11. Corey
11
COREY
“ H ello, Corey.”
I startled and turned around.
“He really doesn’t have any instincts for our lifestyle, does he?” Valentino and Vito were standing a few feet from me. I’d been listening to an audiobook and hadn’t heard them come in.
“Always be on alert when someone’s after you,” Valentino said.
“I…I’ve never… Thank you for the advice.” I didn’t like the way they were looking at me, like they were cats and I was a mouse they were toying with. I was certainly no more powerful than a mouse against them. I bet they both knew multiple ways to kill me in seconds with their bare hands.
But they wouldn’t, would they?
“Be careful with Pops,” Valentino said.
I frowned. “He told me to avoid him, so I’m trying to do that.”
Valentino shook his head. “That’s not what he really wants.”
“Right,” Vito agreed. “He’s lonely.”
“He said?—”
“You can’t listen to what he says. It’s more about what he doesn’t say.”
Valentino nodded. “You have to ignore the surliness. That’s what we do.”
I thought suddenly of the way he’d looked at me when I’d jumped out of bed naked, then I thought of the cake he’d made. Why so many mixed signals?
“Talk to him, but do not hurt him, or you will have us to deal with,” Vito said.
They were full of mixed signals too. Looking at me like I was prey then talking nicely, encouraging me then threatening me. What was up with this family? “I have no intention of hurting him. I’m only here because I was told your father was the best man to keep me safe. I don’t want to bother him or hurt him or anything. I just want to survive.”
“You will,” Valentino said. “Our family will make sure of it.”
Vito nodded. “Your testimony matters to us too. Those fuckers are hurting kids, and they need to be brought to justice.”
Valentino growled. “Damn right. But our father has been hurt badly. Lisa betrayed him and he?—”
Vito interrupted him. “Pops wouldn’t want us to?—”
“Lisa? His ex-wife? What happened between them?”
Valentino’s eyes went wide, and Vito made a strangled sound. “I think we fucked up.”
“Never mind.” Their words ran over each other.
“I get that he doesn’t want to talk about her, but?—”
“What do you know about her?” Valentino asked. “Who have you been talking to?”
Now I’d fucked up too. “Dom mentioned an ex-wife, and Beatrice told me her name but wouldn’t tell me much more.”
They both glared at me for a moment, then Vito sighed. “I can’t blame you for being curious, but don’t ask about her again.”
I nodded, glad he didn’t seem angry. I had no doubt either of them would kill me if they deemed it necessary. Who would care if they did? X? Would he go after them? Or would he let them get away with it? I was so confused about who to trust.
Vito smacked his brother’s arm. “We promised Pops we wouldn’t upset him.”
“I…um…I’m fine. Your dad really made you promise that?”
“He may not act like it,” Vito said. “But he does care.”
“He did bake me a cake, and Beatrice said that was his way of apologizing for being an ass.” Why the fuck was I telling them that?
Vito’s eyes went wide. “Damn, that’s…damn.”
“I don’t know how to act around him.”
Vito waved his hand as if that was nothing. “No one does. Just be nice and…be yourself.”
“I don’t think he likes it when I’m myself.”
Valentino smiled. “You’re wrong.”
“Wait. Are you saying…?”
“We’re not saying anything,” Vito responded.
“You’re not?”
“Nope.” They were. But how could they think their dad was interested in me? Their straight dad?
“I’m probably younger than either of you.”
Valentino shrugged. “Make him happy. That’s all we ask.”
“Whoa. I’m not… We’re not….”
“If you get the chance, make him happy.”
“And do not hurt him,” Vito added.
“I….”
“We need to go,” Valentino said.
Vito just grinned. “Yeah, I think our work here is done.”
I watched as they walked away laughing and slapping each other on the back. Were they fucking with me? Surely they were. They couldn’t mean….
He was their father. Would they really joke about that? And had they actually just given me their blessing to fuck their dad? Or to…do something more?
No way in hell could this be anything but a hot fling. Why would someone like Dom be interested in me?
This day was making my head spin. I pulled off my headphones and lay down on the couch, staring up at the ceiling. The room wasn’t really spinning, was it? I felt like it was, and I hadn’t even had anything to drink.
