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DOMINIC

The lifeless, underweight bodies of Lorenzo's men guarding a private warehouse in Chicago lay at Dominic's feet, yards from the city. He was just like the wolf in a fairy tale, tearing the property to shreds.

Mr. Helpful wasn't one of them. He let the man off the hook after taking him to the location where Claudia was, as promised.

Raw energy flooded his veins like a high from the purest substance. He fed his addiction by indulging in a mixture of medications whose names he had forgotten and by imagining her untimely death. As he thought about twenty-four hours he lost with her, electricity flooded his cells.

Killing these men was as simple as ordering at Burger King; he had it his way. Nobody would feel safe in his presence until he was through.

Including Claudia.

God alone knows what they were doing to her, but she was inside this building. She had to live. He refused to consider other possibilities.

Dominic spotted several guards on the first floor and the rooftop as he crossed the empty parking lot.

He paused by the wall to look at the roof. Grabbing the emergency ladder and holding onto the staircase, he took three steps at a time. Up on the balcony, he squatted.

Guards stood in the middle.

Their heads swiveled at him like stray dogs.

"Oh, shit," one of them said.

Staring at Dominic, the other man continued, "We need to alert Mr. Guarini."

Awesome.

No introductions were needed.

Invigorated by the narcotics, Dominic extended his arms and walked over the cliff. The night around them turned darker. He gave them a chance to fight or run. His move was lightning fast; he slipped up behind the first guard and twisted the second man's neck.

He turned and shoved the second man into the third. They fell like a stack of cards.

Quick as a cheetah pursuing its prey, the other two guards sprung into action, morphing into taekwondo masters. Dominic's laughter quickly rippled around the void.

"You should've stayed away from me."

He focused on the two guards, pulling them in like fish. They came at him, swinging their arms like drunken soldiers.

They had no anchor, nothing to stop them from going any further. It took less than a second for Dominic to reach for a metal rod on the ground and drive it through both of their chests.

It was over in the blink of an eye.

He stepped around the bodies and made his way toward the exit. When he tore into the steel door, it was hanging by a thread.

He flew down the steps, consuming the darkness in his fury and reaching for his Glock.

On the lower level, a dozen or more men waited. He couldn't see Claudia, but he had a hunch she was in trouble. He could sense it.

He could also hear a tiny whimper.

Her sound.

A surge of feral, black rage washed up. A live, breathing thing. It rolled over the warehouse floor, clawing at the walls for freedom.

Right then, Dominic turned into a total heartless tyrant, all pumped up to go after his victims. He was about to give all of them a rude awakening because this meant war.

"You will all die for touching a single hair on her head."

One man came at him, and Dominic took the fool by the neck. When he saw the man pull out a revolver, he quickly turned the tables on him, snapping his head like a twig and twisting his wrist until flesh emerged.

He twisted to one side and kicked out, slamming his massive foot into the other man's chest, while a second man mustered the courage to charge forward.

Dominic moved forward and punched the man in the face. He gripped the man's chin, pushed their heads together, and twisted as his head jerked back. A bone shattering made his darkness roar.

A flash of light came from a nearby guard, and then a blur sped across the room and hit him in the shoulder. Even though the blow didn't hurt, it made him even more angry.

Dominic moved back slightly, but he didn't fall to the floor. He smirked. "That felt good, surprisingly."

All hell broke loose when a man pulled out a rifle and began shooting.

Dominic dodged the bullets and struck the man before anyone realized what hit them.

He stood up and saw Claudia's terrified face. One of the men got a hold of her. And the jackass beside her legs was his father's business partner, the soon-to-be-dead Lorenzo Guarini.

Dominic's eyes clung to her. Claudia's face was a canvas of bruises, with a wounded lip.

The man gripping her tugged her back harshly, and her echoing whimper cut through Dominic like a knife.

As his dominance rose, all that was shiny and new went up in smoke.

His annoyance quickly turned into a furious storm as he moved across the floor and began attacking anyone in his view. A guard charged at him, so he threw an empty chair into his chest. After hearing numerous guns click, he threw his dagger at the nearest threat, knocking a guard against the wall.

Dominic threw his arms and legs out to take them on. He whirled around each of them like a vengeful cyclone and promised, "This is going to hurt," keeping his attention on the six remaining men.

