Chapter 37
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
SERENA
I don’t know how long I lie on the bathroom floor, numb from the shock of Dominick’s anger. Eventually, I manage to drag myself upright and check my reflection in the mirror. Once again, there is no visible evidence of Dominick’s assault, but the ghost of his punishing hold still lingers on my skin. Deciding I have no desire to risk facing his wrath when he returns home, I head downstairs to leave. I don’t know where I will go, only that I can’t remain here.
I scan the first floor, looking for my car keys, but they are nowhere to be found. Dread pools in my gut as I desperately hunt for the keys to my escape. When I determine they are not in the house, I head out to the car hoping against hope that Dominick was so focused on punishing me that he left the keys in the ignition. The small flicker of hope is quickly snuffed out when I get to the car and find it locked, keys missing, along with my purse that had been left in the backseat.
“Fuck!” I smack my palm against the window, frustration and terror bubbling up inside of me. Dominick’s house is secluded, with no close neighbors, and it is far enough from town that walking will take hours. Without my purse, I have no phone to call for a ride and no money. Panic begins to take root when I realize how few options I have. Do I hide? Do I walk and hope someone picks me up? Do I stay and pray Dominick comes home in a better temper, ready to apologize for his outburst?
The thought of staying and facing him causes bile to rise up in my throat. I can’t do it. I can’t stay. Without thinking about it, I start walking down Dominick’s long gravel drive, heading to the main road. I’ll hitchhike if I have to, but there is no way in hell I am staying here a minute longer.
Ten minutes into my walk, I’m cussing myself for not thinking to grab a jacket. The air is brisk, and the sun is beginning to set, signaling a drop in temperature will be coming soon. I am so consumed by my thoughts, I don’t immediately notice the car driving past me, slowing down to pull over on the shoulder. It isn’t until the flashing blue and red lights come on that I realize they’ve stopped a few yards in front of me. My feet freeze to the ground, fear keeping me rooted in one spot. If it’s Dominick, I don’t know what I’m going to do. I squint against the strobing lights, trying to make out who is getting out of the police cruiser.
“Serena? Is that you?” My knees go weak with relief when the familiar voice calling out to me doesn’t belong to my fiancé. Dane stops directly in front of me, blocking the glare from the lights, looking at me with concern dancing in his eyes. “Why are you out here walking when it’s almost dark? This road isn’t safe to walk on without any sidewalks. You don’t even have a coat. Come on—get in my car. I’ll give you a ride.”
Dane grabs my elbow to steer me to his cruiser, but I hesitate, my feet refusing to move while my brain tries to process my options. He turns, giving me a confused look. “Let’s get you in the car where it’s warm. Where are you heading?” He gives my arm another tug, and I follow him, my legs working mechanically while my brain tries to come up with an answer to his question.
Where am I going? Can I tell him what Dom did? Can his partner be trusted? After Eric sent Dom that picture of Kai and I hugging, setting off Dom’s first violent outburst, I don’t feel like I can trust that either man would believe me. Lost in my own thoughts, I don’t realize what’s happening until I’m tucked into the back of Dane’s cruiser with the door shut, trapping me in. My heart begins to pound in my chest, panic rising when I realize I can’t get out. Where there should be a handle to open the door, there is only flat plastic, and a steel grid separates the back seat from the front. Dane stands outside of the car making a call on his cellphone, and my heart sinks. I watch helplessly as he turns his back to me, walking a few feet away so I can’t overhear his conversation.
Minutes later, he hangs up and stalks back to the vehicle, keeping his gaze trained on the ground, avoiding my pleading stare in the window. I hold my breath when he takes his seat behind the steering wheel, unsure whose side he is on. Dane glances up in the rearview mirror, conflict clearly written across his features. “I’m gonna give you a ride to the station. Dominick will be waiting for you there.” My stomach plummets at his declaration, and my eyes burn from fresh tears forming. “He mentioned you guys had an argument. Even if you’re mad at him, you shouldn’t put yourself in danger by walking in the cold and dark alone. That isn’t how you prove a point.”
