Chapter 9 Dominic
DOMINIC
My home was my sanctuary. More than that, it was the place I went to get away from all the politics, nonsense, and drama. Not to mention the longing I felt when I was at the main house with Andro or Cord's ever-growing families.
Sure, I was part of that family, but on the periphery. I was the one that was called when shit went sideways and they needed a problem taken care of. I wasn't the one they invited to birthday parties or to spend time with their children.
Then again, I had been invited to the kids' birthdays, but I missed them because I was on an assignment. Perhaps I was the only one who saw myself as outside the family circle. It was a necessary step back to protect my heart from wanting things I could not have. Not in my line of work.
Either way, home was where I went to unwind.
It was the only place I wanted to bring Carmine.
Taking him to a luxury hotel where we could be pampered for the next few days did cross my mind. We could order room service and lounge around in silk robes. Though I doubted Carmine would care about that sort of thing.
I wanted him in my space. I wanted my sheets to smell like him if he had to leave. When he had to leave.
We stepped inside my penthouse apartment, and Carmine slipped off his shoes and looked around the space. It was decorated simply, in that there were few decorations. I had two paintings, both had been gifts. One was a painting of an abandoned warehouse and hung over the back of the couch.
The walls were white, the carpet beige, the space was free of clutter because when I was here, I wanted calm.
Andro's home had been calm once, now it was filled with laughter and children.
And also sticky surfaces, which I always assumed was from children, but given the way that Andro and Joey looked at one another, I was beginning to question that.
"This is..."
"Boring?" I said.
Carmine chuckled. "Nice. It could use a bit more color, but it is nice." He stopped in front of the couch and looked up at the painting, studying it.
“Do you like art?” I slipped my hands in my pockets to keep them off him.
“Not in particular. I’m wondering why, of all the things you could hang in your home, you choose this?”
“It was a gift from Andro, actually. Commemorating some milestone year for the organization.”
“But why this picture? Why an old, decaying warehouse?”
I gripped his shoulders and gently moved him two steps over.
He gasped in surprise when he looked at the painting from the new angle. “It’s…restored.”
The painting was a trick of the light. From one angle it was an old, abandoned warehouse surrounded by an overcast sky. But from another angle, it was revitalized like it was just built, no broken windows or overgrown vines.
I kept my hands on Carmine and rubbed them down his biceps slowly. “That is the warehouse where I had my first kill.”
“Oh.”
I shrugged. “Kind of silly, I know. But–”
“No, I get it. I… I had my first kill in the holding cell at my boss’s mansion. But I… I took a piece of the wall, a brick that had chipped.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, gray rock. He turned to face me, holding out his palm. “I carry it with me at all times.”
I ran my fingers over the small stone. "What’s your place like?" I closed the space between us as my phone buzzed with a call. It was Cord. I almost didn't answer, but he'd just keep calling.
"Yeah?"
"What’s the update on the Bandino omega?" Cord's voice was all business.
Carmine walked to the window to check out the view like he had no concerns in the world.
I turned away so he couldn't see my face. "Still monitoring. Nothing suspicious."
"Lorenzo called again and wants to know when his nephew is coming home. You keeping him here for some reason, Dom?"
My jaw clenched because I hated to lie. "Of course not. He's free to leave whenever he wants."
"That's not what I asked." Cord paused, and it was clear he had more to say. "Andro wants a full report tomorrow. Everything you've learned about what he's doing here. And I mean everything."
The line went dead.
Carmine turned back to me. "Problem?"
I shook my head and forced myself to meet his eyes. My mate. The person I was supposed to be investigating. "Nope. All’s good.”
Carmine gripped my hand and tugged me toward the couch.
We both sank into it, and I was thankful that I’d opted for comfort over style.
The realtor I purchased the apartment from had offered me that staged furniture in the purchase, but it was all stiff and nothing like the plush couch I was on now with my mate sunk against me because the cushions pushed us together.
"To answer your question, my place is similar to this." Carmine pulled my hand up to his chest and cradled it there. "I don't spend a lot of time there, and when I do, it's in bed or in the kitchen."
