11

DOMINIC
Ring, ring… Ring, ring… Ring, ring…
I stare at the screen until the name vanishes. I can’t talk to Vincenzo yet, not until I know what the hell is going on with Henry.
If he’s hired Henry for the same job, then I’m going to be pissed.
Once the phone goes quiet, I shove it back in my pocket and order another drink. It can’t be too much longer until Henry comes down the stairs. Samantha said this is where he’s staying and he hasn’t left yet.
I’ll catch him, I need to.
“Dominic?”
Fuck, he’s here.
I force a smile on my face. Just because we’re rivals, and we often compete for the same jobs, doesn’t mean we don’t have a professional courtesy to one another.
“I’ve been trying to find you, buddy.” Henry pats me on the back and sits beside me, ordering his own drink. This isgood, but I’m still on edge. “I wanted to know if that wasyouthe other day. At the clinic. William, or something?”
Shit, I forgot he might have clicked that it’s me.
Instantly, I shake my head.
If Vincenzo has hired him, too, I don’t want him to find out I have Isabella. That’ll cause all kinds of issues.
I don’t want to be just another blood stain splattered across the streets of New York.
“William? I don’t know what you’re talking about, mate. I’ve been in Pennsylvania for the last few weeks, so I’m behind on everything.”
Will he believe me? I shoot him a side-eyed look, and thank fuck he doesn’t look too suspicious. He’s glugging his drink back a little too fast.
Mind you, that’s probably for the best.
The drunker he is, the looser his lips will be.
“It’s weird, you know, someone stole the target I was supposed to get my hands on.”
Hmm, so it’s a good job I did overreact. Henry was after Isabella.
“Oh yeah?” I turn to face him, forcing my expression to remain stoic. “What happened?”
“You know how it is… I don’t ask too many details.” Henry shrugs. “But it’s some Irish folk, who have a stake in the city.”
Irish.
Isabella’s family is Irish, right? I’m sure she said that.
“Whoa, I didn’t know any Irish guys had interest here,” I shoot back.
“Everyone does.” Henry drums his hands on the bar. “Wait, I’m headed to the bathroom. Don’t go anywhere. It’s been ages since we caught up.”
He leans in close before he stands, giving me an intense whiff of booze. I guess this isn’t Henry’s first drink of the day.
Good. I think I can get much more out of him.
His cell.
Idiot has left his phone behind.
A smile spreads across my face. This couldn’t be working out better for me. Without missing a beat, or drawing the attention of the bartender, I clone his phone so he won’t be able to do a thing on it without me seeing.
The more info I can get, the better.
Luckily, it’s a fast operation because that man doesnottake a long time in the bathroom.
“Dominic, finish up your drink,” Henry cries out before he even reaches the table. “Me and you are headed out. It’s been so long since we let loose.”
“Oh, I don’t know…”
I don’t know if we need to go any further-especially since I have cloned his phone-but Henry has that determined glint in his eyes and I’ve met him a number of times to know what that means.
He won’t take no for an answer.
Maybe this is a good thing.
Maybe I’ll get more from him in person. I don’tchooseto spend time with Henry if I can help it, but I suppose if it gives me what I need, then so be it.
I’ve done worse for information, I’m sure.
“Okay, you know what…” I say with a smile. “It has been a long time. It isn’t often that guys like us get to just have fun, am I right?”
Henry tosses some money down on the table and smirks. “You know what that means? Strip club! Right? Diamondsis just around the corner, and there are some smoking hot women there.”
Oh God.
I don’t groan, even if I want to.
It’s going to be a long night, but hopefully a good one.
“Come on then.” I sling back the rest of my whiskey. “Let’s get out of here.”
I’d rather be anywhere else in the world than at a strip club with Henry. Most of all, I should be keeping an eye on Isabella, but I don’t have any choice in the matter.
This isforIsabella.
This is for her protection.
