Chapter 9
Chapter
Nine
DOMINIC
I t’s been four days. Ones that have been blessedly uneventful unless you count the growing awareness and sexual tension that’s erupted between me and the woman who’s supposed to be our captive.
I don’t know if it was her unexpected proposition, the fact that we’ve been forced into such close proximity, or if it’s an attraction that would always have naturally bloomed if we’d met under different circumstances, like Roisin suggested.
If we were different people, that is. Because let’s face it, with who she is, and who I am, we’re never going anywhere, no matter what. Especially since I’m the one charged with keeping her against her will. I may not have had a hand in the abduction, but her brothers will torture and kill me as sure as anyone else at LCN for what the organization has done to their sister. We are all a single entity when it comes to retribution.
I try to push these thoughts aside as I make my way to the staff quarters where I’ve hidden her, taking care no one’s following me as I bring her food and check on her, a task I've both dreaded and looked forward to all day.
I hear voices around the corner and pause. I can pretend this is my own lunch, but I’d rather not draw any attention to myself. Recognizing Vito’s voice, I tip my head to one side and listen.
“When I find out where Mika’s stashed that little bitch, she’s gonna pay.” His voice is a snarl and the words that follow send a shiver down my spine, and I’m pretty damn hardened. It’s a must, in this life.
“I’ll string her up and whip her bloody. But not before I’ve fucked every single hole, choked her on my cock, and found out whether her tight little cunt can take my fist.”
I freeze, my hand tightening on the tray I'm carrying. The food shifts, nearly spilling, but I manage to steady it. My heart pounds in my chest as I strain to hear more.
"Then I'll carve her up real nice," Vito continues, his voice dripping with malice. "Make her scream until she begs for death."
I feel sick. The casual cruelty in his tone is astounding. I've done some brutal things in my time with LCN, but this... this is something else entirely. The sheer enjoyment in his tone makes my skin crawl because I can tell these are all things he’s done before.
"Mika won't like it," another voice chimes in. I recognize it as belonging to one of Vito's lackeys. "He doesn’t want to start a war."
Vito scoffs. "Mika’s a fucking bleeding heart who doesn’t have the right stuff for this life.”
Something about the way he says that gives me pause, but before I can put a finger on it, Vito’s talking again.
“Besides, by the time I'm done with her and send the video evidence of her suffering to her family, her brothers will be begging to give us what we want just to make it stop."
I lean against the wall, my mind racing. I'd known Roisin was in danger, but hearing it laid out so explicitly makes it impossible to ignore. The thought of Vito getting his hands on her, of subjecting her to such horrific torture, of taking her purity and innocence, makes my stomach churn. The image of Roisin — her fiery hair, those piercing green eyes — subjected to Vito's sadistic whims is more than I can bear. My grip on the tray tightens further, my knuckles turning white. God knows I’m no saint, I’ve done things that would get me chained behind bars for the rest of my life, but next to the likes of the Viper, I’m a goddamned choirboy.
“So, when are you planning to make your move?" the underling presses.
"Soon," Vito growls. "I've almost pinpointed where she's being kept. In other words… I know where she’s not , so it’s only a matter of elimination. Once I know for sure, we strike fast and hard. No mercy. And no fucking interruptions this time."
Their voices fade as they move away down the hall, and I stand there for a long moment, heart pounding, waiting until I'm sure they're gone before I move swiftly toward Roisin's room. My mind is racing, torn between duty and the unexpected urge to protect her. I shouldn't care. She's just a job, a means to an end for LCN. But the thought of Vito's hands on her makes my blood boil.
As I near, I hear her humming softly. The sound sends an unexpected shiver down my spine. I pause, listening. The melody is hauntingly beautiful, tinged with a sadness that makes my chest ache.
I reach her door and wait, taking a deep breath to compose myself. I can't let her see how rattled I am. With practiced ease, I slip the key into the lock and enter.
