5. Dominic
FIVE
DOMINIC
I couldn’t sleep.
Even after jerking off twice, I kept replaying the image of Luca handcuffed and shaking with arousal. How long had he been burning from the inside out, just because I stood too close to him? Jesus, he hid so much lust behind those sullen eyes.
I dragged myself to work after dinner. Music pumped beneath the hum of dealers calling bets. Spotlights swept across rows of roulette wheels, poker tables, and blackjack setups. Gamblers leaned forward on tables.
I headed for the bar and ordered a drink. Luca was late. Typical. He acted like he didn’t answer to anyone. Fifteen minutes later, he walked in, wearing a suit for once. It hugged him perfectly, highlighting his broad chest and narrow waist. The hickey peeked out from his collar. The permanent scowl set on his mouth shouldn’t have been sexy, but on Luca?
Devastating .
I stepped in front of him. “Morning, sunshine. Did you sleep as well as I did?”
“Go to hell.”
“That bad, huh? Wish you hadn’t woken up alone?”
“That’s real active imagination you’ve got there, Dom. Just give me an order so I can get the fuck out of here.”
“Last night, you weren’t in such a hurry to leave. Especially when my tongue was on your neck.” My gaze dropped to his collar. “Next time, I’ll put that hickey somewhere less obvious.”
He flushed. “Do you ever stop running your mouth?”
I smirked. “Not when I’m getting this kind of reaction. It’s like you want me to keep going.”
“I want you to shut the hell up.”
“You’re making that very hard, Luca. Every time I look at you, all I can think about is how I gave you that hickey.”
His nostrils flared. “I was dumb enough to let my guard down.”
“Is that what you’re telling yourself? That it was a mistake?”
“Some mistakes are easy to regret in the morning.”
I arched a brow. “Didn’t look like regret when you left my house with the biggest erection I’ve ever seen.”
Luca’s smirk vanished. “You’re so desperate to hear yourself talk, you’re making shit up.”
“That wasn’t your gun making a tent in your jeans, sweetheart.”
Luca’s nostrils flared. “Keep talking like that, and you’ll find out how fast I can put a bullet through your kneecap.”
“Touchy subject, huh?”
“What you think you saw doesn’t mean a damn thing.”
“Then why are you trying so hard to convince yourself it didn’t happen?”
He looked me up and down, his lip curled. “You walk around like you’re God’s gift to the world, when you’re nothing but an arrogant prick.”
“That has nothing to do with how your cock behaves around me.”
He stepped closer, snarling. “What makes you think I didn’t fake it to shut you up?”
My mouth twitched. “Oh, sweetheart. You were shaking like I handed you salvation.”
“I went to your place to kill you.”
“Instead you ended up tied to a chair, with my mouth on your neck. Clearly, you’re having a very difficult time processing that.”
Luca’s jaw ticked. “You think everyone wants you. The whole world revolves around your inflated ego.”
“Not the whole world, just you.”
Luca’s glare could’ve melted steel. “Push me again, and one of us is going to regret it.”
I tilted my head, watching him fall apart. God, he was so easy to rile up. He kept threatening me, but he obviously didn’t want to hurt me. How long was his self-denial going to last? Was he waiting for me to make the first move?
My hand grazed his tie, straightening it.
Luca grabbed my wrist. His fingers dug into skin as his eyes danced over my face. I’d seen plenty of broken men, and Luca wasn’t one of them. He had no idea how strong he was.
He fascinated me.
Why did Luca get under my skin? He wasn’t soft. He wasn’t accommodating. Hell, he wasn’t even nice, but watching him fight against me was addicting.
Maybe I liked the challenge.
“You can let go of me now, Luca,” I murmured. “Unless you like holding onto me.”
His nostrils flared like he’d remembered who he was supposed to be—stone-cold, untouchable, and completely straight. He stepped back, letting go of me like I’d burned him.
I smiled. “We need to see Vinn.”
Luca ran a hand through his hair, forcing a tight breath out of his nose. Then he shook his hand out, as though shaking me off.
We made our way through the casino floor toward the back rooms.
His shoulders tightened. “Why’s Vinn here?”
Good question . “I’m not sure.”
Vinn Costa wasn’t the type to show up at the casino unless something was wrong. He preferred poker nights at his cousin’s house. Now he sat at a game table with a group of men. He wore a black hoodie and Nikes with a backwards Bruins cap like he was headed to the park with his kids.
Vinn was the boss. He could wear a trash bag and no one would say a word. He was low-key, hard to read, but sharper than anyone gave him credit for. He didn’t give a damn about looking respectable. My father would’ve hated him.
