Endings & Beginnings (New Mafia Trilogy #3) (23 page)

   “When did you get here?” he asked, shouting over
the loud music.

   “Not too long ago. I’ll see you later – I gotta
go dance!”

I caught up to my friends who had pushed their way
to the center of the packed dance floor. For a straight laced accountant, Tyler
possessed some skills as he and Danny danced close together. Jillian moved up
to me and draped her arms around my neck.

   “Victor is fucking yummy! Do you mind if I take
him home with me?” She batted her thick lashes and pouted, making me laugh.

   “Why are you asking me? I don’t own him. Besides,
I think he’s staying in a hotel so you should probably go to his place.”

   “Mmmm good idea. Come on, let’s give him a show.”
Jillian swung her hips to the beat and inched closer so our bodies were almost
pressed together. This was one of our classic moves from college and always
earned us a lot of attention. Usually Chelsea would join in and one of us would
be sandwiched. With Joey D. on patrol and Dominic, Dante, Jimmy, and Victor
watching I felt safe knowing that if any creepers approached, they wouldn’t
last long.

It was such a different experience feeling safe at
Crimson. I didn’t have to worry about Marco and unwittingly encouraging his
interest. All of that fear was gone and I was able to relax. With my eyes
closed and hands gently placed on Jillian’s waist, I let the music’s hypnotic
pulse takeover. Minutes later the song changed and I felt someone press up
against me from behind. I flashed back to the night at Dirty when a persistent
asshole manhandled me and I practically broke a heel on my shoe when I jammed
it into his foot. Immediately tensing, I tried to pull away, but the hands on
my hips tightened. Jillian, sensing something was wrong, looked behind me and
shook her head, letting me know this wasn’t someone we knew. I attempted to
move away again and the guy wasn’t getting the hint. Turning round to face him
was preparing to kick him in the nuts when he was literally picked up by Joey
D. and carried off. Dominic, Dante and Victor formed a protective circle around
me and my friends.

   “Woo, you guys are scary sexy!” Danny giggled and
fanned himself. Tyler rolled his eyes and took Danny’s hand, leading him back
towards the table.

   “Why the hell do guys think they can just touch
us? Jillian and I were minding our own business…” I trailed off when I noticed
Victor was laughing. “What?”

   “Oh Princess, you honestly didn’t think the two
of you grinding up on each other wasn’t going to attract attention? You were
basically sending an invitation.”

   “Yeah, I know, but if a girl pulls away, said
douchebag needs to take the hint and let go.”

Victor’s body shook when he laughed. We were yelling
at each other at this point since the music was so loud. “So you dance with
us,” Jillian said with a smile and stepped into Victor’s space, looking up at
him with her big blue eyes. He smiled back and snaked an arm around her waist,
pulling her flush with his body. I had yet to see Victor dance and was curious
to see how he did, but Dominic came up and distracted me with his own moves.
Everything else was forgotten.

   “It drives me fucking nuts to see another man
touch you,” Dominic breathed in my ear, pulling me close. “I know I’m not your
boyfriend anymore, but that possessiveness hasn’t gone away.”

   “I can take care of myself.”

   “Let me take care of you.” His eyes met mine and
we didn’t break apart until the song ended when I looked away. Sweat had
bloomed across my skin making my clothes clingy and uncomfortable so I turned
to head back to the table and away from so much body heat. Dom followed close
behind and I stood aside so he could slide into the booth. In the process he
knocked my bag off the table sending the contents spilling all over the floor,
including my gun.

   “Holy shit, Natalie is that yours?” Jillian
gasped as I scrambled to pick everything up, but Dominic was closer and faster.
Keeping the gun below the table and out of sight of anyone passing by, he
looked at me.

   “Since when did you start carrying?” he asked.

   “Not long. I asked Miranda for one after the
mall. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you or Grant. It’s just…I hated feeling so
helpless and could have helped that day if I’d been armed.”

