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“What do you mean?” I ask Abby unsure that I heard her right. I can’t believe what she just said to me.
“Just what I said! We’re going and we need dresses,” she adds clapping her hands together happily.
“But… how… I mean, who?”
“Gabe. He invited the both of us. I think he has a thing for you,” she giggles.
“He so doesn’t, but he actually invited us to a gala? I don’t know that we should do that, Abby. I mean… come on. I’ve been to those more than once. There will be other syndicates there and if Gabe is inviting us then he’s connected to one of them. This is a bad idea. This whole move to Chicago was a bad idea.” Since we’ve been here, I’ve had an uneasy feeling. Sure I’m free and able to have fun, but there’s something else lingering too. The eerie feeling of being watched even when I’m not. I talked to my father just yesterday and he assured me things were going as planned for me. I didn’t tell him that I felt that way because he would have his men on their way to pick me up as we speak and that isn’t an option. I refuse to go home before I’ve lived.
“This is not a bad idea. Your dad is good with the syndicates here. You said so yourself.”
“He is as far as I know, but this is the mafia, Abby. Things change every single day.”
“He didn’t say you had to go home right?” I shake my head. “So everything is fine. If it wasn’t we’d be on our way out of here. You’re being paranoid is all. I know the scare of that asshole getting in the house was a lot to deal with, but we got the alarm set-up now. We’re fine.” I can hear the begging in her tone and it makes me smile.
“So we go spend my father’s money then on dresses. I’m sorry, Abby. It’s just all so new to me and things happen every day,” I tell her the truth. She didn’t have to see the things that I did. She was on the outside and outsiders never know what’s happening behind closed doors.
“Don’t be sorry. I get it and if you don’t want to go we don’t have to, but it is a masquerade gala. We can use fake names and everything if anyone approaches us. Besides, they won’t see our full faces.” Maybe she’s right. I’ve been dying to do something since we’ve been here.
“No, we should go. It’ll be fun and if Gabe invited us, then he obviously wants us there. Besides, he seems pretty nice,” I add as I look up and see a store window full of dresses.
“Are you sure?” I nod my head and grab her arm, jerking her inside the store. There are tons of gowns and dresses everywhere. I actually smile and begin to look around feeling the unease slowly start to leave me. There are times when the unknown can really wear on my soul. Being who I am, I feel it more often than others. I’m the Princess. A mafia Princess whether I like it or not. I didn’t ask for that role, I didn’t ask to be born into this world, but here I am. I’m doing the best I can to accept who I am and what my family does but there are days that are harder than others. I don’t like the violence and yet I am forced to be witness to it. Once upon a time, my father told me that I was an asset. One to be used in this world to his liking and times like this I find myself wondering if that were true. Am I here because I’m a pawn in the bigger scheme of things?
“This is gorgeous! With your skin tone, it would look amazing, Eva!” I glance over where Abby holds a long silver gown that is just amazing. The silk practically slips through her fingers and a smile crosses my face. I walk over and take it from her, holding it to my body.
“That seems to be your color.” That voice sends a chill down my spine. I turn to look over my shoulder and Dominic stands tall and proud behind me. I turn slowly, the dress still held to my chest.
“What are you doing here?”
“I was picking up a few things,” he says keeping his eyes glued to mine. He never looks away and that in itself is unnerving for me.
“In this shop?” I ask sarcastically.
“In case you didn’t notice, they do sell men’s items here, Eva.” God, the way he says my name makes a chill race over my flesh. Paired with those storm grey eyes and this man could stop hearts.
“I… sorry.” I guess I hadn’t noticed the menswear in here. Then again why would a man like Dominic Dameco need to pick up his own items? They have people for that.
“Don’t be. You’re new,” he says stepping into my space. His hand comes up, a finger slowly sliding down my cheek to my lips. Once it slides across my bottom lip, I tremble and my mouth parts. “What is it, Eva?” Words won’t form. I can’t think of a coherent sentence with him this close to me. Just as quickly as he was there, he pulls back and turns to walk past me. I stand in a stunned silence as I hear him talk to the woman at the desk. She giggles and when I turn to look, I see the flirtatious smile on her face. My heart does a flip in my chest as I watch Dominic reach out and run his finger over her lips the way he did mine. Bastard. I should have known better than to think anything of it. He’s a player, just like my father’s men. Just like him. The asshole I wanted to be far away from when this whole changing school idea came to mind.
“Look at this one!” Abby squeals pulling my attention to her. I spin around and find her in a red silk gown that hugs her perfect body. Abby is taller than me, long lean body that fits gowns like this to perfection.
“God, that is perfect. You look amazing,” I gush over her. She smiles and takes a spin in the gown and I can’t help but watch as it flows out around her. Where I have a more tanned skin tone, Abby looks like pure porcelain. There’s not a single thing on her perfectly flawless skin. Some days I’m jealous of her appearance with her big blue eyes and blonde hair some would kill for. A groan behind me catches my attention.
“You again?” I ask when I see him once more.
“If I wasn’t mistaking I would think you didn’t like seeing me, Eva, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth, now could it?” He asks his deep tone vibrating through my body.
“And what gave you that idea?”
“The fact that you were speechless,” he says.
“Means nothing,” I retort quickly. He steps closer.
“Or the fact that your nipples hardened in that little dress you have on just from me being so close to you.” Before I have the chance to say anything further, he moves past me and grabs Abby’s hand. He holds it up as to examine her dress.
“You look ravishing. Any man would be lucky to have you on his arm in this dress.”
“Thank you, Dom,” Abby purrs.