Respectable. My father’s favorite word. Everything in our house had to be clean-cut and presentable—the family, the business, the expectations he shoved down my throat until I choked on them.
Too bad I’d never fit into his perfect picture.
I kept my face blank as we approached Vinn, but I could still hear my father screaming, the word disgusting hitting harder than any fist.
“He’s not here for fun, is he?” Luca muttered.
“Nope. And that means we’re not either.”
The low light of the poker table spilled out like a spotlight. Vinn sat dead center, his hoodie sleeves pushed up as if he was one of the guys.
But he wasn’t.
Vinn lifted his head. “About time.”
He shuffled a deck, the cards a blur in his hands. To his left, Michael leaned back, chewing on a toothpick while staring at his cards. Tony sat to the right, scowling like he’d lost three hands in a row. Across from them, Alessio—an outsider like me—dealt chips.
Luca stood beside me, arms crossed.
“Luca,” Vinn said, dealing a fresh hand. “You ever play?”
“Sometimes.”
“Good. Sit down.”
Luca blinked. “I?—”
“Sit,” Vinn repeated. “We’re short a player. Alessio can’t bluff for shit, and Tony’s about to start flipping tables.”
“Fuck off,” Tony grumbled, shoving his chips toward the center.
Luca sank into the empty chair. Vinn dealt him two cards. Luca picked them up, holding them close as he leaned back.
Vinn’s gaze lingered on him. “You good?”
“Hit me.”
Vinn dealt the flop. “It’s poker, kid. Not blackjack.”
Tony snorted as he fingered his chips. Michael smirked around his toothpick, his eyes narrowing. Across the table, Alessio glanced at his cards.
Luca checked his cards, thumb brushing over the edge before he dropped them back onto the table. He didn’t look up.
Vinn eyed him. “You know how to play, right?”
Luca shrugged. “I’ll figure it out.”
Michael grinned. “That’s what they all say before they lose their shirts.”
Luca glanced up. “I’ve got enough clothes.”
I smirked, leaning against his chair. “Not after you blew half your paycheck on that suit.”
“He’s just jealous that someone else has some style,” Luca said.
Vinn’s eyes flicked between us, his mouth twitching like he held back a grin. He tossed another card onto the table. “Did the Russians play poker, Luca?”
Luca’s hand stilled on the table. He didn’t look up right away, and something tightened in my gut.
“No,” he said, voice clipped.
Vinn arched a brow. “No?”
“They played durak .”
Michael’s toothpick paused mid-roll. “What the hell’s durak ?”
Luca shrugged. “A Russian card game. It means ‘fool.’ You lose, you’re the fool. And they didn’t play for fun.”
The air stilled around the table.
I tilted my head. “What’d they play for, then?”
Luca’s jaw tightened. “Loyalty.”
Vinn’s smile faded. “You lose often?”
Luca’s eyes chilled as he pushed a small stack into the center. He didn’t flinch under Vinn’s stare, but tension billowed off him like a furnace.
Vinn raised an eyebrow. “Call.”
“Call,” Michael said, tossing in chips.
Alessio looked at his cards. “Fold.”
Vinn pushed in his chips. “Let’s see what the kid’s got.”
The turn card hit the table—a seven of clubs. Luca’s face didn’t change. Jesus. Even with his family, he didn’t know how to relax.
Michael whistled low, glancing at Luca. “Most guys sweat it out when Vinn starts playing with his food.”
Luca slid more chips forward. “Bet.”
Michael threw his cards down.
Tony grunted, tossing more chips in. “Call.”
Vinn smirked. Then he matched the chips and threw in another small stack. “Raise.”
Luca hesitated. “Call.”
Vinn flipped the river card. King of spades.
Tony cursed, rubbing his jaw. “Check.”
Vinn tilted his head. “What about you, Luca? Got a bluff up your sleeve?”
Luca stared at the cards, his grip tightening on them. “Bet.”
He pushed the rest of his chips to the center. A bold move. Michael sat up straighter.
“Fold,” said Tony.
Vinn slowly turned his cards face-up on the table—pair of eights.
Luca didn’t flinch. He laid two kings down.
Michael whistled. “No shit.”
Tony shoved back from the table, swearing.
Vinn stared at Luca for a moment. “Not bad. I’ll be keeping an eye on you next time.”
Luca exhaled through his nose, keeping his expression blank. The faintest flicker of relief passed through his eyes.
Vinn leaned forward. “Now, on to why you’re really here. I need a favor.”
Luca stiffened. “What kind of favor?”
