The Italian Dom by N.J. Adel

CHAPTER 15

Nicky

 

“And then as soon as we arrived here, he winked at me, saying he’d see me soon, but first he needed a word with his capo.” I threw my hands in the air the moment I shut the nursery’s door. “I’m telling you he’s up to something awful like him!”

Lina put Nick in his crib, squeaking a toy in his face. “Calm down. From what you’ve told me, he didn’t give up on you yet. You still have a chance at winning him over.”

“Winning him over? What are you talking about?” This girl drove me nuts. “Focus, Lina. I never wanted to win him over. This whole thing happened because I wanted to pacify him so I’d lose him when the time was right so your husband would get off my back without a freaking war.”

“That’s a lot of sos in one sentence.” Finally, she peered at me, losing the little smile that had been on her face all the time I was telling her what happened. “Can I ask you something, and please remember I’m still your sister and you can tell me anything?”

Of course she was my sister, and she cared about me as much as I cared about her, but could I really tell her anything as we used to before she became Signora Bellomo and Tino’s puppet? “What do you want to know?”

“How good was Dom’s kiss?”

“Oh for God’s sake. I can’t believe you right now.”

“Last night, something amazing happened to you, but you wouldn’t even talk about it. Instead, you’re overwhelming your brain with worry.”

“What amazing thing? Lina, do you even understand what’s going on here? Have you listened to a word I said?”

“Yes, Nicky. I’ve listened, to every single word, including the part where you allowed a man to kiss you, for the first time when you had all control to say yes or no. You don’t think that’s amazing?”

I averted my gaze, the memory of Domenico’s searing kiss assaulting me, sending butterflies in my stomach and a shiver down my body similar to the one that engulfed me when our lips had connected.

“That good?” she asked.

My head jerked back at her. Then I raised a brow, refusing to be dragged down that dangerous path of sweet, blinding weakness. “Yes. He’s an excellent kisser and really hot. He could be a gentleman, too, and he had no problem in taking things slow.” I went over to her side and looked right into her eyes. “But it doesn’t change a thing.”

“Why not?”

“Because I refuse to have my brain washed and replace one monster by another like you!”

Her chin wobbled, and she gave a terse nod before she gave me her back, facing the crib.

Shit. I blew out a frustrated breath, pulling at my hair. “Lina, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”

“Despite what you think, my brain is still mine, and I use it more often than it appears to you.”

I wrapped my arms around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head. “I know. I’m so sorry. You’ve always been so smart. We just think in different ways. You follow your heart. You see things others can’t see.” I tightened my embrace. “Between the two of us, you’ve always been the beautiful dreamer.”

“And you’re the one who kept me in check.” She turned, and her tender eyes held my gaze. “You don’t know how much I love you, Nicky. All I want and care about is for you to be happy. It is possible, you know, for people like us to be happy.”

I glanced between her and Nick. Having a baby like him could make anybody happy. I had no doubt about it. But the way she had him, and the man who gave him to her… My head shook in response. “Like you are?”

“Yes. I know it’s hard to believe. With a man like Il Lupo, after what he put me through, what he put us through… It wasn’t easy in the beginning, and I felt the same way as you do now, hurt, scared, betrayed, lost, broken even, but in its own twisted way, it collected my pieces and put them back together, made me deal with everything I needed to deal with to open up my mind and heart and become the woman I am now.”

Delusions. All delusions. I wouldn’t argue with her now, though. Enough what I’d said. My sister meant the world to me, and I never wanted to hurt her. “Like I said, you saw things others didn’t see. You see something in Tino I can’t, not in Domenico either. Not every Beauty can fall in love with Beast.”

She took a deep breath, smiling. “I think if you allow yourself to—”

“Lina, c’mon. Now isn’t the time. We have a more persistent problem to deal with. There’s a coyote on the loose that’s out there to get me.”

She giggled, but her laughter was interrupted midway by a roar.

“Nicole!” Tino’s shout from downstairs reached the top floor where we were and went through my bones.

“Nicole!”

My heart sank. “He told him. The son of a bitch told him.”

Lina paled. “It’s okay. We’ll find a way to fix it. Let me come with you.”

“No. You stay here. No need to get in trouble for me. It’s my war, and I’ll fight it.”

“Nicky—”

I didn’t hear whatever she had to say as I dashed out. Tino’s hound, Michele, was waiting for me outside. He gestured toward the elevator, and I went with him, huffing.

Down at the office, Tino was standing by the door like a rabid dog about to attack. “How could you? I thought you were a grownup. Do you like the position you put me in?”

My jaw twisted, and I chanced a glance inside the office. The asshole was there, sitting next to his boss. Domenico’s stare locked on mine, and he gave me that fucking wink again.

