The Italian Dom by N.J. Adel

CHAPTER 16

Nicky

 

My chest heaved as I realized I couldn’t tell the truth without making things even worse. It’d make the Bellomos the bad guys here, and it’d make Tino angrier, so much he’d choose not to believe me even I was telling the truth.

How did this Lanza monster screw me over like that? How could I have been so stupid? “You son of a bitch, I’m gonna kill you.” I lost it and lunged at Domenico, fingernails forward. “I’m gonna fucking kill you!”

I aimed for his face, but I scratched the air as strong arms wrapped around my waist, lifting me off the floor and pushing me away from that asshole’s face.

“Nicole, cut it off.” Tino put me down behind him, shielding the jerk from my wrath. “Everybody out.”

Enzio pushed his repugnant cousin toward the door. “You got yourself a feisty one here, Dom. Reminds me of my own. Except yours is no pixie and naturally blonde. Do you know how many fucking times Bianca tried to kill me? Good ol’days.” He chuckled on their way out.

When Tino locked the door, I dashed toward him. “You can’t force me to marry that piece of shit.”

He pushed past me and sat behind his desk. “Shut up and sit.”

“No! You’re not listening. We didn’t have sex.”

“I know.”

Taken aback, I glared at him. “Then why the hell did you take part of that charade?”

He crossed his legs and pointed at the seat across from him. “I don’t like to repeat myself.”

An angry breath blew out of me as I took the fucking seat. “Here. Now, answer me.”

“Dom won’t play that game without encouragement. Something happened between the two of you last night. Something that touches the honor of both families.”

“We just kissed. That’s all.”

“Don’t fucking lie to me.”

Like I could do anything in this bloody, fucked up world but lie. “All you need to know is that we didn’t sleep together. I didn’t break your stupid code.”

“Yes, you did. Even if it was just a kiss.”

“You can’t be serious.”

“When it comes to honor, I’m dead series.”

“Those stupid rules don’t apply to me. I’m not your blood, Tino. I’m not one of your soldiers, either. Whom I kiss or even fuck isn’t anybody’s business but mine.”

“Your business is my business whether you like it or not. If I turn a blind eye after what Dom said, I won’t be taken seriously about the honor of my family. Imagine how much blood will have to be spilled if that ever happens.”

“For a kiss?” I hissed.

“Allora, there’s no way we can prove you’re the one telling the truth. It’s your word against Dom’s, and he said he fucked you.” He leaned forward, his expression, his whole body menacing. “Either I kill him for it, which will start a war with the Lanzas, my strong allies that I need, especially when my own son is out there to kill me, or you’ll have to marry him to restore our honor, like you should.”

I stared at him for long moments, watching my life tumbling down in pieces. Then a sudden realization stabbed me in the heart. How could I have been so blind? “You set me up. You let him take me to my place yesterday and be alone with me so all this would happen. So you can have anything to use to force me to marry him. So you can silence me forever.” I rose to my feet, my legs barely holding me up. “You son of a bitch, you set me up.”

His palm banged the surface of his desk as he rose, too. “You’re crossing a line. You’ll learn how to speak to your capo or there will be consequences.”

“You’re not my capo. I’m not a fucking pawn in your game. I will not marry your lying, murderer friend.”

“Don’t test my patience, Nicole. And a word of advice, do yourself a favor and stop lying to yourself. You want Domenico Lanza as much as he wants you.”

“You don’t know the first thing about what I want.” For starters, I wanted Tino and Domenico and every man like them dead.

“I know you want him enough to give him your first real kiss, and who knows what else.” His blue eyes, so dark and venomous, settled on mine. “You will marry Dom, Nicole. Go make your arrangements. As soon as Leo is no longer a threat, your wedding will be in order.”

“Or what?” I dared despite the fear his gaze and words instilled in me.

He moved around his desk, and, reflexively, I took a step back. When he stood right in front of me, he was terrifyingly calm, yet I’d never felt more threatened by Tino than I was now. The corner of his mouth gave a slight twitch. “I’ll hate for you to lose your scholarship.”

“What? You can’t do this. I only have two more years left to graduate.” My education was the only thing I had left in this life. My only chance to get out of here and start a future that held no blood or monsters.

“Bellomo Academy doesn’t support students who indulge in such behavior or indiscretions.”

A bitter chuckle ripped out of me. “Whatever. I’ll find another one. All my school and college records prove I’m a great student, a prodigy like you always called me. I’m sure someone will be happy to support me until I finish.”

“Do you really think someone will go against Sebastiano Bellomo to support you?”

“Then I’ll take a fucking loan or find a job and pay for school myself.”

“I’ll make sure you’re unhirable. For the rest of your life.”

I shook my head in disbelief. But why would I not believe the true colors of this monster? “You might own Chicago, Don Bellomo, and maybe the whole state, but there must be some place you don’t, and someone who’s not that afraid of you.” I shot a dirty glance at him. “I’m out of here.”

I spun on my heels, but he grabbed my wrist painfully and hurled me against the wall. A gasp flew out of my chest, and before I could say anything, he fisted my hair and pulled back hard enough to hurt my neck. “Let me remind you of one more thing, my sweet daughter that’s not my blood. I gave Leo, my own blood, a lot of liberty, let him act however he liked and he…betrayed me and my honor…just like you. And even then I showed him one act of mercy instead of doing what had to be done, and look what happened. It came to bite me in the ass.”

My heart skipped a beat, and a wave of nausea wobbled my feet. “What’s Leo got to do with this?”

“Nothing. I just want you to know that I won’t make the same mistake twice, figlia mia.”

My breaths came out as short gasps, and I started to shake. Was he saying what I thought he was saying? Was the man who saved me from my rapist, the father of my nephew, my sister’s beloved husband who took me in and considered me his daughter, threatening to kill me?

“You won’t.” I trembled. “Lina will never forgive you. You’ll lose her forever.”

He smiled, his grip on my hair loosening up. Then he leaned in and whispered, “Who said she’d know it was me?”

Of course. He’d stage it however he liked, and he’d play with my sister’s head, convincing her he wasn’t the one behind it. If it weren’t for his fist holding me up, I’d collapse. “You’d to that to her? Kill her only sister and hurt her like that?”

“It’d be you doing that to her. You would be breaking your beloved sister’s heart. My sweet Angel would be so sad. Devastated. But I’d take care of her. Our son and I would be her only family. My sweet, sweet Angel, finally, all mine.”

“You’re sick,” I rasped, quivering, fighting the urge to cry.

He laughed wholeheartedly. “Aren’t we all, piccola?”

I envied the tears that were now running free while I stood there trapped between the jaws of the wolf.

“You’re a smart girl, Nicole, and even now I still love you as my own.” His fingers left my hair and wiped under my eyes so tenderly, as if he hadn’t just threatened to kill me, as if he meant what he’d just said. “Think about your sister and your future. You have till tomorrow morning to tell me if I’m going to be arranging for a wedding or a funeral.”