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Downstairs, there's more yelling. The voices are too muffled to make out, and then silence falls.
The quiet is somehow more terrifying than the yelling.
Tiptoeing into the bathroom, I shut the door quietly and flip on the light. He told me to wait, and I never, ever disobey Dominic. But there's a tight ball of panic building in my chest, and I have the uncontrollable sensation to just go and see what's going on. Just a little peek so I can make sure the man I love is okay.
I don't even know what I would do if he isn't, but it doesn't matter. I have to know.
I splash cold water on my face and try to breathe deeply, but all I can hear is Dominic's final instruction.
Don't answer the door for anyone but me.
Downstairs, the voices are still silent. A tiny part of me starts to hope that this is just some sort of misunderstanding and nothing is wrong. Maybe that was one of his employees needing help, and Dominic is fixing the problem.
Then I remember Elena and the fact that she’s working late tonight. Wasn't she? Yes, she is because she has to clean up the dinner I made for Dominic.
A single tear slips down my cheek, and I brush it away, splashing my face once more with water. My fingers shake as I towel off, and I switch off the light, padding barefoot back to the bedroom.
I'm terrified. Moreso when I realize that the yelling has been replaced with whispers. They're in the foyer and the hallway, but the sound is muffled, and I can't make out what they're saying.
Making what might be the worst decision of my entire life, I slip on my silk robe hanging on the bathroom door, tying it tight, and slowly, slowly walk out into the hallway.
The stairs are in front of me, and the foyer is below, and I'm able to see two figures. Dominic and with his back to me is a shorter figure that looks way more like Dominic than I ever realized.
Carlo.
I still can't hear the two of them, but Carlo's movements are frantic and wild, while Dominic is as cold and stoic as ever. I take a few silent steps closer until the words finally start to make sense.
"...nothing left now, Dad! Just let me come back. Throw that bitch to the curb and we can just go back to normal. I want to be your right hand."
Dominic's voice is a deadly calm. "I think the fuck not, Carlo. You made your bed. I gave you a chance, and you blew it. You had a deal, and you fucked up. And you dare to call my woman a bitch. There's no coming back from this, no starting over. This is the end of the fucking line for you."
"Why are you always so fucking stubborn!" Carlo yells, and he sounds like a petulant child, a far cry from the sophisticated man who charmed me months ago.
"Because unlike you, I am the boss," Dominic growls. "The business is mine, and the family is mine, and the girl is mine. You have no place here, and you won't be taking over my empire any time soon. Hell, if you're lucky, I won't bury you alive."
"I HATE YOU!" Carlo screams and pulls something out of his waistband. The light glints off the silver, and suddenly everything moves in slow motion.
Terror strikes me like lightning, bile crawling up my throat as I scream, but there’s no point. I should have known better.
As I rush to stop this madness, Dominic has already lunged forward and disarmed Carlo. The younger man is on the floor, holding his broken wrist, looking up at his father, who has his gun now pointed at him, instead.
"I'm sorry," Carlo whimpers, scooting back towards the door, his face pale, his eyes wild. He sees me just as I skid to a stop behind the pair, and his gaze becomes even more frantic, eyes shifting back and forth rapidly. "Daisy. Daisy! Please don't let him kill me."
Dominic takes a step towards his son, and Carlo's face goes deathly white. "No. No, no, no. Daisy. Daisy, please! Don't let him do this. You don't hate me that much, do you? Please! I'll do whatever you say. I'll leave, I'll move across the world, fuck, I'll go live under a bridge somewhere. Just please, please don't let him kill me."
Dominic doesn't even turn to look at me. "I said not to leave the room."
I have no idea what to do. My heart hammers against my chest, and my hands shake, the pleading face of Dominic's son making me feel sick.
"Dominic," I croak, stepping forward. "Don't. He's your son."
"Don't move, Daisy," Dominic commands.
"Please," Carlo says, reaching out with a hand. "I'll leave, I won't come back. I'll leave and never talk to you again. You won't ever have to see me again."
Slowly, like I'm approaching a lion that's ready to pounce, I wrap my hands around Dominic's arm. The same one that's holding the gun. "Don't. Let him go or you will never forgive yourself." I rest my head against his shoulder, hearing the pounding of his heart as I do. "We have a whole life, remember? Il Fiore, all the places you promised me we'll go...it will never be the same for you if you do this."
The breath he lets out is massive, and when he chuckles, it's resigned. "You really are an angel, huh? For everyone."
