Dom (Alliance, #3)

by S.J. Tilly

“I’ve been trying to call her,” King growls at Dom. “She’s not answering her phone.” My lips tremble, and I hate that I don’t know whether he’s telling the truth. “Is she with you?” King’s voice is different now. Worried?

“You don’t deserve her.” Dominic ends the call. No one deserves me. Just like no one wants me around.

“Did King have anything to do with this? With you and me?” Dom doesn’t answer for a long heartbeat, and the first tendrils of betrayal flicker in my vision. But then he replies. “No. It was just me.”

Calls from King. Texts from King. He’s been trying to call me since we left. Gross guilt fills my stomach for thinking he might be a part of this.

King: Come back. King: Are you okay? King: Why were you crying? King: Answer your phone. King: I’m sorry if I was harsh. King: Val, answer me. King: Please reply to me. King: I’m going to tell Savannah. King: Don’t make me tell her. King: I’m sorry I didn’t stop him. King: Just tell me you’re okay.

But none of it scrapes away the ugly doubt clinging to my ribs. Because King is an honorable man. And he’s probably reacting this way because of familial obligation. And I’m so fucking sick of being an obligation. A burden. The relative who doesn’t fit. The one who gets a chair at the table out of pity. Because she has nowhere else to go.

It’s not fair to King or Savannah or Aspen. Because maybe they are trying. But it doesn’t change the facts. And it doesn’t change history.

It’s nice that King called me. But I’ll get myself out of this situation. Just like I’ve gotten myself out of all the ones before it.

Me: My phone was off. I’ll be okay.

I won’t be anyone’s burden anymore.

I’m trying to keep my attention on the road so I don’t kill us, but I can’t stop looking at Valentine. Did King have anything to do with this? With you and me? Why the fuck would she ask something like that?

the same King just a few hours ago? That man was ready to rip my fucking head off. His anger today rivaled his anger from those months ago when he thought I was being shady with his wife.

For the first time since standing in King’s entryway, Valentine raises her eyes to meet mine. They’re red rimmed and dull and have me gritting my teeth.

I turn in my seat to look at her better. “I’m not taking away your phone.” “Oh.” She sounds confused, then looks out the windshield. “Can I use the bathroom?” What? “Yeah, Valentine. You can use the bathroom.” My confusion matches her own. “You’re not a prisoner.”

“Can I go home, then?” There it is. I shake my head. “You have a new home now.” “But I don’t want to go with you anymore.” Her words shouldn’t sting. Obviously, she doesn’t want to go with me anymore. I can’t blame her. But I still don’t like to hear it. “That’s too bad, Shorty.”

I unbuckle myself, then reach over to unbuckle Val. She jerks back from me so violently she hits the back of her head on the window. “Jesus, Val.”

And then I get it. And then I get mad. “I wasn’t gonna fucking hit you,” I growl, and it sounds like more of a threat than a promise. “Well, I don’t know!”

“I’m never going to hurt you.” I work to steady my tone. But Val replies with a broken laugh. “Oh, won’t you?” She’s aiming for sarcasm, but it just comes off sad. So damn sad.

“Have I ever been violent around you?” I try to use reason, wanting her to understand. Val drops her hand from her head to stare me right in the eyes. “I’ve never even met you.”

I’ve never even met you. Her words have rolled around in my head for the last hour and a half of our silent drive. She’s wrong. And as I pull into the parking garage below my building, I decide it’s time to set her straight.

Hands still on my knees, Dom drags me forward until my butt is ready to slide off the seat. Geez, someone is in a hurry. But instead of letting me slide out to the ground, Dom moves his hands to my hips and yanks me to him, lifting me out of the vehicle. My body reacts on its own. Arms wrapping around his neck. Legs circling his waist.

“If I give you another ring, will you wear it? Or will you throw it out another window?” I look down at the hand he’s using to hold my wrists and see the plain gold band on his finger. He left it on. And it fits him perfectly. And he brought the rings with him. Because he planned this.

“Did you fucking drug me?” I snap. Dom stares back at me. “Yes.” Then his mouth cracks into a smile. “Will you throw the ring out a window?” “Yes.” I bite my teeth together to keep from screaming.

“What would you like for dinner?” The question is so bizarre I don’t answer right away. “Valentine,” Dom prompts. “I want to go to bed.” “You need to eat.” I fist my hands at my sides. “You need to let me go to bed.”

This fancy penthouse… This city that isn’t mine… This is my life. At least until I can figure a way out of it. But since I don’t want to get locked in like the prisoner he claims I’m not, I’ll play along. Better a gilded cage than a real one.

