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CLAUDIA

Dominic can lose control over himself. Again. 

Claudia was at a loss for words. Dominic's words were so accurate and harsh that they were almost horrifying. Aside from that, it was unclear whether he intended to kill or simply hurt someone who crossed him wrong way. His medication use was hard to understand.

It felt like holding on to life in a tornado.

Dominic had already lost his mind, but not since that night when she asked him to stop. He paused, and she had an inkling that he would stop again. She hoped she wasn't the biggest idiot for thinking that.

Losing Amelia was traumatic enough for him, but adding drugs and alcohol made things worse. The thought of all the demons he had faced made her stomach tighten up. Dominic's life had never been straightforward.

As they traveled for the rest of the afternoon, Dominic looked at her and opened his mouth. "The news I told you back there was frightening, but it was information you needed to know."

"I get it, Dom." When she met his eyes, Claudia cracked a grin. "You've been through a lot in the last few years. Nobody expects you to act as if nothing happened."

"My father did. Or he still does."

She shook her head and scoffed. "Oh, well, he's irrelevant. What matters is how you feel."

He looked directly at her and said, "That's true. I understand if you feel this will be too much for you and want to back out, Dia. I won't hold it against you if you leave me when this is all over."

The thought of abandoning him made Claudia sick to her stomach. That's not something she'd ever do. Not in a million years. "Dom, don't even talk like that," she said, holding his hand while traveling through the surrounding high trees under the bright sky. "Nothing you do can ever make me stop loving you. Nothing."

He nodded and gave her a little smile. "I honestly don't know what I'd do without you."

"Mm. Get into more trouble, probably."

Dominic chuckled as he moved to the right lane.

"So, tell me more about who you're meeting. I'd like to know what I'm getting myself into," she said.

He explained that they were going to a club to meet a man named Stefano. Since Dominic didn't say anything else about him, Claudia assumed he was a Mafia member—hopefully a good one.

When they got closer to Dorchester towards dusk, the highway lost its lush greenery and deeply wooded parts, and traffic increased.

They entered from the south, passing by malls and several restaurants, which awakened her stomach. She was hungry, but she was too busy focusing to even eat. A few miles later, Dominic took the Dorchester/South Boston exit and turned right, headed for Carson Beach.

Her insides twisted as she remembered the time she went swimming with him—oh, how she missed that day.

A mile from the exit, Dominic came to a stop when he saw an abandoned car wash. Her brow furrowed as she examined the overgrown weeds.

The road beyond it wasn't much better, a mixture of holes and sand.

"Are you sure the club is out here?" Claudia asked, her attention drawn to the open space.

Dirt clouded the air like pollution.

"Yes. Nobody goes down this way."

She mumbled, "Why would they?"

When they passed multiple abandoned buildings with boarded-up windows, Claudia was anxious that they had taken a wrong turn. But before she could point it out, the trees parted, and a makeshift parking lot filled with cars appeared.

"Holy cow!" she exclaimed, shaking her head.

There was a swarm of cars parked in front of a building, and they weren't random. New cars, Hummers that can wipe out entire communities, and Mercedes, BMWs, and Jaguars all parked side by side. It was like the finer section of a car showroom.

Dominic smiled at her warmly. "Not everything is as it seems."

"No shit," she said as he parked the car.

"I want you to stay close to me inside." Dominic shut off the engine. "I'm sure there are Mafia members here. They might not bother us, but you never know."

She scowled, furrowing her brow. "Would anyone recognize you?"

"Probably, but I'm here for a specific reason. This is a no-kill zone, and if somebody crosses me, I have no problem changing that."

That comment should have made her feel better. Claudia reached out and grabbed Dominic's arm as he started to open the door. "Hold on a second. What happens after you finish here and get your medicine?"

"We're going to leave."

She gave him a blank stare. "I knew we weren't sleeping in the parking lot. Where are we going?"

Dominic looked away, his profile stoic. "I have a property in Milan that should be safe, so we're heading there."

She dug her fingers into her knees and murmured, "Safe? Shouldn't we stay—"

"Can we talk about this afterward?" he questioned, his eyes closed. "I need to wrap this up now."

She wanted to say something, but this wasn't the time.

Claudia stepped out of the car and followed Dominic between the other vehicles. Strangely, she heard nothing from the nightclub or the surrounding area.

It was strangely silent.

She then realized the building was soundproof.

Claudia folded her arms as a chill ran up her spine. Dominic slowed down to a stop so that she could get next to him. He didn't comment on how slowly she was moving, and she was taking her time because she knew another shocking revelation was waiting for her inside the club.

"Don't forget," he said, his hand resting on her lower back. "Stay by my side. Okay?"

Claudia gave a nod. "Yes, sir."

Dominic stopped, spun around, and stared at her. "Let's save that for the bedroom."

She laughed as they stopped at a steel-gray door.

The door swung open, and a tall, dark-haired man stepped out into the light two seconds later.

Claudia's eyes widened. The man's arms were the size of timber, and he was staring at them as though he wasn't pleased to see Dominic.

With a small shift, Dominic now stood in her path. "It's important that I meet with Stefano."

Godzilla, as she nicknamed him, clenched his massive fists. "Everyone claims to be here for something important, but most of the time, it's bullshit."

"I'm one of the few exceptions."

