Dom shouldn't have been surprised to be called back up to Miko's office, but the question of wondering why lingered within him. Maybe Zeke had sold him out. He wouldn't blame him if he had, but he'd definitely offer to throw another punch into the man's face. It wasn't a matter of payback. It was a matter of principle. You don't break a brother down for a deep, dark secret then share it with someone else. He'd put him back into his place.
He raised his fist to throw a few pounds onto the office door while he waited to be invited in. He was instead greeted by Liv opening up the door and letting him in. He was surprised to see her in Miko's office. Especially to be greeted with a glare and sudden coolness.
"Liv." He said simply and walked passed her. He had his game back and a wall that had extended up over his heart as a shield against any form of feeling. The night's sleep had been enough to pull his impenetrable defensives back up.
Liv shut the door with an unexpected force behind him. He turned around to look at her. "Decided it was too dangerous to be with her too?" A half smile formed across his lips. He tried to keep his comment lazy.
Liv's jaw hardened. Her fingers balled up into fists, as the anger in her eyes drilled holes through Dom. She kept her anger in check. "You fucked up." She condemned him. It was more than obvious.
"I did what was best for her. If you had any sense at all, you'd see that." He watched her flinch at his words. A part of him felt bad. Even though the words were bullshit, he still meant them as he said them.
"What'd you just say?" Her voice was unmistakably frigid and held a challenge that dared him to repeat his words. She could have froze someone with her glare. There was no doubt that his words had hit a nerve. Not that he really cared.
"Settle down you two." Miko interjected. He was watching them from his desk, like he was sitting on a throne and watching a dispute like a king. He didn't look particularly like he was in a very good mood.
Dom guessed that Liv had said something to him that had him irritated. She had that effect on people more often than not.
"Have a seat Dom."
"I'm good." He said as if he had a choice. The second his eyes met his leader's, he realized there hadn't been any choice with the comment. He bit back a sigh and sat down in the chair. He could feel Liv's gaze on him.
She folded her arms and observed the two men from the door. Her eyes were specifically on Dom as she did everything she could to not bite off his head.
"So, it's my understanding that you have no intention of going back to your girl." Miko said as a comment, but he was waiting for verification.
"It's for her safety. It's better that way." He said flatly, as if he had rehearsed the lines over and over again to make himself believe them.
"Like hell it is!" Liv snapped. A scowl freed itself easily from her lips.
"Liv..." Miko warned her. He watched her carefully.
Liv ignored the warning. It was her turn to rip into Dom. He deserved every bit of a tongue lashing from her and more. "You fucking broke her heart. No, you can't break what's already been broken so many times before. You shattered it. And you didn't even fucking blink when you made a decision that wasn't all yours to make."
Dom jumped up from his chair to face her. "Who's decision was it to make, Liv? Tell me that, before you throw your knives at me." His brows were knitted together in anger. He wanted to believe that it was a justified, righteous anger, but he knew better than to lie to himself like that. She was threatening his wall that he had just framed and built. He couldn't allow it to break down again.
"It's the both of your's! As a couple!" She screeched at him. Her blue eyes bluer and stormier than anything he'd ever seen before.
"We weren't a couple, Liv. It was an idea. A vision. It didn't happen." He drawled out. Trying to retain that wall. Trying to hide that he actually cared. He didn't want to care. It hurt to much to care.
"Bullshit!" She screamed at him. "You were willing to risk everything for her yesterday. Today, you don't have a care in the world. You can't do that to her. You can't make me do your dirty work and expect nothing to come of it. You lied to her!"
"I didn't lie to her." He said simply. He couldn't make eye contact with her. He couldn't let her tear down his wall. Numbly, he moved toward the door to leave.
"Don't you fucking walk away from me, Dom!" She grabbed his arm with sheer force and spun him around.
He exploded on her. "What the hell do you want me to say, Liv? I'm sorry for trying to protect her? I'm sorry that she's in pain because of a life that I haven't been able to get her out of?" He was unraveling again. There was no hope in keeping this wall up. It was a façade. Clear and simple. "I can't face her. I can't tell her that I'm going to fail her. I can't win this, Liv! He won't stay away from her if she's with me!" He groaned and ran his fingers through his hair – not caring if it came out of the ponytail holding it back in place.
Liv stood there quietly. Her anger was still there, but she was speechless. Sympathy rose in her eyes and voice. "You need to be there for her. With her." She said quietly. Simply.