“That’s my room?” I clarify. “That’s where you sleep,” he responds. I let out a sigh at his cryptic answer, positive it’s his room and that he still expects us to share a bed.

He just holds my backpack out in front of me. The sight of it shouldn’t hurt my heart so much. But it does.

“The airport?” My question is a whisper as I stare at the bag Dominic bought me. I don’t know what I think I’ll get out of having every last shred of our history destroyed. I shouldn’t have asked. Dom’s fingers brush lightly over my ponytail. “Go to bed, Valentine.”

I will anger to fully overtake the pain that hasn’t left my chest since King revealed Dom’s identity. I don’t want to hurt anymore. Not tonight.

I don’t think about how I packed my bag this afternoon while blissfully thinking I was about to start my happily ever after with my new husband.

I don’t think about how Dom encouraged me to pack an overnight bag with a day’s worth of essentials because it might be hard to sort through your stuff when we get home.

I don’t think about how Dom drove so calmly to King’s house, knowing my world was about to crumble. “He’s an asshole,” I tell my r...

“He’s a slimy piece of shit. A total fucking jerk.” I forcefully put toothpaste on the end of my toothbrush. “I hate him.”

“He’s acting like the whole world is ending.” I can hear Savannah’s eye roll. “And I get that he doesn’t like surprises, but I don’t see the big deal. He trusts Dom. To some degree, at least.”

“I mean, Dom can be a little scary, but he was nothing but nice to me that time he brought me to his place.” My mouth drops open. “Not to mention hot.”

“I only met him that one time, so that probably doesn’t qualify as knowing him. But I get it now, why you had a different name in your phone. King would’ve lost his shit about you guys dating.” “Yeah…” I trail off. She doesn’t know.

And King knew I was crying. He saw me. But did he put it all together? Or does he think I was just upset over them not getting along? Could King really think I’ve known who Dom was all along and that I’ve kept it a secret because I thought he’d be mad?

I could tell her. I could tell her everything. Then she’d go to King and demand he free me. And then King and The Alliance and Dominic and the Chicago mafia would go to war. For what? For me? I’m not worth that.

Having both those guys yelling at each other was kinda a lot.” I try for a light tone. “I overreacted to them overreacting.” “You sure you’re okay?” Her sincerity almost breaks me. “I’m sure.”

“I’m sure you’ll be busy settling in, but I definitely want to hear more about Dominic soon.” She makes a sound of disbelief. “I still can’t believe you live in Chicago. But if nothing else, the holidays are coming up. So we’ll see you then.”

“Night, Mrs. Gonzalez,” she teases, then hangs up the call. Mrs. Gonzalez. A fresh round of sorrow fills my heart.

“Why didn’t you tell her the truth?” I set my phone on the nightstand and shift down the bed until I’m lying under the covers. “To what end?” Dom cocks his head at me. “To have her go to bat for you with King. Have her demand I let you go home.” “And you’d just let that happen?” Dom slowly shakes his head. “Like I said.” I roll away from him, giving him my back. “To what end?”

“Is there any chance you’ll let me sleep in another room?” “No.” His answer is swift. I nod against the pillow. It’s what I expected. “Then please turn off the ceiling lights and shut the fuck up so I can sleep.”

“And I’ll shut the fuck up in a moment. But understand that you’re the only person who can get away with talking to me like that. And only in private.”

“Get some sleep.” Warm lips press against my forehead. “We have a big day tomorrow.”

It’s nearly comical. All my mom’s lectures growing up. How men will only want to use me. How I’m too stupid to understand them. How I’ll end up ruined and alone. I really should have paid attention.

I take my time getting ready for bed. I won’t let Valentine have her own room. She’ll eventually accept her place here, but giving her distance now would do more harm than good. It’s that same reasoning that makes me step out of my closet in nothing but my boxers. I can’t let her get used to me sleeping in clothes when this is what I like to wear.

“These should look exactly like the ones she has.” Doc places a stack of foil rectangles, each containing twenty-eight little pills in neat rows, in my hand. “Just make sure you pop out the right amount before you swap them for the current one.”

I lift my left hand off the glass. That can’t be. I reach out with my right hand and touch the tender skin of my left ring finger. “How the hell…?” This motherfucker.

I hold my hand out, fingers up, between us. “Did you seriously tattoo my whole fucking finger?” Where my wedding ring briefly was, is Dominic’s name in black ink, circling the digit. Above that, where a band might be, is Dominic’s name again. But it doesn’t stop there. Above that, between the next set of knuckles, are two more Dominics, stacked one on top of the other.