This has just turned downright terrifying. “You’re the mother?” I ask her and she nods tearing up.
“I don’t know what to do,” she whispers and in any other circumstances I’d say “not my problem” but this is my brother’s child. I’m bound to protect her.
“I’ll figure it out,” I tell Damian the changes, for him to see if I’m a blood relative and walk outside by the back door to call someone I wasn’t expected to ever talk to again.
“Dalia? I need a favour. I need you to relocate someone under the child protective program,” I say to the only woman who can help me sort this out. Dalia is a family friend who works with the secretive police and is the only way for someone to disappear from the mafia world and go incognito. I can’t have this child live in a mafia world that led her father, grandfather and grandmother to their death. That’s too much of a weight to bear.
“When can I get the child?” she asks and I look at the sky. Sorry brother. I can’t bring her to this side of the world. She’ll have the life both you and she deserved, I’ll make sure of it.
“Tomorrow. I’ll send you the details,” I say sending Karla message of what I need him to tell Dalia “It’s settled,” she says a few seconds after she receives the data. And I see a small blonde figure looking up at me.
“You disappeared, I thought you were kidnapped,” she says clearly hurt. My soul stabs me in the heart. Metaphorically, but it feels legitimate. “Stephanie is here,” she whispers and I try to touch her but she shakes me. “Should I be worried? You completely ditched the mission for her,” she says this time I can see her repressing tears.
Josh is standing at the other end of the parking lot giving me his deadliest “I’ll destroy you” stare.
“Don’t answer what Josh wants you to. Or what I want you to. Say the truth. No matter how much it-”
“My brother has a daughter. Apparently Stephanie has her. She lured me here saying she was my daughter. She’s got Ricik’s eyes. I came here to a paternity test. You have nothing to worry about. I just had to manage this alone until I was sure of everything. I still don’t even know if the child is my brother’s they’re testing the blood. It will take another,” I check my watch, “Nineteen hours. Stephanie is leaving. That’s why she lured me, she needed to leave the child behind if she wanted her to stay safe and have a proper life,” I end and Love seems to be taking the information in. “I got her into protective police. She’s getting out of this world”
“I see,” Love says and starts to walk away but I hold her wrist. When she turns around she’s crying. “You scared me to death”
“I’m sorry-”
“No, you don’t get to say you’re sorry when you left mein the blind. I’ll talk to you later,” she says and shakes my hand from her wrist, going towards Josh’s car.
My whole world falls apart when they both leave.
What have I done?
Chapter 15
Love
“Twenty hours,” I wait twenty hours crying on Rian’s arms until Dominik returns. Rian wants to kill Dominik. Josh wants to torture him to death. Aiden wants to slowly take every joy from his life. But if Dominik didn’t lie. I’m the joy. So I must retreat. And after thinking and rethinking I can’t just let this slide. Our relationship has been beyond unconventional. I’m too involved to let him go, but I’m too upset to give him a free pass.
After I see Dominik outside I wash my face and get out of Rian’s room into the living room and am greeted by Dominik.
“Hi,” he says insecure, he knows he screwed up. I’d never leave him alone in a moment like this. I’d never do it if he hadn’t broken my heart. And as I look at him I know I can’t do this. Dominik is giving the child up for me. He’s always wished for a family. He has his brother’s daughter now and he can’tgive her up.
“Go with her,” I say what I fear he wants to. “You always wanted a family, you got the baby now, go with the baby. Get out of this world,” I say giving him all the space and words he needs to let me go.
“I’m not leaving. I do want a family. But I don’t want a family if that means I won’t have you,” he whispers and takes one step towards me, I take one step behind. My trembling hands shake just like tree leaves with strong wind.
“I’m not holding you back,” I say, Dominik looks baffled.
“You’re not holding me back. You saved me. You keep saving me every day you choose to be by my side. My life is chaotic. I was the fucking definition of chaos. Rage was creeping inside me more and more. I was falling into a hole I could’ve never gotten myself out of. I was turning into the man my father wanted, for Satan’s sake-”
“Go praise Satan elsewhere, this is a house of God,” Aiden says passing to the living room with popcorn. “Don’t mind me, I’ll watch silently, seeing Dominik desperate is so entertaining,” he sits on the couch looking our way. When Dominik is about to lunge at him, I grab his hand and go upstairs to his small drawing cave.
“Sorry for Aiden, he has no boundaries,” I apologise for him, he’s like family so I feel obligated to do so.
“I couldn’t care less about him right now,” he says and I notice there are new drawings. Only a few. Dominik doesn’t sleep much, I caught him exercising or drawing several times at night. It’s not like I’m obsessed with him or something. But I actually am. “Tell me how to get you back,” he says and approaches me, I take stepsbehind until I’m trapped between Dominik and a wall.
“Be with me,” I start and Dominik tries to touch me but I stop him, “You didn’t tell me what happened-”
“I didn’t want you to worry,” Dominik quickly replies and I can’t contain a nervous laugh, I’m laughing but tears stream down my face.
“You can’t protect me from everything. And you seriously need to stop protecting me all the time. How do you think I feel now? Not worried? I’m desperate and I don’t know what else you might be hiding for what you think is my sake. If you want me, you’ll have to learn to trust me. And not worry about how I might feel about something if it concerns you,” the last words that leave my mouth are only a whisper, barely audible.