Roisin is sitting on the bed, a book in her lap. She looks up as I enter, her green eyes piercing through me, and for a moment, I forget how to breathe. She's sitting cross-legged, her copper curls cascading over her shoulders. Even in captivity, she exudes a quiet strength I find myself admiring. "Dominic," she says, a hint of a smile playing on her lips. "I was beginning to think you'd forgotten about me."
I set the tray down on the small table. "No chance of that, but I had some obligations to take care of, so nobody questions my whereabouts." I reply, trying to keep my voice steady. "How are you holding up?" I’m not sure if I’m asking for her benefit or my own.
She shrugs, closing the book. I’ve managed to slip her a few, as well as set up a TV, so she’s not just sitting here staring at four walls. "As well as can be expected for a captive, I suppose. Though your company does make it more bearable."
I feel a pang in my chest at her words. The tension between us is palpable, crackling in the air like electricity. I try to push it aside, focusing on the task at hand, even though my mind is all over the place, and I feel more off-kilter than when Uncle Sal—Don Salvatore — first brought me into the outfit when I was just fourteen years old.
As I set the tray down, our fingers brush accidentally. The contact sends a jolt through me, and I jerk my hand away as if burned.
Roisin raises an eyebrow. "Are you okay, Dominic?”
I can’t believe she’s asking me that, like I haven’t spent most of my time avoiding her except when it’s necessary. No more running her baths, comforting her in my arms, and definitely not considering the offer she made, which has been front and center in my mind since I overheard Vito.
I clear my throat, trying to regain my composure. "Fine," I mutter, taking a step back. "Just... tired."
Roisin's gaze softens. "You don't have to pretend with me, you know. I can see the toll this is taking on you."
Her words catch me off guard. I've been so focused on maintaining a professional distance, on not letting her see how much she affects me, how jarred I am at how much danger she’s in, that I didn't realize she's been watching me just as closely.
"I'm fine," I repeat, more firmly this time. But even to my own ears, the words sound hollow.
She sighs, reaching for the tray. "Suit yourself. But if you ever change your mind about what I said and want to talk..."
"There's nothing to talk about," I snap, harsher than I intended.
Roisin flinches, and I immediately regret my tone. "I'm sorry," I say softly. "I shouldn't have?—"
"It's okay," she interrupts, offering a small smile. "I’m the one who shouldn’t have mentioned it. I understand. This situation... it's complicated."
Complicated. That's one way to put it.
Raking my hands through my hair, I sigh and sit down on the bed while she unwraps her cutlery from a napkin, stoically staring at the tray instead of me. “Look, I heard you humming before I came in. You really need to be quiet…”
Roisin sucks in a breath and presses her lips together, and I know I’ve upset her. “For your own safety, I mean,” I explain, trying to make things better. “We can’t risk anyone coming to investigate.”
“You said I was safe here,” she says woodenly, still not looking my way.
“You’re as safe as I can make you,” I agree, even though that means precious little right now, and I’m only just realizing that maybe my words and intentions aren’t as solid as I expected. “But Vito is relentless. He’s still looking for you, so I don’t want to take any chances, and I need you to be aware, at all times, of anything you hear outside.”
She nods, but pushes her meal to one side, and I know I’ve rattled her. “I’m going to talk to Mika about getting you out of here,” I tell her, climbing to my feet and heading towards the door. “This room is supposed to be unoccupied, so for now, try to keep it looking unused as much as you can. Don’t leave things lying around, and if you hear someone at the door, hide in the bathroom, so if someone looks in, it’ll read like an empty room.”
Roisin's head snaps up at that, her green eyes wide with alarm. She stands up, taking a step towards me. "Dominic, what aren't you telling me? What’s happened?"
I hesitate, weighing my options. Telling her the truth might scare her, but it might also make her more cautious, more willing to cooperate with any security measures we put in place.
