✧

DOMINIC

Dominic stared at Alessandro's back in the moist morning air and ancient trees. It had to be now for his brother to show up.

Laughing, Alessandro tossed his head. "I like your setup. Do you think—?"

Dominic punched him before he could finish.

He dropped. Dominic stood against the tree in silence, counting how many times he had broken his brother's bones over the years. Around twelve? Definitely more.

His brother hunched over and crossed his arms. Dark energy rose from the soil as soothing rain fell on their skin. White smoke enveloped the lowest branches, turning the leaves dark brown when touched.

Alessandro's form emerged. As he turned, elegance hid the predator behind his innocence.

Alessandro stared at Dominic. "What the hell, Nicco?"

"I can't help myself. I love beating you to death."

"Well, stop messing around. Fuck!" Alessandro fixed his shirt. "If you weren't my brother..."

"You'd do what? Kill me?" Dominic moved in front of him and avoided tripping over a trunk. "Or do you think you can take me?"

Alessandro laughed. "You seriously believe you're stronger than I am? You don't train with anyone. You're weak. I could kick your ass across this forest."

"You want to go there? Fight me?"

"If it helps, Dominic. You're the company's brat. Satisfying customers while our enemies thrive! You're marrying a stranger to avoid Dad's expectations. You thought I'd keep quiet about that? You don't date. Women are gas tanks to you. After a few pumps, you're gone. Did you ever tell Claudia about your sexual activities after your fiancée died?"

Dominic laughed and twisted halfway before turning.

Alessandro would experience something new from his older brother.

Dominic grabbed his neck and tossed him. He knocked down several branches with his brother's enormous body. He grabbed him and squeezed his throat. "Nicco says to shut the fuck up!"

Alessandro chuckled and threw his hands in the air. "Oh, Big Brother Nic has recently fucked, hasn't he? Not with Claudia. I seriously doubt a classy woman like that could give you such a boost. If so, can I try her, just a little taste, and maybe come in her?"

Dominic smashed Alessandro's head so hard against the tree that it cracked, but his asshole brother just laughed. "Alex, you never knew when to shut up!"

Alessandro replied, "And you've never had the guts to do what's right. Let the bitch go, for her own good."

Dominic took a step back before doing something he would later regret.

There were times, like this one, when he wanted to kill his brother, yet Alessandro was family. They shared a history and a blood connection.

"First of all, this fight has nothing to do with doing what is right," Dominic said, keeping his eyes on Alessandro. "And second, don't ever call the woman I love a bitch. You got that?"

"Crystal." Alessandro inhaled deeply while looking over Dominic. "So, you love this woman?"

"That's not..." He chewed his lower lip and tried to figure out why he had said that about Claudia. Dominic was still getting to know her, and it was too soon for him to fall in love. "She has nothing to do with this. Because of the family feud, our sister died. No, don't you fucking look away from me."

But Alessandro did.

Dominic moved quickly, grabbed Alessandro by the chin, and made his brother look at him. "Sofia is dead. Giovanni almost died because of a fight between our family and the Moretti family. If he hadn't married Emery Moretti, this mess wouldn't exist. This war between everybody will never end."

"Yes, it will." Alessandro's eyes were full of anger. "For what they did to our people, we will pay them back ten times over."

"Yeah, go ahead." Dominic freed him. "You and every other rival who wants to avenge their fallen relatives will die. The other families have support, and you know damn well you will lose this fight. Innocents will die because of this chaos. Meanwhile, the other side will help the public get rid of us. So screw me for not drinking that bullshit Kool-Aid."

Disgust filled Alessandro's expression. "How dare you turn your back on us?"

"Alex, I'm not turning away because of that. The point is to stay alive for as long as possible. I don't want to bury another loved one over a war I've been staying out of. I'm done with this crap!"

"You play a role in it, Nicco. No matter what it took, we learned to defend those we love. We were born to rise. Joining the Guarini family would benefit us."

Dominic understood that. Everything else was his brother's pitiful attempt to make him feel superior.

"So, what can we do to stop all of this? Don't get in each other's way? Just hide in your mansion's pantry?" Alessandro scowled. "Hell, one day you'll feel all grown up and do what you should be doing right now. Leading a revolution."

His brother was now simply annoying. "I'm not saying we join hands and sing We Are Family with our enemies, Alessandro. They're not off-limits."

Alessandro shook his head. "Then exactly what are you saying?"

"I'm telling you to stop worrying about the small things. Stop fighting with each other."

He smiled. "Like both you and Gio have. Where is he, by the way?"

"Gio is off doing whatever he wants to do, which doesn't concern you," Dominic answered.

Alessandro pursed his lips and turned. "I think I know what's wrong with you two. You're both terrified, I can tell."

"I'm too old to fall for this idiocy."

