt everywhere.

  The pain was so intense that when I blinked my eyes open, I half expected to be in Hell.

  Close.

  I was in my old bedroom.

  And a very pissed off and worried Tanit was hovering over me.

  I tried to move.

  She pushed me back down against the mattress. “You’re hurt.”

  “No shit.” I winced. “Did you have to kick a man when he’s down?”

  She was expressionless.

  Not a good sign.

  I waited for the question.

  Thought briefly about lying.

  And closed my eyes as she asked. “Was it you in my room?”

  Leave it to Tanit to ask the shitty questions when I had no weapons, no escape, and was still suffering from blood loss. “Yes.”

  “Why?”

  “I can’t tell you that, not yet.”

  She kicked the bed. A sliver of pain sliced through my chest. “Seriously?”

  Tears ran down her cheeks. “I thought I was going to die!”

  “I know,” I rasped. “I know.” I locked eyes with her. “It was the only way, believe me, I tried, don’t you think I tried?” My voice rose as her eyes widened. “You shouldn’t even be alive, you shouldn’t be here at all—” My voice cracked. “De Langes don’t typically live past a few days in my world, especially ones with notorious fathers who work for underground criminal networks that promote sex trafficking.”

  Her face paled.

  “Surprise.” I gritted my teeth as more pain hit me making me delirious with anger. “Do you want me to keep going? Because I can. I can tell you all the reasons why I took you and justify every damn one of them, but if you hear nothing else, believe nothing else that I’m saying, believe this, hear this.” My voice shook. “I want you. Need you. And I refuse to let you go. Damn the consequences.”

  She sucked in a harsh breath.

  I held out my hand.

  And counted the seconds of indecision on her face.

  I wasn’t offering her much.

  And there would be more blood.

  More pain.

  More of it all.

  I was inviting her in and hoping to God she didn’t stab me in the back.

  I didn’t do emotion, not typically.

  Maybe it was the pain.

  The situation.

  Or the lost look on her face.

  But I needed her to know that no matter what, she wasn’t alone in this world, and I would fight with Hell itself, to save her from it all.

  Slowly she slid her hand in mine and squeezed. “Tell me everything.”

  “I will, just do me one favor first.” I was starting to pass out again, I could feel it.

  “Anything,” She leaned close.

  “Kiss me,” I breathed, and fell into a dark dreamless sleep the minute her lips touched mine.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

  Tanit

  I wanted to stay by his side all night, and part of me wondered if even in his delirium he wanted it too.

  Dom kept gripping my fingers like a lifeline, but eventually my own hunger won out. That and the need for answers I knew I wouldn’t get from a passed-out Dom.

  I slowly made my way out of his room and down the hall into the lit-up kitchen. I didn’t expect anyone to be up, it was nearing midnight. My only hope was to find something to snack on and at least one person sitting at the table willing to talk.

  I was surprised to see him.

  The one who hated me more than anyone else.

  His ice-cold glare said it all, or at least I thought it did.

  Suddenly I wasn’t hungry anymore.

  I wasn’t anything other than terrified this man was going to end me within seconds of me walking by the stove.

  He didn’t stand.

  He didn’t flinch.

  His head tilted and then he crooked his finger.

  I gulped and very slowly walked to the table, pulled out a chair, and plopped down.

  He swirled red wine in his glass and stared into it, then looked up. “So, he’s alive.”

  His tone wasn’t pleased but it wasn’t pissed off either, more of like a statement than anything.

  I exhaled. “He is.”

  “And so…” He tilted his head. “…are you.”

  Another statement. I half expected him to say something like “but not for long.” Instead, he just kept staring at me like he was waiting for something else.

  He leaned forward, and I could appreciate how beautiful he’d be if he wasn’t so menacing, or if he didn’t
make me want to crawl under the table and hide.

  “Yes.” I nodded. “I am.”

  “I’m assuming you’d like to stay that way… breathing.”

  I sucked in a breath on cue. “Sure.”

  “Sure? Or yes?”

  “Yes,” I said quickly.

  His lips twitched. “Hurt him. Hurt us. Hurt anyone close to me, and I’ve been given the signal to end you. How does that make you feel about us? About what we do? What you signed up for?”

