Chapter 22
SAMAIRA
A door slamming jerked me awake. My heart pounded in my chest at the unknown surroundings as I forgot where I was for a second. My eyes snapped to Dominic, who stood at the door of his bedroom, and the previous night flashed through my mind.
I looked down and found myself in a fluffy white robe that was nearly open. Quickly, I clutched it closed as Dominic walked up to me.
I didn’t even remember falling asleep. The last thing I remembered was feeling Dominic’s large hands moving through my hair as he blow-dried my hair and my heart feeling so full I got tears in my eyes.
I was lost in memories when Dominic loomed over me, his eyes frighteningly worried as he pulled off my blanket. “Oh my god, Dominic. Are you okay? What is going on?”
He clutched his hair and pulled the strands as he paced the room. “I am so, so sorry, Samaira. But we have a problem.”
My mind instantly prepared for the worst. I jumped off the bed, my robe almost falling open. “Do I need a gun? Are there any intruders in your house?”
His steps halted, and he looked at me with his jaw hung open. “Uh…should’ve known you’d think the worst.”
“You said we got a problem.”
His shoulders curled, and he cringed. “Yeah. My parents. They’re on their way here.”
“What?” I shrieked. Oh no no no no no no no. No.
I really wished it were the intruders. They would’ve been so much easier to deal with.
I looked down at my robe and ran to the washroom. My eyes fell on the wet clothes in the corner of the shower. “Dominic,” I shrieked. “All my clothes are wet. I can’t meet your parents in a robe.”
I was officially freaking the fuck out. I’d met his parents once. As a professional Wildcat on a mission to bring their daughter and their family justice. Not sleeping with their son. I looked down the large window in the washroom.
Was it possible to survive a fall from the 120 th floor? Probably not. Next time, I was going to have a parachute set here.
Dominic barged into the bathroom with a pair of sweatpants and a large sweatshirt clutched in his hand. “Okay, no need to panic, baby. I have some clothes that you can wear.”
I grabbed his clothes from his hands and pushed him out of the bathroom. “They’re going to know we slept together, Dominic,” I shouted from behind the door, putting on his clothes.
Fuck, they smelled so good. His sweatpants fit me perfectly around the ass; I only had to fold them a bit from the bottom.
I heard him stepping behind the door. “They might. Can’t deny that. But they wouldn’t mind.”
My head popped out of his sweatshirt as my eyes rounded at the door. “Of course they’re going to mind. You hired me to find your sister’s rapists. And here I am, sleeping with you. Oh god, what was I thinking? ”
“You have one minute before I’m coming in, so you better finish getting ready, baby.”
“Ugh. I’m never staying over at your place again, Dominic,” I shouted and quickly peed, washed my face, and brushed my teeth.
My hair looked soft and slightly rumpled.
I quickly brushed the strands with my fingers and was putting my hair in a ponytail when Dominic barged through the door.
He walked up to me and pulled me into his arms. “You, Maira, do not get to regret last night. We weren’t a mistake.
I will not stop taking care of you. Is that clear? ”
His eyes were burning with ironclad determination, and I knew nothing I said would change his mind.
If I were being honest with myself, last night was the first time in years that I’d felt like the Samaira from thirteen years ago.
The young girl who’d dreamed of falling in love, of finding a man who would treat her like a princess, who’d lay the world at her feet and dance with her under the stars.
Dominic had made me feel soft, like a woman who was more than just a killing machine, like a woman who needed to be cared for.
I hated admitting it, but I loved how he pampered me.
I looked at Dominic, who was waiting for my answer. He held my face with so much care I wanted to melt in his arms. “Crystal clear.”
A relieved smile came over his face, and he pulled me into a quick kiss. “Good girl. Now, let’s hurry.”
He grabbed my hand and rushed us out the door. I couldn’t help but giggle as my stomach twisted with nerves. I felt like we were teenagers sneaking into our rooms to make out. Not a man who managed a billion-dollar empire and a woman who killed and tortured men for a living.
A loud doorbell chimed somewhere overhead, and Dominic let go of my hand as he rushed to the door. I stood near his wide couch, preparing myself for the look of shock—and maybe disappointment—on his parents’ faces .
The moment the door opened, Dominic’s mother slammed into Dominic, pulling him into a hug.
She wore a blouse and loose-fitting pants and carried a large bag in her hands.
Dominic and his father ran behind her as she pulled out of the hug and entered the house.