"You and Gio," Alessandro murmured, striding over to him. "Fucking assholes!"

Dominic beamed. "I'd much rather be a fucking asshole..."

"Funny. You tell Giovanni that he can't keep hiding from me and that he needs to face his responsibilities just like you do. Both of you should fight with us."

Dominic's anger was so intense that he almost scratched out his brother's eyes. "It's not my or his job to fight a war we aren't interested in." He inhaled. "Take care of yourself, Alex. Go home. You're not needed here."

"You're being careless, Nicco. I hope you realize that."

"No. I'm not going to marry a woman I don't like, and I'm not going to fight because everybody wants me to. Understand?"

Alessandro's pupils turned obsidian. "You're going to have to come back to the surface sooner or later, brother. If anything or anyone is hindering you from making the right choice, I will gladly remove that obstacle."

"Are you threatening either me or my wife?"

Hold on. Did I just repeat myself? Wife?

None of that mattered.

"Alex?"

Alessandro's gaze moved away from Dominic and toward the mansion. "There are some problems that will be a lot more fun to get rid of. All I'm saying."

Dominic spent hours in the wooded area, working off stress until nightfall and waiting for his brother to leave. Alessandro stayed behind to test him. He circled near Claudia, the woman Dominic called his wife. Despite being on the verge of strangling her the night before, she didn't fear him. Calling her that felt natural and right, but he knew he wasn't good for her.

He couldn't fight his feelings for her and had to find a way to let her go without hurting her emotionally. That was challenging, knowing her heart would shatter.

Dominic returned home and found Claudia on the couch. When she saw him come through the door, she jumped up. "Okay. Before you yell at me, I thought you were dead. You've been gone all day."

"It's obvious that I'm not six feet under." He stopped several inches from her. "Are you so naive that you can't follow basic instructions? How are you alive?"

She crossed her arms and lifted her chin.

Cute.

"I hate it when people tell me what to do."

Dominic stated, "You don't seem to mind opening your legs for me on demand," and she gave him a dark look. "Why do you only listen to me sometimes?"

"Because I like to know what's going on, you big jerk," she retorted.

"Big jerk?"

"You forget that I gave up everything to help you with this stupid plan so you wouldn't have to marry someone you didn't like. I wasn't sure who was at the door, but I figured you'd keep me in the dark. That is nothing new for you."

Dominic snarled. "Have you ever thought that I'm trying to save your life?" He slipped past her, grabbed the remote, and turned off the TV. "You're incomprehensible. Otherwise, you'd follow instructions."

Claudia turned toward him. "I know you want to keep me safe, but it's not easy being here."

"Really?" Dominic enjoyed her like this. Fiery as the sun. He wanted more liveliness from this goddess.

"Have you ever trusted a stranger?" Claudia folded her arms and fists. "Have you ever hoped they would come through for you in the end?"

Her questions amused him. "We're a little more than strangers by now. Don't you think?"

"Just answer my question."

"Not exactly, but people have put their faith in me. I've let them down."

"Exactly, Dom, that's my point." She raised both hands. "You've been where I am. Yet, you expect me to bend over like a puppy."

Dominic started to speak but quickly shut his mouth. His quick replies wouldn't help.

"I just can't seem to—never mind." She shrugged and headed toward the stairs.

"Don't do that." He watched her from the doorway. "Talk."

Claudia stopped and faced him at the foot of the steps. "I don't understand you."

"Most people don't." He smiled. "I'm different. Probably because I'm—"

"Yeah, you're a mafia CEO. That's unforgettable. You weren't in that club forever, right? You joined because Amelia died, but you haven't changed."

He chose silence over lying.

She exhaled deeply. "I told you about my upbringing, and you told me about yours. Why didn't you tell me about your other brother? A brother who looks just like you."

"Because Alessandro lost his place as my brother a while ago."

"Don't you think that's a little much?"

"You met him. And Gio. What do you think of them, Dia?"

Claudia put her hand on the railing and paused for a moment. "Are they always this... righteous?"

Dominic's smile tightened. "You get to see their true personality immediately. Both of them are quick to judge, but that's how dysfunctional families are."

"Okay. That still doesn't explain anything."

She turned around and began walking up the stairs.

Dominic knew he needed to let her walk. He wasn't sure if fury or something deeper drove him. He joined her on the stairs shortly after.

She took a step back, startled. "Stop sneaking up on me!"

"Did you eat?" His dark side snarled in delight when she moved away from him. "Dia?"

"Yes. I ate. Happy?"

His eyes darted toward her lower half as he growled. "I haven't."

"Sicko." When Claudia moved backward, she ended up hitting the railing on the steps leading to his sister's room. She stopped in the hallway near his room. Her chest puffed up. "What do you want, Dominic?"

