To make their story at least somewhat convincing, Domenica had spent the morning using makeup to enhance the bruises and scrapes and cuts that her time in the Shadow Mob ring had caused. She was no slouch when it came to applying makeup, but this had presented a unique challenge. Thankfully, after a few YouTube instructional videos, she’d managed to make herself look like Gian had taken a couple shots at her.
Biagio’s eyebrows arched in surprise. “I hardly expected you would follow my instructions.”
Domenica kept her mouth shut while Gian spoke to Biagio. It would be easier to make this work if Biagio thought her cowed. Instead, she tried to glance covertly through the crowd of men behind Biagio. At first, she didn’t see Anna. But then her eyes were drawn to movement behind Biagio’s small army. What looked like a large duffel bag definitely moved. Only slightly, jerkily.
Anna.
She tuned into the story Gian and she had come up with to tell Biagio. It was the same story that he had already communicated to the man over the phone, but Gian was doing a good job making sure it didn’t sound rehearsed. He was ready to trade Domenica for Biagio’s word that their business between their families would continue uninterrupted.
She was willing to make the trade because she wanted to do anything she had to get away from Giancarlo. Gian, for his part, managed to keep his wording such that it didn’t come across too obviously impolite. But his insinuation was clear. He’d gotten his piece of ass from her, and thus had no more use for her. He was a dragon, after all. What would he want with a weak human long term?
Biagio and Gian traded barbs back and forth, but she could tell Biagio was at least considering Gian’s story.
They counted on the fact that Gian’s dragon would be more powerful than Biagio could know. Biagio and his men had no idea that Domenica also had dragon blood in her veins. And on the fact that their backup was less than a mile away.
“And how lovely to see you, my dear,” Biagio sneered at her, finally including her in the conversation. He approached her slowly, his eyes on her but attention on Giancarlo who waited at her side. He picked up her hand and pressed a kiss against her palm. It took every bit of her will not to show her revulsion.
Giancarlo looked bored. “So, we’re in agreement then?”
Biagio’s eyes sparkled gold with malice as he looked at her. Slowly, his gaze raked down her body and back up again. As though he were evaluating a whore.
The man had guts, she’d give him that. If he had any doubt as to whether or not Gian was being truthful, it didn’t show. He’d seen what Giancarlo turned into, and yet he dared to touch her in front of him. Ballsy or stupid, she wasn’t sure which. Either way, it was a good test.
Until she’d taken in Giancarlo’s bored expression, she hadn’t been a hundred percent certain that he’d be able to pass this test. Biagio wasn’t stupid. He’d somehow manipulated her father in his organization in such a way to make her father disappear, and somehow put himself in charge. He distracted her and Giancarlo with an obvious frontal attack, while taking one of the only people who meant something to her with ease.
She plucked her hand away, unable to stand his sweaty fingers on her any longer. Biagio turned, dismissing her. “Very well, then.”
“We have a deal?” Gian said.
He held out his hand for Biagio to shake.
Biagio took the bait. Extending his own hand and getting close to Gian.
Just close enough.
Gian shifted, almost in an instant. His luminescent silver and dark gray scales glinted in the dank warehouse. He held Biagio in his claws. The room erupted in chaos.
Domenica ran for Anna.
Just as they’d hoped, Biagio and his men fully engaged with the huge dragon in their midst. She was barely spared a glance as she darted around the crowd toward the duffel bag she’d seen moving earlier.
When she got there unscathed, she breathed a sigh of relief and immediately tried to open the bag. The zipper was stuck, but luckily, she’d prepared for that. She pulled a knife out of a small scabbard she’d hidden beneath her stylish, flowy blouse. Behind her, gunshots sounded, filling the warehouse with explosive echoes. She cringed at the noises, unable to help herself. And beneath her hands, the person in the bag moved in earnest.
“Anna, it’s me,” Domenica said, not bothering to talk quietly. Between the gunshots— and yes, that was a flamethrower—she could barely hear herself. She wasn’t too worried about any of Biagio’s men hearing her either.