“Dominic Park. When were you going to tell your parents that you were attacked? Do you have any idea…Oh, dear.”
His mother’s words trailed off as her eyes finally landed on me. They scanned over my body, taking in my clothes, and I was tempted to run upstairs and lock myself in Dominic’s room. Instead, I gave her a small wave, my stomach cramping with nerves. “Hello, Mrs. Park.”
I was prepared for her to be disappointed. But a downright gleeful smile came over her face, and that just managed to terrify me even further. “Oh, Samaira, dear. Didn’t expect to find you here. And didn’t I tell you to call me Hana-eonni?”
“Oh…uh…Sorry, Hana-eonni. I was just leaving.”
“Oh, nonsense, dear. I’m so glad to see you here. Sophie told me all about you saving both my babies and taking a bullet for them.” She quickly handed off the bag in her hand to Dominic and came rushing to me.
In the next moment, I was pulled into a hug, her arms wrapping around me so tightly and with such motherly warmth that my eyes filled with tears. I glanced at Dominic from above her head, and his eyes widened with concern. “Eomma, we don’t want to scare Samaira.”
She quickly let me go and held my cheeks. I had to bend lower due to our height difference. “I don’t know how I could ever thank you for saving my children, dear. But you must stay so I can feed you breakfast. Okay?”
I sniffled and gave her a jerky nod. There was a reason I had left my own family.
They made me so weak. So terrified. If something were to happen to Dominic’s family because of the work I did, I would never be able to forgive myself.
Hana-eonni clutched my hand and dragged me toward the kitchen and dining space and sat me down at the dining table.
Dominic went to the kitchen and placed the large bag on the countertop, which seemed to be packed with food. She went to the kitchen, where Dominic was emptying the contents. “Dominic, let’s get the food going, shall we?”
“I can help.” I got up from the chair but was quickly stopped by just the look in Hana-eonni’s eyes. “Absolutely not, dear. You need to rest. You were shot.”
“It was just a graze,” I mumbled, but Dominic and his mother both glared at me to sit back down.
While the mother-son duo got busy in the kitchen, Dominic’s father sat across from me. “I’d like to thank you as well, Miss Samaira. You are very brave.”
“It’s no problem, Mr. Park. It’s my job to protect your children and find your culprits.”
We talked about where the interrogation had reached and the possible suspects when Dominic walked toward the entrance. I was almost off my seat to get the door when he waved a hand. “It’s just Sophie and Sloane.”
Sophie came and hugged her parents, and her dad handed her a suitcase.
While the Park family caught up with all that had transpired, Sloane came to sit beside me.
She deliberately and very slowly dragged her eyes from my sweatpants to the sweatshirt I wore.
“Stop it or I’m going to punch you, Sloane. ”
Her smile turned devious as she mumbled slowly so only the two of us could hear. “Oh, I thought a good dicking down would put you in a better mood.”
I kicked her feet under the table. “Shut up. His parents are right here.”
She quickly raised her hands in surrender and bumped my shoulder. “I’m happy for you, Sami. He looks at you as if you’re the only person to exist in the world.”
Blood rushed to my cheeks, and I couldn’t help but turn around in my seat to look at Dominic, only to find him staring at me. I was so fucked. His mom gave him a tap on his head, dragging his attention away from me. I couldn’t help but get lost in how warm and homely the Park family looked.
Sloane pressed her chin to my shoulder. “Some of us don’t have the option, Sami. But you do. Give them a call.”
I sighed. I didn’t want to get into my parents right now. “Please tell me you brought me clothes.”
She was used to this, so she didn’t call me out for changing the topic. “Yep. I got you a whole new personal assistant wardrobe. You’re gonna love it.”
“Please tell me it’s not pencil skirts.”
She scoffed. “As if you could handle pencil skirts.”
“I absolutely could. They’re just not practical if I have to fight in them.”
She rolled her eyes. “Relax. You’re going to love what I got you.”
We were talking about how Sophie was settling in when Dominic, Sophie, and Hana-eonni brought all the food to the table.
There was an abundance of food—a large pot of soup, rice, stir-fried tofu on the side, kimchi, pickled radishes, and rolled omelets.
Sloane moaned dramatically after tasting bites of each food item, making everyone laugh.
Sophie talked about the den and how she was settling in, whereas Dominic sat directly across from me and held my leg between his the entire time we ate.