Oh, what a loaded question. He didn't know where to start. He stared at her for a second before saying something surprising. "I had a younger sister."

Claudia blinked. "You... you had another sibling?"

"Yes." Dominic recognized that he should reveal everything now. "It was July 10th, and she was twenty years old when she was killed. Just two weeks after Amelia."

Claudia immediately gasped.

"You don't have to say anything," he added, looking at the floor.

"But I should, Dom. That's awful. Your birthday is July 4th. You lost someone you loved before and after it."

"Yeah. So you can understand why I am the way I am."

He finally looked up, meeting her gaze.

"I'm sorry."

Dominic gripped the railing after taking a deep breath.

"How... how did she die?"

"Walk with me."

Claudia stayed still, frowning.

"Follow me, and I'll tell you everything." He offered her a hand. She still didn't move. "Come to Sofia's room with me," he whispered.

She took his hand with a confused look on her face. Dominic's fingers sucked hers up, and they walked past the guest bathroom. Claudia appeared worried, and he could have comforted her, but he wasn't sure she'd leave with the answers she was looking for.

His sister's room and the house were big and simple.

Bed.

Dressers. Couch with end tables. Nothing special. Sofia was never a hoarder.

Dominic left Claudia by the bed. "Have a seat."

She looked around while rubbing her thighs. "I like this room."

"I do, too."

"I just... I don't see any photos of her or you."

Dominic turned toward her. "You're very observant."

"I didn't mean anything by it."

"I know you didn't." He removed his shoes and sat in the chair closest to the veranda doors. "You can relax."

Sitting on the bed, Claudia sighed. Her hands folded across her knees.

Very formal. Very professional.

Sighing, Dominic closed his eyes. "I don't keep photos of my family, particularly my sister, because they remind me how incredible she was. Sofia was special. She was never fully absorbed into the Mafia lifestyle. So much so that she was a humanitarian in all the ways you'd expect from a saint. She wouldn't fight our enemies."

"Your father never wanted her to be like his sons?" she asked.

He chuckled. "Oh, he pushed her to take part in every family conflict, but she always refused. I'm not trying to sound arrogant, but if my father doesn't get his way, you're good as dead."

There was a brief pause before asking, "Dead?"

"My father understands that sometimes you just have to give up," Dominic went on. "My sister was vulnerable because she disobeyed him."

"What happened to her?"

"Sofia was doing well, but living with our father was tough. I didn't grasp it at first because she was mostly isolated from society, and I was planning my wedding with Amelia at the time."

Dominic looked up. Fucking staring at the chandelier like it was the only magnificent thing in the room. "She withdrew from us and eventually blended in with her peers. Giovanni and I kept her close, while Alessandro underestimated her. She graduated high school and met someone. By then, she was content."

"She started dating somebody?"

"Yep." Dominic laughed coldly. "Sofia was dating this woman when they saw several of our rivals. She was their enemy, even though she had done nothing to them. And why was that? We attacked their group a week before. She had nothing to do with that fight, but her family did. None of it mattered. She and her girlfriend were defenseless and murdered after having a date night. They discarded their bodies in an alley for us to find."

"Oh, God," Claudia murmured.

Dominic stared at the wall. He thought God was unimportant at the moment. His family's vendetta killed his sister. There was no other explanation.

Sofia would never have harmed their enemies. And maybe they wouldn't have hurt her if he and his family hadn't done what they did. He blamed himself. It was Alessandro's and Giovanni's fault. They killed their little sister.

He didn't hear or see Claudia kneel in front of him.

She sniffed. He frowned and wanted to get out of the room. Dominic had no idea why he had explained anything about Sofia's past.

He began to stand, but then Claudia did the unfathomable.

She rested her forehead on his leg.

Her chin landed on his knee.

He froze.

Dominic had stopped breathing and was staring at her. Claudia seemed to be asleep or meditating. He doubted she was doing either.

"One of my friends got killed for the ten dollars she carried in her purse," she said, shaking. "That was it. They slashed her throat for ten bucks."

He didn't say anything.

"And the worst part?" Claudia continued softly. "If the kid had asked, Lily would have given him the money. She didn't need to die."

"I've found that all kinds of people kill for enjoyment. When the Mafia does something, it's usually for a good reason."

Claudia sniffed, and his hand wrapped around her neck. Her watermelon-scented mouth parted. His cock roared to life when she wet her lips. So quickly. Rock solid.

Yeah, enough of this sharing nonsense, he reasoned.

"Thank you for telling me," she continued.

Whoa. Huh? "Why wouldn't I?"

"Because you're a bit reserved. Knowing more about you and your background helps me understand you."

He froze once again.

Understand him? His frustration grew like smoke, mixed with something he couldn't recognize. A sensation that he didn't understand.

