ISABELLA
I sip my tea as I watch Dominic do laps in the pool, strong as ever.
It’s good to see him getting back on track. Dominic doesn’t suit struggling. I could see it in his eyes that being weak in any way was hard for him.
But this new safe house has been good for the both of us.
Being nearer to civilization makes life a lot easier.
Plus, I do kinda feel safer.
A little bit, anyway.
I don’t want to get ambushed once more. I don’t know if we could survive it again. Especially with everything else going on right now…
Looking after Dominic has been a great distraction, but I can’t push the truth down forever. I can’t ignore what’s going on inside of me. I know I need to address it sooner or later.
But how can I when my life is this crazy?
That damn pregnancy test… those two blue lines… What the hell am I going to do about it?
I’m Definitely Not going to say anything to Dominic yet. Not until I’ve had confirmation. I’ll have to get to a hospital or a doctor’s office.
I don’t know when I’ll get the chance to see a medical professional, but still…
There’s no need to make this messy situation any more complicated than it already is.
My pulse throbs as I watch Dominic climb out the water, the droplets cascading down his thick, muscular torso. My tongue drags along my bottom lip, wishing it could be replaced by his.
Tingles tear all over me while he grabs a towel to wrap around himself. I squeeze my thighs together, trying to calm myself down.
“You good?” he asks as he takes a seat beside me.
“Yeah. Are you?”
He might nod, but his facial expression and body language suggests otherwise.
He’s tense.
The silence clouding around us is painful.
“I was hired to take you.”
Whoa, what?
I turn to stare at him, a little confused as I try to process this.
I’ve wanted to know what’s going on for ages now, but I wasn’t expecting him to just come out with it like this.
“Lucchese hired me to take you. But I never got any details as to why at the time. I never ask for details when I take on a job.”
“Oh. I see.”
I don’t know how to reply to this. I shouldn’t be shocked because of who my father is. According to my family, this isn’t the first kidnap plot against me, but they have always thwarted it before.
That doesn’t make it any easier to hear from Dominic, though.
“I found out while you were in the cabin from Lucchese that he wanted you for some debt. To make your father pay up.”
“Debt? Wait… so at the clinic… you weren’t trying to protect me then? Chad, my bodyguard, wasn’t killed by someone else?”
As he shakes his head, I don’t know how to feel. This is a lot. My guard didn’t deserve to die. Not for anything.
“I Did Take you the way that I did though, to try and keep you safe. There was another guy coming after you as well, and I didn’t want him to get his hands on you.”
“Another guy?”
“Yeah. Don’t worry too much. I won’t let him get to you.”
I let out a snort of laughter.
Don’t worry?
Easier said than done, especially after what just happened.
Thisother guymight have been the one who came to the cabin.
Sure, I heard the speaking Irish so I think it’s more likely related to my father, but who the hell knows.
It seems like everyone is after me.
I don’t know who I can trust.
I certainly don’t know if I can trust Dominic.
“Why are you telling me all of this now?” I ask, because I need to say something.
I can’t let the silence cling to the air forever.
“Well, since you didn’t run away or leave me to die, I figure there’s no reason not to trust you.”
He might be acting like he’s joking, but that feels real.
I get that he trusts me now, but that doesn’t mean I feel the same way.
“I’m sorry about all of this.”
A heaviness overcomes Dominic. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him like this before.