“Are you afraid of your family seeing us together?”
“I just took a bullet to the chest and survived. I’m not afraid of anything. Are you forgetting that my whole family hates you and would love nothing more than to put you six feet under.”
“Your father always liked me,” Dominic retorts.
The door opens before I can reply and Matteo pokes his head in. “Everything okay, Cipi?”
“You brought your whole entourage with you?” Dominic scoffs.
“We just finished, Matteo,” I reply as I turn to my cousin who has entered the room. He gives Dominic a nod, but the disgust is clear on his face. “Dominic has agreed to help me.”
“How wonderful. Now let’s get you back home so you can rest.” Matteo takes my arm.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, Cipi.” Dominic walks back around his desk and sits down.
“Tomorrow?” Matteo repeats as he closes the door behind us. “You’re not wasting any time, are you, Cugina?”
“You never know when the enemy will strike.”
The soldiers swarm around me as I exit the office and head to the elevator. As the heavy doors close, I try to erase the memory of how good Dominic looked. He hates me and I should thank my lucky stars he is even willing to help me. A sickening feeling turns in my stomach. Someone close to me wants me dead. And to make matters worse, I invited the hater of all things mafia into my home.
In this weird game of real-life chess, I just put my piece on the board.
Chapter five
The scent of coffee beans and creamy milk fills my nostrils as the aroma of cappuccino surrounds me. I emerge from the sea of blankets and take in the faint rays of light glowing behind the thick curtains. A sinking feeling settles in the pit of my stomach along with a wave of pain.
Today is the day I meet with Dominic.
My mind drifts back to our interaction from yesterday.
His hazel eyes.
His muscular physique.
Then reality checks me as I remember the disgust on his face at seeing me and how he looked at me like I’m a criminal. The comments he made about my family’s empire don’t sit well with me either.
“Get a grip girl,” I mutter.
Shifting upright I feel the stitches tug beneath the compression wrap. Everything hurts.
Footsteps thud outside my bedroom. The door creaks and I see Mama.
“Cipi? Are you awake, Tesoro?”
I should have never given my family a key to my house but I really didn’t have a choice in the matter. Our homes are right next to each other in the compound and they would be over here no matter what.
“Hi, Mama.” I push back the blankets, revealing my pink pajamas.
Mama walks over and places the back of her hand on my forehead. “You’re pale.”
“Mama, I’m fine.”
“Lift your shirt, I need to change your bandages.”
Reluctantly, I pull up my pajama top as she unwraps the dressing and inspects it.
“It’s healing well.” She puts some vaseline on the wound then begins winding a new bandage around my torso. “You’ll have a scar but we can get medicine for that.”
