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CLAUDIA

Claudia couldn't think of anything to say. Her mind seemed to have processed what had happened in the past few hours, and she felt otherwise expected, but she found herself at a loss for words.

Was it acceptable to say thank you?

In some ways, it didn't feel right, but at that point, she was so accustomed to it that she remained silent.

And she was unable to take her eyes off the hand that was holding her.

His hand seemed normal, with decent skin and bone. It was the same hand that had taken the lives of five others earlier in the night. His touch was unusually cool compared to other men's.

Her throat tightened at the way he gripped her palm as if he were afraid of harming her. She doubted he was aware of his compassionate nature.

She glanced at him.

Dominic was silent, and he looked the same as he had before—absurdly attractive but deadly serious. This odd combination had always fascinated her. He was holding his lips together tightly. His sunken cheeks came off stronger. It looked like bruises were starting to show up on his face in the car's low lighting.

Her worry developed rapidly. Both Dominic and Edoardo fought like it was their last. Something like that had never happened in her life. It was like a scene from a movie, but he was alive and able to keep moving.

"Do you need to pull over?" Claudia asked in a hoarse whisper.

His attention shifted to her. "No, it's okay. I'll be fine."

"After fighting like that, how could you keep going?"

He didn't react. "It's not the first time I've fought before."

Not the first time? That made her feel sad for him. "You must've grown up to learn to defend yourself."

"I did." He paused and pulled back his hand. "My father taught his kids how to fight right after we turned four."

"Wow. Damian Beretta didn't waste any time."

"Nope." Dominic popped the word's final syllable.

Nothing else came out of her mouth. After that, they both stayed silent while her hand went from warm to chilly.

By the time he took the exit ramp and turned into a small motel on the outskirts of New York City, dawn had begun to creep along the northern horizon, bathing the sky in breathtaking shades of deep blue. They were still deep in the state but had placed several hours and miles between themselves and the mansion.

Claudia waited in the BMW while Dominic explored the grounds, then changed clothes and wiped away the dried blood and dirt with a towel. He no longer appeared dirty.

He parked the car behind the building after explaining that he rented a room in the back. He didn't appear concerned that someone might recognize him. She kept expecting more criminals to appear out of nowhere because he had caused further problems with various families.

"It doesn't look as eerie here," he said, grabbing their luggage from the trunk. "We should be able to rest, clean up, and maybe get some sleep."

Claudia trailed him, exhausted, examining the dimly illuminated parking lot.

Something struck her at that moment. "Will they track us? You rented the room under your name."

His soft lips formed a slight grin. "We're okay. I used an alias."

"Oh." She smiled. "Why didn't I think of that?"

Dominic scanned the area again. "It's all right. We had to run and didn't have time to iron out the details. Let's take a look inside."

"Are you tired?"

He sighed. "Somewhat. Sleeping is my third favorite activity."

"What are the first two?"

He glanced back as he opened the door. "Eating is my second favorite thing, and you can guess my first."

Claudia's cheeks burned.

She made an educated guess.

The motel room surpassed her expectations. The queen-size bed sheets didn't smell like bleach but rather like a beautiful bouquet.

The room had only one bed. No couch, just a rusty yellow chair in a corner near a small desktop. Dominic put their bags in the back.

Claudia, weary, proceeded to sit down, but he suddenly appeared in front of her. "I wish you'd stop doing that to me," she said, her nerves scattering. "You've never explained how you move like that."

Dominic wrinkled his forehead thoughtfully. "I've always been good at sports. Swimming and running, in general. When I need to be quick on my feet, I can be. But I have to take a good look at you right now."

Before the night changed for the worse, Claudia was positive he had taken a long look at her. "I'm good."

"I have to see it for myself."

"Of course you do."

"Dia..."

She was too exhausted to resist as he led her inside the brightly lit bathroom. As she sat on the toilet, Claudia winced in discomfort. "I tripped and fell on my ass."

"I saw that."

"And I bruised my booty."

"Then I need to take a look at it," he declared.

