DOM: Alliance Series Book Three (102)

“Promise you won’t get mad?”

I start to pull back, but she scrapes her nails over my head again. “I promise,” I lie. “Now tell me.”

She’s back to using her palm on my head. “After my dad’s funeral, when I saw King and Aspen for the first time, I started to hate it.” I have to force my body not to react, not to tense. “It wasn’t their fault. I just had always loved that I had my dad’s hair, but that day…” She shrugs, lifting my head with the movement. “I started sneaking my mom’s leftover hair dye. I’d always get in trouble for it since it’s not like she didn’t notice my hair was a darker color. But when I was old enough to get a job, I’d buy the boxes myself and dye it at home.”

“Because you didn’t want to look like them?”

I can feel her nod. “Pretty much. Every time I saw my natural hair color, I was just reminded that my dad had other kids he’d never told me about.”

“When did you stop dying it?” I ask, keeping my anger bottled inside.

“A couple years ago. I had a hairdresser convince me to go back to my natural color. He said it was too pretty to cover up.”

I press my lips to her exposed neck. “I feel that way about every inch of you.”

“Dominic,” she chastises quietly, probably embarrassed about Rob hearing.

But I’m not embarrassed about how much she turns me on.

I kiss her neck again, then pull away. “How much longer?” I ask Rob.

“Another forty, Boss.”

“Good,” I reply as I slide down onto my side until my head is in Val’s soft lap and my feet are wedged against the door. “Just enough time for a nap.” I reach up and grab Val’s hand. “Keep scratching my head, Shorty.”

My eyes lower. Enough time for a nap. And to let my rage simmer.





CHAPTER 69





Val





I’m not sure if Dominic really fell asleep or not, but he didn’t stir until Rob turned down a driveway leading toward a beautiful log cabin somewhere in the Rocky Mountains.

And it’s not until I see the giant house that I remember.

Dom catches me smiling as he sits up. “What’s that for?”

“I just realized what this place is.”

He glances out the windshield to look at the house. “You been here before?”

“No. But I think this is the place Savannah spent thirty thousand dollars bidding on at a silent auction because she was mad at King.”

Dominic smirks as he rolls out his shoulders. “I knew I liked her.”

I purse my lips as we roll to a stop, forgetting that I never asked about the time he met Savannah. “I feel like I need the rest of that story.”

“Another time,” Dom says before opening his door.

I climb out, ignoring the chill and carrying my jacket in my arms as I circle around to meet Dom at the back of the vehicle, where he’s pulling out our two overnight bags.

I expect Rob to join us, but when Dom closes the back door, Rob drives away.

“Where’s he going?” I ask as Dom lifts both bags.

“Another rental not far from here.”

I’m curious about why he couldn’t just stay here. There’s got to be more than enough rooms, but Dom’s already striding toward the front door.

I hurry after him, hugging my jacket for warmth.

He gets to the door a step ahead of me, and I try to move around him so I can knock, but he sets the bags down at his sides and knocks himself, not letting me past.

“Dom, what are you—” My question is cut off by the door opening.

Dominic is blocking my view, but over Dom’s shoulder, I can see the man’s hair color that matches my own.

King opens the door wide, stepping back to let us in. “Come in.”

Dom steps forward, not grabbing the bags. “Fuck you.”

And then Dominic Gonzalez punches King Vass in the face.





CHAPTER 70





Dom





The feel of my bare knuckles hitting King’s cheek is so fucking satisfying I don’t even care that it hurts my already bruised hand.

I think Val shouts my name, but I’m too preoccupied with channeling my fury at her brother.

King swings for my head, and I deflect it so it only grazes off my ear, but I miss the punch aimed at my ribcage.

It connects, but I turn with the hit, and I use my shoulder to ram into King’s chest.

We go down, flipping an armchair in the process, but King manages to twist so we land on our sides rather than landing with me on top of him.

“What the fuck is your problem?” he snaps as he catches my chin with his elbow just as I land a jab in his side.

He rolls away, and I get to my feet at the same time.

“You’re my problem,” I growl. “You call yourself a fucking brother?”

“Dominic!” Valentine tries to come between me and King, but I catch her around the waist and push her back behind me.

King lowers his brows as he tries to see Val behind me.

I use my free hand to point at him, and he slaps it away, stepping up into my face.

“Ask me where Valentine was when her mom died,” I grit out.