  I thought about it.

  I grabbed onto logic and shut down my fear.

  I closed my eyes. I thought harder.

  And then I opened my eyes and spoke in a loud clear voice. “Fair. It’s fair.”

  He seemed surprised. “And why’s that?”

  I remembered my father. The phrase he used to say. The one that stuck with me the most and repeated it. “A life for a life. Blood in. No Out.”

  He stared.

  And then he held out his hand.

  I shook it as he whispered, “Good answer, De Lange, I just may let you live.”

  He said it with a smile.

  So I felt safe to smile back as he released my hand and grabbed an empty glass and poured a heavy amount of wine into it. “And now, you drink.”

  I didn’t argue.

  And after ten minutes, I wasn’t even surprised anymore, when he brought me over re-heated lasagna and more wine, and whispered hoarsely, “You eat now.”

  So I did.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  Dom

  I was in and out of consciousness for most of the night. I dreamed of her, of her screams, the ones that I helped cause.

  I didn’t know how to get back to the place we started.

  Where it was just us, and the drama of the mafia was still hidden knowledge. I sighed and tried to sit up when a hand pressed against my shoulder slowly pushing me back against the mattress.

  I blinked my eyes open as Tanit gazed down at me, a look of concern on her face. “What’s going to happen to us?”

  I loved that she said us.

  Hated that she looked petrified, like she was afraid that any minute one of the guys was going to come in and attack her.

  And yet, I was thankful.

  Thankful that we’d put the fear of God in her so much that when she was by herself she’d be paranoid enough to memorize her surroundings, people’s faces, mannerisms, posture. It was necessary for this life.

  And I still wanted her to share it with me.

  Even though I knew the dangers it involved.

  “You stayed,” I mumbled, my hand blindly searching for hers.

  My fingers finally grazed hers, and she squeezed tight and then sighed.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Where to start?” she said with a hint of amusement in her voice, and then her body was lying down next to mine.

  I tried to turn on my side but the pain was too intense. Instead, she turned into me and pressed her head against my chest.

  She ran her right hand down my chest.

  I closed my eyes and shuddered. “That feels good.”

  “What now?”

  I didn’t open my eyes. “What do you mean?”

  “What happens now? How does this story end?”

  I grinned, not opening my eyes as I whispered, “It doesn’t.”

  “What do you mean it doesn’t?”

  “I’m just getting started.” I slowly pushed open my eyelids and stared down at her terror-filled face. “And I swear on my life nothing will touch you.”

  “Even your blood—” She gulped. “Even those you’d call family?”

  I hesitated.

  She was asking me for the impossible.

  To put her above them.

  I cared for her.

  She’d gone through hell for me.

  She was still De Lange.

  The guys’ words were like a bitter reminder in my consciousness as I reached for her hand and kissed it. “Yes, even then.”

  It felt like a lie.

  Maybe because I wasn’t sure I was strong enough to save her from them when I couldn’t even save her from me.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  Dom

  It took me another two days to recover, or at least feel like myself again. When I opened my eyes, Tanit was gone. I quickly changed as fast as I could without re-injuring my broken body and gingerly followed the sound of voices down the hall into the kitchen.

  Dante was at the table with Tanit.

  Nixon was there too.

  And another familiar face that still gave me the creeps for my own personal reasons, I shuddered and looked away.

  “You’re up,” Dante said in a matter-of-fact tone. “Done faking injuries?”

  I rolled my eyes. “I was shot, you asshole.”

  He shrugged like it didn’t matter.

  And in the grand scheme of things, it didn’t, not really; we’d all been shot at, we’d all bled for one another.

  I sighed and pulled out a chair as Tanit poured me a glass of orange juice. Her smile was cautious, like she still didn’t trust any of us. Smart girl. “Are you feeling better?”

  I grinned. “Now I am.”

  “Not at the table.” Dante said quickly. “I want to eat without watching you two make out. Do that shit on your own time.”

  I threw a fork at him. He dodged it just as Nixon came storming into the room. His eyes heated as he looked at every person at the table, his gaze finally landing on mine. “I was right.”

