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“How long have you been working for Dominic?” Natalie asked, not touching on the sexual aspect being over, only confirming that we were taking a huge step back.
“A few years and before you ask, it’s not as simple as shooting him in the head and calling it a day. If any of his guys discover who I am, who Gab is - my right-hand man and best friend - they could come for us. They could bring everyone they know to New York City and start a war. A war that will result in the death of innocent people, and that’s not something I can allow to happen. I didn’t know about all of this,” I said, as I moved my index finger in a circle pointing upward.
“I found out after Dom took us on. I haven’t had a window where I could kill Dom and none of his guys could pin it back onto me. Gab is trying to help me find that window. He is aware of your medical background and that we need to get you out of here before your second trimester ends.”
“Are you close?”
“I think I am finally on the road to being close. Dom is looking to eliminate some of his higher-ranking guys. He wants me to be his second or third in command. It will give me more access to him. More time for us to be alone in an area, where it could be a hit from a rival crew. With what he does with the trafficking, he is stepping on a lot of toes from local gangs, the Russians and cartels. Any of them could kill him. I just need the right location and to get him there without anyone knowing or seeing us.”
“And you said Gabriele is working on that?”
“He is. The best thing you can do is stay away from Dom and the other guys. Don’t give him a reason to hurt you. After he is dead, I will get you out of here and set you up with a proper false ID for you and the baby. And I’ll set you up anywhere, even out of the country. You and your baby will be safe and free to live your life. I promise you that.”
I was hoping Natalie would listen to me. She needed to listen and trust me. If nothing else, she needed to trust that I would protect her, even if she didn’t like me. Before she could say anything, my phone went off. I pulled it out and saw that it was Dom. I held my finger to my lips so she wouldn’t say anything. The last thing I needed was for Dom to hear her.
“Dom,” I said as I answered.
“I need you at the compound,” Dom demanded.
“I’ll be there as soon as I can. I’ll call one of the guys to take over watch and then head out. I’ll be there within thirty.”
Dom ended the call without saying anything else and I knew something was happening.
“What is it?” Natalie asked, picking up on my distress.
“I don’t know. Dom wants to meet. I have to go. I’ll call Gab, and once he gets here, I’ll head out. Are you ok?”
I knew it was a ridiculous question, but I had to make sure she would be okay with Gab and everything we had just discussed. She was going to need time to process everything she had just learned.
“I will be. I think I’m gonna go lie down.”
I gave her a nod because there really was nothing else I could say. I had to give her time and just hope that by the end, she understood why I’ve had to do all of this.
Chapter twenty-one
Natalie
Lying on my bed, my mind was going a mile a minute. I had heard the front door open and close a couple of times just fifteen minutes ago, and I knew that meant Gabriele was here and Armando was gone. None of this was what I had been expecting. I didn’t know what to think about what I had learned. My mind still couldn’t understand that Armando had tortured my father to death, and I doubt I would ever move past it.
I understood that sometimes the end justifies the means, I do, but I didn’t think this was one of those situations. I understood that killing Dominic was a delicate process and had to be handled correctly. At the same time, I felt it could have already been handled. We weren’t talking about killing the President, as this was one piece of shit scumbag using women to profit off. Why hadn’t he killed him yet?
I needed more answers, more insight. With that in mind, I got off the bed and left my room. I went down the stairs and saw Gabriele sitting at the island countertop with a cup of coffee, scrolling along on his phone. He looked up when he heard footsteps and gave me a warm smile. I had to admit, I liked Gabriele. He seemed different compared to some of the men I had met. He was certainly different from what I thought the guys within the mafia would be like.
“Hey, how are you feeling?” he asked.
“Ok, considering,” I answered, as I went and sat down across from him. “Did Armando tell you what happened before you got here?”
“He did. We’ve been best friends our whole lives. We don’t have secrets between us. He also felt it would be best for me to be aware of what was happening to keep a better eye on you.”
“So, I don’t try to run away?”
“No, he knows you aren’t going to try and run. You still wouldn’t be able to get past the gate and you have nothing that you need to go on the run with. He’s worried about how you feel after everything you have learned, specifically about your father,” he explained gently.
“I don’t know how I feel about that,” I admitted, breaking eye contact and looking down.
“You don’t have to know right now. You got a bomb dropped on you, you’re allowed to need time to process and reflect on what you feel. I’m happy to talk it out with you if you want.”
“It probably seems stupid to you. For me to be upset about the manner in which my father was killed. Part of my mind and even my heart understands why Armando did what he did. But the other part of me, the daughter part, is hurt and furious that my father had to die that way. I don’t know how to connect the two different versions of Armando that I have seen together. I can’t picture the gentle and kind man he has shown me to the man who could torture someone to death like it is nothing.”
