Chapter 28
DOMINIC
S amaira pretended to be working on the laptop she’d set up on her desk while I was reviewing a proposal when Kai’s voice piped up on the intercom. “Mr. Park, the state attorney is here to see you with two men.”
My eyes met Samaira’s as she pulled out a gun from her purse and tucked it in the back of her pants. Her eyes were razor sharp as she gave me a nod. She tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ears, sitting with her legs crossed, curling her shoulders inward to try to appear nonthreatening.
I pressed the intercom button. “Kai, please send them in.”
I hit the button under my desk that made the glass walls of my office opaque just as the door to my office burst open.
A red-faced State Attorney Thomas Cooper Sr. barged in, two of his men flanking his sides.
One of them locked the door to the office behind him as Thomas stood right against my desk, looking down at me. “Where is my son, Dominic?”
I raised my eyebrows. “What are you talking about, Mr. Cooper?”
His round face turned red, and spittle flew out of his mouth as he pointed an accusing finger at me. “You damn well know what I’m talking about. You’ve kidnapped my son.”
I sat on my chair perfectly still as if I didn’t want to bash his skull into my desk. “Mr. Cooper, why would I want to kidnap your son? I don’t even know the guy. I’ve never even met him.”
His eyes blazed with cold fury. “You know why.”
My eyes met Samaira’s for half a second, and I saw her warning there. My fist clenched tight under my desk while blood roared through my veins. The fucker knew but refused to admit it. “I assure you, I don’t.”
“Where were you last night?” he asked.
I acted bored with the questions. I picked up my pen and rolled it around my fingers. “Not that I owe you anything, but I was at a bar. Some of us were having a party well into the night. And then, I went home to sleep, and now, here I am.”
He shook his head, as if not believing a word out of my mouth. “I’ll need proof.”
I got out of my chair then and buttoned my suit, causing him to take a step back automatically.
“Mr. Cooper. First, I have no idea what happened to your son or where he is. Second, you’re not here with the cops.
You’re here with goons. So I’d need you to get a formal warrant before you ask me anything.
If you’re planning to visit me again, I’d appreciate it if you could book an appointment with my secretary.
Then I can have my lawyer with me. Now, if there isn’t anything else. ”
“Do you have any idea who you’re dealing with here?” he hissed, leaning over my desk.
I leaned across from him, looking him in the eyes, letting some of my brewing rage slip off the leash. “Do I look like I give a fuck?”
His eyes narrowed at me as he kept shaking his head.
“I know it’s you. You’re the one who’s got my son.
I need him back, or I’m going to rain down hell on your little life.
” He gave me a slimy fucking smile that made me want to rip his tongue out of his mouth.
“I’ve heard your sister is a pretty successful interior designer. How’s she doing these days?”
My knuckles cracked with the force of restraining myself from punching the shit out of him. “I don’t appreciate being accused without any proof. Next time, you’ll be talking to my lawyer. I’d like you to take your leave. Now.”
He stared daggers at me, trying to intimidate me.
But weak men didn’t intimidate me. They irritated me.
When I stared back at him with sheer boredom etched on my face, he huffed and turned around.
His eyes paused on Samaira, who stood with her shoulders curling inward, looking like a scared personal assistant.
He went and stood directly across from her. Samaira, being an Oscar-winning actress, turned to look at me with nervous eyes and then stared at the floor. Thomas crossed his arms in front of her and asked, “What were you doing last night?”
She widened her eyes at him, and her jaw silently opened and closed, as if she were too nervous to answer. “I…I went to a bar with some of my friends in the evening and went home. Why, sir?”
He raised his finger to her face, and I instantly saw red. “Careful, Mr. Cooper. I don’t know how you treat the women in your office, but I will not tolerate you disrespecting my employee. Put. That. Finger. Down. Now.”
His eyes flashed to me, and they widened impossibly further with fear. He immediately pulled his finger away from Samaira and waved his hand at both of us. “I know it was you who did it. I’ll be watching you. Mark my words. If my son is not returned to me, you will not like what happens next.”