She smiled, disregarding the soft tug on her bottom lip. "Go crazy."

He moaned lightly.

Dominic then disappeared back into the room and emerged a moment later with a peroxide bottle and an assortment of cotton balls.

She understood why he went into his house before leaving. He grabbed his first-aid kit.

As Dominic set everything on the counter, he squatted.

He put his hand on her shin and started rolling up her pants leg. "What are you doing?" The tiny red marks on his lips and cheeks caught her eye. "Someone qualified needs to look at you. I should take you to a doctor."

Dominic furrowed his brows and lifted both of her pants legs above her knees. "It's more important that I clean you up. You look like a hot mess."

That's how Claudia felt—like a savaged animal. "I can do this."

When Dominic picked up the bottle, he shook it. "Just stop arguing and accept the fact that you are hurt because of me."

"You are so controlling, sometimes it's ridiculous."

He gave her a weak smile.

"I'd never seen anyone fight like that." She focused on the top of his bent head. "I often lose sight of the person you could become, and that worries me."

He cocked his head to one side, staring at her intently. "That is something that you must never forget, Claudia."

"It's hard not to, Dom. You have more compassion in you than most mafia men."

"Not everyone in my line of work is a self-centered douchebag. We're all unique in our ways." Chin lowered, Dominic inspected her legs. "I can lose control at times, but I'm able to manage my frustration."

"Only after you rip somebody's spine out of their chest."

He took a deep breath and focused on her. "I can be as cruel as they force me to be. The fury is in my bones."

Jesus.

He continued, "Being around you helps me. When it's dark, you're the one who helps me see. You're my light, and I believe our souls have always been one. In a way, it defies understanding."

"No, I get it," she said, fascinated by what he admitted. "It's like a meeting between an angel and a demon."

Dominic completed the sentence for her, saying, "Good versus evil."

Claudia remarked softly, "You sound very philosophical. It's different hearing that from you."

Dominic wiped the blood from her angry skid marks on her knees. Her eyes welled up with fresh tears, but she fought back the urge to cry. He finished with her knees and then grabbed her left hand. The softness of his grip stung. And a knot formed in her chest.

"Sometimes I wish that I had a different job," he said, smoothing a clean cotton ball over her sore.

"What kind of job would that be?" Claudia inquired calmly.

"A doctor," he replied with a gentle smile.

"That's funny to hear you say that."

Dominic let out a small chuckle. "Why?"

"A man who takes lives also wants to save them." Claudia took a long breath afterward and muttered something beneath her breath. "Sorry. I should've kept my mouth shut."

He shrugged and shook his head. "You have a point. If I were in your position, I'd make the same assumption."

"I apologize if I offended you, Dom. I just..." her voice trailed as she glanced around the room, but he seemed to disregard what she was about to say.

"You didn't offend me, Dia. I get your point of view entirely. Maybe if I were a doctor, we wouldn't have to keep running from the Mafia. I murdered a family of three tonight, and Lorenzo Guarini will be looking for me. I'll never be free."

Claudia racked her brain for a defense. Blood was on his hands. Regardless of how justifiable Dominic's actions were, he committed an unforgivable act. "Why did you kill them? I get that you were defending yourself, but what if things had turned out differently?"

"I admire your outlook on life. But, as I've said before, there was no other option. I had to intervene because the guards protecting my father and the Guarini family were about to do something they could never undo. There was no other way out."

She stared at Dominic's face intently. He dropped his brow in concentration. "What's going to happen now with Lorenzo?" she asked.

"Once he finds out what I did to his family, he will come after me, plain and simple." Dominic lowered his hand to her lap and picked up the other one. "I swear to you, Dia, that I will do everything in my power to protect you from this. Don't stress out about anything."

"You can't promise that," she said in a whisper, stunned.

Dominic folded her free hand into her lap with a grin tugging at his lips. He reached for her chin with his cool hands and dipped her head. "Don't move. This will sting."

She shivered at his touch, unable to reconcile how gentle he was right now with how fierce and terrifying he'd been back in the forest. Those hands could kill in a heartbeat, but now they were carefully leaning her head to the light.