That pulled me out of my distraction. "Kitchen? You like to cook?"
"I bake, but only a few recipes. I don't do anything elaborate. Just cookies and pies. I got on the sourdough trend a few years ago.” He glanced at me from under his lashes. “My friend, Keegan, takes care of it for me while I'm away."
My stomach did a funny swooping thing, and I worried my emotions were all over my face. It was as if this was my fantasy brought to life. A man who understood and connected with me like no other. "What's your sourdough starter's name?"
Carmine scoffed and pulled away from me. "It doesn't have one. I'm not goofy like that. It's silly to name a sourdough starter."
It frightened me how good he could lie. But I was beginning to understand his tells, or maybe they didn’t exist, I was just that in tune with him. "Mine's name is Breadley. Breadly Cooper."
Carmine whipped around to face me so fast. "You bake?"
I nodded. "Bread mostly. I just never have the time. Usually when I come home, I fill the bread machine and make a loaf of cinnamon swirl bread, along with some sourdough."
His lips twisted into a smile. "Doughly Parton."
I grinned. "Maybe we should introduce the two of them."
"And how would we do that? I've never heard of two sourdoughs mixing together and living happily ever after."
I rested my forehead against his. We weren’t talking about sourdough anymore. "We can try."
"I suppose we could start out with a simple introduction."
I snorted out a laugh. "Like you'll bring your jar here?"
"Or you can bring your jar to me."
I couldn't resist. I pulled Carmine closer to me and buried my nose in his neck. Inhaling his sweet scent made my dick hard as my lips ghosted over his skin.
He sucked in a breath. "Dom."
"Shh, just let me hold you for a minute."
He relaxed, and the two of us lay there for a long moment.
Eventually, we needed to get up and go to Andro's so I could give my report.
I would need to let them know that Carmine would be in the area for a few days, and we could gauge their reaction to his presence.
But I didn't want to think about any of that. I simply wanted to hold him.
The sound of my phone alarm finally broke the silence. I grabbed it and swiped at the screen.
"What is it?" he asked.
I smiled. "Time to feed Breadly."
He cocked his head to the side. "Can I help?"
"Yeah, I'd like that." I liked any excuse to spend more time with my mate.
He stood up and pulled me with him. "Afterward, I guess it’s probably time to face the music and introduce me to Andro."
"Andro?" I wrapped my arms around him and pulled him close. "That's Mr. Ferrini to you."
"Oh, fuck off." He pushed at my shoulder and shoved ahead of me on the way to the kitchen. “Move faster, old man. We’ve got work to do.”
An hour later, we were pulling into the drive of Andro's mansion. I scanned my card, and the gate opened for me. It was weird to bring another person here. The mansion was reserved for family, and the occasional visit from enemies or competitors when we were looking to flex or brag. Those visits were carefully constructed and prepared for. One didn’t just bring another person here without permission.
"The house is beautiful," Carmine said as we exited the car. "Prettier than the pictures in my research folder."
I smirked. "Was I in your research?"
"A mere footnote, noted assassin Dom, little slow on the job, terrible at surveillance."
The laugh that burst out of me was surprising. I almost grabbed his hand and tugged him closer so I could kiss him properly, but I refrained. "Is that so?"
The door opened before I could say more. My hand went to the gun on my hip, while Carmine went for the one on his back.
Andro stood in the open doorway, with his child Theo on his hip. He raised a brow. "You better have a good explanation for why you brought another person here, Dom."
"Andro, this is Carmine Bandino. He was actually the one who took out Webb, as I informed Cord. I wanted to provide a proper introduction since he will be in town for a few days."
Andro eyed Carmine carefully and then finally nodded.
I let out a breath, my shoulders relaxing.
"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Ferrini. I've heard good things about your organization. My uncle tells me that no one can cook the books quite like you all. It's a work of art."
Score one for Carmine.
Andro grinned outright. "C'mon in, you can meet Cord."
Joey, Andro's husband, managed the accounting for the family. Complimenting his work was a quick way to get on his good side.
Carmine shot me a wink.
Oh yeah. My omega knew exactly what he was doing.