Chapter 7
Chapter
Seven
DOMINIC
F uck, I shouldn’t have said that. But looking at the state Roisin is in has me seeing red. I try to convince myself I’d feel the same about any woman in the same position. Certainly, Mika has been trying to drag the organization — kicking and screaming, mostly — into the twenty-first century. The guy is on some kind of crusade against the exploitation and oppression of women, even going so far as to suggest they could play a bigger part within our operations. He’s done what he can to engender that too, although there’s still a lot of ‘old school’ dissent.
But we’re definitely heading towards a new era under Mika’s control… if we manage to get there without the entire establishment imploding in the process.
Roisin gives me a dumbstruck look, and I hope it’s because of what she’s been through and not what I said. Whatever the state of affairs behind closed doors, LCN needs to be a united front to the outside world. Especially the world of organized crime, where any perceived weakness will likely mean annihilation.
Shaking my head, to ward off my wayward thoughts, I turn to a trembling Roisin.
“I’m going to run you a bath,” I say, changing the subject.
“Janey Mack, that sounds heavenly,” she replies, thankfully going with it instead of calling me out on my comment. There’s a residual fear and confusion about her, and I know she’s about to have an adrenaline crash, so maybe she didn’t hear my incautious words.
I lead Roisin to the bathroom, my hand hovering near her elbow in case she stumbles. Her eyes are glassy, unfocused, and I can see the tremors running through her body. The adrenaline crash is coming fast.
As I turn on the taps, steam quickly fills the small room. Roisin stands there, arms wrapped around herself, looking lost.
"There's soap and shampoo in the cabinet," I say, gesturing. "Take as long as you need. I'll find you some clothes."
She nods mutely, and I step out, closing the door behind me. I lean against it for a moment, eyes closed, trying to get my racing thoughts under control. This situation is fucked six ways from Sunday, and I need to figure out our next move.
I hear a soft splash as Roisin lowers herself into the tub, followed by a shaky exhale. Good. Hopefully, the hot water will help soothe her aches and pains.
Except there follows a long, low moan, and my body decides that’s the moment to perk up and take notice for all the wrong reasons. It’s not like I’m immune to her obvious beauty, or the underlying innocence that makes me want to dirty her up. Or the long, creamy length of her toned legs that peeked through the sheet she was wrapped in as we made our way here. But this is so not the time for those kinds of wayward thoughts. What kind of animal am I, thinking of her like that when she’s just been assaulted?
Rubbing my hands over my face like I can rub out the inappropriate thoughts, I drag a hand through my hair and push off from the door, deciding to head to my quarters and find Roisin something to wear. I don’t dare risk being seen near the suite she was being held in. I don’t want anyone tying me to her disappearance from there, so I’ll need Mika to cover me on that account, so Vito believes the order came from his nephew. I’ll find a way to get her things later, but right now there are too many eyes, and too many fucking upstarts wanting to bypass the normal rungs of the hierarchy and make a fast climb up the ranks by getting into the Viper’s good graces.
As I dig through my drawers, I realize nothing I have will fit her properly, since she’s such a dainty little thing, but it'll have to do for now. I grab a couple of T-shirts and a pair of sweatpants with a drawstring waist. They'll be huge on her, but at least she'll be covered. I pause, considering, then grab a pair of boxers too. No need to make her go commando. And all things considered, I guess she’ll appreciate an added layer of clothing, even if it’s nothing more than a psychological barrier.
As I leave my room, I shoot off a text message to Mika, updating him on the situation. He responds immediately.
I want you to stay with her as much as you can without causing suspicion.
A second message follows immediately.
The last thing we need is a war and things are already precarious enough. I’ll cover for your absence with Vito.
On it
“Ah, there you are, Dominic.” It’s rare anything takes me by surprise, and I curse myself that this situation with Roisin has affected my concentration. Schooling my features, I turn towards Vito, not allowing the satisfaction I feel at the obvious damage Roisin inflicted on him to show on my face. “Going somewhere?” he asks, nodding at the clothing in my hand with far too much suspicion for my liking.
“Just heading to the gym for a workout. Got to stay in shape in this job.”
He narrows his eyes at me, no doubt wondering if that was a dig at his own flabby waistline, but I keep my features blank.
“We had an incident here earlier,” he says, watching me carefully. “I didn’t see you around.”
“Mika called me in to see him about a job,” I tell him, looking him straight in the eye.
“What job?” Vito presses, and I know he’s suspicious, but he won’t get anything from me.
I just shrug. “Don’t have all the details yet, so you’ll have to ask Mika.” Playing dumb is always the best option when it comes to the Viper. “Is there anything else, Sir?”
He shakes his head, and I wave a hand and head off in the direction of the gym. I’ll have to go through with that now, or I don’t doubt it’ll get back to him. At least I can rest easy knowing it’s nothing personal. Vito is suspicious of everybody and likes to keep tabs on everything that’s going on. I just need to make sure I don’t give him anything to warrant any closer scrutiny.
I make my way to the gym, keeping my pace casual and unhurried. The last thing I need is to draw more attention to myself. Once there, I stuff the clothes into a locker and go through the motions of a workout. All the while, my mind is racing with plans and contingencies.
After thirty minutes of pushing weights and pounding the treadmill, I grab a towel and head back towards the staff quarters I’ve stashed Roisin in, clothes in hand. I take a circuitous route, making sure I'm not being followed. Paranoia is a survival skill in this line of work, even amongst those who are supposed to be teammates and allies.