I walked around my table and stood in front of him, my head looming about half a foot over his short frame. “I will not be blackmailed in my own office. If you have any substantial accusations to make, contact my lawyers. Now, leave. ”
His eyes dripped with menace as he stared at me for a few seconds, and with a huff, turned around and walked out of my office, his two goons trailing him.
Samaira instantly checked under and around the table for any recording devices or camera implants, and gave me a nod when she didn’t find anything.
I stepped closer to her and held her cheek. “You okay?”
She pressed a quick kiss to my palm and nodded, giving me a smile. “You handled yourself well. I was afraid you were going to pounce on him, and I’d have to kill those two goons in the middle of your office.”
Even when my body was roaring with dark, black anger and a need for violence, Maira had a way of pulling me out of it. I raised my eyebrows at her. “You’d have killed those goons, huh?”
To my utter shock and a very delightful surprise, she stepped closer to me and pressed a kiss on my jaw.
She’d never initiated a loving touch before, and I instantly wrapped my arm around her waist, pulling her closer.
She murmured in my ear, “I’d kill, torture, and maim anyone who threatens your safety. ”
“Stop talking dirty to me, baby, or I’m gonna have to fuck you on my desk.”
Her cheeks flushed a delicious red, and I was damn near tempted when she took a step back. “As much as I would love that, we have other priorities.”
“What are our next steps?”
Samaira walked back and forth across the office. “You heard him. He’s looking for his son. I don’t think he’d wait more than twenty-four hours before involving the cops. You ready to get your revenge for Sophie?”
I wrapped my hand around her throat and pulled her into me, crushing my mouth against hers. “You wonderful fucking woman. You are giving me and my family the justice we need, and I’m forever going to be your puppet. ”
Her lips stretched into a smile against mine. “A controlling, bossy puppet, you mean.”
I bit her lip playfully. “A loyal, devoted puppet committed to every one of your whims and pleasures.”
She shook her head and looked at me with so much affection, it caught me off guard.
Something had happened between yesterday and today.
Samaira from yesterday did not look at me like that—with so much softness, so much warmth, and such an openly affectionate gaze.
Samaira from yesterday snuck glances at me from the corner of her eyes, growled at me when I argued about not needing her protection, and hesitated in pulling me closer to her.
But, I liked this new Samaira. I liked her a lot.
She pulled out of my embrace and packed her purse. “Let’s get moving. We need to get Sophie and your parents to the safe house. I promised them vengeance, and vengeance they will get.”
Once I informed Kai to postpone all my meetings for today, Samaira led the way to the basement of the office building.
I had asked Kai if he wanted to join us at the safe house when I killed those fuckers.
But Kai was a gentle soul. He said he’d rather be there for Sophie afterward.
So he’d be going to my parents’ place after work.
While Samaira drove us to the safe house, taking a hundred wrong turns to lose anybody tagging behind us, I called up my dad and gave him the precise route to take to reach the safe house.
He promised to be there with Mom and Sophie in the next hour.
While I did that, Samaira called the Wildcats to update them on Thomas’s visit and his threats.
She also let them know we were on our way there.
We were silent in the car as Samaira drove, occasionally slowing down and inspecting the cars behind us. “I think we’re good. We had at least two cars tagging us, but we’re good now.”
“Good. ”
“You okay?” she asked, giving me a quick glance.
I leaned against the door so I didn’t have to turn my neck to see her.
“Yeah. Just a little worried about Sophie and my parents. I don’t know how much violence they would be able to handle.
I don’t know how far I’d go. I’ve seen plenty of shady deals and dealt with certain dangerous clients and politicians.
But I’ve never had to kill or torture anyone.
I’ve been so angry for months, I’ve envisioned so much violence, inflicted so much pain and torture to those scums in my head, I feel like I’m about to burst at the seams here. ”
She nodded and gave me a soft look. “I completely understand where you’re coming from, but there’s one thing you must remember. This justice belongs to Sophie first. She is the only one who gets to decide the fate of her rapists.”
My heart gave a sharp squeeze in my chest at the thought of Sophie, the memories of her in the hospital, suffering through surgeries and recovery over months, the way I saw our parents break down at seeing their daughter suffer, and I knew it in my bones.
Even if Sophie chose to spare them their lives, I won’t. It wasn’t up for debate.