14. Dominic #2
“She’s not like the rest of them, Dom, she can handle it.
The one thing I’ve learned about her is that she doesn’t trust anyone.
” Bryant nods at Hayes. “I’m guessing because of this fucking idiot.
” He turns back to me. “We’ve given her no reason to trust us.
Do you really think being secretive is going to do us any favors? ”
“No, but?—”
“I have followed you for this long, and I would go to the ends of the earth for you. You two are family to me. And I know she means something to both of you. So please, if you care about her, about us, then you’d at least consider what I’m saying to be true.
” Bryant grabs his plate and June’s. “I’m the people person, remember.
The one thing I’m a master at. Put a little faith in me. ”
I hate that a strong part of me thinks he’s speaking the truth.
That his words hold some value and that confessing to June would be the best thing for us all.
But if we do, there is no turning back. She could react poorly, take off and put herself in more danger than she already was.
The reality of the situation could be uglier than she imagines, scaring her away forever.
Why would that be an issue though? Why does it matter that we keep her near, when doing so is the riskiest thing of all?
I’m being selfish for wanting her, and in our line of work, that’s not a luxury we can afford.
I should have stayed away the first time I saw her and felt that magnetic pull.
I should have never entered that random bar ever again.
But there was something about her. Something dark that drew me in.
A familiar depth to her that had me going in there every chance I could spare.
I told myself that if I didn’t engage with her, it would be fine.
And I managed that. I stole little moments when she wasn’t looking, just to be near her.
But with each passing day, and each disgusting disgrace of manhood that made a pass at her, a simmering rage built inside of me to be there, just in case.
I’ve never wanted to be wrong more than in that moment I saw him follow her down that hallway and into the bathroom. I could smell his ill-intent like a cheap aftershave, reeking so potently that the only thing I knew to do was to show him who’s boss.
I could hear his words when I entered that space, that she had a fuckable mouth.
A declaration I knew with certainty was not welcomed in that moment.
He followed it up by telling me that we could share, further proving he had every intention of forcing himself on her and solidifying the thirst I had for his blood.
I beat him but held back knowing that she was there. That I was probably frightening her more than she already had been by his sick advances.
I was certain she would fear me, because she had every right to. That’s the effect I have on people who know me, and most who just catch a glimpse of me. Ruthless. Cruel. Brutal. Those are the words I hear whispered when I walk by. Let them believe what they want, especially if it’s true.
But when June looked into my eyes, it was like she saw past that, or somehow embraced it for what it was.
She wasn’t afraid. And that’s why, when she stepped forward and grabbed onto my face, I lost all control, melting into, and becoming one with her.
The only thing on my mind was bringing her every ounce of pleasure she deserved.
Because for someone to face something as evil as I am, and to dive headfirst without reservation, I knew I had found something absolutely rare.
And that alone is why I believe Bryant. That June might not react poorly to the truth.
She saw plenty of it that night and still wanted me, perhaps even more once she was exposed to the real me.
If anything, I should be afraid of her for going against normal human nature to cower in the presence of such darkness.
No, she walked straight into the line of fire like the vixen she is.
“Fine,” I finally say. “Not now, but later. I’ll accompany her to her night shift. In the meantime, you two have work to do.”
Hayes perks up. “Seriously?”
“Do you have something better to do?”
“No. I mean, you’re going to tell her? Really?”
“Yes. At least, the parts she needs to know.” I rise from my seat and take my plate to the kitchen.
Bryant relieves me of it and scrapes the contents into the trash before loading it into the dishwasher. “I think it’s a good idea.”
“Of course you do, it was your idea.” Hayes stands again. “I gave everything up. Everyone. I put it all in the past. Now you’re telling me I didn’t have to? That I could have been with her this whole time?”
“What are you talking about dude?” Bryant wipes his hands on a towel and tosses it onto the counter.
“Nothing, fucking forget it.” Hayes shuts us down and takes off in the same direction June had gone, only I imagine he’s going to his room, not hers. He’s fuming, and between the two of them, there are too many emotions running wild.