He grabbed a guard and placed him in front of him, shielding many incoming shots. He threw the body to the floor, reached for his gun, and fired multiple rounds at two men who were shielding their boss. Bullets hit both of them, one in the leg and one in the shoulder. Their wounds poured with blood, and Dominic smiled with satisfaction.

He growled as he concentrated on a man standing between Claudia and him.

Even with the medicine he swallowed, fighting this way would burn more energy, but he was so angry that he couldn't help himself.

He wanted them all dead in a painful way.

Rushing toward him, two of Lorenzo's men fluctuated between ninjas in training and employees.

Dominic opened fire on the room's lights, knocking them all out.

Someone shouted, but their words evaporated in the darkness. As soon as their hands touched him, their cries became a choir.

He clasped their necks in the darkness. When they stopped moving, Dominic knew they were dead.

It wasn't that he was naturally stronger than they were.

Lorenzo's men were fierce rivals. Dominic was fighting differently than he ever had before. It wasn't about the classic struggle of good versus evil. He wasn't in the battle to satisfy his substance addiction or unleash pent-up rage.

For Claudia's sake, he was willing to risk it all.

To him, she was the world.

It was more important than everything else in the universe to fall in love with her and rescue her from this situation. And he was hellbent on wreaking havoc.

The rest of the men came at him like bats out of hell, their weapons lighting up the pitch-black room.

He didn't feel the punch. Dominic exhaled and rose, dusting off his wounds.

The guard went after him. They twisted in circles.

Dominic pushed a man against a wall with a blade, causing him to shudder. His swing and strike broke the man's wrist, then he placed his right shoulder under the man's left elbow. The man yelled as his arm broke like a stick. He double-punched his rival's nose with a spin, causing blood to flow everywhere.

He dropped the man, and when he fell, his kneecap cracked.

A guard spoke out in the dark. "Roberto? What's going on?"

Dominic kicked his ribs as he screamed in pain. "Roberto won't be at work tomorrow."

He pounded Roberto's face with his hands while twirling around him. After crouching next to the guard, Dominic checked his wrist for a pulse. His fingers felt a faint beat. Holding Dominic's elbow, the man screamed.

He gripped his wounds, and Roberto shouted. As his grip tightened, Dominic's arm sprang free. He spotted a flashlight next to them, and he reached down for the knife, slashing the guard's throat.

Dominic left no man standing in his way. He felt his soul draining and knew this fight was going to sting like a bee, but he seized the closest guard and stuck him right in the heart.

When it really counted, Claudia let out a tiny moan. That could awaken the dead, halting Dominic in his tracks.

He rose to his feet and laid eyes on her throughout the chaos. Lorenzo Guarini, the only survivor, gripped her delicate throat.

Dominic groaned loudly and felt like a deer caught in headlights, his breaths becoming unsteady.

His stomach swirled, but he ignored it. "If you know what's good for you, you'll release her now."

"Or the chickens would come home to roost?" Lorenzo fought fire with fire, taking her along for the ride. "One twitch, and she's dead."

Dominic sensed the weight and tension that surrounded the room. Fearing he would lose it if he looked at Claudia, he instead focussed his attention on Lorenzo's dark eyes. "You're not going to make it out alive. Especially if you hurt her."

Lorenzo's mouth curled into a smile. "Wanna bet? You're nothing but a coward."

"I've taken out your guards, and anyone else who crosses my path is toast," he declared. "Try me."

Dominic took a step closer to Claudia but stopped when she whimpered.

He gripped his fists tightly.

"That may be true, but I assume you would do anything to save her," Lorenzo hypothesized. His fingers tightened, and she wheezed. "Isn't that right?"

Dominic glanced at her. He didn't hesitate. "I would."

"And what happens if I don't, Nicco?" Claudia's breath paused as Lorenzo tightened his grip. "Are you going to send me off to meet my maker?"

Dominic's eyes were like a cat and mouse playing with his enemy. The guy was as sturdy as a rock. "You already know what I'm capable of."

"Are you willing to do anything to set her free?"

"I am."

"All's well that ends well," Lorenzo said as he took another step back. He moved closer to the exit. "Kneel, Dominic. Where you truly belong."

After that, Dominic really wanted to put his hand through Lorenzo's chest. He strained to control his raging wrath.

Lorenzo gripped her tighter and said, "Get down on your knees, or she dies right here."

Dominic inhaled deeply. He was not an idiot.

If he did what he thought he could do to Lorenzo, it was unlikely that the leader would let Claudia go. Even if he escaped, she was still in danger.

