by KL Donn
“And what you found has to do with my parents?” His nod is solemn. “Please just spit it out, Domino.”
“Mario Santini, Gina’s dad, is the cousin to Vincenzo Salvatore, your adoptive father and also, the man who murdered your parents.” My head is shaking in denial before he’s finished speaking. That can’t be true. “There’s more, Nicola. I know you were young, but you were there. In the room. You watched what happened to them. You were the only living witness.”
“I feel sick,” I mutter, standing and pacing around the room. “Murdered,” I repeat. I would have remembered that. I’ve forgotten so much, but I would recall such a horrendous act. Wouldn’t I?
Rage wars with the agony slivering through my veins. For years, I’ve struggled with feeling unwanted by my adoptive parents. After all, they sold me, but learning they killed for me and then shipped me off to the highest bidder, it feels worse.
“Why wasn’t I good enough?” I spin to face Domino, uncaring about the tears flowing down my cheeks. “Why does nobody want me?” Noticing a stupid clay bowl I hand-crafted for Santo, I pick it up and toss it across the room. As it explodes against the wall, I crumble.
Into tiny, shattered pieces, just like the pottery.
Domino doesn’t hesitate as he sits behind me and wraps his body around mine. Holding me through the storm I feel quickly tearing me apart.
“Everybody fucking wants you, cara mia, but I’m the one who gets to keep you. I’m the one who lays claim and wins.” His words are only slightly comforting. As much as I want to belong to someone, I just can’t until I decipher my childhood.
Sniffling, I turn my head to stare into his deep-set eyes. “I don’t remember it. I should, right? Something so important.”
“No, Nicola. You should never remember the murder of those who gave you birth. That is too much for anyone.” Inhaling deeply, I try to focus on what I need to learn and what Domino is telling me.
“Why did Vincenzo murder my parents?” I’ve hated the Salvatores for years, hated that I share their name. Now, I’m disgusted. “What did they do to him?”
“From what Santi was able to gather overnight, they did nothing. Their deaths had very little to do with them personally.” Lifting my chin, Domino tilts his head to angle closer to me, and I know his next words aren’t going to help matters. “The Salvatores are part of an illegal adoption and trafficking ring. They kill families to steal their children. Some as young as days old. Others as old as ten or more.”
I’m the reason my parents are dead.
“From the day my father found out about you, he’s been buying children at these auctions and rehoming them. Sometimes he’s been lucky and able to return them to relatives. Other times, he has had to find the best-fit home.” This entire thing is sick.
“Why did he keep me?” I’ve been nothing but trouble for the old man. I talk back, I get in trouble. I’m a pain in the ass.
“I couldn’t tell you that, Nicola. You’ll have to ask him. But I suspect it’s because you’re the first he was able to rescue.” Laying my head against Domino’s chest, his strong heartbeat calms some of my nerves.
“Is this how you’re going to get the Santini’s to back off me? Tell them you have all this information, but you’ll keep it to yourselves to save me.” I don’t like the idea of these men getting away with killing families and kidnapping children.
Getting to his feet, Domino holds a hand out for me. Once standing, he grabs a chunk of my hair and tilts my head back.
“You are my priority, Nicola. Keeping you safe is all I care about.” The vehemence in his words soothes me. “But my brothers will be dismantling their entire organization and exposing them for the criminals they are one operation at a time.”
Chapter 6
Domino
For three days, I have watched Nicola wandering around the house and property. She’s distant and sad. Her inability to recall her parents' murders has been haunting her day and night.
Since the arrival of all my brothers, she’s been even more closed off, and now that I’ve finally convinced the four of them to visit the Morellos in Catania for the weekend, I intend to settle her ass down.
I’ve dismissed the house staff and locked the property tight. We are alone for the weekend until she returns to school on Monday, and I plan to keep her busy during this time. Starting with dinner on the back patio, overlooking the scenery beyond our property line.
Walking up behind Nicola as she watches the water, I lean against the brick wall. “Tell me about the scars.” I noticed them her first night here but never got to ask. Now, I need to know—especially the one on her thigh that’s so fresh.
Her grey eyes reflect a light blue as she stares over at me. “What do you want to know?”
“Isn’t that obvious?” I raise a brow.
She shakes her head. “No, Domino. Not with you, it isn’t. You’re a mystery that I don’t think I’ll ever unravel. You make these demands of me but then, just when I think you might care about me, you back off. I have whiplash.”
I was giving her space. Isn’t that what women want? “The scars,” I prompt.
“Which ones?” Her question makes me wonder if there are more than what I’ve seen. Which feels impossible given how exposed she was when I took her to bed.
“All of them.”
She blows out a breath before raising the skirt of her dress, revealing her hip. “These are from when I was about ten. A stupid boy dared me to climb a tree higher than he did, so I did. And then he and his friends threw rocks at me until I fell and landed on the stones.” She turns, exposing her neck. “This one is from after your father bought me. When I ran away from him, I was living on the streets for a few months. I had to fight off an attacker.”
She’s so fucking cavalier about it that I want to shake her. She should never have run away. “And your thigh?”
