by Ginger Ring
Dom shifted in his seat. Where did that come from? She was nothing to him, or so he tried to convince himself. It was a dangerous game he played. Pretending to date her in the hopes that the woman might give up her story and he could save her life. Again.
That was the only reason. Right? She deserved to be happy and he preferred his solitude. It would never work, as much he tried to pretend it was or wasn’t something he wanted. There was no place in his life for a woman. Dom pounded a fist on the steering wheel.
As much as he tried to deny it, he liked her, and he didn’t care for most people. It was out of character for him but whenever she was around, it seemed normal. He felt like a human being and someone worthy of being in a relationship. Was Roman right? That he was a good man? Dominic ran his fingers through his hair.
Having her pressed up against him last night certainly felt good and was something he’d never experienced before. Not being with a woman but being with, what was the word he was searching for, the woman. He cursed under his breath. Was she the one for him? The special someone that could make his life complete? Not since Angelia did he even fathom having someone in his life, and that hadn’t ended well. Where did a person even start? What did he know about dating or relationships? He was responsible for the death of the only one he’d ever cared about and there was no way he would go through that again. Couldn’t lose someone he loved again.
It was best to keep things casual. Continue to teach her ways to defend herself if he wasn’t around. Maybe he’d get her a firearm. Nothing said “I care” more than a handgun and a box of bullets. The sign for the funeral home was up ahead. Anderson’s, that’s what it was called. Turning off the road, he drove around to the back, hit the button for the garage door opener, and backed inside. The owner stood waiting. Dom didn’t know the man’s first name, didn’t care.
“Hey.” Mr. Anderson had shed his suit jacket and wore a short-sleeved dress shirt and tie.
“I have a delivery.” Getting out of the van, Dom wished he’d worn his hair up. The back of his neck was soaked. Anderson pulled a gurney over and after Dom opened the back, they each tugged on the body bag until it was in place.
“I can take it from here.” The funeral director loaded the stiff onto the conveyor. Once the body was in place, Mr. Anderson flicked the switch that started the fire and set things in motion.
After giving the man an envelope full of cash, Dom drove back to his place. He had the rest of the day off, which was rare. There were several orders for knives he had to do anyway. Who would have ever thought he could make money doing something that he actually enjoyed? Something that didn’t involve blood, guts, and rotten flesh. His step was lighter just thinking about it. Working in the shed would be damn hot but at least there was a breeze.
The rest of the day flew by. He’d shed his shirt but not his leather apron. No need to get burned by flying sparks. His body had enough wounds as it was. Despite the orders, he created something else, a ceremonial wedding sword. It must have been Valentina’s wedding that inspired it. Lord knew he would never need one. It took him all afternoon but it still wasn’t done. The shaft would need some engraving and he’d created a heart-shaped piece to be added below the handle which was wrapped in leather.
Doing his blacksmith work was one of the few things he really loved. It was the only thing from his former life that he still wanted to do. Sure, he created weapons that the family used, and some still were used to get their enemies to talk, but he also did it for the act of creating something that wouldn’t be used to destroy something. It was therapeutic, so to speak. Good versus evil and beauty versus ugliness. He hit the blade one more time on a new piece before setting it aside and reaching for the wedding sword. A person had to concentrate or things could go bad in a hurry.
Wiping the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand, Dom left the shed and admired his work in the daylight. The steel glistened in the sun. It was impressive, if he did say so himself. There was a lot left to do but he set it aside to get one of the easier requisitions done. There was no way he wanted to get behind.
Dom worked another hour. The radio broke in a few times warning that the weather was unstable. What else was new? It’d been crazy all week. The day was humid as hell and very windy.
Glancing at his watch, it was time to finish up and shut everything down. Usually, the thought of quitting when everything was going well would have pissed him off, but he was meeting Stephanie at the gym. Would she be wearing her short shorts and tank top again?
Damn. Dominic shoved his burned fingers into a bucket of water. So much for daydreaming about a woman, he almost scalded his whole hand when he touched the hot metal. That was foolish and something he never did. One minute he was drooling over Stephanie and the next he never wanted to see her again. He liked things to be orderly in his life. She was chaos and fire. Once everything was put away, he walked to the house.
Dom yanked off his clothes as he headed to the shower. The cold water did nothing to erase her from his mind. Stroking himself off as the water beat down on his chest didn’t help either. Tonight would be it. He was done. If she didn’t give up her story, Roman could do whatever he wanted with the pretty blonde and he wouldn’t give a shit.
His life was just fine before she entered it. It was simple, quiet, and didn’t involve any women. Enough of the grief. It was a done deal. Donning some workout clothes, he grabbed his keys and left his house. Tonight, he’d give her the tools he thought were most important to survive, ask her one more time to come clean, and then wipe his hands of the whole thing.
As he walked into the gym and saw Jasper showing her some kicks and jabs, the whole thought process went out the door. It shouldn’t aggravate him that another man had his hands on her, but it did. He let out a low growl. They both eyed him cautiously as if caught in some illicit act.
“I was just showing Steph some kicks and holds until you got here. What took you so long?” Jasper had already worked up a sweat. “We were about to give up.”
