Chapter 21
Tuesday, February 21, 2017
Becoming tired, I excused myself from spending time with my family and headed into the kitchen for my last serving of blood for the day. I was down to two bags, but I found myself craving red meat more often, preferably cooked rare. Bloody. Julie said it was normal for such a growing boy. Like that helped my nerves.
I skipped warming the blood this evening, not in the mood for that, closing my eyes as my first sip slid deliciously down my throat. As I walked out of the pantry, I turned off the light and walked through the kitchen and into the hall, heading to Dominic’s office. I sensed something had been off all day, like he was hiding information again. He’d declined to join everyone for a family movie and card game, and Dino had even told me Dominic had a lot on his mind. I knew he meant the deal with Nico Nasuti, but… There was more to it.
These past few days, Dominic had become unusually restless at night, tossing and turning more than me. It hurt my heart watching him struggle. I wanted in his head. I wanted to carry whatever emotions he was battling. I hated watching him navigate his internal battles alone.
As I reached the top of the stairs, I could hear faint music coming from his office. Was he…? The closer I got, the more familiar the pleasant crescendo sounded. Notes from Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata spilled into the hallway as I gently opened the door. I quietly stepped inside the office, standing just past its threshold, in awe.
Lost in the haunting opus, Dominic kept his head low, swaying with the music. Shoulders slouched, he worked the keys like the master of his craft that he was. My presence didn’t appear to bother him. I closed the door as quietly as I could, staying near it.
He switched between slouching and sitting up straight, depending on the intensity of the notes. For softer notes, he seemed to caress the piano keys, handling his instrument with poignancy and grace. I wanted to close my eyes and immerse myself in the music, but Dominic captivated me too much for that to happen. Carefully lifting his wrists, he pressed harder on the keys as the notes strengthened and sharpened, wrapped up in the emotion and passion he was lost in. Throughout the difficulties of the melody, he maintained control.
Normally, he was the king of his castle, but in this time and space, Dominic exposed his vulnerability, and it was beautiful. His spirit shone with peace. Joy. Light instead of darkness.
I looked down at my belly, watching my son’s movements slow down, catching on to the fact that what was one of Beethoven’s most famous pieces had a calming effect. The way his daddy recreated the sonata relaxed him. I smiled. Dominic gained another fan.
Coming into more settled notes, Dominic neared the end of the sonata. Sitting straight, he pressed the proper keys, the final note fading as he released the keys until there was only silence. He opened his eyes, keeping his head down.
Taking a few steps further into the room, I said, “I hope I didn’t interrupt.” Our son kicked, back to becoming active.
Lifting his head, Dominic stared ahead, easing back into the present. “No.” He almost looked lost, but that left his eyes as fast as it snuck into them. He then turned his head, our eyes meeting.
I caressed my belly. “We’re disappointed you stopped playing.”
His brows drew lower over his eyes. “We’re?”
I nodded, looking at my belly. “You have a new fan.” I lifted my head after a moment to see Dominic with his hand out.
“Come.”
I walked over to him and slipped my hand inside of his, curling my fingers around his hand. Standing behind him, I held his other hand and wrapped my arms around his bare chest, leaning into him. I kissed his cheek.
“Come to bed.” I rested my chin on his shoulder. “Please?”
“Soon.”
“Then tell me what’s wrong.” He looked at me. “You’ve been holed up in here all day. You’re avoiding us.” He looked back out at the room, sighing. I kissed his shoulder again and once more rested my chin on it. “Let me in. Let me help.”
He was clearly restless, his silence speaking for him. A part of me regretted inquiring.
He opened up, holding his focus on the room.
“You were right; Hector did have more skeletons in his closet. We found out that his wife had a hit on her by a group known in Russia as the Aleskis. They run that country.”
My stomach sunk. Part of the group that shot at our family; their car was Russian. Were the Aleskis after us now?
“We don’t know why they targeted Maria specifically,” Dominic explained further. “I’m still in contact with Peitrov as to any kind of motive, and I’m in the process of arranging some of my men and a handful of men from the other families to temporarily settle in Russia so we can gather more intel. The Baldomeros and Maccarones are on board.”
“Are they after us, too?” I asked, my voice small.
“The Aleskis?”
“Yeah.”
“Doubtful. I’m only arranging this as a precaution. I’m mainly curious about what triggered them to resort to murdering his wife and their unborn son. In this business, women and children are typically off-limits unless our hand is indisputably forced and the only way to save our skins is to break such a golden rule.”
I freed my hands and walked around Dominic, stopping a hair ahead of the piano. I loosely hugged myself, my uneasiness dancing on the tightrope of making me ill.
“Lilith?”
