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“Who?”
Dominic tenses. “I can’t tell you.”
“For Christ’s sake, you can, and youwill.”
“You’re not one of us, Marina. I can’t tell you about our business, or I risk being put to death.”
I flinch, fear spiking through me. He reallyisdangerous. “I’m not telling you a thing.”
“Don’t be stubborn. I’m trying to protect you.”
“Protect me?” I echo, incredulous. “By dragging me into a shootout and bleeding all over my couch?”
“I’ll have it replaced.”
“That’s not the point!”
“You harmed Renato’s men.”
“I was defending myself,” I argue, gesturing wildly with my arms. “They started it!”
“They’re not going to care if they started it or not. The fact of the matter is that you handed their asses to them, and that’s a slight they will takeverypersonally.”
“What are you saying?”
“I’m saying they’ll stop at nothing to find you now. They need to turn you into an example.”
Cold, ugly dread sweeps through me, chilling me all the way down to the marrow. “Turn me into an example? You can’t be serious.”
“I know this is a lot to take in, Marina, but you have to believe me when I say I’m on your side. I tried very hard to keep you out of my affairs.”
“That’swhy you wouldn’t give me the loan,” I realize aloud. “Because you didn’t want me to be in the pocket of your… don?”
“No, my capo.”
“What’s the difference?”
“I can’t tell you.”
I groan in frustration. I’m two seconds away from pulling my hair out by the roots. “And those assholes who were hassling me outside your office. Are they, like, made men? Is that what you people call them in the Mafia?”
“No, they’re associates.”
“You don’t make any damn sense.”
Dominic takes a step forward. I take a step back. “You and your daughter are in grave danger if I leave you unprotected,” he says firmly. “I need to move you somewhere deep within our territory.”
“Wait a second. You want me tomove?”
“You’ll be safer there where I can have my men keep an eye on you.”
“Absolutely fucking not!” I snap. “I can’t just get up and leave. What about my roommate? I’d have to find a new daycare to take Felicia. What about rent? The only reason I can afford this place is because I’m splitting the bill with Lana, and it’s rent controlled.”
“I’ll take care of all that.”
“Don’t I have a say in any of this?”
“No,” he says harshly. “You don’t.”
