DOM: Alliance Series Book Three (39)

Val’s body trembles with a shiver, so I adjust the temperature.

“Do you want your seat warmer on?”

She doesn’t answer. Of course she doesn’t.

Val trembles again, so I press the button to warm the leather seats anyway. She can turn it off if she wants.

Still no reaction.

I let out a sigh, then turn my own seat on low. Lounging in bed all day yesterday, followed by flying commercial today, is making my back tight.

The day we met, I joked with Val about not being that old. But I’ve lived hard. I’ve fought for my life more than once. Killed way more times than that. And taken more hits to my person than I could ever count. And today, my body is reminding me.

Movement in the passenger seat pulls my attention to Val.

She’s lifted her left hand from where it’s been frozen in her lap and is staring at her ring.

A twinge of something nips at the edge of my conscience.

But I won’t say I’m sorry.

Because I’m not. I’m not sorry for what I’ve done.

It had to happen, and once Val understands why, she’ll forgive me.

I know her.

She might not believe that right now, but I do. And I know she’ll eventually understand.

Her breathing changes, and little puffs of breath fill the car.

“Hey.” I glance over at her. “What’s wrong?”

It’s a stupid question to ask right now, but seriously, I don’t know what’s going on with her.

I’ve never seen someone so catatonic, and now she’s starting to breathe heavily.

I reach for her. “Angel.”

“Don’t call me that!” Her sudden shout fills the vehicle.

Only through a lifetime of not showing weakness do I manage not to react to her outburst.

I slowly lower my hand to rest between us. “Alright.”

“This is what I’ve always wanted.” Her voice drops to a whisper.

Keeping my eyes on the road, I sneak another glance, seeing she’s still staring at the ring.

“I don’t know how you knew.” She sounds… lost.

I press my lips together.

Val touches the diamond with the tip of her finger. “You brought this with you, didn’t you? To Vegas.”

I don’t answer. Because we both know that answer is yes.

“You offered me everything I’ve ever wanted,” she says quietly as she pulls the ring off her finger, holding it up to the afternoon sun. “But you can’t hold on to mirages.”

Before I can stop her, she lowers her window, and the wind rushes through the opening as she throws her ring out onto the freeway.

It disappears from view long before it hits the concrete below us, gone forever.

And when her window is back up and she’s settled once more into her seat, I smile.





CHAPTER 17





Val





Behind my eyelids, unwanted memories of my mother flitter past.

“Valentine, you need to give men something to look at, or else they’ll just use you and drop you.”

My twelve-year-old self looks down at the baggy T-shirt that nearly hides the jean shorts underneath. “But I don’t want men looking at me.”

“You will,” Mom scoffs. “And if you don’t start taking care of yourself now, then you’ll end up with some piece of garbage who just wants to use you.”

I pull down the hem of my shirt, hiding the shorts completely as I try to cover my exposed thighs.

Four years later, my mom says basically the same thing to me. Only this time it’s because my dress is too revealing. Because my breasts have grown bigger than hers, and she hates to see them.

And then, three years later, when the last words she ever spoke to me were punctuated by a slamming door. “You’re a selfish, greedy bitch, and you’ll eventually get what’s coming to you.”

I pry my eyes open.

I don’t really want to be in the present, but it’s better than the past.

Anything is better than the past.

I blink.

What would she think now? My mother.

Would she laugh, gleeful in the knowledge that I’ve finally been used by a man the way she always warned me I’d be? Or would she be jealous that I ended up married to a rich, powerful man?

My vision starts to clear.

The setting sun casts a glow through the SUV, and I vaguely remember Dom grabbing something out of the glove box when we left King’s house.

He didn’t rent this vehicle.

I glance around at the interior, thinking it’s exactly like the one we took to dinner in Vegas.

What did the driver call him when we were leaving my hotel? Boss?

Another level of deceit.

Ringing fills the interior of Dom’s SUV, and KV is displayed on the dashboard.

Dom presses a button on his steering wheel to answer but doesn’t say anything.

It’s quiet for a beat before King’s voice fills the car. “Bring her back.”

I stare at the letters on the screen, not sure how to feel.

Dominic lets out an acidic laugh. “Only took you three and a half hours to decide you want her.”

His words are true. And that’s why they hurt so much.