“I’ve never seen him this moody.” Bryant closes the takeout boxes and places them in the fridge.
“He’ll be fine.”
But a part of me wonders if he will. I’ve seen the things he’s capable of.
Hayes, the person that he is today, was born in blood—both literally and figuratively.
Men like me, we came from the womb cold and ruthless, it was ingrained in our DNA, but Hayes, he was turned into a hardened psychopath by the shit life threw at him.
He endured loss after loss until one day, he snapped, something breaking in him that could never be repaired.
He’s fueled by violence, and it’s not that we don’t share that in common, but mine is a natural response, where his is a conscious choice.
And in a lot of ways, that’s a much more potent attribute.
People fear me because I am pure evil.
People underestimate Hayes because he chooses it.
People misjudge Bryant because he looks it.
The three of us combined, a deadly force not many dare to fuck with.
The ride to June’s work is quiet. She sits opposite of me, her arms folded across her chest like she’s pouting that I insisted on escorting her to work. She’s going to be even more pissed when I go in with her, and sit out her shift in my corner booth.
I have other things that I need to get done, work that requires my attention, but it will have to wait until I’m certain that she is home and safe.
It’s not ideal, that’s for damn sure, yet I do it anyway, because the thought of something happening to her when I could have prevented it eats away at me.
I’m already furious enough with myself that danger managed to find her. I thought I was doing the right thing by keeping away once I crossed that line with her. But little did I know that Bryant and Hayes had their own thing going with her, too, putting June deeper in the line of fire.
None of us should have gotten involved.
Now there’s no possibility of going back. Our enemies wouldn’t believe we cut ourselves off cold turkey, and they’d use her as collateral on the chance that it would work. The only way to keep her safe now is to keep her close, and do everything we can to protect her.
“You’re not going in there,” she tells me when I climb out of my side of the SUV and approach her.
“I am.”
“No, you’re not.”
“Come on.” I grip her under her arm and nudge her toward her place of work.
“I’m not a child.” June pulls herself from my grasp.
“Then don’t act like one.”
June narrows her gaze at me and sucks in a breath, her wild eyes telling me she’s considering all the things she’d like to do to me…just not in a fun way. Although, fun is a subjective term.
I steady my stare back at her. “Until you are no longer in danger, someone will escort you to and from wherever you please. If you have a problem with that, tough. The alternative will likely result in your untimely death. Now, would you like to step inside or perhaps you don’t enjoy being punctual? ”
“I didn’t sign up for this.”
“Neither did I.”
“Clearly you did, you’re the one enforcing it.”
“My apologies for caring whether you live or die.”
“I’m going to prove you wrong. This is all one big misunderstanding.”
“Uh-huh, sure.” I place my hand on her lower back, my other outstretched toward the entrance of the dive bar she spends most of her nights in.
June shakes me off once more and walks to the door, each of her footsteps carrying the weight of her growing annoyance at me.
I grip the handle and pull the thing open, following her into the poorly lit establishment.
Without saying another word to her, I mosey over to my booth, unbuttoning my jacket and folding it neatly in half.
I ensure the table is dry and free of any other debris, then set it carefully down.
All the while listening in on the conversation June is having with the man named Jack who owns the place.
“Did you two come together?” He asks her.
“No,” she says firmly.
“Oh. I thought you did.” Jack pauses and shifts his tone. “What happened to your face?”
His first thought was to question her about me and not the very visible injuries she sustained? What a dick.
“I got mugged.”
“Damn, that’s rough. You okay?”
“Other than looking like shit, yeah, I’m fine. I’ll be fine.”
Despite the bruising and cuts on her skin, June is far from looking like shit.
She’s just too oblivious to notice her own beauty.
It’s frustrating, really. Her simple yet elegant features.
She’s aware enough to flaunt her body and use it to her advantage, but I’m not sure she realizes how stunning she truly is, not just eye-catching in the sense of getting extra tips.
“Okay, well, the table in the corner hasn’t ordered yet if you want to grab them before Jane does. And obviously, high roller over there.”
I settle into my seat and wait for her to arrive.