He was late and he was acting like a dick. Twice he’d decided against coming in the hope that it would just piss her off and she’d never want to see him again but he just couldn’t go through with it.
Dominic rubbed his chin. He needed a shave but hadn’t gotten around to it. “I had work to do.”
“Family business?” Jasper asked, suddenly alert. “What the hell, you should have called me.”
“A delivery.” Dom dropped his phone and keys on a nearby bench. “Had some orders to finish for the center.” He was dressed in shorts and a tee like the other two. Even though it was early June, Stephanie’s trim legs were already a honey brown color.
“I can’t believe you’re a frickin’ crafter,” Jasper teased.
If it wasn’t for the fact that he wanted to get this over and done with, he’d have challenged the man over what he considered an insult.
“He’s an artisan. Have you seen what he’s created? They are masterpieces, every one of them,” Stephanie spoke up.
It was a toss-up who was more shocked at her defense. Jasper rolled his eyes. Dominic’s face flushed. No one but the Caponellis had ever defended him before.
“Let’s get on with it.” Dominic brushed the comment aside. He had a job to do and then it was time to get her to confess and go home alone. For the next two hours, he and Jasper sharpened Stephanie’s defense mechanisms. Before long, Steph could predict when she might expect a hit next and where to strike first. She’d never be able to take down the two of them in a fight, but if two unsuspecting guys were to attack, she’d at least have a fighting chance. The woman was no wimp and learned fast.
By ten, they were all sweating and tired. Dominic and Stephanie each sat on a bench. Dom drank water and Steph dabbed at her face and neck with a towel.
“Hey, I’ve got to get going. I’ve got a date.” Jasper grabbed his bag and waved. “Night.” An awkward silence followed his departure.
Dominic grabbed fo
r a nearby towel. “So, have you thought any more about sharing your past?”
“No, so you can forget about pretending to be my new boyfriend for information. It isn’t happening.” Stephanie marched off to where her purse lay. “I know you kissed me and it was amazing but…”
It was on the tip of his tongue to deny it, but could he? “Steph.”
“What?” She put both fists on her hips. “I don’t trust people and I don’t trust you. I will be forever grateful for what you did for me but I can’t fall for someone who isn’t going to be there to catch me. Are you that man?” She stared him in the face and he looked to the ground. “Others have said they were and then they turned around and did things to me that destroyed my life.” Was there a former boyfriend stalking her? “Well, are you?” she asked again.
His fists tightened just thinking about someone hurting her but he remained silent.
“For the last few years all I’ve done is run, but you know what? I don’t have anywhere else to go. If they come for me here, I’m going to be ready, but the one thing I don’t need is more false promises. From you or anyone.” Stephanie tossed her towel to the side.
“Tell me who these people are. Who was Handlebar?” He rested his elbows on his knees.
She rose and paced back and forth a few times. A battle waged itself in her head based on the expression on her face. Finally, she stopped in front of him. Despite working out with the two of them for the past few hours, she still smelled amazing.
“He’s part of a California biker club. I witnessed something that they did. Something horrible. I could put them all away.” She knelt in front of him and whispered. “That’s why they want to put me away.”
Her confession stabbed him in the heart. She was vulnerable and an easy target, yet she’d been able to stay hidden for a long time. “Tell me what you saw.”
Stephanie jumped as two young guys entered the gym. It was a couple of kids with Genoa High School printed on the front of their shirts.
“Let’s go.” With any luck, she would spill her guts at her apartment and they could finally get the answers Roman demanded.
Stephanie had walked to the gym but now sat in the passenger seat of his truck. She was silent but on edge. Her hands shook and she fidgeted in her seat. As soon as he parked, Steph was out of the truck and sprinting across the street. Dominic flew out of the truck and grabbed her before she could hit the sidewalk.
With an arm around her shoulder, he walked her back to his vehicle where the door stood open. “Just calm down. It will be all right. We can protect you.”
“But who will protect you?” Her eyes held tears.
He thought he could be cold but her tears melted the ice around his heart. Dominic took her hands in his. “It will be all right.”
Dominic enfolded her in his arms.
A wall of heat hit them both as her apartment building exploded behind them.
Chapter Sixteen
Stephanie
In a flash, everything she had in the world was gone. Well, everything that wasn’t in her car. Just when it seemed like things might be getting better in her life, something like this had to happen. If it weren’t for Dominic holding her up, she’d have probably sunk to her knees.
“How could this happen? Do you think anyone was inside?” Her face burned and her eyes ached from the flames. What if she’d been home? Her head spun. Despite the already hot and humid night, she shivered.
“I don’t know.” Dominic pulled her tighter to his chest. “It’s too out of control for the firefighters to go in.”
After the explosion, the police were there in a matter of minutes, but since the fire department was all volunteers, that took a bit longer. The old building cracked and snapped as flames ate it from the inside out.
“Did you see anyone odd today? Anyone hanging around who shouldn’t be here?” Danny, the lone female on the Genoa police force, had just walked up beside them. She’d been first on the scene but ever since backup had arrived, the task of finding out what caused the fire had fallen to her.
