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“I said I’m fine,” he snapped. “Nofeelings. Okay?”
I nodded, unable to do anything else.
Johnny shook his head, disapproval clear on his face, but he didn’t say anything, and I wasn’t sure if I was a disappointed, or relieved. If someone could call Marc out on his bullshit, it was his best friend. I fumbled with my mug, distracting myself with drinking.
“Now that we have established that.” Dominic’s eyes traveled over each one of us, gaze pointy and hard, before settling on me. “Can we go on?”
I nodded numbly, refusing to look at Marc. If he wanted to shut me out, fine. I could do the same.
Dom leaned forward, arms on thighs, and those dead black eyes locked on me. “You were to participate in an arranged marriage with my nephew?”
I felt Marc stiffen beside me.
“Yes,” I confirmed. “They went completely behind my back.”
“Your father?”
I nodded. “And Mr. X. They had some deal, to get him out of debt.”
Dom sneered. “That’s what he calls it?”
“What do you mean?”
He straightened, leaning back and crossed his arms. “My brother got him into shit he couldn’t get out of, then came to the rescue by offering shit he couldn’t say no to.”
I still didn’t understand, and he must have seen it on my face.
“He sold you to save his ass,” he said bluntly, and I couldn’t help but gasp.
I knew it. Mr. X said so. My father even admitted it, though in nicer words. But having it thrown back at me again, and by that cutting all hopes of this being a big misunderstanding, ripped me to pieces inside.
My voice was just a whisper, “He made me believe I was dying.”
Dom’s eyebrows shot up, and he let out a little whistle. “Creative.” Then his eyebrows drew together as confusion gripped his face. He looked annoyed, as if not having all the answers frustrated him. “Why?”
I momentarily closed my eyes, shutting Dom’s demanding gaze out for a few seconds of comforting nothingness. Then I looked back, trying to keep my voice from trembling as I admitted. “To control me. To save me for Alex.”
Marc muttered curses under his breath, and I finally dared to glance at him. The moment my eyes met his, I wish I hadn’t. Everything he didn’t show on his face, shone in his eyes, darkening the steel gray with unspoken anger, and making mine sting from sudden tears. I looked away, locking my gaze on my hands, and picking at my nail-polish as a distraction.
“And you? What’s your role in this?” Dominic asked Marc, and I held my breath as I waited for him to speak.
His voice was as strong as he looked, giving nothing of his inner world away. I needed that, now more than ever. If we could just hold on a little longer, everything would be okay? Right?
“I was hired by her father to transport her to Mr. X.” He spoke matter-of-factly, as if he was discussing a shipment and not…me. I swallowed the emotion rising in my throat. Okay, so maybe I didn’t want himthatstrong.
“I bet he paid big bucks for that,” Dom said, and Marc gave a stiff nod.
“That’s why you took the job?”
Another nod.
Dom chuckled darkly. “So, it had nothing to do with his threatening to expose your ass to the cops?”
“Fuck you,” Marc growled, and Dom froze. So did I. I held him with my gaze, silently praying he wouldn’t pull a gun on Marc, too. He wouldn’t let that go. Not as Johnny did.
I gulped.
Dom’s cold stare leveled Marc, making me fear he could annihilate him with that stare alone. Izzy’s hand on his shoulder made him flinch, and I blinked in surprise. The big bad mafia boss, flinching? What could he possibly be afraid of when he had that much power?
