Damaged

by Nina D'Angelo

  “I love you too,” she whispered, locking her arms and legs around him just as he drove into her. She gasped against his mouth, moaning softly when he began to move. Letting Dominic set the pace, she closed her eyes, reveling in the feel of him inside of her.

  Dominic groaned softly, the feel of Stephanie wrapped tightly around him almost bringing him to the brink of release immediately. He stilled, grinning at her murmur of impatience before he groaned raggedly when she shifted her hips to take more of him. His passionate gaze met hers, and he groaned at the wicked smile on her lips as she thrust up against him, taking him more deeply into her.

  Dominic captured her hands within his own, bringing them over her head as he drove into her. Hearing her passionate cries, he shuddered with pleasure as he brought her to the brink time and time again. Hearing her climax, he groaned again at the feel of her convulsing around him before he thrust one last time and sought his own release.

  DOMINIC OPENED HIS eyes sleepily, a smile curving onto his lips. Stephanie and he had spent most of the night making love and talking. He knew everything wasn’t perfect between them, but they would work on it together. Swallowing hard, he vowed that they would never be apart again.

  Reaching out to touch her, he was surprised when her side of the bed was empty. Sitting up, he glanced around the room and cocked his head to one side. He waited to hear the sounds of her moving around downstairs, but instead, he heard silence.

  Sliding out of bed, he picked up his jeans. Slipping them on, he zipped them up, leaving them unbuttoned. With a thundering heart, he walked down the stairs, hoping to find her in the living room. It was empty. Glancing towards the kitchen, he froze at the sight of his T-shirt sitting folded on the counter. On top of it was a slip of paper.

  Moving to the kitchen counter, he scooped up the note and read it quickly. Closing his eyes, he angrily screwed the piece of paper up in his fist. Last night, Stephanie hadn’t come here to start their relationship anew. She’d come to say goodbye.

  Her note had said it all. She still didn’t believe he loved her. His words hadn’t been enough. He swallowed his tears as his heart clenched at the idea that she could walk away from him so easily. Last night, he’d given everything of himself he had to offer, and she’d still walked away.

  Resignedly, he shoved his hands into his pockets. She didn’t love him enough to give them a chance. She’d walked away from him anyway. Feeling a slip of paper in his pocket, he pulled it out.

  Recognizing it as the slip of paper Stephanie had given him, he opened it. Disbelief slid across his face and he placed it on the kitchen counter, staring down at it. Stephanie had written him a check for 1.5 million dollars. He shook his head, still unable to believe what he was seeing.

  He didn’t understand why she would do this. Picking up the check again, he began to smile slowly. He’d told her about the bar. He’d mentioned he needed financial backers for the second Outlaws, and she’d provided him with enough start-up capital to go it alone. She wouldn’t do that if she didn’t love him back.

  A full-blown smile crept onto his face, and he flung his head back and laughed softly. He still had a chance with her. He just needed to prove to her he loved her. Tossing the check on the counter, he picked up his T-shirt and hurriedly slipped it on. Grabbing his car keys, shoes and leather jacket, he strode purposefully towards the front door.

  If he had to stand on his head in the middle of a crowded room or get down on his knees and beg her to take him back, he would. He loved her that much.

  But first, he had to find her.

  STEPHANIE HANDED HER passport to the flight attendant at the international check-in at LAX, her eyes reddened with tears. Pulling out a tissue from her leather jacket pocket, she dabbed her eyes, taking a deep breath.

  Last night, she’d made love to Dominic. For one night, she’d let all the anger and fear go, and she’d embraced him. She’d known it might be the last time she slept with him, so she’d given everything of herself.

  Glancing around the airport, she wondered if he’d found her note yet. Would he read the note and toss it away, or would he read between the lines and follow her? When the flight attendant handed her back her passport and her ticket to London, she took them. Shoving them into her pocket, she prayed fervently that he loved her enough to chase after her. Words weren’t enough anymore. When all had been said and done, she needed to know he really cared; that his feelings were genuine, and not words thrown out in a moment of passion.

  If he chased after her, it meant he truly cared. She hadn’t been just another notch on his bedpost. If he chose not to come after her, it meant everything he’d ever said to her was a lie. The thought made her chest constrict, and she pushed it aside, not wanting to dwell on the idea that he might not care about her.

  Turning, she walked over to where Ben stood, waiting for her. She’d arrived home this morning to find him on her doorstep. One look at his face told her that he knew about her and Dominic. She’d expected his hatred. She’d expected him to call her every name under the sun, but he’d said nothing. Instead, he’d silently taken her into his arms.

  Ben watched Stephanie slowly walk towards him. She loved Dominic. He could see it in the pain in her eyes, and the way she constantly searched the airport for any sign he had followed her. He didn’t have to guess who she was looking for. It was Dominic. It had always been Dominic, and it always would be. From the moment those two had met, he hadn’t stood a chance in hell with her. He knew that now.