When I enter her room, Roisin is still in the bathroom. I pause outside the door, listening. The water's no longer running, but I can hear movements inside—maybe a little soft sniffling.
Fuck. I’m not cut out for this, and there’s not exactly anyone else I can ask to help her with the trauma she must be feeling. Briefly, I wonder about approaching Cesca and Safia, but their father Franco is as old school as Vito, and undoubtedly has his daughters under strict surveillance, so I decide I can’t chance it. Besides, the less people who know where Roisin is, the better.
Not wanting to startle her, I knock gently to let her know I’m back. "Roisin? I've got some clothes for you."
There's a moment of silence, then a quiet, "Thank you."
I crack the door open just enough to slide the bundle through, then close it again. "Take your time," I say. "I'll be right out here if you need anything."
I hear a muffled acknowledgment and a small sob. As much as I want to try and comfort her, I know it’ll probably do more harm than good, so I move away from the door, giving her privacy. I’m still the enemy here, after all.
Ten minutes later, the bathroom door creaks open, and I sit up straighter. Roisin pads out, looking small and vulnerable in my oversized clothes. Her hair is damp and tangled, hanging in tight spirals around her face. Her eyes are red-rimmed, and there's a haunted look in them that makes my chest tighten.
"Thank you," she says softly, tugging at the hem of the T-shirt. It hangs almost to her knees. "For everything."
I nod, not trusting myself to speak. The urge to wrap her in my arms and shield her from the world is overwhelming, but I know that's the last thing she needs right now.
"Are you hungry?" I ask instead. "There’s not the same facilities here, but I can get you some food."
She shakes her head. "I don't think I could eat anything right now."
"You should try," I say gently. "Even just a little. You need to keep your strength up."
Roisin wraps her arms around herself, looking lost. "I... I’d like to know what will happen now," she whispers. "What are you going to do with me?"
The question hangs heavy in the air between us. I take a deep breath, considering my words carefully.
"For now, you're staying here," I say, keeping my voice calm and steady. "You'll be safe. As long as I’m around, no one will hurt you again."
Roisin's eyes widen slightly, a flicker of hope mixed with disbelief. She might not believe me, but she doesn’t argue; neither does she just take it at face value. "I’m not stupid, you know. I’m not an oblivious pampered mob princess. If you protect me, a captive, against the LCN consigliere, it will mean your death. Surely that’s more than Mika asked of you."
I run a hand through my hair, frustrated. How can I explain something I barely understand myself? "Because it's the right thing to do," I finally say. "What happened to you... it shouldn't have happened. Not here, not anywhere. I promised I’d protect you, and I failed. I stupidly believed he’d observe Mika’s directive. Since I now know differently, I’m taking it upon myself to move you to a place he won’t think to look."
She studies me for a long moment, as if trying to gauge my sincerity. Then she nods slowly. "Okay," she whispers. "So, what do we do now?"
"Now, you rest," I tell her. "Try to eat something if you can. I'll keep watch and make sure no one bothers you."
Roisin takes a shaky breath, then moves towards the bed. She pauses, glancing back at me uncertainly. "Will you... will you stay? I don't want to be alone."
The request catches me off guard. I hesitate for a moment, weighing the risks. On one hand, staying close to her increases the chances of someone discovering us together. On the other, leaving her alone in this vulnerable state seems cruel. And while Mika did tell me to keep her in my sight as much as I can, Roisin’s right. He didn’t mean as a human barrier that would pit me against my own.
"Alright," I say softly. "I'll stay. But I'll sit over here." I gesture to a chair in the corner of the room, giving her space.
Relief washes over her face. "Thank you," she whispers.
Roisin climbs into the bed, pulling the covers up to her chin. She looks small and fragile, swallowed up by my oversized clothes and the large bed. I settle into the chair, angling it so I can see both her and the door.
For a while, the room is quiet except for the sound of our breathing. I can tell Roisin isn't asleep — her eyes are open, staring blankly at the wall. The haunted look hasn't left them.
"Do you want to talk about it?" I ask gently, breaking the silence.
She shakes her head, then pauses. "I don't know," she admits, but she sits up in the bed and eyes me with an expression I can’t quite read, which is odd considering she pretty much wears her every thought on her face. “There is something…” She trails off and bites her lip, looking far too adorable for her own good.
She looks me up and down, and if I didn’t know better, I’d think she was checking me out. I’m damn certain I’m reading that one wrong though, given everything she’s been through in the past couple of days. Not that my dick gets the memo. That bad boy has been at half-mast since I caught my first glimpse of her. Luckily, self-control is my middle name.
I take a swig from the bottle of water I brought with me from the gym. I really need a shower, but I don’t want to freak Roisin out by doing anything that makes her uncomfortable — like getting naked in the bathroom next to her bed or leaving her alone while I head back to my own quarters to do it.
And if she wants to talk…
Except the next words out of her mouth have me coughing, choking, and spraying the water I haven’t swallowed all over myself, so it looks like I’m going to need that shower a lot quicker than I imagined.
A fucking ice-cold one, since my cock only hears what it wants to hear, and not all the reasons why not.
Her voice might be soft and hesitant, but her words have the power to cut a man off at the knees.
“I’d like you to make love to me.”