Chapter 26
DOMINIC
I asked Kai to make a reservation at the most happening bar in Manhattan and to invite as many people as he could. He would meet us at my place to get ready and bring Sophie some party wear.
Sophie and I were silent as I drove us to my place, each of us lost in our thoughts.
On one hand, my blood thrashed against my skin at the thought of finally getting my hands on Sophie’s rapists.
But on the other hand, my mind fretted with worry for Samaira.
If something happened to her because of this case, because of my need for vengeance, I would never forgive myself.
That thought took me by surprise because before Samaira, nothing was more important to me than bringing justice to Sophie. But if something happened to Samaira, then I’d have failed not only Sophie but Samaira as well. I didn’t know if I had the strength to bear the brunt of that pain.
The moment we walked into my apartment, I went to the minibar and poured myself a stiff drink. I turned to Sophie, who’d snuggled into my large couch, and asked, “Would you like a drink, Soph?”
She shrugged and nodded. “I could use one. Thanks.”
Once I’d poured us the drinks, I placed them on the coffee table and sat across from Sophie.
Before she could take a sip, I cleared my throat and raised my glass in a toast. “To getting you justice.”
A small smile came over her lips. “To getting me justice.”
As big of a deal as finding her rapists was, Sophie looked subdued. “Hey, Soph. You okay?”
She took a small sip and shrugged. “I’m fine. I just thought I’d feel happy or raging mad or emotional at the thought of being so close to capturing those monsters.”
“But?” I prompted.
“But I don’t feel much different. And I just realized that even if we capture those men, even if we kill those men, I’m still going to feel like shit. My life isn’t going to magically go back to the time before I was raped. My nightmares might not stop. My fears might not disappear.”
My heart ached at the thought of Sophie suffering so much. I placed my drink back on the coffee table and moved to sit beside her. “No, it might not. But you’re not alone. As much as I regret not picking up your calls, I’ll never let you deal with everything alone.”
“And this is another thing, Dominic,” she screamed, slamming the drink on the table. She clutched her head and looked at me with tears in her eyes. “You need to stop blaming yourself. I can’t deal with the guilt.”
No matter what she said, how could I ever stop feeling guilty? “I don’t know how, Soph. I wish I had picked up your calls.”
“But that’s just it, Dominic. I had called you after my confrontation with that man during the charity.
After I got him thrown out of the event.
I had only called you twice to tell you about it, just because I was so mad.
Only twice. If I had actually felt threatened, I’d have called you more.
I’d have gotten in touch with you somehow.
The rest of the calls were from Ashley, who had used my phone after the incident. ”
“Still, if I’d just picked up, I might have come to the party.”
She shook her head, tears streaking down her cheeks. “You need to let it go, Dominic. I don’t blame you. I’ve never blamed you. Don’t you see? Even if we catch those guys, even if you kill them, you won’t stop feeling guilty until you forgive yourself.”
I knew she was right. Catching those bastards and killing them would bring Sophie justice, but I didn’t think I would stop feeling guilty. That guilt had somehow embedded deep inside my soul, constantly punishing me with the reminder of my failure to protect my baby sister.
My eyes pricked at the way Sophie looked at me with tears in her eyes, and I shook my head defeatedly. “I don’t know how to forgive myself, Soph.”
She wrapped both her arms around mine and laid her head on my shoulder.
“I forgive you, Oppa. You forgive yourself by accepting that there’s nothing you could have done even if you’d picked up my calls.
You forgive yourself by realizing that you’ve never left me alone after what happened.
You forgive yourself because you never gave up.
You never stopped looking for those bastards even when the rest of the world did.
You forgive yourself because you found the Wildcats, and now they’re going to bring those rascals to our feet. ”
She looked at me, her eyes red and cheeks puffy. “You forgive yourself because you will bring me the justice you promised.”
She grabbed my hand and squeezed it with both of hers. “You forgive yourself, Oppa, because I’m asking you to.” She only called me Oppa when she got really emotional or when she wanted to convince me of something. And right now, it was both .
The thread of control I had on my emotions snapped. My eyes flooded with tears as I pulled Sophie into a crushing hug. “I’m so sorry I couldn’t stop it, Soph. So fucking sorry. If I could take your place, I’d do it in a heartbeat.”
Her soft sobs tore my heart open. “I know, Oppa. You’re the best big brother a girl could ever ask for. Now promise me, you’ll forgive yourself.”
I squeezed her to me. “I promise I’ll try.”
She sniffled. “I’ll take that.”
Right then, the door to my apartment slammed open. “I’m here, people,” Kai boomed.
What was I thinking, giving him access to my place? Fucking hell.
We quickly jumped away from each other, wiping our cheeks and grabbing our drinks.
The moment he reached us, his feet stopped, and his eyes widened.
I could only imagine how we looked. Eyes red and cheeks puffy. Sophie gave Kai a bright, teary smile. “Hey, Kai. You’re early.”
As if Kai knew we needed some distraction, he sat next to Sophie and pulled her into his side by her shoulders. “Soph, you must tell me this secret on how to make Hyung cry. Usually, it’s always the other way around. Spill, girl.”
Sophie burst out laughing while I got up and dumped my drink on his head, making him screech like a banshee. “Not my hair.”
He turned to Sophie. “See, this is what I’m talking about. He’s a menace.”
I pointed at the door farther to the left. “Washroom.”
He turned to step to the washroom, but in the next moment, before my mind could send my body the message to move, Kai launched himself at me, rubbing his whiskey-soaked shirt and hair all over me, making me jerk my whole body to get him off me. “Let go, you little fucker. ”
“No. Join the fucking party, Hyung,” he screeched in my ear, ruining my hair and clothes in retribution. Sophie now had tears of laughter running down her face. That was the only reason I didn’t punch the little fucker.
“You have three seconds before I make you spar with me in the ring.”
The next thing I saw was his back running to the washroom as he shouted, “I’m getting a new suit and sending you the bill.”
I turned to make myself and him a drink with a sigh. In five minutes, Kai had pulled a laugh out of Sophie and brought a lightness to my chest. As chaotic as he was, he fucking knew how to read a room and put people at ease.
The three of us hung out at my apartment for the next two hours, where Sophie updated Kai about the Wildcats’ plan for tonight, and we got ready for the party.
Kai seemed to have invited half of Manhattan’s young population. The bar was packed. Drinks were flowing, people were dancing, and I’d said Hi to at least a hundred people.
Sophie’s and my alibi was fucking set.
Now, everything was up to the Wildcats.