'I can't!" He roared at her. The obvious conflict straining his voice. "You don't understand. You don't know the gravity of the situation. I made a fucking mistake."
"Dom, calm down." Miko said patiently. His voice was a mix of calmness and the power that he held above them. He had the ability to talk even the most stubborn people down from whatever stupid idea they were trying to do. It was part of the reason he was a great leader. He knew his job and did it well. He knew people. "Explain to us what you're talking about. We can keep her safe."
"Nobody could keep her safe if she's with me." His throat felt like it was closing shut. He hadn't wanted to tell anyone else his secret. It wasn't any of their damn business. But in all honesty, Miko did deserve to know this. At the very least, it was vital information that could keep the gang safe. Hell, maybe even keep their neighborhood safe. He couldn't stop his gaze from drifting to the floor. "Not until he's dead."
Miko eyed him up warily. The intentness of his words were clear and crisp. "Until who's dead?"
"My step brother." Dom could barely get out the words. "He won't let me be happy. He's sworn to make my life as worthless and miserable as long as he can."
"Who is he, Dom?" Miko asked for the name again. His voice remained even. Patient. "We can fix this."
Dom pinched his eyes as he breathed the name out. "Trent McKinton's my step brother."
Liv's eyes grew big. "There's no way in hell...." The realization of it all hit her fast. She didn't even spare a look over to Miko. "Does she know?"
Dom shook his head. "Nobody knew. Zeke was the first person that I've ever told it too. The only other person alive that knows is Trent himself." He hit her with a hard look. "That's why I can't be with Ash. I have to stay away from her."
The surprise drifted quickly out of Liv's expression. The anger flared back in her eyes with a passion. "Bullshit! You should have thought about that before you promised to get out with her. You should have thought about that when you were letting her break down the heavy steel wall to your heart. You should have thought first, Dom!" She snapped hard at him.
"You're right. I should have thought. I didn't, and I'm sorry." He did his best attempt at an apology. He flinched when he saw an iciness be reestablished and make its presence known in her voice.
"You're not getting off the hook that easily." She glared at him. "You broke her heart because of your own selfish ambitions and you left me to clean up the pieces. You weren't there this morning when her body was shaking from her crying. You didn't see the loneliness come into her eyes like there wasn't anything else important anymore. You should have been there for her, not coming up with some damn excuses to protect yourself from feeling again."
He knew that she was right. Every word drove home like a punch to the gut. He should have been there. He shouldn't have let Liv take the heat for any of this. "You're right. I should have faced her like a man." He caught a flash of red on Liv's jaw. With quick precision he grabbed her jaw and gently tilted her head to the side.
Liv had tensed before allowing herself to relax slightly while in his grip. She couldn't stop the cool laugh from rolling off her lips. "She didn't believe me when I told her that you weren't coming back to her. I guess your lie was too out of character for even her to believe."
He felt like a knife had twisted inside of him. Leaving a stinging, burning pain inside. Part of him wanted to laugh. Liv and Ash were a lot alike. He figured that's why Liv was standing up for her. The realization had really hit him after hearing about the assault from Ashley. It didn't surprise him, but it did make him ache for her even more. What had he done?
"She'd be stupid to take you back." Liv didn't wait for him to say anything. It was like she knew everything he was thinking then and there. She was reading every part of his thoughts. Weighing them out and tossing them like they were useless pieces of information.
"Liv offered to have her join us." Miko laid out some information. He clearly wanted to see how Dom would react. What he'd say to the idea. He didn't bring up the fact of who Dom was related to. In fact, the small bit of surprise that had been in his eyes was gone like he had known all along.
"What'd she say?" Dom's heart was racing. The words fumbled out too quickly from his mouth. She'd be killed if she'd join them, but part of him wanted to hear that she wanted to. Maybe there was hope for him after all. Maybe he didn't completely screw up. Maybe she'd be safe.
"She didn't want to hurt you by being around. She declined." Liv bit out word by word so quickly it was as if she was trying to say them before she was gagged. Her brows were furrowed together as she watched him. "Does that make you happy?"
"If she would have said yes, he would have killed her." He said simply.
"It doesn't matter anyway, does it? You already killed her hope." Liv's words hit Dom hard. He nearly stumbled back from the impact. She jerked her jaw out of his hand. "Maybe you should have thought about that before you stole her purpose in life."
"She's got other purposes." Dom could barely say. He couldn't make eye contact with Liv. He swallowed the lump forming in his throat.