  I hated those words.

  That sentence.

  I stood, forgetting about my injuries as shooting pain slammed into my body. “What do you mean you were right?”

  Nixon swore and looked away. “He’s demanding an alliance.”

  “He?” I repeated.

  His eyes fell to Tanit. “Her father and the new De Lange boss.”

  “An alliance,” Tanit repeated. “What exactly does that mean?”

  “It means we’re screwed,” Dante said from the other end of the table. “Hope you look good in white.”

  Tanit’s jaw dropped. “No, that’s — no, you’re mistaken.”

  Nixon shook his head slowly. “You were warned.”

  “I didn’t do anything! I had no idea!”

  “The perfect bait,” Nixon spat, “And now that we’ve spilled her blood, we have to protect her or keep her. They want our answer in the next hour.”

  I stared blankly at Nixon as my mind tried to fuse all the facts together faster than it was. “An alliance.”

  Nixon swore and leaned his body against the counter. “It’s the only way to get back in… they’re done being outcasts. Hell, they must have been watching us like crazy, watching you especially…”

  And again all eyes fell to Tanit like she was guilty of some crime.

  I wrapped an arm around her. “She had no idea.”

  Nixon didn’t say anything.

  He didn’t have to.

  I knew his thoughts, they mirrored my own: what if she was trained just like us? What if she was planted? What if she was dangerous? What if she was willing to die for the cause, die for her father? Die for the name?

  She’d almost done exactly that.

  But I’d helped stop it.

  Did they know I would?

  Too many questions.

  With no answers.

  Tanit looked over at me, tears in her eyes. “You have to believe me, I would never,” Her voice cracked. “He dropped me off like I wasn’t even his blood! He doesn’t care about me, believe me.”

  “Oh, but he does.” Nixon said with a grim expression. “He cares enough to sell you to his biggest enemy in order to gain an ally… tell me, what’s it like to be the pawn?”

  “Nixon,” I growled.

  “What?” He shoved from the countertop. “I’m just saying what everyone else is thinking.” With that, he stormed off, slamming the door behind him.

  I wiped my face with my hands
then shot a look to Dante.

  He shrugged and stood. “Limited choices, my friend.”

  “Helpful!” I called after him.

  Everyone left the room but Tanit.

  She was shaking again.

  I pulled her into my arms and sighed into her hair. “It’s going to be okay.”

  “How do you know?” she whispered.

  “Because…” I pulled away. “…we have each other… and I’m not letting you go again.”

  “Even though I’m apparently your enemy?” She made quotes.

  I grinned. “Makes things more exciting.”

  She scowled.

  I tilted her chin toward me. “You know what this means right?”

  Her eyebrows drew together in concentration. “I have to quit school?”

  Shit, she really had no idea.

  I wasn’t sure how to tell her.

  So I went for the quickest route and just blurted. “You have to marry within the family.”

  “WHAT!” she screeched. “Who?”

  I tried not to be insulted.

  And then waited for her to come to the conclusion all before she passed out and collapsed against the chair before I could catch her.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

  Tanit

  There had to be another way.

  A better way.

  My thoughts before I collapsed into Dom’s arms, and the first thing I thought of when I woke up with a pounding headache.

  I was eighteen.

  Not twenty-eight.

  I wasn’t ready to get married, not that it wasn’t tempting. It was Dom, after all.

  “You okay?” he said from next to me, holding me in his arms still, on the hardwood floor in the kitchen.

  “Yeah.” I pulled back and then stood on wobbly feet. He reached out to steady me. “Just in a bit of… shock.”

  “It happens,” Dante interrupted as he walked by gun out like he was ready to go shoot something, or — more likely — someone.

  And then Nixon was walking by with a gun in each hand.

  Tex was next, a gun strapped to his chest and two on his back.

  Chase followed with a machete, which was actually a bit more terrifying than the gun.

  Sergio had a silencer on his, which he felt the need to point out to Vic and Ax as they both nodded in approval, and Frank, well Frank was at the table drinking wine while Phoenix calmly opened up some sort of black folder then gazed across the table at me.