Walking away from me now, I suspect the story to this one is painful. I follow behind. “While I was in the detention center, there was a guard who liked to get handsy. When the girls said no, he’d mark us so the other guards knew we were fighters and didn’t follow the rules.”
“What was his name?” I’ll kill him with my bare hands.
Nicola spins so abruptly, I have to grasp her elbows to stop her from tumbling to the ground as we collide. “Why, Domino? So you can be the protector now? So you can save my virtue? A little late for that, don’t you think, daddy.”
Losing all gentlemanly pretense, I grip the back of her neck and her chin, forcing her to back-peddle until her back hits the wall of the house.
“Don’t get fucking condescending with me, cara mia. I will do anything for you, anything, and that includes punishing this smart mouth of yours.” Brushing my thumb across her bottom lip, Nicola’s hands clasp my biceps, digging her nails in. “Now tell me what the fuck he did to you and what his name is.”
Nipping at her jaw, I can feel her breathing pick up as she rubs against me. “What will you do to the bastard?”
“You don’t need to worry about that.” She’ll never see the dark side of me, the one that was stifled by a badge that betrayed me time and again. Now I’m home, truly home, and I can see where I am meant to be.
With Nicola.
But first, I need to ensure every demon from her past has been vanquished because I refuse to have her stolen from me.
“But I do worry, Domino. I will always worry because everything good in my life has repeatedly been ripped out of my hands the moment I’d felt like I belonged.” The tears collecting in her eyes are nearly my undoing.
“I’ll never fucking leave you, Nicola. Not even in death can I be dragged away from you.” I vow, capturing her lips in a possessive kiss.
Nicola
Earlier, I allowed my anger to fuel my confessions of the origins of the scars because I hate being vulnerable, and telling Domino was hard enough without becoming an emotional wreck. I’m so used to people discarding me that I seem to las
h out when this man is nice to me. I say or do things I don’t mean when in truth, I wish he’d hold me a little closer. Kiss me a little bit harder.
Belonging to Domino Cardarelli is the one thing in my life that feels like fate has stepped in. It’s one of the few things I desperately want to be true. But it also feels like every time we get close, he starts to pull away. I don’t even think he realizes he’s doing it.
Dinner was a beautifully crafted shrimp linguine dish with perfectly crusted garlic bread and a lovely salad. I’ve never been a wine drinker, but the sweet tang of the rosé Domino chose had me imbibing in more than one glass.
Slightly tipsy now, I lie in the lush grass of the garden I’ve admired for months that’s just off the back patio and stare up at the moonlit sky, wishing we weren’t in the city because then I could see the stars. Maybe even a shooting star. Possibly make a wish.
Domino has been silently watching me from his chair on the stone patio since we finished dinner. I can feel the intensity of his stare, the caress of his eyes. It’s almost as tangible as the warmth of his fingers as they glide up my thighs.
“When I was a little girl, I used to dream of one day being a princess. Living in a castle, having Prince Charming as my own. I believed in fairytales and pumpkin carriages, mice turning into horses.” The wine has made my lips loose. “I remember wishing I was blonde like Cinderella so a man would love me. The first thing I did after Santo bought me was dye my hair. It didn’t matter that my complexion would never match or that my dark roots would always shine through. I just wanted one part of the fairytale to be true.”
A temperate breeze blows the salty ocean air up and over the side of the brick wall. “I thought I had it all. I had everything. Loving parents, glamorous home. Money. My life was perfect.”
Except it was all a charade. Just like the carriage.
“And then it expired. Midnight struck, and the truth was revealed. I was nothing to them. Just a dollar sign. Or many dollar signs. And I thought Santo was exactly the same. First chance I got, I ran. I would never have come back to him either.” If I had known it was his car, I wouldn’t have tried to steal it. “The car was so old and rusty, I’d never have guessed it was his.” Looking back, I see Domino leaning forward as I spill my story.
“He was nice, you know? It took more than a year for me to trust him enough that I didn’t barricade my door every night, cowering in the closet and wondering if he was going to take advantage of me.” I still feel terrible for that year.
“What changed your mind?” Domino’s head tilt reveals his genuine curiosity.
“Evelina.” I smile, thinking of the woman who laughed when I answered the phone by accident. “Santo had no idea how to tell her about me. About what he’d done. So when I picked up the phone one day, her lilting laughter entranced me. She was never angry or judgmental. She spent hours asking me questions, completely forgetting that she called to talk to her husband.”
“That’s my mother for you.” I can hear the love in his tone.
Rolling to my stomach, I lean up on my arms and stare at him. Domino is a truly beautiful man. His hair is just slightly longer than I imagine he wore it as a cop. The blond locks are dark enough that he could be mistaken as a brunette. His shoulders are broad, muscular, like he could hold the weight of the world on them and never tire.
“He told me about you.” I’m shocked by his confession. “Before he bid on you. Before he came back here. He told me.” He sounds tortured. “I told him to hand his information over to the police. That he had enough on his plate, and he shouldn’t get involved.” I can’t deny the cramping in my chest is a painful reminder that I’m a nobody. “I’m so fucking glad he didn’t listen to me. I was young, naïve, new to the police force. I never in a million years could have believed a father would actually sell his daughter and get away with it.”