  He found himself also scanning LAX, searching for any sign that Dominic had got her message. Under his breath, he said huskily, “Hurry up, Dominic. Before you lose her, too.”

  DOMINIC BANGED BOTH fists on Stephanie’s apartment door, cursing softly to himself. He raised his fist to bang on the door again, stopping when the door swung open, and Angel glared at him.

  “What the hell do you want?” she asked, her eyes narrowing angrily. “You have a hell of a nerve showing up here after what you did to Stephanie.”

  “That’s why I’m here,” Dominic growled, taking a step towards Angel. “Where is she?”

  “Where is who?” she countered, her eyes wide with faked innocence. Spitefully, she added, “You surely can’t mean Stephanie?” Not waiting for him to answer, she snorted. “After everything you’ve done to her, what on earth makes you think I’ll ever tell you where she is?”

  “Damn it, Angel, just tell me where she is,” he growled, frustration eating at him.

  “Go to hell, Dominic,” Angel snapped, trying to slam the door in his face.

  He stopped her by quickly sticking his foot in the door, pushing it open with his hand. “Oh, honey, I’m already there.”

  “If you don’t get out, I’m going to call the police,” she said, her eyes flashing dangerously. “I will never tell you where Stephanie is. Not after what you did to her.”

  Dominic ran a hand over his jaw. “Angel, I love her. I lied the first time. I thought I was doing the right thing ending it with her, but I was wrong, dead wrong, and last night I thought I’d gotten through to her. I thought she knew how much I loved her, but she didn’t believe me.”

  “Gee, imagine that,” Angel interrupted sarcastically, her hand on her hip. “God knows your word is worth sooooooooooooooo much.”

  “You can hate me later, but right now I need to find Stephanie. I can’t lose her, not again,” Dominic pleaded, his hand on the door tightening.

  Angel’s gaze moved to his hand, and she nodded her head towards his strapped fingers. “What did you do to your hand?”

  “I broke three fingers after I broke up with Stephanie,” he said, hope flitting through him when he saw her expression soften. Quickly, he added, “When I broke her heart, I ripped my own out. Slamming my fist into the bathroom tiles was the only way I could deal with the pain.”

  “Let him in, Angel,” Gena said quietly, from the hallway.

  “But,” Angel began, scowling when Gena shook her head furi
ously.

  “He loves her. He wouldn’t be here if he didn’t,” Gena said, glancing to where Dominic stood. “Now, let him in.”

  STEPHANIE PICKED UP her carry-on bag and slipped it over her shoulder, smiling sadly at Ben. “I guess this is goodbye,” she whispered, ducking her head to hide her tears.

  Ben reached out and tucked two fingers beneath her chin, lifting it so that she looked at him. “He’ll be here,” he said firmly, watching her shake her head. “Stephanie, Dom’s many things, but he’s not a fool. There’s no way in hell he won’t be here. He’ll do everything in his power to hold onto you.”

  Hearing her flight number called over the speaker within the terminal, she said softly, “It’s too late. I have to go.”

  “Stephanie—”

  “Ben, I have to go,” she said, reaching up to stroke his jaw. Leaning up, she pressed a kiss on his mouth. “I’m so sorry for everything that’s happened. I never meant to hurt you. I never meant to fall in love with Dominic, but I did, and I can’t change that. I’d hoped . . . I’d hoped he’d loved me to enough to chase me. I’d hoped he’d believed in us, but he didn’t.”

  “I told you—” Ben began again before the speaker calling Stephanie’s flight drowned out his words.

  “Goodbye, Ben Reynolds. Be happy,” she whispered fiercely against his mouth before she turned and walked towards her boarding gate.

  Stephanie walked towards the terminal, unable to resist looking over her shoulder one last time for Dominic. When she couldn’t see him, she jerked her head forward and removed her sunglasses from her jeans back pocket. She slipped them on with unsteady hands, not wanting anyone to see her tears.

  Handing her boarding pass and passport to the flight attendant, she smiled shakily when the flight attendant handed it back to her and directed her to her seat. Placing her bags into the overhead carriage, she sank into her seat.

  Staring out the window, she let her tears fall freely. Wiping the edges of her eyes with her fingers, she thanked God for the dark sunglasses hiding her emotions. Trying to calm herself down, she tried to concentrate on her plans. So far, her only destination was London. She knew no one there, and no one knew her. She could completely disappear, and no one would be the wiser.

  Hearing someone slide into the seat beside her, she ignored them, her head turned towards the window.

  “Is this seat taken?” a familiar voice asked huskily.

  Stephanie closed her eyes briefly before opening them to turn and look at the man beside her. “Dominic.”