We leave the lobby and I follow Dominic to the seedier end of town. It’s hard to keep up the facade but I know it’s the right thing to do.
“So, you need a break, just like me, huh?” I ask as I sling my arm playfully around him.
Givenchy cologne. Not a fan.
“Work is really getting on my ass as well at the moment. Sometimes I think that the guys we work for don’t have any respect for us at all.”
“No shit Sherlock. We are just the hired hands.” Henry rolls his eyes. “We don’t respect them either, do we? We’re just in it for the cash. They know that and so do we. That’s the deal we have. It means we don’t need loyalty. We only want that paycheck.”
Hmm, okay.
I can work with that.
Lack of respect means it shouldn’t be too hard to get him to talk.
If money is all he needs, then let’s see what I can do.
But not right now because we’re atDiamondsand Henry’s eyes are lit up in delight. He’s got his head in the game and all he’s thinking about now are the women who he’s about to pay for their company.
Just hold it together, I remind myself. This will be good.
Okay, this is getting out of control now.
I don’t know what I thought would happen, but this…
This is something else.
Henry is so wasted he can hardly keep his head up, but he’s still calling strippers over. I’m shocked he isn’t bored of this now. I sure as hell am.
I think this man might be obsessed with strippers.
“Come on, man, enjoy these women,” he slurs at me. “Get a dance.”
I shake my head.
These women aren’t doing anything for me.
I would much rather be back in the cabin with Isabella.
God that thought is comfortable.
“Okay, well at least order us another bottle of champagne then.” Henry takes a look around. “Maybe two. We have a lot of cool people hanging out with us.”
I take his credit card and head to the bar, glad that at least Henry thinks I’m as wasted as him. I’ve only had a couple of drinks when I couldn’t get out of it to keep up appearances.
I need to have my wits about me at all times.
When I finally have the bottle in my hand and head back to the table, I become determined to get what more I can out of Henry.
He’s given me snippets throughout the night, which has made all of this worth it, but I need more. A lot more.
It turns out that Henry has other intentions.
He wants to talk about me.
“So, why are you being such a buzzkill today?” he slurs. “Why are none of these women doing it for you? You with someone?”
“No, there’s no one.”
“Yeah, whatever.” Henry pokes me hard in the side, trying to be playful. “You could besucha ladies’ man if you wanted. You’re a good looking guy. Why you holding back?”
“This is just… not my scene.”
Henry scoffs. “This is everyone’s scene. Don’t be so boring. Come on, have a bit of fun with me. Otherwise I’m going to think that you’re hiding a special someone from me.”
I offer him a one shouldered shrug. “It doesn’t matter to me what you think.”
“Oh, I think it does because now I want to know who this mystery woman is.” He pushes a stripper off his leg to focus on me. “Is it someone that you shouldn’t be dating? Someone linked to work? You fucking the wife of one of the Bosses? The daughter? Holy shit, you are a bad boy, Dominic. I always knew that about you, but now…”
He clucks his tongue and shakes his head, completely amused by me.
Asshole.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Henry. Now you’re just talking nonsense. I don’t want you spreading shit about me. You know how the streets of New York are. Rumors can become fact in a heartbeat. Shit can get real, fast. Next thing you know, you got a bullet in your head.”
He smirks, thinking he has something on me.
Unfortunately, I can’t keep my nerves in check.
Not with him skimming way too close to the truth.
“Henry, back off.” I press my hand to his chest, which he obviously takes as an attack.
“Fuck you, Dominic. I already know what’s going on with you. You can pretend otherwise, but I see right through it.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Henry, but I think it might be time to call it a night.”
“You’re fucking that whore, aren’t you? The stupid slut that I’m trying to get my hands on. That’s why you won’t have fun here. But screwing around with an Genovese can only end one way. With your head on a spike. Do you want it to be me that puts it there?”
I don’t even care what he’s saying about me. Not really.
It’s the way he’s speaking about Isabella.
Fuck that.
I’m not letting him be this disrespectful.