Chapter 18
Thursday, February 9, 2017
My son let me sleep in this morning, and after him going wild in my belly last night, I took full advantage.
Everyone’s fear and anxiety over the firefight three days ago disappeared. Now, a lot of us were outright livid—mainly Dominic. He expected either a call back from Andre, Guido, or even both of them sometime this week, hoping for the rest of the puzzle pieces for this mess. He wanted all the pieces before bringing me into the fold, and I guessed I was okay with that, but I still expected to be given more than mere breadcrumbs. Dominic still refused to let me all the way into the business. I knew it wasn’t to be cruel or secretive and that women weren’t normally included so deep into that side of this life to begin with, but I was carrying our son, and with all the risks endured involving both of us, I was irritated by the walls still in my way.
I finished lathering my hair with conditioner and stood under the shower head, rinsing my hair. The warm water soothed my aching back, hips, and breasts. With each week that passed, pain developed in new places, and increased aches possessed me everywhere else. It was worth it, though.
My cell phone dinged, alerting me to a new text message. Done with my shower, I turned off the water and fetched one of my towels hanging on the other side of the sliding shower door. I wrapped my hair in the towel and stepped out of the shower, wrapped myself in the other towel and then crossed the bathroom to check my phone. The text was from Dominic.
Meet us in my office asap for a meeting
Like I had the ability nowadays to hurry off anywhere.
Just got out of the shower. Give me 20-30 to waddle on up there lol
I added the laughing emoji and the one where it sticks out its tongue before pressing send. It showed he read my reply, but he left it at that. I imagined him rolling his eyes, and I was amused.
I wondered if this emergency meeting was because Dominic received word from his contacts. God, I hoped so. The mysteriousness surrounding the shit that had happened was driving me crazy. My patience about it all was less than paper thin. I wanted answers. Now. It had gotten under all our skin that the pricks responsible for shooting at me, Katrina, Anthony, and Angelo still walked the streets.
With one towel hooked over my arm, I texted Dominic to let him know that I was on my way. I tossed my phone on the bed, wrung my hair again in the other towel, and tossed those into the hamper. My hair was a mess, but I didn’t care. Picking out a pair of pajamas, I threw those on and went to go see what the fuss was about.
* * *
Reaching the office, I didn’t bother to knock, making my way inside. Dominic and our brothers sat around the coffee table. Their conversation stopped, all of them focused on me.
Closing the door, I said, “I thought I felt my ears burning.”
“Nice of you to join us,” Dominic remarked, winking. In a stunning charcoal gray suit that flattered his toned body, he leaned back in the armchair with a drink in his hand, his ankle resting on his other knee.
I wanted to kick everyone else out and tear his suit clean off him and ride him until dawn, but I had a feeling that after the meeting, I wouldn’t be simping for his cock.
“Ha, ha,” I said sarcastically, making my way to the other armchair. Dino moved as if he were going to help me sit in the chair, but I waved my hand dismissively. “I need some blood, though.”
Dino left the sofa and got me a blood bag, opening it before handing it to me. I smiled and thanked him, settling into the leather.
“Is this about the shooting?” I asked.
Dominic nodded once. He was stoic; an unpleasant conversation was on the horizon.
“That bad?” I assumed.
He sipped his drink, the two ice cubes clinking against the glass the loudest sound in the room.
“I’m not going to beat around the bush. Peitrov and I talked at length early this morning. The incident at the thrift shop and what you witnessed at Saddle River Park were both orchestrated by the same set of men—Jonathan Cox, Maddox Stone, Alexzander Romero, and Bryan Hunter. These same men had a hand in the shooting on Sunday.”
I should’ve been scared at this information, but a sense of relief swept through me. I wasn’t crazy.
“So, they shot at us?”
“No,” Dominic said. “Different men. We’re still gathering names and intel on those assailants.” Dominic indulged in another sip of his drink, waiting a heartbeat before carrying on with the worst of the findings.
“Peitrov and Sollami traced said set of men back to a man named Nico Nasuti. Nico worked for DiSanti. We don’t know if Nasuti is taking orders from someone or working alone, but all of us feel Nasuti’s a puppet. Sollami needs more time to find the ringleader. Whoever it is knows their way around technology, but they’re not impenetrable.”
“You okay, Lil?”
I quaked as if the temperature in the room plummeted, but I wasn’t cold. My stomach knotted. My heartbeat quickened. I stared at my lap, then up at Dominic, and then around the room until I kept my focus on the coffee table. With my free hand, I wrung the fabric of my pajama pants at my thigh, trying to control my breathing. My chest grew tight. I swallowed, my throat dry. I was quiet, afraid to move. Afraid to speak. All I thought about was Nico. He survived. We didn’t kill him when we raided Vincent’s home. He had been out there among us this whole time, and we were clueless. Why now? Why us? Why me and my son?
“Oh, my God,” I said under my breath. My breaths were coming in quicker. Faster and messier. Tears blurred my vision. “He’s out there.”
“Lil?” I registered something happening to my hand. I turned my head and saw Dino holding the bag of blood I was holding. “Dom, she’s not okay.”
It was as if my head was underwater as I stood up out of the chair. My thoughts raced. Everything raced around me. Voices. People. I aimlessly wandered away from the chair, bringing my hands up towards my chest, clasping them.
Nico Nasuti was alive. The DiSantis were still a threat. We were still in danger.
I flinched at a sudden touch and quickly found myself being spun around and brought against Dominic’s front. He held me flush with his body. His scent. The rise and fall of his chest. Safety. I registered safety and security, and I unleashed streams of tears and clung to the lapels of his suit, crying into the expensive fabric.
“Give us a moment,” Dominic calmly spoke. He cradled the back of my head in his hand.
“What about this?” Dino asked him, referring to the bag of blood.
“Set it back in the fridge.”
When the doors closed, Dominic cradled my face in his hands and tilted my head back so I could see him. He leaned in close, our noses an inch apart.
“We’ll get him, Bellissima . I need you to promise me you won’t worry yourself sick over this.”
I sniffed. “I-I can’t promise that.”
“Try—for me. For our unborn.”
Our son—we needed to keep him safe, too. No one could try to harm him again. I wouldn’t allow it. As long as Nico walked the streets, our whole family was in danger.
“Why me? W-What did I do?”
Dominic let go of my face and brought my head to his chest, at his heart.
“We don’t know exactly, but I have a theory it’s an eye for an eye situation at play.” Dominic rubbed circles on my back. “As much as I hate to wait, we’re at the mercy of Peitrov and Sallomi. Everything I’ve told you is all I know right now. I don’t want you, Katrina, or my mother leaving this house again until Nico and his fall-guys are confirmed dead, and I don’t care if I have to lock you inside to do it.”
“Okay,” I squeaked, the word muffled by his jacket.
He kissed my head. “I have every available man on this, and I will be in communication with the other families. We have cops in our pocket. The FBI. I’ll pay off and kiss whoever’s ass I need to make sure my family’s safe. I know my track record isn’t great, but I’ve learned from my mistakes.”
I let go of his lapels and wrapped my arms around him, fisting bunches of his jacket and squeezing him tight like I did when I saw him after the shooting.
“Don’t let me go,” I cried. “Please don’t let me go.”
“I won’t, Bellissima . I’m here. I’m right here.”