Chapter 3 - The Innocent Vow
Dominic’s penthouse was a sprawling, high-security fortress of floor-to-ceiling glass and dark marble, suspended high above the glittering Boston skyline.
For two days, I paced the luxurious guest suite, completely cut off from the world while Dominic and his men waged a quiet, bloody war against the Cross syndicate in the streets below. The tension inside the penthouse was suffocating. Every time Dominic returned, he looked more exhausted, his knuckles bruised, his dark eyes shadowed with a weight he refused to share.
On the third night, the heavy silence finally broke.
I was sitting in his expansive library, wearing one of his oversized cashmere sweaters, staring blankly at a book. The double doors opened, and Dominic walked in. He poured himself a glass of whiskey, leaning heavily against the mahogany desk as he watched me.
"You haven't eaten," he noted, his voice rough.
"I'm not hungry," I replied softly. I closed the book and looked up at him, my frustration finally bubbling to the surface. "How long, Dominic? How long do I have to hide in this tower? My boss is going to wonder where I am. My landlord is going to call the police."
Dominic scoffed, a dark, bitter sound. "I had Jax run your life, Alora. Your landlord thinks you're at a conference, and your boss was easily bought off. You have no family. You have no close friends. And more importantly, you don't have a man in your life to ask questions."
He set his glass down sharply, closing the distance between us until he was standing just inches from my chair. "Why is that? Why is a woman as fiercely intelligent and beautiful as you living like a ghost? Who taught you to be so afraid of the world?"
I stood up, refusing to let him intimidate me, even though the sheer masculine heat radiating from him was making my pulse race.
"I'm not afraid," I defended myself, my voice trembling. "I just like to be careful. People hurt you when you let them too close."
"Careful," Dominic repeated, his gaze dropping to my lips. "Have you ever let anyone close, Alora? Has a man ever made you forget to be careful?"
"No," I breathed, trapped in the magnetic pull of his eyes. "I... I've never been with anyone, Dominic."
Dominic froze completely.
The ruthless, calculating mob boss entirely short-circuited. He stopped breathing, his dark eyes widening just a fraction of an inch as the weight of my words registered. In his world, everything was transactional, corrupt, and stained. The concept that someone could be completely untouched—entirely pure—seemed to shatter the dark armor he wore.
"Never?" he whispered, his voice a hoarse, ragged rasp.
"Never," I confirmed, a blush heating my cheeks.
Dominic let out a shuddering breath, taking a half-step back as if my innocence was something holy that he was afraid to taint. He ran a hand through his dark hair, looking at me with a reverence that took my breath away.
When his eyes finally met mine again, the conflict was gone. It was replaced by a terrifying, absolute possessiveness that made my knees weak.
May you like
He stepped forward, placing his large, warm hands on either side of my face.
"Listen to me very carefully, Alora," Dominic vowed, his voice vibrating with a lethal, unbreakable promise. "If you have never known the touch of a man, then you will never know the touch of a man who doesn't worship the ground you walk on. No one touches you. Not Cross, not his men, not anyone. You are mine to protect. And I will burn this entire city to ash before I let a single shadow fall on you."