"Will these cuts on my body scab over?"

His hand slid away. "They probably will. You'll feel some swelling. Ready?"

She nodded.

Dominic, narrowing his eyes, slid the new ball beneath her lip. It hurt like hell, but she didn't flinch as he brushed it along her chin. A small amount of the liquid bubbled up and tickled her chin.

"You have a nasty wound on your cheek." He grabbed a fresh cloth and ran it over her skin. "Hold still."

As he cleaned her face, Claudia shut her eyes. "Maybe I should have stayed with you inside. If I knew, I could have prevented this."

"I don't think so, Dia. They were on my property, and there was nowhere for us to run."

Dominic continued playing doctor, and sadly, not the fun kind. He replaced the cap after wiping her face. "Are you hurting anywhere else?"

Her whole body ached. "Nothing too serious."

He opened his mouth but didn't say anything. Dominic was unusually perceptive for a Mafia boss.

Claudia inhaled slowly. "Why, of all days, would they show up today?"

"I think my dad and Lorenzo Guarini planned this. How long? I'm not sure. They would be closer to their goal if you were gone. For me, they wanted me to marry Irene. Everyone knew I rejected their offer, but they kept interfering. Matteo and Edoardo being her brothers shocked me too. I remembered that she had siblings, but I was never interested enough to learn more about the Guarini family. Until now."

"I saw your fight with Edoardo, but not with Matteo or Irene. He had no chance of winning against you."

"None of them did. I was stronger. I had to take them out or they'd keep attacking us."

Dominic kneeled before Claudia. He frowned again at her knees.

She questioned whether or not Lorenzo would now come after him right away. "Their father will soon find out that his family is dead, right?"

He nodded.

"Why? I can't figure out why you did what you did. You risked everything."

Dominic was silent for a moment. "I can't explain why."

"You don't know the answer?" Claudia shook her head sadly. "You can't continue like this without feeling guilty about what happened. That's what I'm trying to figure out."

"Sorry, Dia. Focusing on it isn't good. If I think about it, a depressive episode will overpower me, and nobody would want to be around me then."

Those comments startled her. "Dom, you risked a lot. You can never go back to the way things were before."

Dominic blinked. "You make a strong case."

Claudia gasped. She suspected he didn't pay much attention to his actions because he wasn't responding to her questions. Were they important?

Her subconscious whispered, "Yes." Everything counted, from Dominic's father's guards to the family of three before the ambush. It saddened her that he could never go back to his old lifestyle. She hoped he would make peace with his family and go back home. Fighting and killing five people for survival was horrifying. Maybe Dominic wasn't as gentle as he portrayed.

"Thank you," she said. "Thank you for stopping them from hurting me. Well, from almost killing me."

"It's fine. You're safe, and that's all that matters."

She stared at him and said, "I almost wasn't. You're the reason my heart is still beating."

Dominic quickly nodded and stood. "Dia, take a warm shower. Feel better."

Claudia gazed at him through a glimmer of light. She hadn't anticipated such a stale response, but he didn't seem to appreciate her gratitude.

She quietly asked, "Should we call the authorities about what's going on?"

He groaned as his gaze shifted toward her. "I was on a stakeout once and noticed a cop talking to one of my men. I don't know who works for my father, but there are dirty cops. We have to stay alert and careful now."

"Damn."

Once again, Dominic vanished out of the bathroom and emerged moments later wearing one of his long-sleeved shirts.

He shut the door behind him as he left the bathroom without saying anything else.

Claudia sat silently to process what she had seen earlier. Her brain seemed to have stopped working. She shook her head and turned on the faucet.

She stepped beneath the boiling water and winced as it burned her many blisters. She didn't know why, but those tiny licks of pain made her sore.

She didn't understand her tears. Was it because they were at peace?

For her? Or was it just total overload?

Claudia waited in the bathroom to calm down. She quickly toweled off and put on her long shirt. Light illuminated the room at sunrise. Dominic had his back to her as he stood by the window.