What was I supposed to do now? They told me to seek out Dom, to talk to him, to ignore his command to leave him alone, but was that wise? Was anything I’d done recently wise? I’d walked in on my bosses and fucked up my life. I’d tried to push Dom to talk to me. I’d jumped up naked in front of him, and then I’d basically begged him to eat dinner with me. None of that had ended well, unless….
No way were they serious. He wasn’t interested in me. That was insane. Even if he was bi, why me? I was the antithesis of what he’d want.
Opposites attract.
Not really. Not like this.
“I thought your dad was straight,” I called out as they exited the sunroom.
Vito shrugged as he turned to look at me. “Things change.”
“Do they?”
“Who knows. Talk to him. Find out.” He waved and they were gone.
This was too bizarre. I’m standing here with two mobsters who are telling me I should flirt with their cold assassin father, and I’m probably younger than both of them.
Not that I cared about the age gap. Dom was hot as hell. I’d already invited him into my bed, but the warning not to hurt him implied more than a hot night, pushing boredom away. What the hell? No way did any of us need that.
And yet….
Fuck. I’d been pacing since they left. I needed to get rid of all this energy, and not with Dom. He’d told me to stay away, and I was going to.
I headed to my room and changed into my workout clothes. Maybe some time in the gym would help.
As I made my way down the stairs, I listened for Dom’s voice. I didn’t hear him, and his office door was closed. Maybe the coast was clear.
I opened the door of the gym and froze. Now I knew exactly where Dom was. His back was to me as he did leg presses. I should leave, but I couldn’t make myself turn around.
I’d never seen Dom in anything but a suit or his silk pajamas with his velvet robe over them. He was hot as hell all dressed up, but like this, in tight gray sweats, he looked fucking edible.
I thought about his injured leg, the one he favored. I could tell he was using the right to push more forcefully. I had no doubt using the left at all hurt like hell.
I wasn’t sure if the way he pushed himself was admirable, or if someone really needed to let him know that it was okay to need help. I supposed both things were true. Stubbornness has its advantages and disadvantages.
“Are you going to work out or just stand there?”
His voice startled me. He hadn’t even turned around, yet he knew I was there. “I…um….”
“If you don’t intend to use the gym, you should leave.”
What was it that his sons saw that I didn’t? Because all I saw was a man working hard to push me away. Was he that ornery even if he wanted something? Did he deny himself everything he needed? He was obviously willing to punish his body, but I assumed that was to keep himself and his family—and me—safe.
“I wasn’t sure if you’d want me in here when you were.”
“I’m almost finished.” His voice sounded strained, and his left leg was shaking.
I wanted to ask him if he was all right, but instead, I programmed the treadmill for a run and got on. I couldn’t help but glance in his direction every few seconds. His face was pinched as he did two more leg presses, then got off the machine. He moved to a mat and lifted some dumbbells. I forced myself to look out the window instead of watching him.
He didn’t want me staring, and I didn’t need to check on him. He probably had a series of exercises from a physical therapist, right? Or he at least knew what he could do.
Right, because he seems like a man who really accepts his limits.
I watched cars go by as snow fell, adding to what already lay on the ground. As the treadmill began to move faster, I enjoyed the adrenaline rush a run always provided. I let myself fall into my zone, doing a reasonable job of ignoring Dom until he cried out, and I heard the clatter of a dumbbell falling.
I hit the button to stop the belt and hopped off the treadmill, rushing over to him.
He was on his knees, cradling his left arm. I could see the puckered skin where he’d been burned years ago. I couldn’t see any other sign of injury, but I dropped to the floor beside him.
“What can I do to help?”
“Go away.”
“Dom.” It was the first time I addressed him by his given name. His eyes shot up immediately, meeting mine, but he quickly looked away.
“I don’t need your help. I don’t need you here in my house.” I almost backed away, but then I thought about what his sons had told me.
“You do need help, even if you’re too stubborn to admit it, and you’re stuck with me just like I’m stuck with you. Would it help if I massaged your arm? It looks like the muscles are spasming.”
“That’s what happens. It’s what always fucking happens.” He squeezed his eyes shut tight.
“It’s all right.” Here, I laid my hand against his arm, and he jumped. “Did I hurt you?”
“No.” The word was much softer. He sounded almost confused.
Had he felt the jolt of electricity that I felt touching him? I grasped his arm in both hands, working my fingers into the muscles that were giving him pain and keeping him from using his hand to grip.
His muscles began to ease and soften. His arm no longer trembled.
