Her Dom's Lesson (Dominic Powers Book 2) (20 page)

“Yes,” Cheryl replies tentatively.

“Call
Mr. Montoya
and tell him we will meet with him here in my office a week from tomorrow.  Tell him to bring several copies of his settlement request with him.  We will discuss the terms of our settlement then.”

“You’re sure about this?” Cheryl asks.

“Yes.  I’m positive.”

Dominic’s steely determination is obvious in his matter-of-fact tone, his narrowed eyes, and his rigid posture.  He has met with Tucker and Shadow most every night since we returned from Austin.  They’ve installed hidden cameras in Dominic’s office and the stairwells after hours without letting anyone in the office know.  If there’s another break in, it will capture everything that happens. 

“I’m worried about this, Dominic,” I say when Cheryl leaves the room.  “He’s part of the cartel and he obviously still has ties to the police department here.”

“I won’t be here alone, my love,” he says as he rounds his desk and sits beside me.  Taking my hand in his, he kisses each of my knuckles, “It’s time we put an end to all of this so we can move on with our lives, look forward to our baby being born, and not have to worry about our safety.”

“I know you’re right and I’m not questioning you.  I just also know what Harrison is capable of, Dom.  It scares me.”

“My sub wants to protect her Dom?” He asks teasingly, just like he did before all this happened.  His smile is warm and the love shines from his eyes.  He is my Dom, he is my protector, and he is my lover.  But if I can protect him, I will gladly do it.

“Always, Dom.  Always,” is my reply and will always be my reply.

Friday finally arrives and we’re at my doctor’s office for my monthly obstetrician appointment.  After going through the standard checkup, we’ll get to hear our baby’s heartbeat for the first time.  I am so excited and nervous at the same time.  Dom is bouncing-off-the-walls excited about it.  I asked for the earliest appointment available this morning since I knew I wouldn’t be able to wait all day.  Dom and I are looking through maternity magazines when the nurse calls my name from the doorway.

Finally, after what feels like an eternity, my belly is prepped with a big blob of the warmed ultrasound gel before the doctor presses the fetal Doppler against my skin.   I watch Dr. Perry expectantly as the initial swishing sounds echo through the room. 
Is that my baby’s heartbeat?
   Then, I hear it and it’s unmistakable.  It sounds like horses galloping and it’s beating so fast.  A smile is permanently affixed to my face and tears spring to my eyes when I look up at Dominic.

“That’s your baby’s heartbeat, Mom and Dad,” Dr. Perry informs us. 

Dominic is at my side, holding my hand, but his eyes are glued to the Doppler in Dr. Perry’s hand.  The magical sounds emanating from the handheld machine are music to my ears.  I don’t want this visit to end because this makes it so much more real.

“Dominic,” I choke out, “that’s our baby.  It’s his
heartbeat
.”

His eyes meet mine and he’s in awe as much as I am.  “This is incredible.  I could listen to this all the time,” he says before kissing me.

“Actually, you can get one and use it at home.  They’re safe and they even connect with your iPhone so you can track the heart rate over time,” Dr. Perry explains.

“That’s incredible,” Dominic says.  “We’re getting one and we’re using it every day.”

Dr. Perry chuckles, “I wouldn’t advise using it every day.  It is considered safe, but I would still advise against overuse of it.  It also doesn’t replace your regular visits with me.  Don’t think you’ve become a doctor just because you have a Doppler and a search engine.”

“Okay, a few times a week, then,” Dominic agrees. 

Dr. Perry pulls the fetal Doppler away from my belly way too soon.  I’m not ready for it to be over just yet.  She then measures my stomach to determine my uterus size and says everything is right on schedule.  Dominic is already on the phone with a contact of his to have the top of the line fetal Doppler delivered to our house by the end of the day.

In this moment, my world is absolutely perfect.