Liv's small nose flared out like there was no way for the hot air to escape the small nostrils fast enough. "The hell she does! She's intent on getting out of Trent's damn gang, but the look in her eyes when I left her earlier told me that a part of her died. A big part. I don't care if you guys haven't known each other very long. You stole her heart. Maybe it was even the first time you both really talked. Whatever the hell it was, she's not alright."
Dom did what he did best. He pushed the feelings away and chose to stonewall the people close to him. "Better she feel that now, rather than later when there's no turning back."
Liv's jaw hardened so fast. She reached out and slapped him, before marching out of the room. She had left the door open on her way out. Not bothering to shut it in her fit of anger.
Dom could taste a little bit of blood on the edge of his lip. He wiggled his jaw around to invoke new feeling in it. She had a brutal slap that made the whole side of his face sting. He deserved it. He wouldn't deny that. Couldn't deny that.
"Close the door, Dom. We need to talk." Miko said carefully. His jaw was set hard too. The disapproval on his face was anything but transparent.
Dom reached for the heavy wood door and closed it. He didn't make a peep as he inched his way back over to a chair and slid into it. He couldn't make eye contact with his leader.
"You fucked up." He said blatantly as his hands closed together in front of him. His stance was powerful, yet approachable. His voice made his disappointment clear. "We protect people. We don't hurt them, Dom. You of all people know that."
Dom nodded his head slowly. He white knuckled the sides of the chair as he waited to hear more of the disappointment in Miko's voice. Or waited for him to tell him what he was to do next. Either could be worse or equally distasteful.
"What's your next move?" The words were simple. Patient.
Dom swallowed hard. "I don't know." He forced his gaze up to face Miko. "I can't go back to her. I have to stay away."
Miko looked thoughtfully down at his hands. "I can keep you busy around here, Dom. That'll keep you away from her, but that won't make things right. Only you can do that."
"I can't face her. Not after what I just did to her." Dom couldn't help but say. It was the truth. He didn't face her to start with and he sure as hell shouldn't face her with a reason. Even if it was a damn good reason. He had left Liv do his dirty work and there was no way that he should be as distasteful as to bring his presence around a hurt and grieving Ash.
"Okay." Miko said simply. "It's your choice. I'll ask Liv to back off on talking to you until she cools down, but you know that I can't change her mind or ask her to play nice. The lady's got a mind of her own. Always has."
"I know. I probably deserve it anyway." He looked down and sighed.
"Hell yeah. You deserve every bit of crap she dishes at you, and more. You don't treat women that way." Miko said with no reservation in his voice. "But what you do isn't any of my business unless it effects our family."
Dom still couldn't bring his focus up to Miko. He felt like a whipped puppy with his tail between his legs and his pride intact enough to refuse to resist fighting back. "Are we done?"
Miko's brow arched casually. "Dom, you broke a code. Several of them, in fact. You did less than your best at facing that situation as you should have. You didn't tell me things that I should have known. Not to mention you pissed off Liv. We both know that that's not something that's to be done. Yeah, we're done, but you're going to have to do a lot to get back on my good graces. I won't lie to you. I'm disappointed with you and I expected a whole hell of lot more from you."
The words stung, but Dom was being too stupid to think before talking. His gaze rose to meet Miko's. His eyes were blazing with fury and his voice adopted a level of sarcasm. "Well shit. I'm sorry I disappointed you. I didn't know I needed your fucking approval for a decision to protect someone in my own way."
Miko's expression darkened and his face tightened. That was never a good sign. "Watch your tongue, di'Liardo. I understand that you're angry right now. I understand that you've been through shit the last few months, but that does not excuse you from speaking out of tongue with me. Get the hell out of my office before I kick your ass." His gaze gave no sign of wavering and he was clearly not happy with Dom.
Dom got up abruptly. Nearly toppling over the chair. He took no time getting away from the leader.
"We'll discuss your step brother another time." Miko had shifted his gaze back to some papers on his desk. His tone was cool and unforgiving at the moment.
Dom paused for a moment. Drinking in the words and allowing them to settle. The secret was out now. He took no time in leaving the room from there to go nurse his wounds and sulk over a bottle of whatever liquor he could get his hands on. Something strong.
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Yikes, Dom sounds like he's heading down a bender.
Liv might have been a bit harsh, but she isn't one to shy away from what's on her mind either. Do you think she was wrong with how she flipped out?
And, Miko... the man is a saint in the darkest way possible. He's a patient leader and honestly, that's what these guys need. --- Such an opposite of Trent!
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