11. Luca
ELEVEN
LUCA
“Real men die fighting.”
Alexei’s distorted voice overlapped with a loud pounding. The walls blurred, and the room shifted.
“Rise and shine, sweetheart.”
My eyes snapped open. I breathed hard, the nightmare clinging to me as I took in pale blue walls and morning light filtering through curtains. I struggled upright. A dull ache throbbed in my side, and a hand pressed lightly on my shoulder.
“Hey, take it easy.”
Dominic sat beside the bed, his sleeves rolled up. My gaze drifted to his forearms. His tie hung loose, his shirt unbuttoned at the collar. Shock snatched the air from my lungs. What was he doing in my bedroom?
“You,” I growled.
He raised an eyebrow. “Good morning to you, too.”
Dominic propped up the pillows behind my head, and I moved back until I sat against the headboard. Dominic handed me a glass of water from the nightstand. I must’ve died and entered an alternate universe.
“What’re you doing here?”
“You got yourself stabbed,” he said quietly. “Ambushed outside Vito’s. A doctor patched you up, and I stayed to watch over you.”
I drank from the glass. “All night?”
He smiled. “Someone had to make sure you didn’t bleed out in your sleep. Besides, I figured you’d need a hand in the morning.”
I clenched my jaw. “Thanks. I guess.”
“As usual, your gratitude is really something else.”
I put the glass on the nightstand, wincing from the stretch.
His eyes flickered. “Does it hurt?”
“Nah. I just don’t like waking up to your face.”
His mouth curled into a lopsided grin. “I thought waking up to perfection was everyone’s dream.”
“Maybe if it came with a mute button.”
“You’d miss my voice too much. Besides, who would keep you entertained?”
“Pretty sure silence would do a better job.”
Dominic lifted a brow. “Then beg me to leave.”
“I’d rather eat glass.”
“Careful, you’ll end up choking on it, and then I’ll have to save you. Again .” Dominic leaned in closer, his hair falling in front of his eyes. “And we both know you can’t resist me playing hero.”
When he used that tone and got too close, tingles skated across my chest. My breathing shallowed.
“You really think you’re my savior, huh?”
“You would’ve bled out on the street if it weren’t for me.”
I shrugged. “And?”
“And I like ordering you around.” Dominic reached out, brushing hair off my forehead.
Warmth stirred in my chest as he stroked my temple. It felt so fucking good. I couldn’t remember the last time anybody had given me comfort. Maria, maybe, but her touch didn’t feel like a swarm of heat in my stomach.
“You’re burning up,” he said.
“I’m fine.”
He frowned, his thumb lingering on my skin. My chest tightened. Alexei’s hands had always been steady too. No hesitation, even when he broke me.
“You’re not fine, Luca. You got stabbed last night.”
I swatted his hand away. “Quit acting like you give a shit.”
Dominic’s gaze sharpened. He grabbed a bottle from the nightstand, shaking out a couple of pills. He held them out with a glass of water. “Take these. You need to stay on top of the pain.”
I shook my head. “I don’t need them.”
He frowned. “You’re supposed to take them every four hours.”
“I said no. I don’t want them.”
“Luca, don’t make me shove these down your throat.”
“I’m not taking painkillers. I abused them when I was a teenager. Took me a while to kick the habit. I don’t want to get started on it again.”
Dominic stilled, his hand hovering mid-air with the pills. Then he set the bottle on the bedside table. “If the pain gets worse, you’re taking them. No arguments.”
I nodded and looked away, my gaze fixing on the wall. I hated that he’d seen me like this, but he looked at me like he actually cared. It was hard to keep my guard up.
“I need to take a piss,” I muttered.
He moved closer to the bed and reached out, offering his arm.
Reluctantly, I took it. He helped me sit up. Dominic’s arm slid under my back. His forearm flexed, lifting me upright. The world spun in a lazy circle as I moved my legs to hang over the bed. I tried to stand.
The movement pulled at the wound. My knees buckled, and his arm tightened on my waist. I grabbed onto him, breathing hard. He was so warm. I let myself lean into him, just to catch my breath.
Dominic chuckled. “I always thought my charm made men swoon, but I never thought I’d have to catch you to prove it.”
“Don’t flatter yourself.”
“I don’t need to. You’ve been eyeing me like I’m a five-course meal since the day we met.”
I straightened, fighting the dizziness. “You’re just the gristle stuck in my teeth.”
“And yet, you’re still sampling the goods.”
I stepped toward the bathroom. “More like tolerating.”
“Yeah?” His grip on my waist tightened as we stumbled toward the bathroom. “So you don’t like me holding you?”
“ I don’t .”
“Hm. Looks like you do.”
“You see what you want to see,” I growled.
“You keep telling yourself that, sweetheart.”
“Stop calling me that.”