Dominic

My parents arrive at the lake house just before the high-end fetal Doppler arrives via special courier.  When my mother realizes what’s in the box, she grabs it from me and urgently calls for Sophia.  The tone of her voice must have alarmed Sophia because she comes trotting through the house as fast as she can run.

“What?  What’s wrong, Kayla?” she asks as she bounds into the room.

“My grandbaby wants to talk to me,” Mom replies with a huge smile. 

Sophia exhales a relieved breath and laughs.  “You scared the shit out of me!”  But, she willingly moves to the couch, and following the instructions, we search until we find the heartbeat again.

Mom and Dad listen in amazement and we each take turns placing bets on whether she’s carrying a girl or a boy.  “It’s a boy, I’m telling you,” Mom says. 

“Nope, definitely a girl,” Dad declares.  “Look at how radiant her skin is.”

“Are you saying mine wasn’t radiant when I was pregnant with Dominic?” Mom challenges.

“No, I would never say that,” Dad placates her.  “You were just
more
radiant when you were pregnant with the girls.”

Tucker walks in with a manila envelope in his hand.  Jerking his head to the side, he motions for me to join him in my study.  Dad catches the subtle nod and his eyes meet mine.  He knows everything that’s happened so far and they’ve both been worried about us.  If that envelope contains what I think it does, I’d rather talk to Tucker to get the news alone before involving the rest of my family.

“Excuse me for a minute,” I say, kissing Sophia’s head.  “I need to talk to Tucker.”

Sophia’s worried eyes flit up to meet mine, questions swirl in them but she works hard to contain it.  She knows it’s obviously very important information.  She also knows that Tucker wouldn’t pull me away from this visit for anything other than information directly related to Harrison.  “Don’t take too long, okay?” she asks as she squeezes my hand.

“I will be back before you even know I’m gone,” I assure her. 

Walking swiftly into the study and closing the door behind me, I approach Tucker.  “Tell me.”

“The handwriting on the letter planted in your office is not Carol Anne’s, exactly as we already knew.  Shadow also took a sample of Harrison’s handwriting, you know, from the file he accidently left in my hand.  Anyway, it’s not Harrison’s handwriting either,” Tucker smiles, before delivering the last part of the news.  “But, it does match ‘
Sophia’s lawyer’s’
handwriting.”

“So we know his has at least three aliases – Ramon Cortez, Ramon Nunez, and Sebastian Montoya. 
‘Cortez’
was the detective on Carol Ann’s death and his real name that he keeps hidden,
‘Nunez’
is a detective in Austin, and
‘Montoya’
is the lawyer on the fake sexual harassment lawsuit.  He will be in my office Monday afternoon and he scheduled the latest meeting possible,” I relay to Tucker.

“We’ll be ready for him.  Shadow is meeting with the FBI Special Agent in Charge now.  Since this is cartel related, they will run the show, Dominic,” Tucker says, his voice turning serious.  “That means even Shadow won’t have his usual way of circumventing the rules.  They won’t let us do anything that would jeopardize the case once it gets to court.”

I stare at Tucker in disbelief, even though I know what he’s saying is the truth and the right thing to do.  The thought of not being in complete control of the situation doesn’t sit well with me.  “Then Sophia won’t be there Monday,” I assert.  “If we can’t guarantee her safety, she won’t be anywhere near the office.”

“Dominic, I can’t stay here with her and neither can Shadow.  We’re both being pulled into this as backup because we’re both state mandated.  She’d be safer there with us and the FBI agents than she would be here alone,” Tucker reasons.

“I’ll send her home with my parents,” I decide on the spur of the moment.  “I can’t take the risk, Tucker.”

Tucker doesn’t respond immediately and I know…in my gut, I know what he’s about to say.  “They want her here, Dominic.  After they arrest him and put the printer, the IP address of his computer, his ties to the cartel, and of course, all the aliases he uses, they will question her to build the case against him and Harrison.”

“That doesn’t mean she has to be here!” I roar.  “They can question her later!”