“No. I left early in the morning and then hung out with Dom and Jasper at the gym tonight.” It was hard not to miss the slight smile on the officer’s lips when Steph mentioned Jasper. “After work, I stopped to change. I threw my laptop and purse in the car but then at the last minute, I decided to jog to the gym. Thankfully, I at least have those.”
“Did you run home as well?” Danny’s gaze wandered to the crowd. Stephanie had seen a news show on arsonists once. After the fire was set, the guilty one usually stayed around to watch it burn.
“No, Dom brought me home.” He’d loosened his embrace but still kept an arm around her shoulder. It just dawned on her. Dom wasn’t known for being a touchy-feely kind of guy yet he hadn’t loosened his hold since the place lit up.
“That so? And where did Jasper go?” She tapped a pen on her chin.
Where did he go? The guy said he had a date but she didn’t want to mention that to the officer. A chill went down her arm and she automatically leaned toward Dom. “I have no idea. I have no reason to think he’s here. Probably went home.” Stephanie glanced at Dom and he just shrugged his shoulders.
“What about scents? Smell anything weird around the building?” Danny was all business.
“Yeah.” This time it was Dominic who spoke up and both women turned his way. “Each time I was there I smelled rotten eggs at the top of the stairs.”
“Yes, at first I thought it was just a dead mouse or something,” Stephanie remembered. “It’s only been in the last month but it got worse in the last week. It did smell kind of like rotting eggs or a gas leak.” What if there was something seriously wrong and she’d never contacted anyone about it? “Do you think that might be the cause of the explosion?”
“I can’t say at this time. That will be up to the fire inspector.” The radio blared on Danny’s shoulder and she answered it. She started to walk backward. “Look, I have to go. If you think of anything else, you know where to find me.”
“Hey, Danny?” Stephanie stepped toward her and the woman stopped. “Was there anyone inside?” She held her breath.
“According to the super, the apartments were all vacant right now except for yours and one in the back corner on the second floor.” There were eight apartments, so it was odd that so many were empty.
Dominic rubbed his forehead with his finger. “The one where the smell came from.” It was stated as a fact, not a question.
“Appears so.” A dispatcher called on the officer’s radio again. “Do you have a place to stay Steph?”
“I, uh…” With all the chaos, that was the last thing on her mind. She was still adjusting to the fact that she’d survived death again but the situation remained she was now homeless. Again.
“She has a place.” Dominic put an arm around her waist.
“Okay then.” And Danny was gone.
It briefly crossed Stephanie’s mind to use one of the self-defense techniques at his possessive hold but she didn’t. Dom had done nothing wrong, and as much as Steph didn’t want to, it was a given that Madison would let her crash at her place.
She twisted around to face him. “Thanks for everything.”
He said nothing but just stared down at her face.
“I’ll just get my car and drive to Madison’s.”
Shouts sounded as firefighters yelled for people to get back and then there was a loud boom. Stephanie watched in horror as her old car blew up. It had just started to leak gas and she hadn’t had time to get it fixed. A spark must have caused the explosion, at least she hoped so. It was the only thing she had left. “No. No. No.” This time she did fall, and Dom followed her to the ground. He rocked her back and forth, whispering calming words that didn’t register but she knew he was there. Would her life always be a nightmare? Later she might cry and break down in tears, but now she was in shock.
Dominic brought her back to her feet. “Let’s go.” He took her hand and led h
er to his truck. “You don’t need to see any more of this.”
Dom’s phone beeped and he checked the message. After answering it, he glanced back at the burning building and then stuffed the phone into his pocket. The flames reflected off his face as he opened the driver’s door for her to scoot across the bench seat.
“Who was that?”
“Roman.”
She jumped in but stayed in the middle. For once in her life, Stephanie had someone beside her and she wasn’t ready to distance herself yet. It was too much to take in right now.
“Did he know about the fire?”
“It’s all over the news. He can see the flames from his house.”
“I can imagine.”
The engine roared to life and they waited for an officer to clear the bystanders so they could go down the street. It seemed like everyone was out. A few in the crowd were dressed in pajamas or a robe.
“Is Madison still up?”
“I haven’t a clue. She left for Chicago this morning. Her mother fell ill.” Dominic maneuvered his large vehicle through the gawkers and parked cars.
“What? I hope it’s nothing serious.”
“Doesn’t sound like it but they’re doing some tests tomorrow and she wanted to be there.”
“I don’t mean to sound selfish, but what do I do now? I was hoping I could stay with her. Where will I go? I have no cash, no money, and no clothes besides what I have on.” So much for being strong, panic had set in. At least when she’d left with nothing before she’d had a plan. It never occurred to her that the building she lived in might burn down.
“You’re coming home with me.” He placed his hand over hers. “And you’re staying with me.”
“No, you don’t have to do this.” Her lower lip trembled.
“I do. Like you said, you have nowhere else to go. Tomorrow. you can go shopping.”
“I don’t care about the clothes, but oh god, my laptop.” The tears started. “It had all my stories on it.”
“You had a backup, right?” Dominic drove them out of town.