"I've heard that one before." The man drew the sentence out. "It's not like Mr. Stefano has a lot of spare time, you know?"

Claudia had spent enough time with Dominic to recognize his signs of frustration.

His back and neck stiffened, and his shoulders tensed. At last, he cracked a grin. He only curled one lip forward.

"What do you think we're here for?" Claudia cringed inwardly as Dominic questioned. "I'm sure he's paying attention to us now." He stopped and snickered behind the guard's ear as he flicked the black wire.

Huh. There was a small black earpiece that she had overlooked. "The little twerp owes me. And we all know how he is with his dealings. This means he'll talk to me unless he wants me to cut everyone inside the club limb from fucking limb, including your huge ass, and lay their heads across the stage."

Oh, dear...

She gently turned to face Dominic, wondering if he had ever heard the saying A CAT IN GLOVES CATCHES NO MICE since he just coated the guard in gasoline.

When Godzilla smiled, Claudia almost fell over. She thought he was going to tell them to leave or fight him.

"Stefano will see you now, Mr. Beretta." The man moved to the side and held the door open. They both brushed past him as he stood there. Claudia saw that the guard was watching Dominic. "I love it when they take charge."

Once they came out of the small, dark hallway, a smile came across her face. "Holy..."

She'd never seen this before. It's not like she had no idea clubs existed. Kayla liked this kind of environment more.

Different colored flashing lights shone on the crowd of dancers. Cages filled the ceiling.

Women in revealing outfits swayed to the music. The only parts of the dancers' bodies that weren't visible were their nipples and the space between their thighs.

The dark lights made it hard to make out the edges of the club. The only things she could make out were a few tables and maybe some couches.

Everything about the setting was out of this world.

Dominic's hand found hers as he led them through the crowds. He split up the crowd like the Red Sea.

Women paused their dancing to look at him. Some men did too, and not every look was sexual.

Some of them were openly hostile. Did they know him? Was everyone connected? She stayed quiet under the bright lights.

Claudia smelled cinnamon and felt like she was in a dream with bright lights, loud music, and a swirling haze.

From the crowd came a tall, shadowy shape that blocked the way. A guy who looked to be her age and had thick, spiked-up brown hair. His pale skin and thickly lined brows twisted into a tight half-smile as his sapphire-colored eyes looked from Dominic to Claudia.

It didn't take a genius to figure out that he was a member of another Mafia organization.

Dominic continued to push the man aside without pausing. "If you want your fingers to stay intact, you'd let us pass."

Claudia turned around, expecting the other guest standing next to them to say anything, but he smirked and blended into the crowd of dancers. The unpredictability of the situation made her shudder.

She and Dominic continued past the bar and into an empty hallway. As they approached the end, she noticed that someone had written RIFFRAFFS ONLY on the door. Perfect.

After a moment, Dominic used his free hand to knock. When it opened, a man who was strong and attractive stepped out.

He was all kinds of bronze.

Bronze complexion.

Bronze hair. Bronze clothing.

The man's dark, honey-colored eyes widened as his lips turned downward. "And here I was, enjoying the better things in life."

Dominic grinned. "It's a pleasure to see you, too, Rome."

Rome? She could only think of Giulio Berruti and David Boreanaz.

The man unlocked the door. "You know how things work around here."

They entered an office. A couch, desk, and closed door to an area she didn't know or want to know were in the room. As they stopped, the door closed silently.

Rome just stood still, arms crossed. The joining of Claudia's and Dominic's hands caught his attention. He let out a brief, quiet laugh.

Dominic's eyes narrowed, yet he did not let go of her hand. "You're pushing me."

"Good," Rome commented as he leaned against the closed door. "But I seriously doubt your woman wants to witness the mess we'll make over here."

Claudia started to reply, but Dominic stopped her by grabbing her hand. He said, "Don't worry about Rome," but his eyes were on the guard. "There is no need for my girlfriend to freak out, right?"

"Nicco, it's up to you how things turn out." As he looked at Claudia, Rome smiled. It was an attractive grin, even charming, but terror ran through her veins like poison. "I promise there is nothing to worry about, honey. I won't pass judgment on you for the poor choices of lovers you've made."

Claudia snapped, "There's nothing wrong with Dom, but I appreciate your perspective!"

"Interesting." Rome frowned thoughtfully. "Nicco, this little kitten has you all wrapped up. How cute."

Dominic growled, "I guess you don't care to have your tongue anymore," and Rome chuckled.

Claudia saw that, despite this altercation, Dominic was neither angry nor planning to unleash an abundance of fury.

It felt like they were just bickering to argue and smart off toward each other. She sighed in relief.

"Just call me Santa's little bundle of joy. Dominic Beretta is here, and he brought a guest. A woman."

She jumped at the sound, and her eyes darted to the door behind the desk. Without hearing it open, she saw a tall boy of around sixteen years old standing in the doorway. A curly ponytail he'd pulled back from his black hair revealed an innocent, flawlessly symmetrical face, but his body... woah.

Tattoos covered every visible area.

From the top of his head to the tips of his fingers.

Why would someone cover their body with so many tattoos?

People associated with the Mafia, I suppose.

Dominic exhaled a sigh of exasperation. "Stefano."

Claudia's jaw dropped in astonishment.

Stefano was a teenager? Holy crap!

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