Tucker keeps his eyes trained on mine.  “Dominic,” he pauses, and I wait on baited breath.  “They think he’s coming for her.  They think he’s been watching her come and go from the office.  He’ll know if she’s not there.  That’s most likely why he scheduled the meeting at the end of the day, when there are fewer people around.”

“
What the fuck, Tucker
?”

“Dominic, it’s the best way to end it quickly.  We will all be in the office next to yours watching on the video feed.”

“And if someone gets to her while you’re watching
my meeting
?”  I shout as I point in the direction of Sophia.  I am about to pick up my desk and throw it through the fucking window. 
Are these fucking idiots not fucking thinking?

“You have to let us do our jobs, Dominic.”

“I need to think about it, Tucker.  I’m not just going along with letting my pregnant lover be put in a dangerous situation because some asshole agent I’ve never even met says it’s best.  Who is it best for–him and his career?  Certainly not Sophia, not our baby, and not me!”

Tucker’s chuckle rumbles through the room, “I told them you’d say that.”

“So you haven’t agreed to this shitty plan?”

“Hell, no,” Tucker smiles, “but they are adamant about it.  They say he won’t show if she’s not there, man.  You know I’d never let anything happen to Sophia if there’s anything I can do about it.”

“What if there isn’t anything you can do, Tucker?  What if there isn’t anything any of us can do?” I ask solemnly.

He simply nods, knowing there’s no answer that’ll satisfy me, pacify me, or ease my tension about Sophia’s presence in the office with that bastard there. 

“Is there anything else I should know?” I ask, much calmer now.

“Shawn’s bail money was also traced back to Cortez.  So, he hid the evidence and paid to get him out of jail.  Dominic, Shawn is missing now.  Our guys have been working the case in Austin and they haven’t seen him in several days.  It doesn’t look good,” Tucker warns.

“Keep me posted,” I say and scrub my hand over my face.  “I don’t want to worry Sophia unnecessarily.  We’ll cross that bridge when we have to and not a second before.  She’s been through too much already and her cramping before was exacerbated by stress.”

“Are Sophia and the baby okay?” Tucker asks, his concern evident on his face and in the inflection in his voice.

“Yeah, but there are things we need to keep an eye on to make sure they stay that way.  If she knew her brother was missing, she’d insist on going Monday because she’d see the two events as being connected.”

“They may be connected, Dominic.  They could very well be holding her brother as collateral to make sure she’s there.  Shadow said he told you that Sophia is their primary target now.  They’ve used her love for her brother against her all along.”

“That’s what worries me, Tucker.  Either way–if they have her brother or if they get to her, she can’t win,” I sigh.  “And I can’t let her lose.”

Rejoining the others, they instantly sense the tension rolling off both Tucker and me.  They may have even heard my raised voice behind the thick, wooden door.  But no one comes right out and asks us about our conversation even though the giant, crimson elephant is sitting in the middle of the room. 

“Who’s hungry?” I ask, changing the subject before it’s even brought up.

“I know I am,” Tucker replies enthusiastically.  “What’s on the menu?”

Mom rises from her seat and gives me her
I-already-know-everything-and-you’re-in-a-shitload-of-trouble
look.  “Your father and I already planned our meal for tonight.  Since I didn’t get to cook breakfast for everyone,” she says with a smile, “I’m cooking dinner.”

“Let me help you with that, Kayla,” Sophia says as she stands.

Mom wraps her arm around Sophia’s and the two of them walk off to the kitchen.  Once they’re out of earshot, Dad wastes no time in jumping in.  “That was some conversation the two of you had in there.”

“How much did you hear?” I ask, concerned that Sophia heard the part about her brother.

“We couldn’t make out any words, actually.  It mostly sounded like muffled shouting when we could hear anything.  But, it was enough that your mother and I would start talking to draw Sophia’s attention and try to mask it more.  She knows something bad is up.  So, why don’t you fill your old man in?”