"You want me to open up more?" His words raised her attention. "Dia?"

"I..." She shuddered.

Claudia noticed a shift in him. He was well aware of that.

Her instincts were strong. She just never listened to them. And that is how she got to where she is now. At his side, an inch from his waist.

Dominic guided her forward until she was kneeling between his legs. Claudia balanced herself on the chair's arms.

He kissed her cheek after he bowed.

"You want to understand me? You shouldn't be here. I know you don't feel safe around me. Claudia, you shouldn't try to get to know me at all."

She exhaled and didn't move. "You would have hurt me by now."

He laughed, brushing her hair.

She captivated him.

"You believe that?"

There was a short pause. "I wasn't sure before, but I am now. I'm sitting here, staring at you, Dominic."

"You've got to be the craziest woman alive." He kissed her mouth as she shook. "I can't stop myself from being with you. You are everything I've ever wanted."

Her breath tickled his cheek. "Then, why don't you show it?"

"Because I'm toxic, Dia, and I don't want you involved in my world."

"But I already am, Dom, in case you forgot."

He drew her back as he lowered his gaze to her eyes, his knees unexpectedly trembling.

"God..." He could only say that. Just God. Nothing more. His parents raised him Catholic, but he had no faith.

Claudia's eyes glistened. "I didn't think you prayed."

Dominic's mouth twitched. "I rarely pray. Honestly, faith doesn't matter to me."

"Well, it does to me. I know my parents are in a better place, so I need to believe in something."

"Yeah. Maybe."

He drew her up and into his arms, grabbing her shoulders. He entered the hallway and headed toward his bedroom. Then he laid her on his bed. And because he felt like it, he draped his pillows with long strands of autumn hair.

"Stay there, please."

He left the bed and walked across the room. He grabbed a water bottle from the mini-fridge. Dominic felt strange after taking a small sip. Not severely, just differently.

He handed Claudia the bottle.

"Sit up."

A sensitive brow arched. "I can drink this myself."

He scowled.

Her eyes opened. "All right."

It shocked Dominic that she let him put the bottle on her gorgeous lips. After Claudia drank, Dominic threw the bottle into his recycling can. She seemed exhausted after the day's events.

He picked up his shirt off the floor and put it on the bed next to her. Without saying a word, he maneuvered his arm around her waist to release her bra.

When the straps fell, her large breasts were set free.

He bowed, kissed her neck, and hovered beneath her earlobe. He focused on her jeans, revealing scarlet lace between her thighs. Red was his favorite color, causing him to feel several sensations in his cock.

He took up the shirt when the jeans were gone. "Lift your arms."

She blinked. "Um..."

He murmured, "It's time to sleep," astonished by his need to care for her. "Claudia, raise your arms."

She hesitated before following his requests. His long shirt slipped over her head.

With his hands around her neck, Dominic pulled her hair over her shoulders.

She stared at him. "Are you tired?"

No. "Don't I look like it?"

Claudia gave him a serious look before slumping on the pillow. He rolled over and rested her head on his shoulder.

Her lashes quivered shut as she muttered, "You didn't answer my question. Now, you're staring at me."

Dominic brushed her hair. "I like admiring gorgeous things." Her soft hair fell through his fingers as he spun them gently. "And you're breathtaking." He took a breath, then said, "I'm tired, but I'm also horny, Dia. Horny and trying to respect your boundaries."

Claudia rested a palm on his chest. "You don't have to worry about me."

"But I do. When you care for someone, you do things like that."

She flipped over and faced him.

Her slitted eyes widened. "I care about you, too. Thank you."

"What did I do now?"

"For being gentle and understanding with me," she replied, holding his hand. "Plus, you called me gorgeous."

"I only speak the truth."

Another dreamy grin emerged. "You know, you're kind of pretty yourself."

Dominic laughed. "I'm not sure I've ever been called pretty."

"Do you prefer handsome?"

"Something along those lines," he remarked as he watched her. He wanted to keep her in this strong, gilded cage. "Go to sleep."

Claudia laughed. "Alex was right."

"About what?"

Her lips pursed. "You are a jerk."

She didn't notice when he smiled—a wide, toothy, foolish smile.

Claudia had her eyes closed, which was good because he got a big softy.

Dominic climbed onto the sheet and pressed his knees against hers. He thought about Claudia and their future.

If one of his men betrayed him, others might follow suit. He could only stop the attacks by killing all of them, but his father had hired these guys to protect him.

And what about this fake wedding? He and Claudia would die if anyone uncovered that information. Damian would kill his son if it got out. His father hated liars.

It didn't look good for either of them.

Dominic felt like a massive stone buried itself in his chest. He didn't sleep well since he wasn't sure what to do. But he carried on as usual.

He protected his world.

His Dia.

✧