That was his revenge. He couldn’t wait to get back here so he’d tell Tino what I did. I was such an idiot for thinking Domenico could be a gentleman. Gentlemen didn’t kiss and tell. Was that why Tino was so upset? Because the asshole told him we kissed? No, by their book, that would have incriminated Domenico. The Lanzas would be at fault, not the Bellomos.

Domenico must have told him his future wife wasn’t as compliant and innocent as Mafia princesses were advertised. Now, that would put Tino in a bad position where he’d have to kiss the Lanzas’ asses. He’d have to give them something to shut them up and save my reputation. I saw now why he was upset. Domenico was getting even by getting a piece of Tino’s business cake.

“I’m sorry, Tino,” I lied. I couldn’t care less about his fucking business. “There must be something I can do to make things better. Maybe if I formally apologize to him and his boss, he can move on and find a new fiancé that suited his preferences without you giving them anything.”

“You want to break off the engagement?” he asked as if I was crazy.

“The potential engagement that I’ve never consented to, yes. Please.” I laughed internally. I couldn’t believe I was about to turn the tables on Dom and get out of this stupid arrangement after all that had happened.

His lips curled over his teeth in a snarl as he grabbed my wrist and dragged me inside.

Shit. That hurt. He was as strong as the douchebag that carried me by the wrists and sat me on his lap. “What the hell? What are you doing?”

Domenico shot to his feet. “Don’t hurt her! She’s a Lanza now. I told you I’d make things right. Now, if you want.”

Tino left my wrist and threw a punch right into Domenico’s face. Instantly, blood flew out of Dom’s nose, and a frenzy of what seemed to be heavy Italian curses I hadn’t heard before stormed out of Enzio’s mouth.

Oh my God. What in the actual fuck? “Tino! Are you crazy?”

“Yes! Crazy to trust that cazzone that couldn’t keep his dick in his pants, that knows nothing about honor or trust.”

“Huh? What are you talking about? He didn’t—” No. Nonononono. NO!

“Che cazzo? He said he’d marry the girl right away. You didn’t have to break his nose before the wedding.” Enzio said.

Domenico wiped his bloody nose. “No, va bene. As long as he doesn’t hurt her. Let him take it all out on me. I deserve it.” He gazed at me with puppy eyes. “I got you, baby girl.”

My face contorted with shock and disgust. “What baby fucking girl? What the hell did you tell him?”

“Everything. I did a terrible thing, and I’m so sorry I couldn’t wait. You’re just so beautiful. But I’m fixing it, I swear.”

“What…” My heart skittered as every fiber in me screamed. “Domenico, whatever sick joke you have going, it isn’t funny. You want revenge, fine, but be a man about it.”

His eyes gleamed with his true nature. The yellow hue of a predator. “I am being a man about it. Unlike other people, I’m not the kind who would use a girl and walk away. I meant every single word I’ve ever said to you. I keep my promises, baby girl, and I’ll have forever to show you.”

I gulped, my mouth as dry as a rock. This…coyote…was really out there to get me. He did the one thing I never expected him to do. He lied to Tino, convincing him he’d slept with me last night, and the only way to fix it was by marrying me. Right away.

He wanted to marry me so he could punish me, own me, make me regret trying to use him, so he could have his fucking revenge every day for the rest of my life, so the coyote would eat the little kitten.

But I was no little kitten, and there was no way in hell I was going to let this happen. “There’s no way in hell I’m going to marry you.”

Tino jabbed a finger at me. “You don’t get to object after what you did.”

My eyes widened at him. “What I did? I haven’t done anything yet.” But I will. I’m gonna kill the son of a bitch. “What did I do, Tino? Enlighten me, per favore. What the fuck did I do?”

Suddenly, Tino pulled me into a hug. “Mi dispiace, figlia mia. You’re absolutely right. You did nothing wrong. This is all his fault…and mine for letting him anywhere near you, leaving you all alone with that…” He growled, letting me go, and punched Domenico again.

Enzio ran a hand through his hair. “Oh for fuck’s sake. Just set a fucking date already and stop smashing my cousin’s face.”

“Don’t swear in front of my daughter,” Tino warned.

“Oh fuck me, like she has the cleanest mouth in town.” Enzio checked Domenico’s bleeding face, and he didn’t seem pleased. “Anyway, Dom made a mistake. You punched the shit out of him. He came to you out front to fix everything. All you gotta do is say when and where.”

“Subito, per favore.” Domenico moaned, but somehow he still managed to wink at me. “I can’t wait.”

“Oh you’ve made that fucking clear, you prick,” Tino grumbled.

I wiped my face with my hands, rage seeping from my pores. “No, no, no! How could you believe this bullshit? Tino, you got it all wrong. Nothing happened. Can’t you see he’s lying? He just wants revenge for…” I chopped off my words.

Tino crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against his desk. “Revenge for what, Nicole?”

“Yeah, baby girl.” He smirked, blood trickling down his lips. “What could such an innocent girl like you have possibly done to me so I’d have my revenge on her by honoring her and making her mine forever?”