Chapter 3 - The Confession and the Vow
Dominic’s penthouse was a fortress in the sky. Occupying the entire top floor of a high-security tower, it was a sprawling expanse of black marble, dark leather, and bulletproof glass overlooking the glittering Boston skyline.
For two days, I was a ghost haunting his halls. His men—including the heavily tattooed capo, Jax—guarded the perimeter, treating me with a strange, cautious respect. Dominic was gone during the day, waging a quiet, violent war in the streets below, but at night, he returned.
On the third night, the tension in the penthouse finally snapped.
I was sitting in the massive, dimly lit library of his home, staring blankly at a book I wasn't reading. Dominic walked in, pouring himself a glass of whiskey. He looked exhausted, his tie loosened, a faint bruise blooming along his jawline.
"You haven't eaten," he noted, glancing at the untouched dinner tray his staff had left on the desk.
"I'm not hungry," I said quietly, closing the book. I looked up at him. "How long, Dominic? How long do I have to hide here while you fight a war?"
Dominic set his glass down sharply. The sound echoed like a gunshot. He crossed the room, his frustration finally breaking through his iron control. He leaned over the desk, invading my space, his dark eyes burning with a chaotic mixture of anger and a hunger that made my pulse race.
"You hide here until it is safe," he growled. "Do you think I enjoy this? Do you think I enjoy having a civilian in my home, distracting me? I can't focus. I am sitting in meetings with cartel bosses, and all I can think about is whether you are terrified in my library."
I stood up, refusing to be intimidated, even as my heart hammered violently. "Then let me go! I can hide myself. I can leave the city. Call my boyfriend, call my family—"
"I had Jax run a full background check on you the day we met," Dominic cut me off, his voice dropping to a harsh whisper. "You have no family. Your parents passed away years ago. You have no close friends. And you certainly don't have a boyfriend."
He stepped closer, backing me into the edge of the bookshelf. "Who is waiting for you, Alora? Who is missing you? Because from where I stand, it looks like you’ve spent your entire life hiding from the world."
His words hit too close to the truth. Tears of frustration welled in my eyes. "Just because I don't live in your violent world doesn't mean my life is empty."
"I know it's not empty," Dominic murmured, his anger suddenly evaporating, replaced by a dark, intense fascination. He reached out, his knuckles lightly grazing my cheek. "But you are twenty-four years old, and you live like a nun. No late nights. No reckless mistakes. No men. Why?"
I swallowed hard, trembling under his touch. "Because I like to be careful."
"Careful," he scoffed softly. His gaze dropped to my lips. "Have you ever not been careful, Alora? Has a man ever made you forget to be careful?"
"No," I breathed. The proximity of him, the sheer masculine heat radiating from his body, was intoxicating. "I... I've never been with anyone, Dominic."
Dominic completely froze.
The hand that had been caressing my cheek stopped mid-air. His dark eyes widened a fraction of an inch, the amber flecks catching the dim light of the room. The ruthless, calculating mafia boss vanished, replaced by a man struck by lightning.
In Dominic's world, everything was used, transactional, and stained with blood or deceit. The concept of something—of someone—being entirely pure, entirely untouched by the darkness of the world, seemed to short-circuit his brain.
"Never?" he asked, his voice a hoarse, ragged whisper.
"Never," I confirmed, my face burning with a mixture of embarrassment and a strange, newfound power. "Not like that."
Dominic let out a shuddering breath. He took a half-step back, running a hand through his dark hair, looking at me as if I were a holy relic he had accidentally stumbled upon in the dark.
When he looked back at me, the conflict in his eyes was gone. It was replaced by a terrifying, absolute possessiveness that sent a thrill straight down my spine.
He closed the distance between us, placing both of his large hands flat against the bookshelf on either side of my head, trapping me in his orbit.
"Listen to me very carefully, Alora," Dominic vowed, his voice dropping to a lethal, vibrating register. "I brought you here to keep you alive. But knowing what I know now... knowing that the world hasn't corrupted you yet..."
May you like
He leaned in, his lips brushing against my ear.
"No one touches you," he whispered, sending a shiver through my entire body. "Not Cross. Not his men. Not any man who looks at you twice on the street. You are mine to protect. And if anyone ever tries to lay a hand on you, I will burn this entire city to ash."