I looked back toward the floor before slowly turning around, biting the inside of my lip, fighting to will away the fear coursing through me, threatening to make me emotional. I began to shake. All of this was eerie, and dread swirled in my gut.
“They won’t do to me what they did to her… Will they?”
“ Bellissima …” Dominic left the piano bench and pulled me into his arms. I found comfort in his heartbeat. I clasped my hands together and kept them under my chest, staring at his biceps. “They won’t hurt you or our son. Hector’s gone, so anything outstanding anyone may have held against him automatically settled by default with his death, and his death was Vincent’s doing, not the Aleskis. Hector’s death was a revenge killing; nothing more.”
“But they already tried.”
He held me a little tighter. “The only way we can get to the bottom of that attack is to find Nasuti and bring him here for interrogation.”
“Who gets to do that?”
Another bout of thick silence hung around us, and then, it hit me.
“No,” I said, voicing it as a plea instead of a statement.
Dominic separated us, his hands on my upper arms. My eyes hesitated to find his, and when they did, my fear was confirmed.
“My best men and I are heading to New York in the morning. We’ll be gone for up to two weeks.”
I shook my head, shrugging out of his grip and taking a step back.
“My mother will be here to take care of you and Katrina, along with Lucas and Sonny. Protections will be in place around the premises and beyond.”
“No!” I shouted, frustrated he didn’t find another way to go about this without having to leave my side. It wasn’t safe out there. If something happened to him…
“We have no choice,” he said, his tone hardening, same as the look in his eyes. “Once we get him in the chamber, we’ll force him to explain what the fuck is going on.”
“You can’t do this,” I choked out, hurriedly wiping fresh tears off my cheeks. “You can’t…”
“I’m sorry.”
“Sorry!? When the hell were you gonna tell me? After you left?”
He held his hands up defensively. “I know you’re upset, and?—”
“You’re damn right I’m upset!” I shouted, spreading my arms out and letting them fall to my sides. “For all we know, that damn family could be waiting for you to find Nico, and then bam, they’ll go after you, too.”
“That’s highly unlikely.”
“But not impossible.”
Dominic sighed and walked past me, undoubtedly to pour himself a drink. I wished I could chug a glass right now.
I turned around, shaking with anger and wanting to tie him up so he couldn’t leave. I only had a few more hours with him before he went on a wild goose chase, knowingly inserting himself into a seriously potentially dangerous situation.
“So, that’s it… I don’t get any say whatsoever.” He stayed quiet, chugging his glass of Walker. “You honestly thought I’d go along with this?”
He set the glass down hard on the mini-bar’s counter, leaning into it.
“It’s non-negotiable, Lilith. Try to understand.”
“Understand!?” I balled my hands into fists at my sides, clenching them hard enough to risk breaking the skin, pounding them against my thighs. Tears burned in my eyes. I stared at Dominic’s naked back, breathing hard through my nose, cracking a few of my knuckles, heat flushing through me.
I wanted him to stay here. I didn’t want him to risk his life. What if this was some kind of ploy to get him far away from me so Nico could send more of his goons out here to try another attempt on my life? What if an emergency came up regarding the pregnancy? He couldn’t leave like this. Not so soon and not to another state.
When he turned around, I couldn’t find the words. I wanted to run.
And ran, I did.
I spun on my heels and took off for the doors, throwing them open and running out into the hallway.
“Lilith.”
More tears spilled down my face.
“Lilith!”
Supporting the underside of my belly in one hand, I reached the stairs, reaching to grab the railing with my free hand when Dominic sprinted out of his office.
“Leave me alone!” I shouted, holding my belly as I ran down the stairs as fast as I physically could.
“Lilith, stop!” he ordered.
I ignored him.
Dino and everyone else stood at attention in the living room, cautiously making their way into the foyer.
“Lil?”
“You knew!” I seethed, snapping at Dino. Pointing an accusing finger at him, I shouted, “All of you fucking knew!”
“Knew what, Lil?” Dino asked, appearing genuinely confused.
He was quite the actor.
“Lilith, what’s going on?” Bianca asked, keeping Katrina hidden behind her, speaking in that concerned, worried way mothers did.
“I told her about the trip,” Dominic admitted, sounding close but not close enough to be within arm’s reach.
Shaking and sniveling, I stood frozen, trailing my eyes over everyone, feeling cheated and hurt. Cheated out of a goodbye. What if tonight was the last time I saw them? They planned to up and leave without so much as a peep. I could’ve woken up tomorrow to an emptier home. To the man I loved miles away.
“We’re just scopin’ out the bastard,” Dino said. “We’re comin’ back.”
I stared at him for a couple of beats, my lip quivering, my vision blurred by tears. I wanted to be angry. I wanted to fly off the handle and give everyone a piece of my mind… But I didn’t have it in me.
So, I ran to my bedroom and slammed the door.