✧
DOMINIC
The guy Stefano brought in was the usual cocky scum, but he took Dominic beating him up with surprisingly good grace.
He thought the man liked being wounded.
Whatever.
Dominic got an extra boost of raw, pure energy from the pills. If he doesn't do anything ridiculous with the ingredients in the medicine, he could keep riding this wave for a very long time.
After Rome helped the man to his feet, Dominic looked at Stefano for feedback. He crossed his arms over his chest and placed his back against the counter.
"What?" Dominic asked.
He shrugged one shoulder. "You feeling better?"
"Like a million bucks."
"That's fair." Stefano straightened up and continued to stare at him. "So, what are you going to do now?"
The plan—the fucked-up plan.
He turned around and ran his hand through his hair. "I'm on my way to Milan."
"To the villa that you bought for Amelia?"
He nodded.
"That's a terrific idea. If you go somewhere other than New York, you'll be fine." Stefano paused. "Is Claudia coming along?"
He just looked at him and wondered what the heck he was going to say. But it was Stefano and strange things often happened when he was around. "She's going to her apartment."
Stefano's eyebrows shot up. "And what for?"
"Her family left her a few things before they died. They are very important to her."
"I'm gonna guess you're not okay with that. With her returning to what she left?" He let out a chuckle at Dominic's silence. "You're such a jackass. You're not good enough for her."
"For once, we agree on something."
Stefano shook his head as he looked at him. "So you're not at all interested in going with her, then?"
"Isn't that obvious?"
He climbed up on the counter and stretched his legs over the edge. "If you ask me, that's rude of you. She cares about the things she left at home, and so should you. If you would kill to protect her, it's clear that she's important to you. It would also be dangerous not to take her to her residence."
Dominic scowled and questioned, "Are you ever not self-righteous, Stefano?"
"When are you not a selfish jerk?" he urged. "Since Amelia died, you've become a heartless person. I see things just as they are."
Dominic clenched his jaw. "If your life has any value to you, you will never accuse me of being selfish."
"Hey." Stefano held up a hand. "What I'm trying to get at is that you may be a support system for her. You're the one she can trust. If something happened to her, would you be okay with that?"
YOU ARE READING
Tainted Hearts
Romance|| A Mafia Romance || ➵ This is a full-length novel with NO cheating, explicit scenes, and a guaranteed HEA. Claudia Marcello was eager to begin her new career, but when she met the eyes of the Mafia leader conducting her interview, she changed her...
