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DOMINIC

Stefano strolled over to his desk and hopped up on it, his chin resting on his fist. A key necklace hung around his neck and glittered under the light. Dominic nearly knocked him out and took it, thinking it would be the key to all he wanted, but Stefano... Stefano was no ordinary Mafia boss.

Not even when compared to the other Mafia dons Dominic has met.

Stefano was suffering from a growth hormone deficit, although he looked like he was no older than a teenager. He was stronger than most grown men, and he could easily send everything flying across the yard. It was difficult to keep that in mind while talking to the little twerp.

He smiled widely. "Dominic, what brings you here? I heard this 'little twerp' owes you something?"

"You know you do. And if I need to refresh that small pea-sized brain of yours, all I have to do is say Armando," he replied, his gaze set on Stefano's.

"Hm. I'm surprised you remember such names."

Dominic, holding Claudia's hand tightly, remarked, "I can remember a lot of things." It impressed him how well she stood there and didn't mouth off to him. She had a big mouth that could get her into trouble.

Stefano tsked and shook his head. "I'm surprised you can remember, given your drug habit."

Dominic grew frustrated that the man wasn't getting any clues as to why they were there and said, "I'm not taking anything illegal."

"But you're still an addict. You'll want something to take the edge off. Am I correct?"

Dominic let go of Claudia's hand and stepped in front of her. With a sly grin on his face, Stefano made note of this. "The things I do in my personal life are none of your business."

"It does concern me when you waltz into my business and request things," Stefano remarked, giving Dominic a once-over. "You didn't even have an appointment."

Dominic cursed, "Damn it, asshole," his hands clenching at his sides. "We need fake IDs to get us out of the country."

Stefano slanted his head slightly as if he were straining to catch another glimpse of Claudia. The guy liked to press buttons, and Dominic wasn't having any of it.

"You can get those documents at any time. Even Roman could have helped you get them." Everyone else shortened his guard's name, but Stefano used his whole one. "You can't tell me that's the only reason you're here. Just tell me the truth, please."

"I also need medicine. Preferably Citalopram."

Stefano furrowed his brows and leaned entirely to one side, holding himself up with one arm. He cracked a grin at Claudia. "And why would you, a CEO with an array of people on his payroll, need his medication? Is it too much to ask that somebody go get those things for you? Oh! Wait a second, Dom."

Dominic wanted to smack those intimidating eyes right into the back of Stefano's head. "Have you been a bad boy?"

"Something happened, yes." Dominic stepped to the side, blocking Claudia. "Can you get them for me or not?"

"Interesting." Stefano straightened himself and sat down in front of her. "And who is this lovely woman?"

"Someone you're never going to know," Dominic growled.

Stefano cast a sidelong glance at him. "Because she is in my office and you brought her here, I demand to know who she is."

"This is your club?" Claudia wondered. "But you're not even an adult."

Stefano, staring her down, said, "I'm going to pretend not to take offense to that. But since you're gorgeous and have such a beautiful body that I wouldn't mind..." He paused when Dominic moved closer to him, seething under his breath. "I'm going to ignore the comment. I'm over twenty-one, but I can pass for much younger." A grin spread across his face.

Claudia's mouth opened wide.

"Are you trying to get yourself killed?" Dominic asked while tightening his hands into fists. "You speak about Claudia as if I'm not in the room."

Roman, the ever-present bodyguard, stepped forward, but Stefano chuckled.

"Oh, Dominic, simmer down. You're a total helpless mess. I don't know how many times I've urged you to take a week off and decompress. Hawaii is fantastic. You should look into it."

Dominic inhaled slowly and deeply. "Stefano."

"For her sake, you need to calm down." He immediately shifted to Claudia. "How did you end up with Mr. Wonderful?"

Claudia raised an eyebrow at Dominic, who shook his head. Stefano should know as little as possible.