   “You need to know how to shoot first.” Dominic
smiled and placed the gun back in my bag and handed it to me, which surprised
me. I thought for sure he’d confiscate it.

   “Nat’s a great shot. I taught her,” Victor chimed
in and I groaned, closing my eyes. The fact Victor took me to a range and
showed me how to shoot was supposed to be my secret, but he didn’t know that.
When I opened my eyes, everyone was staring at me. Dom didn’t look that pissed
off, but there was a wariness surrounding him that hadn’t been there before.
Danny and Tyler’s mouth hung open in shock. Dante and Jimmy kept glancing
between me and Dominic. Then there was Jillian, standing by me with her mouth
twisted up into a grin.

   “You’re like a total badass bitch, Nat, and I
don’t blame you for getting a gun after what happened and I’ll definitely try
not to piss you off,” she said with a laugh and that lightened up the tension.
We all sat down around the table again with me on the end sitting next to Dom
who was practically ignoring me. Any flirtation from earlier was gone and he
had his back to me as he talked to Dante.

I chatted with Danny and Tyler over another round of
drinks, but they left to go back dancing. Jillian followed, bringing Victor
along with her. My feet were sore so I declined and moved over to sit next to
Jimmy.

   “Don’t feel like dancing?” I asked him in a
teasing tone and his lips twitched, which was practically a smile as far as
Jimmy was concerned. Almost the entire left side of his face was covered in
scar tissue and when he did smile, the damaged skin folded into more of a
grimace. Jimmy rarely volunteered information so I was caught off guard when he
started to talk. It was hard to hear so I leaned closer to him.

   “I’ll only dance with my girlfriend.”

This was news. I had gotten to know Victor fairly
well, but that’s because we spent a lot of time together. Jimmy was more the
silent tortured type. He usually looked pissed off and kept quiet. Between his
scars and hulking physique, he didn’t exactly scream “come talk to me.”

   “What’s her name and how long have you been
together?”

   “Felicia and a little over four years and like
your brother, I’m gonna be a dad soon.”

   “What? Wow! Congratulations!” I would never have
guessed Jimmy was the relationship and parent type. I really needed to stop
judging people based on their appearance. Jimmy was actually talking and I
wanted to know more. “Does Felicia know what you do?”

   “She knows enough, but not too much. Some things
she’s better off not knowing.”

I nodded my head in agreement and took a long sip of
water, glancing across the table at Dominic and Dante, who were still deep in
conversation.

   “Did Felicia grow up around the business like
Miranda?”

   “No, not at all. We met at the VA hospital.”

Turning to face Jimmy, I took in the scars on his
cheek and how the ridged tissue trailed down the side of his neck, disappearing
below the collar of his shirt. I’d always assumed he had been injured during
mafia business, but the stiff way he sat plus his high and tight haircut told a
different story.

   “You’re in the military?” I asked.

   “Army Ranger honorably discharged. I was injured
when a roadside IED exploded when I was on tour in Afghanistan. I’m one of the
lucky ones. Saw two of my brothers get blown to bits right in front of me.
That’s how I met Fiona. She’s a phlebotomist at the VA and we got to know each
other pretty good.”

   “I’d say so, she’s carrying your baby,” I teased
and Jimmy chuckled. “And she doesn’t mind what you do?”

Jimmy shrugged and drank some of his beer. He set
his glass down, a trace of foam clung to the sides. “It isn’t any more
dangerous than being in active duty or a cop. Yeah, what I do isn’t exactly
legal, but if anything happens, Felicia and the baby will be well taken care
of. I’ve made sure of that.”

Before I could learn any more about Jimmy, Victor
and everyone else returned from dancing. I got up and slid in next to Dominic
again.

   “Hey, Annie Oakley, pop a cap anyone’s ass while
we were gone?” Jillian asked me, slurring slightly. Her cheeks were flushed
from a combination of booze and dancing. I flipped her off and she laughed,
leaning against Victor, who put an arm around her and pulled her closer. Yeah,
those two were definitely going to hook up.