Beneath her, the person in the bag stilled.
“I will use a knife to cut you out. Hold still.” Doing her best not to cut too deeply, she sliced through the canvas.
Anna’s mouth was covered in duct tape, and her cheeks were marred with dried tears and ruined mascara. Her hands were tied, as were her feet. But she didn’t look too much worse for wear, considering she’d been kidnapped by a mobster.
Working quickly, Domenica cut her bonds. Movement caught her eye on the other side of the warehouse, and she took a defensive posture.
A man watched the battle rage from the shadows.
Shock reverberated through her, and her stomach dropped to the floor. She knew that man. He’d been her father’s bodyguard, her father’s confidant, since before she was born.
Giovanni.
The man hadn’t been seen since her father disappeared. She assumed he had died defending her father, but that obviously wasn’t the case. What the hell was going on? No way would Giovanni betray her father. She’d bet her life on it.
Anna struggled to her knees, tugging at the duct tape on her mouth. Domenica touched her shoulder. Then glanced back at Gian.
Still, in dragon form, he crunched something that looked a great deal like one of Biagio’s men between his teeth. Her gag reflex hit, and she swallowed down bile. Being pregnant certainly didn’t help her iron stomach.
Gian looked to have the battle under control, but she knew she still needed to stick to the plan. She was supposed to drag Anna back around Biagio’s men while they were distracted and exit the door they’d come in. Her and Gian’s men would already be on their way, and Gian would be between her and anyone on Biagio’s team.
But Giovanni.
She turned back to look at the man who hadn’t left her father’s side for decades. Her stomach dropped when she saw him slip out the back door. He’d seen her, and he wasn’t keen to talk to her. She had to find out why. If anyone knew where her father was, it was Giovanni.
Shit.
“Can you walk?” she asked Anna.
Anna nodded, and spat out what looked like a piece of glue from the duct tape. “Not fast, but I can walk.”
Not fast. Dammit. She’d be risking Anna’s life more if she brought her along to chase down Giovanni, but at the same time, it was hard to leave her friend after just getting her back.
“I need you to stick to the shadows on the side,” she said, pointing at the piles of trash that lined the warehouse. “Get behind Gian. Then out the door he’s guarding. My men will be here soon, and they’ll help.”
Anna grabbed her shoulder, her grip surprisingly strong for someone who had just been tied and stuffed in a body bag. Her eyes were wide and fearful. “I take it Gian is the dragon?”
Domenica nodded and stepped back. Her father’s man was getting away, she couldn’t let that happen.
“You aren’t coming with me?” Anna pressed.
“Tell Gian it has to do with my father. I saw Giovanni. Now go!” she told Anna. Then without waiting to make sure she did—Anna was smart, she’d follow Domenica’s instructions—she ran toward the door Giovanni had disappeared through.
Behind her, Gian roared.
This wasn’t the plan. In fact, getting separated from Gian was the exact opposite of the plan. But she couldn’t let this opportunity go. What if her father needed her? What if he was in trouble?
If anyone knew what had happened to her father, it would be Giovanni.
By the time sh
e emerged from the back door into daylight, Giovanni was thirty yards away, moving quickly for a man of his age. She sprinted after him, and he disappeared around a corner. By the time she reached it, she was winded. And her stomach roiled.
“No more excuses to get out to the gym,” she muttered to herself. Being pregnant probably wasn’t helping, either. Remembering that halted her in her steps for a moment, but then she caught sight of Giovanni again and she gave chase. She’d be careful, she would. She’d more than herself to think about now. But she wouldn’t ignore this chance.
She closed the distance between her and Giovanni just as he emerged onto the street. A dark limousine waited for him, and he jumped inside just as she reached for him. She blocked the door with her hip, and her eyes locked with the man who had opened the door for Giovanni.
Her father.
Suddenly, the world twisted. And everything went dark.