"I saw a snack machine outside. There is a chocolate bar and a Dr. Pepper on the table. You should eat before going to bed."

The covers were also pulled down. She looked back at him. "Thanks for everything. What's the deal with the candy? The treats could probably keep me awake."

Dominic let out a small chuckle. "I'm sure you're hungry, and candy will help fill that desire."

Claudia climbed into bed and tucked her legs under the covers. He showered as she ate the calorically dense treats. She wiggled down and waited, her hands curled beneath the pillow.

He came back out several minutes later, his leather pants hanging low on his hips. Damp, messy hair covered Dominic's temples and cheeks. He strolled toward the large double windows and, moving more stiffly than usual, pulled the bright green drapes shut. The small room quickly fell into darkness.

Claudia watched him walk across the room as she lay on her side. "Dominic?"

"Yes?"

"Are you sure you're not hurting anymore?"

He took a seat near the motel door. "No, I'm good. Get some rest."

She frowned. That wasn't much of an answer.

After a few seconds, Dominic leaned against the wall with his head tipped back.

The position had to be unpleasant, and the bed was big enough to fit both of them.

Claudia sighed and lifted herself onto her elbows. "Dom?"

"Close your eyes, Dia."

She ignored his requests. "You may look tough, but you're vulnerable."

One eye opened. "And your point is...?"

"I'm sure you don't want to sleep in the chair. You're obviously in a lot of pain." She inhaled. "You can sleep next to me."

"I have to stay near the door, Claudia." Both eyes opened. "It'll be best for both of us."

She moved. "I don't accept that. Sleep in the bed with me."

Dominic froze, then laughed harshly. "You're something else, you know that?"

Claudia wasn't sure if he was complimenting her or not, but he got up from the chair, using his hands to help him stand.

He didn't hide his limp this time. She tightened the blankets as he walked toward the bed, his bare chest moist and sculpted.

Dominic settled on top of the blankets and turned to the side, revealing soft, muscular lines. Claudia instinctively grabbed his arm. Like earlier, he stayed still. He didn't move while she marveled at the sensation of running her fingertips along his upper arm.

This time, she pulled her hand back before she started feeling him up.

"You're beautiful," she whispered, flushing because it seemed inappropriate.

Probably also weird.

Eyes squinted and nostrils flared, Dominic stared at her. The intensity of his gaze penetrated every inch of her when their eyes met. She dropped the cover as her lust for him erupted like wildfire.

He took a deep breath as he made his way back to the table. "Sleep. Please."

She cast her eye toward the chair. "Join me. It'll be okay."

"I think I'd be safer over here."

"I don't want any distance between us anymore, Dom. I should always be with you. I don't want to leave you and go to Kayla's apartment."

He groaned. "I wish you would go to sleep. We can discuss everything later."

"If you were sleeping next to me, I'd have a better night's rest."

It didn't seem like he would respond at first. Dominic looked at her as if she had lost her mind. Claudia hadn't seen that expression coming. Both the world and everything in it didn't evolve.

"Fuck," he muttered, and strolled over to the bed.

Claudia lay down on her side, facing the door. "I just want you to feel comfortable."

"I appreciate that."

"You don't have to sleep in the bed if you don't want to."

Dominic murmured, "That's not the problem."

There was a rustling in the sheets, and the bed sagged as he sat down. Had he taken off his leather pants?

It would probably be a good thing if she didn't know.

"Then what is the issue?" she pressed.

There was a beat. "I want to sleep with you."

Claudia made a face Dominic couldn't see. "I don't see how that's a problem."

"Dia, you don't get it."

His words were like a bell ringing in her brain. Dominic was horny again, but neither of them had the energy to give in to that urge. It was only normal for him to feel this way; after all, he had been kind and considerate toward her this entire time. Claudia expected them to give in to their affection for one another eventually, but she didn't think it was appropriate at the moment.

Minutes passed, and he still didn't elaborate on what he meant. Despite having a lot on her mind, Claudia closed her eyes and drifted off because she was comfortable in his embrace.

In her sanctuary.

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