“Relax. It’s nothing you can’t handle. Someone might be planning to mess with Santino’s fight on Friday, and I know you’ve been using it as a side hustle. Keep an eye out for anyone who doesn’t belong.”
Luca fought in Santino’s ring? The image of him in a ring, fists flying, gripped me. Of course. He was too pissed at the world not to have an outlet.
Luca’s jaw ticked. “What kind of people?”
Vinn’s stare sharpened. “The kind you’d recognize.”
Bratva .
Luca fisted his hands under the table.
I frowned. “The Bratva doesn’t give a damn about Santino’s ring. That’s low stakes for them.”
“Luca killed their Pakhan. That’s like setting a church on fire and pissing on the ashes.” Vinn leaned forward, elbows on the table. “He’s a loose end. Maybe they think they’ll find him at Santino’s ring. Or maybe they’re testing how far we’ll let them go.”
Luca’s voice dropped. “They don’t test boundaries unless they’re ready to push through them.”
Vinn smirked. “That’s why you’re gonna be there.”
“What do you want me to do?”
Vinn’s gaze pinned him. “Look for anyone out of place. If you recognize someone, get rid of them.”
Luca didn’t blink. “Fine.”
I didn’t like it. “Why send him? Santino’s got guys for this.”
Vinn’s focus shifted to me. “I trust Santino to run the fights, not to ID the Bratva. You’re going, too. You’ll back him up.”
I glanced at Luca. A muscle in his jaw ticked. He knew something, but he wouldn’t refuse.
“Fine.” I shot Vinn a sharp look. “We’ll be there. But if shit hits the fan?—”
Vinn nodded. “Family looks out for family.”
That wasn’t the answer I wanted.
Who did Vinn consider family? Not a Caruso boy. Luca shared their blood, but it pumped as easily through his veins as it spilled onto concrete.
Luca stalked ahead of me. I matched his pace, following him into the dim hallway.
I grabbed his arm. “Stop.”
He turned with a scowl. “What?”
“You realize what this is, right?” I asked, voice low.
“A chance to prove myself.”
He wasn’t that much of an idiot. “They’re testing you.”
“And I’m ready for it.”
“If you recognize anyone there, and you finger them, they’re dead men.”
Luca didn’t hesitate. “And?”
“And they’d be dead because of you. Men you knew. Men who helped raise you, molded you in to the man you are today.”
“And what am I?” Luca sneered. “ Exactly ? Who do you see when you look at me?”
He didn’t want the answer to that, not unless we were four drinks deep and circle jerking about our own shitty pasts. I tapped his forehead.
“I see an idiot with a death wish,” I said.
Luca shook me away. “Worry about yourself, Dom. Never know when someone might be lurking in your shower.”
“The Bratva would’ve pulled the trigger.” I winked. “You just waited for the bang .”
“Fuck off. I can handle myself.”
“The Bratva won’t be looking for Santino.” I lowered my voice. “They’re looking to exact their revenge on you . You took out the Pakhan. You’re the one they’ll punish.”
“Then I hope I see them first.”
Luca was tougher than anyone I knew, but this was something else. If the Bratva were ready to start pushing boundaries, we’d need to be ahead of them, not chasing their shadow.
Luca turned on his heel, heading for the exit. “I’ll do this for the family.”
As I watched him disappear down the hall, I muttered to myself, “But you don’t have to do it alone.”
My phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out, grimacing when I saw the name flashing across the screen. Harrison.
I answered, keeping my voice flat. “What now?”
“Your brothers filed another motion,” my lawyer said.
Of course they did.
“What is it this time?”
“Same nonsense. They’re claiming undue influence over the will again.”
I let out a sharp laugh. “Christ. They’ll drag this out until we’re all in the ground next to my father.”
“They’re relentless,” Harrison replied.
“So am I.”
I ended the call and shoved the phone back into my pocket. My brothers were like gnats at a dinner table—annoying, but nothing I couldn’t swat away. I wasn’t losing sleep over their tantrums. Our father always said that family was worth more than the business. Family offered protection and unconditional love. Loyalty. Understanding.
Unless you happened to be gay.
Then it didn’t matter what a will said. Our father’s death should’ve been a tragedy that united my siblings. But you suck one cock and suddenly all my loyalty to the Caruso clan meant shit. They wanted to take everything from me.
It was all a distraction.
The Bratva? That was the real problem. And Luca—stubborn, reckless Luca—was the one piece of this mess I didn’t trust to keep in line.
I sighed, running a hand through my hair. I had too many fires to put out, but Luca was the smoldering ember that burned hottest.