11
The smell of disinfectant and plastic greeted her when Domenica awoke. Her eyes fluttered open, and the sight of a clean, cold hospital room greeted her.
Her father sat in a chair against the wall opposite her hospital bed. Their eyes met and she felt suddenly chilled.
“You’re alive,” she said, her voice scratchy.
He didn’t blink. “Of course, I am.”
Fear made her stomach twist and she blinked back the sudden tears threatening to expose her. How could he be so cold? Her father had never been the kind of man to show emotion, but still… “I’ve been looking for you.”
“So I’ve been told.”
Before she could wrap her brain around his words, his coldness, the door to her hospital room opened and a fierce-looking Gian stepped inside. Without a word, he closed the distance between them and took her hand carefully. “Tesoro.”
“I see the rumors didn’t lie,” her father observed, standing from his chair.
Gian turned to face him, but he didn’t release her hand. “You did this.”
“It’s not his fault, Gian,” she said, tugging on his hand. And yet, she still felt like she was on the verge of tears. This was also ridiculous. Nothing was going the way she’d thought it would. Her father was supposed to be happy she’d found him. That she’d tried to keep his men safe while he was gone. But he didn’t seem to care at all.
“You end up in the hospital right after chasing after his man, and he sits here as calm as can be and uninjured. And you’re saying it’s not his fault?” Gian’s gaze didn’t move from her father. To him, he added, “Where the fuck have you been, anyway?”
“My whereabouts are none of your concern.”
“But they are my concern,” Domenica cut in, her voice stronger than she expected. Frustration pushed anger through her, for the moment, smothering her sadness. That was good. Anger was easier to deal with. “I’ve been searching for you, everywhere. You just disappeared. Biagio—”
“Biagio is no longer your concern.”
“Bullshit,” Gian cut in. “He dared to touch my mate.”
That got a gruff laugh from her father. “Your mate.”
A man in a white lab coat entered, holding a clipboard. As if sensing the tension in the room, he halted a couple feet in and looked back and forth between the men. After a long moment, he said, “I’m Dr. Gordon.” Then, as if he couldn’t cut the tension between the two men with a knife, he stepped between them to get to his patient. “How are you feeling?”
“Not bad,” she said, somewhat honestly. Her stomach swirled a bit, but she didn’t feel on the edge of passing out. Which, by all rights, she should, given the fact that she was betting the doctor was about to spill the beans to both Gian and her father.
But the doctor was more professional than she’d given him credit for. “Perhaps we could speak alone.” He turned and gave the men a pointed look.
“No. It’s okay.” Better they find out now. Might as well deal with the typhoon and get it out of the way. Before she chickened out.
The doctor nodded. “You do know you’re pregnant, then?”
Her father’s frown deepened, but Gian, to his credit, didn’t look surprised. Whether that was because he’d suspected or simply he was so good at hiding his emotions, she wasn’t sure.
“Yes. I just found out.” She added the second bit quickly, hoping that Gian wouldn’t be too upset that she hadn’t already told him.
The doctor frowned. “Then you should be taking better care of yourself. You need to rest. Eat more. Avoid stress.”
Gian’s eyes narrowed, and she grimaced. “Will do, Doc. Does that mean I can go home now?”
“I’ll get started on your release paperwork. You should be able to leave within the hour.” The doctor shook her hand, then left.
“Pregnant?” Her father’s disapproval echoed in the single word. “Well, that was fast.” His gaze slid to Gian. “What a pitiful way for your family to begin.”
Against his side, Gian’s hand clenched into a tight fist. “My family is none of your concern.”
“Stop it, both of you.” She sat up in the bed, and waved Gian off when he reached to help her. She needed to be more careful, yes. But she wasn’t an invalid. Proving her strength to her father was important. “Where have you been?” she asked her father. “Gian has spent weeks helping me look for you. Protecting me from Biagio. When you apparently couldn’t be bothered.”
