Chapter 8 Carmine
CARMINE
I waited for Dominic at the gas station and forced myself to take slow breaths. What the hell was I doing? My life had taken a turn that I never dreamed possible. Though I was meticulous in my plans, which was what led to my success, I never planned for this scenario.
My phone rang before I could spiral, and Lorenzo's name flashed across the screen.
I answered on the second ring. "Hey."
"You're not at the airport." His tone wasn't accusatory, just stating a fact. "Want to tell me why?"
I rubbed my free hand over my face and tried to come up with something that wouldn't raise more questions. "I think I should stick around for a few days. Make sure Webb wasn’t working with anyone."
"I thought you and your new friend already confirmed everything was handled."
Right. I did do that, didn’t I? "Yeah, it is, but I wanna hang out and spend some time with the locals. Make sure nothing's being traced back to us. Better to be cautious, right?"
Lorenzo was quiet for a long moment, and I could practically hear him weighing my words against what he knew about me. I never stuck around after a job. Never took extra precautions unless there was a real threat. "This wouldn't have anything to do with any local in particular, would it?"
"No." The lie came too quick, so I faked a cough, hoping he wouldn’t notice. "Just being thorough."
"Carmine." His voice softened in that way that always made me feel like a kid caught sneaking out. "If there's something I need to know, tell me now."
I stared out the windshield at the empty parking lot and thought about telling him the truth.
That I'd found my mate and he was from a different family on a different coast, and I had no idea how to make it work. Or even if it could work. People didn’t leave this business unless it was in a body bag.
You worked until the job killed you or you were able to retire comfortably, but always within sight of the family.
The words stuck in my throat. "I just need a few days to figure out some things. Then I’ll be home. Please, just give me some time here."
He sighed silently but didn’t push me to admit what I wasn’t ready to admit. "Fine. But you check in every day. And as soon as you’re ready to talk, I’m here for you."
That was the understatement of the year.
My uncle Lorenzo had always been there for me, and I knew he’d support me in whatever the hell was going on.
Eventually. Once I grew the balls to tell him.
Before I was ready to voice my thoughts out loud, I at least needed to make sense of them in my own head. "Copy that."
The line went dead, and I slipped my phone back into the cup holder.
A short while later, a black car pulled into the gas station, and my heart kicked up.
It was Dom. I couldn’t look away as he parked a few spaces beside me and got out.
He was wearing dark jeans and a leather jacket that made his shoulders look even broader than I remembered.
I wanted to slip my hands inside the jacket and feel his warmth.
Fuck, he was hot.
The crazy connection between us hit me like a bulldozer. My body recognized him before my brain could catch up, and every cell in me urged me closer. This wasn't just attraction or chemistry. This was fate.
I got out of my car and started walking. "Hey."
"Hey." He met me halfway with his hands shoved in his pockets and his jaw tight. "You okay?"
"Yeah. Just thought we needed to talk."
He glanced around the parking lot and then back at me. "Here?"
"Unless you have somewhere better in mind."
Dom stared at me for a moment before he jerked his head toward his car. "Get in. We'll drive."
His car smelled like him, and that made my head spin in the best way. Within seconds, the tension between us ratcheted up with memories of our night together. The best night of my life. How was it only a few hours ago that I left him? It felt like days since I had my hands on him.
Dom pulled out and headed down a side road. He didn't say anything, and I couldn't find the right words either. My plan had been to play it cool and act like last night was just a good way to blow off some steam. But being next to him made that impossible.
I couldn't play it cool when my entire body was begging me to touch him.
Eventually, he broke the silence. "I thought you left."
Ouch. I deserved that. "I thought so, too. Got all the way to the airport exit before I realized my mistake."
"What mistake?"
I turned to look at him and found his knuckles white on the steering wheel. "Leaving you without figuring out what’s going on."
His jaw clenched, and he pulled over on a dirt road that led into the woods. "What do you think’s going on?"
I sucked in a deep breath and slowly blew it out. "I don’t know."
He turned and stared a hole into me. "That wasn't just sex, Carmine. Not for me. And I don’t think it was for you either."
My throat went tight, and I nodded. "Agreed."
The intensity in his eyes nearly knocked the air from my lungs. "So you know that you're my mate."
My breath hitched as the realness of hearing him say it out loud hit me. I wasn't prepared for the emotion it would bring. Deep inside, I think I knew it the moment his knot locked inside me, but knowing it and acknowledging it out loud were two different things. "Yeah. I think I am."
Dom closed his eyes for a moment before reaching over and grabbing my hand. "So what do we do about it?"
That was the question I'd been avoiding since I drove past the airport.
We lived on opposite coasts and worked for competitive families.
Our lives were built around violence and secrecy, and neither of those things made relationships easy.
"I don't know. I told my uncle I'm staying in town for a few more days to keep an eye on things and make sure there's no issues that pop up around Webb. "
Dom raised an eyebrow. "And he believed you?"
"Probably not, but he trusts me. I guess he's giving me space to do what I need to do."
Dom's thumb rubbed circles on the back of my hand, and that gentle touch from such a tough man made my chest ache. "Cord asked me to do recon on you. Find out what you're really doing in our territory."
My jaw dropped. "Well, shit."
It seemed we weren’t keeping any secrets from our families.
"Yeah." He squeezed my hand tighter and then pulled it to his chest. "I'm supposed to spy on you and report back if you're a threat."
I almost laughed. "Good luck with that. What are you gonna do?"
His eyes searched mine, and they were conflicted. "I don't know how to be loyal to my family and loyal to you at the same time."
I shifted in my seat to face him fully. "I'm not asking you to choose between me and them. But if this is real, we’re gonna have to be honest about it.
With each other and with our families." The consequences of that remained to be seen.
Both of us knew that it was more than just disappointment we faced.
No one got to walk away. If we were going to be together, then our families had to approve it.
The likelihood of that happening was slim.
"It's real." His voice was absolute as he leaned closer. "And I’m definitely not willing to hide you."
"Me neither." I closed the distance between us and felt the pull to him strengthen. "So give me a few days to meet some of your people, and I’ll let Lorenzo know there’s no problem. That way, you're doing your job and I'm doing mine without drawing excess attention."
Dom's eyes dropped to my lips, and his breath hitched. "And what are we really doing?"
"Figuring out if we can make this work."
He closed his eyes and kissed me hard.
I melted into it and let myself embrace everything I'd been holding back. The need, the want, the absolute certainty that this alpha was mine.
When he pulled back, we were both breathing hard. "Okay." He rested his forehead against mine. "Let’s see how the next few days go without raising any flags. But if either of our families think we’re being sneaky, it could get messy. We’re already on thin ice."
"I know. But I'd rather take the risk than walk away without trying."
Dom wrapped his arms around me and buried his face in my neck. I felt his teeth graze my neck, and I shivered. "Don't leave again, omega. Not without telling me."
"I won't." I wrapped my arms around him and held him just as tightly. "I promise."