Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 69945 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 350(@200wpm)___ 280(@250wpm)___ 233(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69945 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 350(@200wpm)___ 280(@250wpm)___ 233(@300wpm)
“What was that?” I asked.
“Stay right here.” It took him a second to get to his feet. He grabbed the gun he’d laid on a table nearby, but I knew he was hurting. I knew he might need help. Not that I really knew how to give help in this situation, but I didn’t want him to be alone, so I followed him.
“Corey, I swear to God, if you get killed because you can’t listen—”
“I’ll stay back.”
“Fine.”
We moved toward the back of the house. I hadn’t even been sure what direction the sound came from, but he seemed to know. As we walked into the sunroom, I saw a broken window. A brick lay on the floor surrounded by shards of glass. There was a paper wrapped around it, secured by a rubber band.
“Fucking bastards,” Dom said.
He scowled at me. “Get out of this room. I don’t want you exposed to the windows.”
“Do you think someone’s still out there?”
“No, but I’m not taking chances, not with you.”
I knew I was a job to him, but something about the way he said the words made it sound like he really cared if I got hurt and not just because I couldn’t be a witness. Would he really be sad if something happened to me? I hoped somebody would. I’d hate to disappear off the face of the earth and nobody care, but my colleagues at the office sure as hell wouldn’t, my parents were dead, and my friends had their own lives. They might miss me, but nothing would really change for them with me gone.
I stepped back out of the room, and Dom moved closer to the window. He had a gun in his hand, but it was dark outside. How could he see if someone was aiming for him?
“Be careful. I don’t want you hurt either.”
“I know what I’m doing,” he said.
I had to assume he did, or he wouldn’t have lived this long. He positioned himself behind a chair and waited. When we didn’t hear or see anything, he moved slowly toward the brick on the floor. My heart pounded as he grabbed it and moved away from the windows.
One of the guards who’d been stationed outside rushed in. “Sir, are you okay?”
“Corey and I are fine. Get back out there and find out who threw this brick and where they went. I’ll deal with your inability to notice their presence later.”
“Yes, sir.” The man ran out as fast as he’d entered. I knew he and the other guards would suffer later for missing someone’s presence. Would Dom torture them or even kill them? I shivered at the thought.
Dom motioned for me to follow him as he peeled the note from the brick, never once letting on that his hand or leg hurt.
“What does it say?” I asked.
“It’s a threat. I’ll take care of it.”
“Can I see it?”
“No.”
I hated the chill that remained in his voice now. “I want to know what’s going on.”
“You need to go to your room. I’ve got calls to make and men to punish.”
“Please don’t kill the guards.”
He narrowed his eyes and studied me for a moment. “They could have gotten you killed. I will decide what punishment fits that crime.”
“I’m okay, though. And I….”
“I will do whatever is necessary to protect you.”
The guard he’d sent outside appeared at the door. “I’m sorry to interrupt you, sir, but I need to speak with you right away.”
Dom tilted his head toward the door as he held my gaze.
There was so much I wanted to say and so many questions I wanted to ask. Like why the fuck did some asshole choose tonight to do this? What would have happened in the gym if we hadn’t been interrupted?
My body had already been on high alert before we’d raced downstairs to find out if someone had broken in. How the hell was I supposed to just sit in my room?
And what was Dom going to do? Risk his fucking life going after someone? I’d seen how good his aim was, and I didn’t doubt he’d push himself as hard as he needed to if someone came after me or him or both of us, but I also knew he was in pain and his movements were restricted. He was going to get hurt or worse. He needed more help.
What would happen if I got Valentino’s number and sent him a message?
Dom would be furious if he found out. I wouldn’t try that yet, but if I needed to, I would.
12
DOM
Iwatched Corey’s reluctant retreat. After he headed upstairs, I turned to Warren, the guard who’d interrupted us. “You have a lot of explaining to do.”
“Yes, sir, but first you need to know that Roberto is compromised.”
“Explain.”
“Roberto threw the brick, and he was scoping out the best way to get to Corey last night.”