He tapped his fingers on the table. "Now, kids, listen up. If I don't get what I want, you won't either. Roman can help you get the documents you need to leave the country if you want to."

"Hold on a second. I helped you out. I need my pills—"

"And you'll need a body to beat up to get that rage off your chest. I'm familiar with your methods, Nicco. I agree with you. You helped me tremendously last year by handling a situation that had been bothering me. I will be eternally indebted to you. But if you want my help, you'll have to fill me in on what's going on and who this woman is."

Son of the devil.

Claudia took a step forward. "My name is Claudia Marcello. I came across a Beretta Corporation job listing three weeks ago. Dominic hired me after I went for an interview. But I quit because we wanted to see what was building between us."

She stopped for a moment to take a breath. "The next day, he asked me to pose as his fiancée so he could avoid an arranged marriage organized by his father. I agreed and signed a contract."

Dominic turned to her slowly.

"What?" She raised her hands. "Honesty, remember?"

Anger surged through him, but he stifled it. "We're going to talk once we leave here."

Claudia had never met Stefano, and Dominic didn't know what he was capable of. Hell, there was a lot he didn't know about the kid, but he knew enough.

Stefano's eyes went to his guard, who appeared intrigued. "I'm guessing this little façade between you two became public?"

She nodded, nibbling her bottom lip.

"Okay," Stefano said, pressing his lips into a thin line. "So, things didn't go as planned. And now they're looking for you two?" A calculating look appeared in his dark eyes. "That sounds extreme. Even for the Mafia."

"This sounds familiar," Rome said. "The arranged marriage wasn't for Lorenzo Guarini's daughter, was it?"

Stefano murmured, "Ah. The plot thickens. Let me get my popcorn."

Claudia became still as her eyes stayed focused on Rome. "You've heard about that?"

"I want to know the same thing," Dominic said.

Rome shrugged and nodded. "There have been reports. Lorenzo Guarini and Damian Beretta have worked together for a long time. Dominic, ever since you and your siblings were kids. Irene has always had a crush on you. Her father was angry when he heard that you were getting married. The way he looked..."

Dominic struggled to avoid thinking back to the time he killed the Guarini siblings, as Rome's voice trailed off.

Rome grinned when his gaze slid back to Dominic. "The fury coming off his face was terrifying, but what I don't understand is why both leaders would continue to pursue you after you refused. All because of a contract? Damian wasn't Lorenzo's only business partner. Many leaders have eligible sons. So..."

"So there has to be more to this story," Stefano concluded. He clapped his hands together. "Just tell me the truth. Now."

Claudia had wisely kept quiet, but it was too late now. Dominic drew his arms together. "My father and Lorenzo devised a plan to kill Claudia. That way, they can force me to marry Irene, but I'd killed her, along with her two brothers and my father's guards when they came after us."

Stefano blinked slowly. "And both of you believe they may have gotten word about it by now?"

"Most likely," Claudia replied, clearing her throat. "We took off in a hurry, and neither of us knows what everyone's status is."

"I'm going to call Vinny shortly and get an update," Dominic added. "Also, give my employees a week off while we sort this out."

"From what I'm gathering, your only thought was to come here, Nicco. How come?" Stefano asked, his gaze fixed on him. "Speak up. I'm not the bad guy here."

Dominic groaned. "Yeah, and I'm the fucking Tooth Fairy."

"Okay." Stefano smiled cheerfully. "All things considered, I'm not someone to be concerned about. Mafia leaders, liars, and betrayers are the three things in my life that I absolutely cannot stand. In my opinion, both of you are perfectly all right."

Claudia glanced back in shock at a grinning Rome, who was standing next to the desk with folded arms, and she rubbed her temple. She was starting to get a headache.

"I came here because you're trustworthy when it comes to getting people out of the country privately," Dominic explained, staring at Stefano.

He cocked his head sideways. "And is that how you see me?"