I kept my focus on my hands, not daring to look up at him. His skin warmed as I touched him. The muscles started to feel soft and pliable. My heart was pounding, my whole body alert at the sensation of touching him. I wanted to know the rest of his body the way I was getting to know his forearm. Since when was a forearm sexy? I wasn’t sure, but his was to me now.
Eventually, I knew I had to stop.
When I looked up, our eyes met. “Thank you,” he said. My eyes widened, and he smiled. “I know how to say it.”
My hands were still on his arm. I seemed unable to let go. He was right there, so close. His eyes held mine. They were dark, full of something I hadn’t seen before. I shifted slightly closer to him without even meaning to, then he lifted a hand and cupped the side of my face.
I sucked in my breath. “Dominic?”
“Was your offer serious the other night?”
All I could do was nod. He moved closer, then the sound of glass shattering had us jumping apart.
“What was that?” I asked.
“Stay right here.” It took him a second to get to his feet. He grabbed the gun he’d laid on a table nearby, but I knew he was hurting. I knew he might need help. Not that I really knew how to give help in this situation, but I didn’t want him to be alone, so I followed him.
“Corey, I swear to God, if you get killed because you can’t listen?—”
“I’ll stay back.”
“Fine.”
We moved toward the back of the house. I hadn’t even been sure what direction the sound came from, but he seemed to know. As we walked into the sunroom, I saw a broken window. A brick lay on the floor surrounded by shards of glass. There was a paper wrapped around it, secured by a rubber band.
“Fucking bastards,” Dom said.
He scowled at me. “Get out of this room. I don’t want you exposed to the windows.”
“Do you think someone’s still out there?”
“No, but I’m not taking chances, not with you.”
I knew I was a job to him, but something about the way he said the words made it sound like he really cared if I got hurt and not just because I couldn’t be a witness. Would he really be sad if something happened to me? I hoped somebody would. I’d hate to disappear off the face of the earth and nobody care, but my colleagues at the office sure as hell wouldn’t, my parents were dead, and my friends had their own lives. They might miss me, but nothing would really change for them with me gone.
I stepped back out of the room, and Dom moved closer to the window. He had a gun in his hand, but it was dark outside. How could he see if someone was aiming for him?
“Be careful. I don’t want you hurt either.”
“I know what I’m doing,” he said.
I had to assume he did, or he wouldn’t have lived this long. He positioned himself behind a chair and waited. When we didn’t hear or see anything, he moved slowly toward the brick on the floor. My heart pounded as he grabbed it and moved away from the windows.
One of the guards who’d been stationed outside rushed in. “Sir, are you okay?”
“Corey and I are fine. Get back out there and find out who threw this brick and where they went. I’ll deal with your inability to notice their presence later.”
“Yes, sir.” The man ran out as fast as he’d entered. I knew he and the other guards would suffer later for missing someone’s presence. Would Dom torture them or even kill them? I shivered at the thought.
Dom motioned for me to follow him as he peeled the note from the brick, never once letting on that his hand or leg hurt.
“What does it say?” I asked.
“It’s a threat. I’ll take care of it.”
“Can I see it?”
“No.”
I hated the chill that remained in his voice now. “I want to know what’s going on.”
“You need to go to your room. I’ve got calls to make and men to punish.”
“Please don’t kill the guards.”
He narrowed his eyes and studied me for a moment. “They could have gotten you killed. I will decide what punishment fits that crime.”
“I’m okay, though. And I….”
“I will do whatever is necessary to protect you.”
The guard he’d sent outside appeared at the door. “I’m sorry to interrupt you, sir, but I need to speak with you right away.”
Dom tilted his head toward the door as he held my gaze.
There was so much I wanted to say and so many questions I wanted to ask. Like why the fuck did some asshole choose tonight to do this? What would have happened in the gym if we hadn’t been interrupted?
My body had already been on high alert before we’d raced downstairs to find out if someone had broken in. How the hell was I supposed to just sit in my room?
And what was Dom going to do? Risk his fucking life going after someone? I’d seen how good his aim was, and I didn’t doubt he’d push himself as hard as he needed to if someone came after me or him or both of us, but I also knew he was in pain and his movements were restricted. He was going to get hurt or worse. He needed more help.
What would happen if I got Valentino’s number and sent him a message?
Dom would be furious if he found out. I wouldn’t try that yet, but if I needed to, I would.