Over the next thirty minutes, Tucker, Dad and I rehash the details of what was just shared with me.  When the smell of the food cooking starts wafting through the room, I know dinner is almost finished and they’ll be back for us at any minute.  Surprisingly, Dad agrees that Sophia needs to go to work Monday, just like she does any other day, to avoid sending up a red flag.

“Let’s go find them before they come find us,” I say as I head toward the kitchen.

Sophia’s setting the table and Mom is putting the finishing touches on the food.  My feet seem have a mind of their own as they carry me straight to Sophia.  Wrapping my arms around her waist, I pull her in as close to me as possible.  Her arms find their place around my neck as her body molds to perfectly fit mine.  I know there are others in the room with us and they probably feel somewhat uncomfortable.  I know they’re waiting for our public display of affection to end so we can enjoy our meal together.  I also know that I’m not ready to let her go yet and she feels it, too.  

Leaning my head down, I whisper softly into her ear.  “Your Dom has a confession to make.” 

Her muscles stiffen for a fraction of a second as a bolt of worry rushes through her before she relaxes in my embrace again. 
She trusts me. 

“You can tell me, Dom.”

“I’m your Dom, but you own me,
My Angel
.  My heart, my love, and my life all revolve around you now and that’ll never change.  You can never leave me, Sophia.”

I can’t shake this ominous feeling that something terrible is coming.  Like a barometer senses when a thunderstorm is gaining strength, the strong foreboding feeling can’t be ignored.  It whispers to me, taunts me, and tells me that regardless of what I do, Sophia will be mercilessly snatched from my hands.  No matter how much sense it makes to allow her to go to work as usual, my gut tells me to run away with her and let them figure this out without us.  I understand we can’t tip off Cortez or
Harry Dick-man
to our plan, but no one else is being asked to put the love of his life in a dangerous situation. Knowing Sophia, she’ll insist on being there Monday, if for no other reason than she thinks
she
has to protect
me
.

Squeezing me harder, she whispers back, “You’ll never lose me, Dom, I’m yours forever.  I could never love anyone else after being loved by you.  Why would you think that’s even possible?”

Pulling away, her confusion at my statement is obvious on her beautiful face.  She searches my eyes before leaning up on her toes to pour all of her love for me into her kiss.  I don’t have it in me to tell her that’s not how I meant
‘leave me’
and I’m breaking inside just thinking about this. Holding her face in my hands, I let her see deep into my soul through my eyes as I say the next words to her.

“I believe you, I trust you, I forgive you, and I love you.  I never want to see the regret over anything that happened in your eyes again.”

Tears pool in her eyes before she blinks them back.  Nodding, she swallows the feelings trying to overtake her.  “I love you, too, Dom.  So much.”

“Let’s eat,” I say, breaking the moment.  Placing my hand on Sophia’s stomach, I gently rub it.  “My baby girl and my baby are hungry.”

Mom smiles but I see the same worry in her eyes that’s in me.  She’s always been able to read me like a book and she knows this conversation was much more important than it appeared.   She looks at Sophia’s stomach where my hand still rests and quickly averts her eyes.  Dad walks up behind her and wraps his arms around her, whispers something in her ear, and she nods in agreement.

“Your mom had a fabulous idea,” Sophia compliments her.  “I can’t wait to try this!  I’ve never had fondue before.”

Taking our seats, we enjoy our time together as if the devil isn’t lurking just around the corner. We talk while our skewers rest in the coq au vin mixture, slow cooking our food.  The scene of us sitting around the table looks like so much like a perfect family portrait it hurts.  Stretching my arm out, my hand rests on our baby and Sophia doesn’t even blink, as if it’s just a normal, everyday gesture.  Just when I think she hasn’t even noticed, her hand finds mine and her fingertip draws lazy circles around my knuckles.  She doesn’t look at me at all–she doesn’t even miss a beat in talking with my parents.