   “Hey sweetie, Tyler and I are out,” Danny said,
getting up and kissing my cheek. “Call me soon.”

   “I will and nice to meet you Tyler,” I said and
was surprised when Tyler gave me a hug.

   “You know what we talked about earlier in the
cab, about my services? I’m serious. Let me know, okay?” he whispered in my ear
before pulling away. I nodded and waved as they walked away holding hands.

   “What services is he offering?” Dominic asked and
I jumped as his voice was closer than I expected. I also didn’t realize he
could have heard Tyler’s whisper with the loud music.

   “Um, he’s an accountant and we were talking
finances. He said it’s never too early to start planning for retirement.” I
groaned inwardly at the lie.

Dominic didn’t say anything, just silently regarded
me and once I again I detected a wariness about him. The flirt from earlier was
gone. “Come on, we need to talk. Tonight’s been a night of revelations.” He
picked up my bag and handed it to me. “Careful with that,” he practically
growled then turned to Victor and Jimmy. “Guys, I’m taking Nat home. Dante will
take care of everything. It’s good doing business with you.” I slid out of the
booth and Dominic stood, shaking hands with Victor and Jimmy.

   “Wait, Jillian, I can’t leave you.”

   “She’s safe with me, Nat,” Victor said. “We
already agreed she’s coming back to my hotel.” Jillian smiled up at him and
snuggled closer.

   “I’ll be fine Nat and will call you tomorrow.”

Honestly, I didn’t have any doubts about leaving
Jillian behind. I trusted Victor and Dante. After getting to know Jimmy better,
I was beginning to trust him more too.

Joey D. met us at as we left the VIP section and
made a path through the crowd. Dominic walked beside me with his hand on the
small of my back and I braced myself for the lecture that was coming about me
being in possession of a firearm. Grant had been lecturing me my whole life so
I was used to it and they never set me straight anyway, but I let him have his
say so he could get it out of his system. Apparently I’d have to manage Dom the
same way.

Joey held the exit door open for us and Dom fist
bumped him on the way out. Dom’s Mustang was already idling out front waiting.
The convertible top was down and the chrome gleamed red, reflecting Crimson’s
exterior lighting. Combined with the black paint it gave the car a sinister
presence befitting a mob boss.

A valet attendant held the passenger door open for
and Dom gave him a tip. After buckling in and securing my hair in a haphazard
knot, Dom pulled out and soon we were speeding down Columbus Boulevard towards
his condo building.

   “You’re not taking me back to Grant and
Miranda’s?” I called over the wind.

   “No,” Dom shifted gears and wove around a slower
car. “They asked to not be disturbed for a while.”

   “Oh.” My voice was quieter this time. I hadn’t
been back to the condo we shared since I left Dom and moved to California. This
was turning into one of those nights full of history and memories.

Once again a valet attendant was opening the door
and I was stepping out onto familiar cobblestones. I stopped to wait for Dom
and stared up at the building before me. The tower was bathed in soft white
light and the Ben Franklin Bridge glowed; an ambient blue in the background.

   “Ready?” Dom asked, coming to stand beside me.

   “Yeah, let’s go ‘talk’.”

We crossed the lobby to the elevators and waited in
silence for one to arrive. I sensed wariness and something else radiating from
Dom. I wasn’t sure if it was anger or what, but it made me feel uneasy.

The elevator arrived and the ride to the top floor
was just as quiet, so quiet that the low rumble as the doors slid open was
amplified. As we walked down the carpeted hallway, I braced myself for the
onslaught of memories that were sure to pummel me like an avalanche the moment
I stepped inside the condo. With a click of the lock, Dom opened the door and
stepped aside to let me pass. Taking a deep breath, I hesitantly crossed over
the threshold.

