DOM: Alliance Series Book Three (37)

CHAPTER 15





Val





Nearly a minute passes before the door swings open.

But it’s not King; it’s his housekeeper.

“Hey, Val,” Ginger greets me before she does a double take of Dom. “Come on in. King’ll be just a second.”

“Thank you,” I try to say normally as we move into the grand entryway.

Ginger smiles, then heads up the grand staircase to the second story to continue with whatever she was doing.

The entryway is large and echoey, and from here, the house goes off in a few directions. It’s an absurd home, but it proves that I wasn’t lying when I said King was really rich.

I turn to face Dominic, wondering if there’s something I should say to prepare him, but movement down the hall behind him tells me we’re out of time.

Because King is walking toward us.

“Val?” King’s voice fills the space.

Dom closes his fingers around my wrist as I step around him so his bulk isn’t blocking King’s view of me.

“Uh, hi.” I put on my brightest smile.

King smiles back at me. “What’s—”

Then Dominic turns so we’re standing side by side, still holding my wrist, and King’s smile disappears.

Oh god, he’s not gonna take this well.

“King.” I hold up my free hand. “This is—”

“What the fuck are you doing in my house?” King’s voice booms through the space.

I start to stumble back a step. I’ve never heard King so loud before. But Dom slides his grip up my arm to steady me.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper, not understanding why he’s so angry. And not sure who I’m apologizing to.

But neither man hears me.

“Don’t raise your voice around my wife.” Dominic’s tone is cold. Ice to King’s fire.

King stops walking just a few steps away. “What did you just say?”

“King.” I try again. This is spiraling out of control. “Please don’t be mad.”

“Mad?” He takes another step closer. “You bring Dom Fucking Gonzalez, the head of the Chicago mafia, into my home, and you don’t want me to be mad?”

“I…” My breaths are coming fast now. “What?”

I look up at Dominic.

He’s still standing next to me. Still holding my arm. But there’s an expression on his face I don’t recognize.

“Dominic?” I blink up at him.

That can’t be true.

Dom can’t be that.

They can’t know each other.

King’s furious gaze holds me in place as he points a finger at my husband. “Tell me he’s lying. Tell me you didn’t marry this piece of shit.”

Head of the Chicago mafia.

With Dominic still gripping my upper arm, I bend my elbow and bring my left hand before me, the beautiful ring glinting in the light.

Dom makes a clicking sound with his tongue. “Is that any way to welcome me into The Alliance?”

Everything slows.

In one awful, horrible second, everything slows.

The Alliance.

Dom knows about The Alliance.

He knows King.

He’s in the mafia.

Something tightens around my throat.

It’s a coincidence.

It’s some terrible coincidence.

“Dominic?” My voice is weak, but I know he hears me, because his fingers flex around my arm. “What’s going on?”

Please, let this be some sort of mistake.

But he doesn’t look at me. His eyes are still locked on King.

King takes another step closer until he’s within arm’s reach.

“What do you want?” King grits out the question, squaring off with Dominic, waiting for his answer.

Me.

Please say you want me.

“To join The Alliance.”

My knees weaken.

No. No, no, no, no.

This can’t be happening.

I thought…

Dom’s grip on my arm tightens, and I realize I’ve sagged against him.

I thought he…

I try to jerk away from Dominic, but his hold doesn’t budge.

“Not a chance,” King growls. “Did you seriously think you could pull a stunt like this and—”

Dom cuts him off, taking a step forward and bringing me with him. “There is no stunt. This little sister of yours has been wedded and bedded. That makes me family, and if you have any honor at all, King Vass, you know that means I’m a part of The Alliance now.”

Sorrow, like I’ve never felt before, blankets over me. And those last tiny pieces of hope, the little broken shards I’ve been carrying since I was nine, finally crumble into sand.

I was so close.

Tears form and fall in the space of a heartbeat.

I was so goddamn close to having what I’ve always wanted.

And it was all a fucking lie.

I have to tell my lungs to fill. Have to force them to suck in air.

It was all a setup.

A trick.

More tears roll down my cheeks.

I thought I could make him love me.

A strange sound comes out of my throat, but no one hears it.