Not one hint of emotion touched her father’s features. “It was a test.”
Confusion washed over her. “A test of what? Of whom?”
“Of you, of course,” he said. Then, at her stunned silence, he added, “When I discovered your dragon blood, I had no choice but to test you. To see how strong you were. To decide if I could continue to trust you.”
Realization hit, and with it came a rising anger. “It wasn’t about trust. It was about control. You don’t want anyone around you that you can’t control.”
“She could have been hurt—even killed—by Biagio if I hadn’t interceded.” Gian’s voice echoed the anger she felt.
Her father didn’t blink. “I ensured that she would have loyal men at her side.”
“Tony—and the others. They were operating under your orders?” she asked, appalled. She’d thought them loyal to her. At least, that they had some loyalty toward her.
“Of course,” he said, as if her assumption of anything else made her an idiot.
“And Biagio?” she asked.
Finally, a flicker of emotion from her father. Irritation if she didn’t miss her guess. “Biagio has not followed the plan as well as I might have liked.”
“That’s all you have to say about his behavior toward your daughter?” Gian demanded.
Domenica held her hand up, silencing him before he could add more. Not that her father didn’t deserve it, but it wouldn’t give her the answers she sought. “How ironic.”
Her father raised a brow, waiting.
“You finally give me a taste of the freedom I’ve been wanting, but only as a test. To see if you could control me.” Her voice crackled, and she cleared her throat. “I would have done anything to find you, to make sure you were safe. And you were just playing a game with me.”
“Farfallina—”
“No,” she said firmly.
The slight hint of emotion in his expression disappeared, along with the last bit of childlike hope she’d had that her father would come through for her. “Very well. I think it is best this way. You are no longer a Todaro.”
Even expecting his words, she was left in shocked silence. Without another word, her father got up—sparing neither her nor Gian a second glance—and left.
Finally, she let her tears fall.
Gian waited until the door shut behind Domenica’s father before he strode toward his mate and took her into his arms.
A sob broke from her lips, and fire burned in his gut to dispatch the man who’d done this to her. If only he could. But there were some things that violence couldn’t solve.
He could on
ly hold her tighter.
Caressing her soft hair, he murmured reassurances. After a few moments, she pulled away, sniffling.
“I always thought—” She shook her head. “He’s never been a warm man. Never been the type to show any kind of softer emotion—not since my mom died, anyway. But I always assumed that deep down he was so protective of me because he cared. Because he loved me.”
Gian sat on the bed and wrapped an arm around her. “I’m sure that he cares for you as much as he’s able to. But a man like him…”
“I know. His empire comes first. It always has and always will. I knew that here.” She tapped her head. Then her hand moved down to touch her chest. “I guess I never accepted it here.”
“How could you? He’s your father.”
A sharp laugh escaped her lips. “He adopted me because my mother wanted me. Because she couldn’t have children. And I think he accepted me until the moment he decided I could be a threat.”
Gian didn’t have an answer to that. Like so many of the men in their world, Don Todaro had decided long ago that his business was his life. It was an unbending, harsh reality of black and white. So he just held her, and handed her a tissue when she asked for it.
“Are you mad at me?” she asked after she dried her tears. “I know I should have told you about the baby, but I just found out. And I wasn’t sure how to tell you with everything else going on.”
“I’m not angry with you. How could I be? You’re my mate and you’re carrying my child.” The reality of that sunk in, and pride, hope, and love filled his chest. How could he be mad at anyone right now? He had a strong, beautiful mate who he cared for deeply—and who cared just as deeply for him. And she carried his child. “I love you.”
She drew in a sharp breath of air. “You do?”
“Yes. And nothing will ever come before my family. Before you. Not power. Not business. Nothing.”
She sniffled again and he wanted to kick himself for saying something so emotionally charged when she was still so fragile. But when she spoke, her voice was strong.
Dragon Mob: A Powyrworld Urban Fantasy Romance (The Lost Dragon Princes Book 3) Page 9