could feel her pulse thrumming under his fingertips and was surprised by the speed of it. “Why is your heart beating so fast?” he asked softly.
“I don’t know,” Alex replied, her cheeks stained with color again. He would have given anything to know what she was thinking at that precise moment.
“Do I scare you?”
“No,” she answered automatically and then hesitated for a moment. “Well, not right now.”
“Before?”
“A little bit.”
“I didn’t mean to scare you. He was hurting you,” Domenic said. His hand was still on the warm skin of her neck, and her heart didn’t slow its pace.
“Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad you came when you did,” Alex said in a low voice. “I just didn’t expect you to react that way.” She searched his face looking for answers. He thought very carefully about how to explain what he felt to her.
“Seeing you hurt makes me angry.”
“Why?” Alex looked perplexed at his confession, and all he could do was stare at her and shake his head. He wished he had an answer, but he honestly didn’t know, and he was afraid of what he would admit if he kept talking.
“You know,” she said, “you won’t be able to protect me forever.”
Her words struck a chord within him. Domenic wanted to vehemently deny what she said, but unless he was able to get her out of here, she was right.
“Well, I’m going to try,” he answered, removing his hand from her neck. He stood up and walked away, thinking of what to do next. Domenic knew where they could go, but in order to stay there, he would need to get some provisions. That meant leaving Alex alone with Vince, which was a huge risk.
“What do you mean, you’re going to try?” she asked. He glanced back at Alex, and there was a small glimmer of hope in her eyes.
“I can’t go into details right now.” Walking back, Domenic crouched in front of her again. “Do you trust me?”
Alex didn’t answer right away, considering the question. “As much as I can, I guess.”
Well, that is better than not at all , he thought with grim humor. “I guess that’s all I can ask for.” Domenic rose to his feet again. “Okay, I don’t want this to look too suspicious, so I’m going to leave.”
“Wait!” she said in a panicked voice. “You’re leaving me alone?”
“Don’t worry, Alexis. I’ll just be in the other room.” He smiled down into her upturned face, and stroked her cheek with his thumb. For a moment, it seemed like she was going to lean her face into his hand but stopped herself. Domenic dropped his hand after a moment and went to leave the room. He would have preferred to stay with her, but needed to do some damage control.
With one last look back, he stepped into the main room where Vince waited. They glared at each other for a few tense seconds before Vince averted his eyes. Pussy. Without Marco, he was nothing. If Domenic did his best to scare the fuck out of him now, he may be able to execute his plan. Vince wouldn’t do anything on his own to harm Alex, of that he was certain.
“Do you mind explaining to me, what the fuck you were doing in there when I came in?” Domenic asked in his most menacing voice.
“Nothing!” Vince protested. “Carlo told us to make the call, so that’s what we did.”
“So, why were you still in there?”
“Marco wanted to have a little fun,” he said in a sulky tone.
“Didn’t I tell you to keep your hands off?” Domenic growled. “Your pal got lucky that Sal walked in when he did.” He stared at Vince, trying to intimidate him, and it seemed to be working. Vince wasn’t made to be a mastermind. He would never be more than just a minion, and Domenic made sure to remind him of that fact. “Now make yourself useful and go get us some lunch.”
“From where?”
“I don’t give a shit, just pick somewhere!”
With shoulders slumped, Vince walked out of the room, and Domenic pulled out his phone to call Carlo. He apologized profusely for
“I don’t know,” Alex replied, her cheeks stained with color again. He would have given anything to know what she was thinking at that precise moment.
“Do I scare you?”
“No,” she answered automatically and then hesitated for a moment. “Well, not right now.”
“Before?”
“A little bit.”
“I didn’t mean to scare you. He was hurting you,” Domenic said. His hand was still on the warm skin of her neck, and her heart didn’t slow its pace.
“Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad you came when you did,” Alex said in a low voice. “I just didn’t expect you to react that way.” She searched his face looking for answers. He thought very carefully about how to explain what he felt to her.
“Seeing you hurt makes me angry.”
“Why?” Alex looked perplexed at his confession, and all he could do was stare at her and shake his head. He wished he had an answer, but he honestly didn’t know, and he was afraid of what he would admit if he kept talking.
“You know,” she said, “you won’t be able to protect me forever.”
Her words struck a chord within him. Domenic wanted to vehemently deny what she said, but unless he was able to get her out of here, she was right.
“Well, I’m going to try,” he answered, removing his hand from her neck. He stood up and walked away, thinking of what to do next. Domenic knew where they could go, but in order to stay there, he would need to get some provisions. That meant leaving Alex alone with Vince, which was a huge risk.
“What do you mean, you’re going to try?” she asked. He glanced back at Alex, and there was a small glimmer of hope in her eyes.
“I can’t go into details right now.” Walking back, Domenic crouched in front of her again. “Do you trust me?”
Alex didn’t answer right away, considering the question. “As much as I can, I guess.”
Well, that is better than not at all , he thought with grim humor. “I guess that’s all I can ask for.” Domenic rose to his feet again. “Okay, I don’t want this to look too suspicious, so I’m going to leave.”
“Wait!” she said in a panicked voice. “You’re leaving me alone?”
“Don’t worry, Alexis. I’ll just be in the other room.” He smiled down into her upturned face, and stroked her cheek with his thumb. For a moment, it seemed like she was going to lean her face into his hand but stopped herself. Domenic dropped his hand after a moment and went to leave the room. He would have preferred to stay with her, but needed to do some damage control.
With one last look back, he stepped into the main room where Vince waited. They glared at each other for a few tense seconds before Vince averted his eyes. Pussy. Without Marco, he was nothing. If Domenic did his best to scare the fuck out of him now, he may be able to execute his plan. Vince wouldn’t do anything on his own to harm Alex, of that he was certain.
“Do you mind explaining to me, what the fuck you were doing in there when I came in?” Domenic asked in his most menacing voice.
“Nothing!” Vince protested. “Carlo told us to make the call, so that’s what we did.”
“So, why were you still in there?”
“Marco wanted to have a little fun,” he said in a sulky tone.
“Didn’t I tell you to keep your hands off?” Domenic growled. “Your pal got lucky that Sal walked in when he did.” He stared at Vince, trying to intimidate him, and it seemed to be working. Vince wasn’t made to be a mastermind. He would never be more than just a minion, and Domenic made sure to remind him of that fact. “Now make yourself useful and go get us some lunch.”
“From where?”
“I don’t give a shit, just pick somewhere!”
With shoulders slumped, Vince walked out of the room, and Domenic pulled out his phone to call Carlo. He apologized profusely for
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