I can tell he feels remorse about his guidance, but I have no idea how to respond, so I remain silent and wait.
“I’m so fucking glad he didn’t listen to me, Nicola. So fucking glad.”
“Why were you never here with him?” I’ve never been brave enough to ask the one question I could never find an answer to. “I know Santo loves you all very much, so it doesn’t make sense.”
Standing, Domino saunters towards me. Gripping the back of his shirt, he pulls it up over his head and drops it next to me on the ground before he kneels between my legs from behind.
“You know he was maintaining position for the Morellos, yes?” I nod, enjoying the feel of his comforting chest over my back. “My mother is American. He met her on a trip there and never left, but the Cardarellis, Lupos, and Morellos remained close families. When Vincent Lupo was murdered and Natale Morello was nearly taken out, Papa knew he had to come home. He had to be here so the Morellos could heal after they sought vengeance.”
Domino’s hefty arms bracket mine as he explains. “The Lupos?” I ask. It’s the only name I’m not familiar with.
“Yes, Vincent Lupo was Carlo Morello’s right-hand man for years. When he died, Santo took his place. Because of me, Mom never wanted to leave the States. I had just finished high school, been accepted to the academy, and she didn’t want to leave me on my own. It was then decided that once the Morellos came back to Sicily, we would all follow.”
Domino lifts my dress’s skirt and drags my thong to the side as I feel the girth of his cock rubbing against the seam of my ass. Moaning, I shift back into him, letting him know I want him just as much.
“Raise your arms and lay your chest flat.” I do as he says as his hands grip my hips, raising me up to meet his thrusting pelvis.
In one smooth move, Domino is deep inside my core. Our coupling is sweet, soft, intense. It has all the markers of lovemaking while the first time was unfettered fucking. I can feel tears pricking at the back of my eyes with the way Domino gently caresses my body. He worships me in a way I never understood could happen. I feel loved and safe, and when we finally collide into ecstasy together, I forget to breathe, forget where I am. Who I am. For this one moment in time, I belong to Domino Cardarelli, and I don’t fight the truth. I embrace it.
Chapter 7
Domino
Monday morning rolled around all too quickly, and now that Nicola is back in school, I’m constantly checking the time and my phone, worrying she’ll get into trouble because I know Gina Santini is lurking the halls. I don’t expect Nicola to keep her cool any more than I’ll be able to when I finally get my hands on the Salvatores.
That family has ruined my woman’s life in ways they couldn’t care less to understand. They took from her everything she deserved and had nothing but bad intentions from the start. They will pay for that. But first, I have to obliterate the Santini’s good name.
After the Salvatores sold Nicola, they moved to Cinisi—a metro city on the edge of Palermo—and I intend to decimate their new lives as disastrously as they have Nicola’s. But not until I have Chief Santini running for the hills. His little villa in Mondella won’t keep him safe.
“You sure about this?” Santi asks as he and Maso stand next to me in front of the Polizia Di Stato Commissariato Palermo Oreto headquarters. All four of my brothers have been questioning my sanity since I left a career I was so passionate about. I haven’t regretted it once, however. In fact, it was the first time I felt like I took a step towards my destiny.
“Positive. Catch the bastard off guard where he feels most comfortable.” Despite our familial ties, we’ve all taken career paths that have led us to make the world a better place.
Me, in the police force, then on to protecting the Morello family. Santi is serving in the army, though I suspect he isn’t reenlisting. Maso and Donato are private investigators and take on jobs the police deny or can’t help with. And Pace, I’m pretty sure is a mercenary, but he won’t confirm or deny the inquiry.
“This could ultimately bite you in the ass, man,” Maso mutters as we walk into the heavily guarded building. Armed
with only a file of information Santi found in his searches, Maso also carries a few listening devices so we can monitor any conversations the chief has.
“Not worried about it,” I reply as we’re stopped in the foyer of the building and wait to go through the metal detectors.
“Who are you here to see?” a guard asks as we sign in.
“Chief Santini.” He slowly looks up at me.
“You have an appointment?” Pursing my lips, I shake my head no. He smirks. “Then you don’t see the chief. Appointment only. Make one; come back then.”
“No.” He drops the clipboard and steps forward, likely believing he can intimidate me. “I’ll see him now. Let him know it’s Domino Cardarelli.”
His brows raise. “American,” he spits out. “Think you run everything.” Lifting a phone to his ear, he bites out a few words before slamming the receiver down.
“You’ve pissed him off now,” Santi laughs.
“This way,” the guard barks, glaring at us.
Following quietly along, I can almost appreciate the security here if it weren’t for the fact that I know a lot of these cops are dirty and wouldn’t hesitate to hurt or even kill Nicola at the chief's command.
“Mr. Cardarelli,” Santini greets with a shit-eating grin on his pompous face. “Please come in.” He waves his hand towards his office. We do as requested but watch as he conveys orders to the guard, probably to get more men up here to haul us out. “How can I help you?” His voice remains jovial until the door closes, then he seethes, “What the hell are you doing here?”