An argument? He told Dane we had an argument? Is that what choking your fiancée to the point of almost blacking out is to Dominick? A fucking argument? “He said we had an argument?” My voice is shrill, incredulous even. My blinding fear is momentarily replaced by anger at how flippantly Dominick dismissed what he did to me.
Dane responds by flicking off the strobe lights and steering the car back onto the road. He’s on a mission to deliver me back into the arms of the monster who was once my savior.
The closer we get to the police station, the more paralyzed by fear I become. Dominick is going to be livid about my escape attempt. Will he keep his anger in check while we have an audience? Can I attempt to get help at the police station? Would anyone believe me over him? I’ve seen his many awards and commendations decorating the walls of his home. His reputation is spotless. Dane hasn’t said anything else to me since we started driving, but the tension radiating from him is palpable. He doesn’t seem completely comfortable with the situation, but he is also clearly not going to get in the middle of it.
When we pull into the lot, I suck in a breath when my eyes land on Dominick leaning against his car, arms crossed, a cold mask of indifference on his face. A cold sweat breaks out along my hairline as I frantically try to come up with a plan to get away. Maybe if I make a big enough scene, he will be forced to play nice and let me go? He can’t choke me or scream at me in public without giving up his dark secrets. I settle on that plan of action, prepared to become a screaming banshee as soon as he opens the door to retrieve me.
My plan dies a swift death when Dominick throws a wrench into it by slipping into the role of the concerned fiancé. Tears shimmer in his eyes, and his voice sounds relieved as he declares, “There you are! God, I was so worried about you.” My stunned confusion allows Dominick to pull me into a hug so tight it makes it almost impossible to breathe. My body is stiff and unyielding in his hold; my skin crawls under his touch. Into my ear he whispers, “Be a good kitten. Your friend is currently at a protest, and I’ve got eyes on him. We wouldn’t want anything to happen to him if it were to become a not-so-peaceful protest.” His threat makes my blood run cold in terror. “Nod if you understand.” Weakly, I bob my head in confirmation, and Dominick pulls back, a vicious smile playing across his lips.
“Come on, Kitten. I’m done for the day; let’s go get some dinner.” Dominick glances over at Dane who is looking at us, brows pulled together in what almost looks like concern. “Thanks, man, for picking my girl up. She can get kind of emotional at times, and I didn’t want her wandering off, getting herself hurt to prove a point to me. I’ve got it from here.” Realizing he has been dismissed, Dane jerks a nod at Dominick before turning and heading into the police station, leaving me alone with my own personal monster.
Dominick doesn’t say another word as he uses a bruising grip to drag me to his car. I don’t fight back or complain, fear for Kai’s safety ensuring my compliance. When we are both settled in the car, he speaks, his tone back to being cold and unamused. “Did you really think you were going to get away, Serena? I thought you were a smart girl.”
His comment cuts, causing fresh tears to spring to my eyes. I keep my head down, blurry vision focused on my trembling hands sitting in my lap. Frustrated by my lack of response, Dominick grasps my hair in a punishing grip, turning my head, forcing me to look at him. “I asked you a question, Kitten.”
“I…I…was scared. You scared me. I-I was afraid of what you’d do when you came back.” My words are punctuated with sobs, my terror flowing freely now that we are alone.
“And you thought running away would save you?” Dom shakes his head and tsks like I’m a child who just told him a fantastical story. “You never have to be afraid of me, Kitten. Not as long as you do what I say. I told you before: you’re mine. I take care of what’s mine. I also don’t ever lose what belongs to me.” He leans in, capturing my lips forcefully. When I refuse to reciprocate, he pulls my hair so hard it feels like he’s going to rip it out at the root, forcing my mouth to open to let out a cry of pain. He deepens the kiss, invading my mouth with his tongue. Pulling away, he licks the salty tears from my lips, the devilish smile that used to make me weak in the knees tugging his lips up at the corner. “God, I love the way your tears taste.”
On the drive back home, I finally work up the courage to ask him, “How did you know I left?” My voice and body are still trembling. I don’t know if I’ll ever not be afraid again.
Dom lets out an amused snort like I made a funny joke. “I have motion-activated security cameras all over my property. Do you really think I’d leave something as precious as you unsupervised and unguarded? Not on your life.”