Dominic lifted his arms in wonder, his forehead furrowed. "Obviously. I've seen what you're capable of, and you can keep people hidden. Look. I just want us to get through this mess as smoothly as possible. Only for a few days. There is no one else I can turn to for help."

"You mean the pills?" Rome walked toward the couch and sat beside Stefano. "Don't you think it's time to wean yourself off of them?"

"I don't need a lecture from any of you," Dominic grumbled. "Last I checked, this was not an intervention. I didn't expect it to be this hard to get what I needed. You guys make transactions difficult."

"You do, Nicco," Stefano replied, straightening up. "It must not have occurred to you the problems you'll bring me."

"Do you know what day it is tomorrow?" Dominic asked, his eyes locked on Stefano's.

"Of course, I know what day it is," he said, before adding quietly, "I haven't gone a day without thinking about my sister. You're not the only one who misses Amelia."

Claudia's mouth dropped open.

Dominic inhaled and stood still. He wasn't trying to hide Stefano's connection to Amelia, but he wanted to finish this meeting. He was going to tell her about him at some point.

Dominic's gaze shifted to her before returning to Stefano. "You know what I'm going through, Stefano."

"But haven't you moved on, brother?" Stefano questioned, casting a glance at her. "I'm ecstatic for you. This fake engagement appears to have brought you two together."

Dominic's weight shifted from one foot to the other. "It did."

"Then stop taking the medication, as your doctor advised months ago," Stefano said.

"I will. But I need something for the time being," Dominic explained. "Just one pill. That's all I ask."

"Then you'll want another one, and another one. Dominic, this cycle will never end."

"He says he'll stop using medicine and drinking alcohol." Dominic couldn't even find it in himself to be irritated when Claudia gave him a tight smile. She turned back to Stefano. "Can you provide him with what he needs?"

He met her stare. "Ms. Marcello, Dominic can have anything he wants from me. But I'm also concerned about this. I got trouble that I didn't want, and I'm not happy about it. People will soon find out what I've done and question me."

Claudia sighed. "You're afraid Dominic's family will show up."

"I don't know, but I can't take that risk," he explained. "You're both in a big mess. I'm not sure how either of you are going to get out of this."

"Okay, well, now that we've done the whole honesty thing and have cooperated for you," Dominic said, "I'm still owed a favor."

"The favor is on the table." Stefano jumped up from his desk. "If you want the pills and fake documents, who am I to stand in your way? Come back around noon tomorrow, and I'll have everything you need." He winked at Claudia once more. "And this time, Nicco, make sure you're in a lovable mood. You're ruining my pleasant atmosphere."

"Around noon?" Dominic shifted his neck to the side, trying to release the tension. "We need to get to Italy tonight."

"Oh, one more night in the States won't hurt you," Stefano remarked, his brow furrowed. "I'm sure you'll find a way to pass the time."

Dominic wanted to be irritated, but the man was like a younger brother to him. Stefano was outspoken and had the upper hand.

He circled his desk and opened a drawer. Stefano took out a key and tossed it to Dominic. "You can spend the night at Roman's place. He won't be there, and everything will be secure."

Rome's face twisted. "What the hell, Stefano?"

He gave a sheepish grin. "What? These two aren't staying at my place. Besides, I spend a lot of time here. They need to stay hidden, and we have a packed house."

Dominic pocketed the key, pleased by the disgust on Rome's face. He chuckled under his breath. "Address."

Stefano scrawled it on a piece of paper and handed it over. "The gate code is 2013." Dominic acknowledged the code after hearing that. Amelia died that year, and her family owned this property. "Don't forget. If you fail to show up by noon, your window will close. Before you go, give Roman your IDs."

He gathered Claudia and made his way to the front door when Stefano stopped them. "And Dominic?"

He turned, not enjoying the strange expression on the guy's face.

Dominic braced himself for the nonsense that was going to spew from the man's mouth. "Yes?"

Stefano gave a sympathetic smile. "If you can't let go of the past, you'll never truly be happy."

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