Everything looked exactly the same as when I left
and a lump formed in my throat as my eyes focused on the fireplace and the spot
in front where we first made love. My hands trailed across the cool granite
counter at the breakfast bar as I remembered the delicious aroma of sautéed
garlic when Dom cooked dinner for me. While the condo looked the same, it
smelled different, almost stale as if it was just a model and no one actually
lived there.

Dom remained quiet and let me explore. I stayed out
of the bedroom. That would be my kryptonite. I wandered over to the French doors
that led to the balcony and I looked down on the murky river below. When I
turned around, Dom was sitting on the dark brown leather sofa. He was leaning
forward and packing a bowl with weed.

   “Wanna hit?” he asked, holding the pipe out
towards me.

   “Sure.” I took the bowl and lighter then sunk
down into the sofa next to him. We each took a few hits and as if we were
passing a peace pipe, the tension between us dialed down.

   “Dom, about the gun,” I started, just wanting to
get the conversation over with. “I asked Victor to give me shooting lessons as
a way of protecting myself and I’ll be straight with you, he gave me a gun for
Christmas.”

   “What?”

   “Relax, it’s all good. I can’t tell you how
empowered I feel knowing I can protect myself if I’m in a bad situation. I was
a mess after everything that happened. Then the shooting at the mall brought
that helplessness all back.”

   “I’m not mad about you taking steps to protect
yourself. Does Grant know?”

   “No. He’d freak out.”

   “Not necessarily. He and Miranda go to the
shooting range together all of the time. He’ll be pissed that you kept it
secret from him, which is what’s bothering me.”

   “Dom, I don’t have to report to you on anything I
do.”

   “Yeah, I get that. How can I forget when you
remind me all of the time that we’re not together anymore?” He spat this out
and I flinched at the anger that flashed in his eyes.

   “Even if we were together I’m still my own person
and you can’t expect me to reveal everything.”

   “Reveal things like how you helped Victor when he
was shot and Jason saw you cleaning up his blood?” I froze at Dom’s revelation.
Dread crept over me, leaving my skin feeling like it was covered in a sheet of
ice. I wasn’t afraid for myself, but for Jason. Dom stood up and started pacing
on the other side of the coffee table. His legs made for long strides so there
was a lot of back and forth. Despite the tension in the room and my increasing
anxiety, I couldn’t help but notice how nice his ass looked in the black pants
he was wearing.

Taking a deep breath, I pulled myself together. “Is
this why you’re so pissed off? I handled it just fine on my own, Dom.” 

   “So Victor says. I just want to know why you
didn’t tell me. Did you feel like you couldn’t?” His voice was quieter now and
he stopped pacing to look at me. With a sigh he ran a hand through his hair and
sat down heavily on the sofa, picking up the bowl to take another hit. He held
the smoke in for a while before slowly exhaling.

I took the bowl out and set it on the table then
grabbed his hand with mine. “I didn’t tell you because I was afraid for Jason.
The less people involved, the better and I knew his life would be at risk.” I
gently squeezed his hand. “Honestly, Dom, what would your initial reaction have
been?”

   “To either beat fear into him or kill him,” he
replied without hesitation.

   “Exactly, he’s an innocent to your world, much
like I was.”

This statement got his attention and he jerked his
head, going from looking at our joined hands to meeting my eyes.

   “Fuck, I never thought about it that way.”

   “Trust me. Jason won’t be an issue.”

   “Why did you break up with him? Seems to me that
would make him angry and he’d do something stupid. He knows too much.”

   “All he has is his word and zero proof. I broke
up with him because,” I paused and looked away from Dom’s intense gaze. So far
he had discovered two of my three secrets, all in one night, and there was no
was in hell I was going to tell him about Jason’s lawyer dad trying to get me
to make a deal with Agent Phillips to enter WITSEC. “It’s hard to be in a
relationship with someone when you’re in love with somebody else.”