Dominic’s low laugh rumbled through my chest. He guided me slowly toward the bathroom, each step sending a dull ache through my side. I focused on putting one foot in front of the other, trying not to think about Dominic’s arm wrapped around my waist.
Every muscle tensed beneath his shirt. His spicy cologne wrapped around me. Each time I drew a breath, I took in more of him, and the warmth of his body made my skin hum.
I liked it.
God, I liked it too much.
When we reached the bathroom, Dominic steadied me against the sink.
I nudged his arm. “I’ve got it from here.”
Dominic hesitated, then stepped back. “I’ll be right outside. Yell if you need me.”
“Yeah.”
Dominic shook his head as he turned away. I let out a breath, leaning on the sink. After I took a piss and washed my hands, I knocked on the door.
Dominic’s arm slid around my waist. We shuffled to the living room. Dominic helped me sit on the couch. I collapsed into the cushions, pain slamming into my abdomen. Dominic sat next to me, his mouth set in a grim line.
He pulled out his phone. I glanced over. A text from Frank, whoever that was, lit up his screen. Dominic typed a quick response: When are you free?
Was that his boyfriend?
It didn’t matter. He could do whatever he wanted. He wasn’t mine. I really needed him to get out of my space.
“You don’t have to stay. I’m okay.”
“You’re a long way from okay,” he growled. “You almost got yourself killed.”
I clenched my teeth. “I had to go after him.”
“Who? Alexei?”
Alexei’s scarred face swam into my mind. That bastard had made my life hell when I was with the Bratva. Seeing his face again made me snap. I had to take him down.
“Because he deserves it,” I hissed.
Dominic hardened. “What did he do to you?”
I let out a shaky breath. “He was the enforcer who mentored me. The Pakhan wanted me toughened up, so Alexei took it upon himself to break me in.”
Dominic’s eyes narrowed.
“They called it training, but it was torture. Breaking you down until you had nothing left, and then using that emptiness to rebuild you how they wanted. Alexei took pride in it. He always made sure I knew how weak I was, just to see how far I’d bend before I snapped.”
Like that man who died on that filthy floor while I stood there, frozen. Alexei had looked at me, smiled, and called me a good boy for handling it.
Dominic’s jaw clenched. “He sounds like a piece of shit.”
“He’s worse than that.”
“He’ll get what’s coming to him. I promise.”
I laughed. “Sure.”
“No, Luca, I mean it. You shouldn’t have to fight him alone.”
That threw me off balance.
I licked my dry lips. “I’m not your problem.”
“You are while we’re living together. We’re laying low for a while until things calm down.”
My stomach flipped. “Here? In my apartment?”
“It’s ideal. Nobody knows where you live. You went out of your way to make sure of that. No utilities in your name. No paper trail. You don’t even use a credit card for groceries.”
Dominic’s gaze roamed over the mismatched furniture, the faded rug, the blank walls. My place was a dump compared to his. He didn’t say anything, but I felt the judgment in his silence.
He kicked up his feet on the coffee table. “I’ll take the couch.”
“No, I will.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
“You’re the boss. You should take the bed?—”
“I’ve slept in worse places,” Dominic said, sinking back into the couch. “Not like I had a bed when I was living out of subway stations.”
I blinked. “What?”
“When my family cut me off, I was homeless for a bit. Wasn’t long, maybe a few months.”
Dominic, with his tailored suits, sleeping on the streets?
“Where’d you go?” I asked.
“Wherever I could. Slept in subway stations, crashed on park benches, stayed in those twenty-four-hour diners sometimes. Did what I had to until I got back on my feet.”
“Your family left you out like that?” I frowned and asked a stupid question. “Why?”
“Guess, sweetheart .”
Point taken.
“I didn’t fit into my dad’s picture-perfect plan. Guess he thought I’d crawl back, begging to be his puppet. Joke’s on him, though.”
“Guess you don’t need much to get by.”
“I don’t. That’s why I’m not judging this place. It’s got a roof and a bed. That’s more than I had back then.”
For once, he didn’t sound like a complete asshole.
Dominic sighed. “I do have my limits, though. I’m ordering an espresso machine. That drip thing you’ve got is a crime.”
“Renovate the whole place while you’re at it.”
“Don’t tempt me,” he said, his baritone rumbling through the cushions. “For now, I’ll start with a decent coffee run. What do you want from Starbucks?”
I raised a brow. “The boss is getting me coffee now?”
“Wouldn’t be the first time I’ve gone out of my way for you.” He winked at me, and my mouth went dry.
“Black, no sugar.”
Dominic chuckled. “Always so tough.”
He pushed himself off the couch. Then he grabbed his coat and pulled it on, heading to the door. “Be back soon. Try not to miss me too much.”
He headed out, shutting the door.
Damn him .