  Dominic reached out and gently took off her glasses. “I thought I told you that you never had to hide how you were feeling from me,” he admonished gently, carefully wiping away the remnants of her tears.

  “How?” she asked, her heart racing.

  “Ben left me a message on my phone. He told me which flight you would be on,” Dominic said, taking her hand in his own.

  “But how did they let you on board?” she asked, looking around quickly. “You’ll get in trouble if they realize you don’t have a ticket.”

  “I guess it’s a good thing I have a ticket then, isn’t it?” he said huskily, brushing his lips against her hand. He grinned at her stunned expression. “Good surprise or bad?”

  “Good,” she whispered, closing her eyes again. Tears slid down her cheeks as she whispered, “I thought you weren’t coming. I was so scared. I thought I’d lost you.”

  “I thought I’d lost you too,” he whispered back, pressing his forehead to hers. “I love you, Stephanie Carovella, scars and all. I don’t give a fuck you’re damaged because I am too.”

  Stephanie smiled. “You love me?”

  “Forever and always,” he vowed, bringing her close for a kiss.

  She kissed him back, wrapping her arms around his neck. When they broke apart, they were both breathless. Resting back against his chest, she tilted her head to look at him.

  Dominic loved her. He loved her despite her demons, and he loved her knowing who she was. Linking her fingers through his, she breathed deeply. Bad things were coming; she could feel it in her bones.

  He was coming for her, but it didn’t matter anymore. As long as she had Dominic, she had everything she needed to fight him. He’d shown her that as long as he loved her, she could take on anyone.

  And she would.

  TO EMMA SEABROOK, Shannon Lee Small-Page and Holly Rose: thank you for being my beta babes once again. And thank you for your honesty and your time. You girls are my cheerleaders. You bring me up when I am down and kick me in the ass when I need it.

  To all the readers and the bloggers: It fills me with joy to be able to share Damaged with you and I hope you all enjoy it as much as I loved writing it. This novel was a tough one to write. Not only because it’s my first romance, but because this was such a personal novel.

  To my friend Paula Phillips: Thank you for just being you. You’re a true friend and a kick-ass travel companion. Who else can I go to libraries with when traveling around the world?

  To my fellow authors: Laura Dunaway (Girl, your next book will kick everyone’s ass), Michelle Pace (I adore you so much!!!): Words can’t describe how lucky I am to have you in my life. I’m damn proud of you both and can’t wait to see what you do next. Thank you for supporting me when I’ve been down, especially when I’ve had doubts and wanted to walk away. You’re my rocks. Love you ladies!!

  NINA D’ANGELO IS THE best-selling author of the Stephanie Carovella series. Her first novel, Nowhere to Run was released in February 2013 and reached #86 on the Amazon Top 100. Her second novel, Nowhere to Hide was released in 2013. They are both available in paperback and eBook format.

  Damaged is the prequel to the Stephanie Carovella series and can be read as a stand-alone. It is also the first in the Outlaws series. Nina has started working on Deadly Secrets, the third in the Stephanie Carovella series and Shattered, the second in the Outlaws series. Both are slated for a 2014 release.

  To find out more about Nina D’Angelo, please see below:

  Official Website: http://www.ninadangelo.com

  Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ninadangeloauthor

  Twitter: @janinedangelo

  Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/ninadangelo

  Nowhere to Run at Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16959937-nowhere-to-run

  Nowhere to Hide at Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17160873-nowhere-to-hide

  Damaged at Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18048276-damaged

  A dominatrix is murdered; her body displayed in a show of dominance. An actress is found dead beneath the Hollywood sign.

  Stephanie Carovella left her career, her friends and her home town of Los Angeles, but she couldn't outrun the demons on her past. When she is lured back by the death of her best friend she enters a world where no one's safe.

  As her deepest and darkest secrets are revealed, Stephanie must find out who she can trust.

  Will it be Tyler Carlisle? Her ex-lover and the man she left behind. He would give anything to have her back in his arms, but is it enough?

  Or will it be Jase Devlin? Her best friend's boyfriend, and a man with secrets as dark and dangerous as her own.

  Can Stephanie find her friend's killer or will she discover that she has nowhere to run?

  Readers, if you like Nowhere to Run and Nowhere to Hide, please take the time to review it on your preferred ebook retailer website.

  Stephanie Carovella came back to Los Angeles to face her past and nearly lost her future to a serial killer.

  Now she has a chance to start a new life with a new man.

  But is that what she wants? While she battles Jase Devlin, the man who won't stop until they are together, she gains the attention of another serial killer.

  This time it's a copycat killer; one who will stop at nothing to possess her.

  Can she survive the madness of another killer? Will she give in to Jase Devlin's advances? And will she see the real
threat before it's too late?

  Or will Stephanie Carovella discover she has Nowhere to Hide?