"Vito's getting close," I say finally, my voice low. "He's narrowing down your location. And if he finds you..." I trail off, unable to voice the horrors I overheard, but I don’t really need to. She already knows.
The color leaches from Roisin’s face, her freckles standing out starkly against her skin. “Dominic,” she whispers, reaching out her hand. “Please don’t leave…”
“I’ll be back,” I promise. “I just need to talk to Mika first. Then I’ll come back and stay with you.”
Unable to stomach the abject fear in her eyes any longer, I slip back out of the door and hurry to find my cousin.
I find Mika in his office, hunched over a stack of papers. He looks up as I enter, his brow furrowing at my expression.
"What's wrong?" he asks, pushing aside his work.
I close the door behind me, making sure we're alone. "We need to get Roisin out of here," I say without preamble. “What’s the hold-up?”
Mika's eyes narrow. "What do you know?"
"I overheard Vito talking. He's planning to hurt her, Mika. Badly. And video it all to send to her brothers, so they capitulate on blocking his use of their ports. If you want to avoid a war with the Irish, we can't let that happen, and I’m starting to think the only way to avoid it is to get her back to her family."
My cousin runs a hand through his hair, looking troubled. "Releasing her is risky. You know I’m not fully in control of whatever is going down. I’m not even sure I know it all..."
"It's riskier to keep her here," I argue. "Vito's sadistic, you know that. What he has planned... it's beyond torture. It's evil."
Mika studies me for a long moment. "You care about her," he says finally. It's not a question.
I open my mouth to deny it, but the words won't come. Instead, I deflect. "That's neither here nor there. The point is, we're in over our heads here. Whatever game is being played, we're just pawns. And Roisin's the one who's going to pay the price if we don't act, and if she gets hurt, it’ll impact the whole organization. Where does Don Salvatore stand on all this?"
Mika leans back in his chair, his expression thoughtful. “My father is… strangely uninterested,” he admits. “It’s almost like he’s enjoying watching Vito and I spar like this. Honestly, I’m starting to wonder if he’s losing it.”
“Jesus!” That’s all we need. “So, what do we do?”
"I've been trying to figure out the endgame here, " he says after a long pause. “But it's clear now that things are being manipulated by Vito.”
That’s not really news, but I keep the snark to myself.
I nod instead, my mind racing. "We need to be smart about this. What if we stage a rescue? Make it look like her brothers found her?"
Mika shakes his head. “That’s not going to work while they have Maricela.”
I rest my palms on his desk and lean in. “Then why aren’t we negotiating a swap?”
“That’s something Vito needs to do.”
“But he isn't, is he? Why not? What’s his game here? Come on, Mika. Is he trying to engineer a war deliberately? Because that’s what it seems like. Why would he do that? What does he gain? There has to be more to him risking war than just gaining access to the ports. It’s not like we need the money…”
As soon as the words are out of my mouth, I know the answer.
“Fuck! He’s attempting to overthrow you,” I breathe, unable to comprehend the enormity of what I’m now convinced is the truth. “Not just how Kaiden implied, but by trying to get the Irish to take you out. Why the hell would your father allow that?”
Mika’s lips thin, and I know there’s a story there. I also know I won’t get to hear it, but that’s a puzzle for another day.
“Play Vito at his own game,” I tell my cousin, looking him straight in the eye, even though it’s not my place to make such a suggestion. “Contact the Maguires. They don’t need to know it’s not the Viper they’re dealing with.”
I stand again, leaving Mika to contemplate what I’ve said. “Meanwhile, I’m going to start bunking in with Roisin. If they come for her, they’ll have to go through me. I’d appreciate it if I didn’t die for nothing, cousin,” I finish, reminding him that whatever the hierarchy, we’re still family.
I have his back. I need to know Mika has mine.
I look back at him when I reach the door, and he gives me a curt nod.
We both know the decision just made has consequences. I just hope we aren’t the ones who pay them.