Having the Mafia leader around always meant trouble.

So there was just one choice.

"Stop, Dom," Claudia pleaded, and those pretty eyes filled with tears. "He killed..."

She stopped talking when Lorenzo gripped her throat. The sound that came out of Dominic would make monsters run away.

Lorenzo's eyes widened a little, but he held onto her. "Do you want Claudia to die in your arms like Amelia did?" he asked. "Because I still have some of the poison I used to kill her. I saved it for a rainy day."

When Dominic stared at him, he couldn't believe what he was hearing. His childhood idol has admitted to murdering his lover. It took everything he had to keep from going off like a grenade.

"So, what's the plan?" Lorenzo continued. "My patience is wearing thin."

Dominic wanted to attack Lorenzo, but he couldn't because he would hurt Claudia. He valued her more than revenge.

That was the truth.

He dropped to his knees. "Happy?"

Lorenzo kept his hold on Claudia while shifting sideways. Dominic knew that if he moved, she would die. Based on the scattered bodies, he was in a tough spot to pull her away. "How does it feel to be where you belong? Kneeling before your boss?"

Dominic raised an eyebrow. "It'll feel the same standing over your dead body."

His response infuriated him. "Your arrogance comes from foolishness."

"And your remaining seconds are lessening," Dominic said as he glanced at Claudia. "I will not allow you to take another woman I love from me." He saw in her eyes that she was ready for anything. "You need to release her before you miss another sunrise."

Lorenzo sneered. "Shows what you think. You and your family will soon feel my wrath. With Damian in particular."

"What about my father?"

He let out a hearty laugh. "Like you, he's incredibly stubborn, and he has no idea who's really in charge. Targeting your females has been entertaining, to put it mildly."

"That means my father is innocent of coming after Claudia."

The dim flashlight started flickering.

"Yes. Controlling every move Damian ever made worked out well," Lorenzo recalled. "And now it's time to bring him down with you."

"Over my dead body," Dominic declared.

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it, son."

Lorenzo quickly sprinted toward the wall and turned on the light. The sudden brightness hit like a bolt of lightning, momentarily blinding.

Dominic got up but couldn't see Claudia because of the glow. He thought back to where they were after hearing her cry.

Killer or not, it shook him to the depths of his soul.

Lorenzo pushed her so hard to the side that she nearly toppled. She played a role in his getaway, as the Mafia leader believed Dominic would go after her.

The man was right.

Dominic caught her waist in time to prevent her from falling. While lifting her head, she twisted in his arms and held on tight. "Dom..."

He set her down after kissing her cheek.

She called his name again as he turned, spotting Lorenzo halfway to the door.

Lorenzo wasn't going to live to see another day.

Dominic took off after him at full speed. When he landed, he flipped the leader onto his back.

Something dark and slick appeared in Lorenzo's hand.

Dominic grabbed his arm and twisted it until he could no longer hold the gun. "Yeah, you can kiss that goodbye."

Lorenzo struggled, but Dominic pinned him down.

He could break the guy's neck and call it a day, but Lorenzo was going to get his punishment for what he did to Amelia and Claudia.

"You will regret this, Nicco," he wheezed.

"Probably not. I have no remorse for taking the lives of your children, and I am ready to do the same to their father. A life for a life."

"Fuck... fuck you," Lorenzo spat. "Go to hell."

He firmly held his windpipe. Lorenzo's back bowed as Dominic leaned forward. "I don't care what you have to say. This has nothing to do with what you've done to me." Looking the man in the eyes, he inhaled deeply. "This is about her."

Lorenzo grabbed Dominic's wrists to pull him away. Although Dominic couldn't hear what he was mumbling, he couldn't help but smile at Lorenzo's phony authority. He drew out the Mafia boss's death so that every scream and quiver was an apology to Claudia.

Dominic threw Lorenzo to the side, then rose and walked around him. Claudia was sitting up, pale and bruised, but alive.

And he cherished her.

They locked eyes, time standing still, until Dominic slumped before her, pulled her close, and breathed in her scent. She wrapped him in a tight embrace, her arms surrounding his neck. That's when she saw blood all over him.

She was the light in the heart of his darkness.

She didn't flinch or question herself. He knew Claudia loved him, despite his imperfections.

She always did.

He cradled her, placing one arm beneath her legs. His words came more effortlessly than expected. "Marry me, Dia."

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