Dom wrapped his hand around the gun and held it still. “Out of respect for your age and being her father, I’ll let this slide.” A beat, and then he stated, “But point your weapon at me again, and I won’t hesitate to act.” Oh, my God, what was happening?
They both had lost their minds!
“Stop!” My scream snapped their attention to me, both of them studying my reaction as I breathed heavily. I positioned myself between them, right in the middle of the whole mess, and wondered how I ended up in such a situation, and if there even was a solution. My patience finally snapped, and I could see that any second now, this thing would escalate to epic proportions. If it hadn't already. “I don’t want a war. Are you insane? You’d start a gunfight because of me?” Since neither of them bothered to answer, I continued, “Can’t we find a solution?”
Dad smiled for the first time. “There is no solution here, baby girl. It’s either this or the other.” My eyes travelled to Dominic, but he gave me nothing.
Blank freaking stare.
“I don’t want this.” The decision I was about to make would probably ruin my chances of knowing what it was like to feel this powerful man against me again, but I couldn't allow him to hurt my family. The spark we had between us was nothing more than sexual desire, which happens sometimes between people, or so I’d heard. But if it happened once, surely it could happen again with someone else?
Resting my open palm on Dom’s chest, I said quietly, “You have to go.” Everyone around us froze, and from the corner of my eye, I could see men from both mafia houses were confused, and slightly disappointed. Did they want to measure their dicks in a fight? “He’s my dad.” I didn't know why I added this last part. Wasn't I supposed to let him go? Instead, it felt like I explained myself to him.
Like I apologized for my choice.
“Rosa,” Dad barked, but I couldn't keep my eyes away from Dominic’s as he held them in a long stare. Then something passed between us.
Something I still couldn't name, and wasn't sure he could either.
Dominic raised his hand, and all the guns from the Russian side lowered slowly. I didn't miss Vitya’s sigh of relief or the wink he sent my way. Wrapping both his hands around my neck, Dominic brought me closer to his lips. My breath hitched right before his mouth crushed to mine. He gave me a deep and punishing kiss. His tongue seeking mine sent a jolt of electrified pleasure all through my body. Forgetting myself, I wrapped my arms around his waist and an unconscious moan escaped me.
All too soon, it was over, and I blinked a few times to get rid of the haze he had created.
Dominic pushed me back, right into the willing arms of my dad, and then without another word to anyone, he sat in the car as his men followed his example and did the same. One by one, the cars disappeared, leaving me standing alone with my ‘family.’
Only then, my mind registered the chilly weather sending goose bumps down my naked arms, and I rubbed them, hoping to get warm.
“It’s for the best,” Dad said quietly, and he was probably right.
Why then did it hurt so much that he left me without a backward glance? And why, God, did my lips burn as though he branded me with his claim, right in front of everyone again?
Man with the dragon tattoo
Well, well, well.
Trouble in paradise.
The combustive explosion that happened between the two mafia houses was interesting to watch. I expected Don to agree to such a good candidate for his daughter, but his flat-out refusal played well into my plan.
The pakhan wasn’t known for giving up or doing as he was told.
Whatever it took, I had to antagonize a war between them. Because once they were totally focused on fighting each other, neither of them would notice their precious Rosa was snatched from right under their noses.
And by the time they did, it would be too late. I would’ve already cut up her little body piece by piece, after I enjoyed torturing it thoroughly.
A sinister smile slowly stretched across my face as I enjoyed thoughts of what was to come.
Revenge, motherfuckers.
My eyelids felt heavy. Dizziness overtook me. Fear ran through every bone in my body. My arm had fallen asleep and desperately demanded to be stretched.
I lay on the bed with a blanket over my shoulders, as the night was quite chilly and this place didn't seem to have a heater. Maybe those violent men didn't want to waste it on me.
My arm was under my head and my knees pulled up to my chest. Every minute, I expected him to walk in. The knife was safely between the bed and me, ready to be taken out the minute someone showed up.
No matter how much I willed myself to calm down, I couldn't, so the trembling wouldn't stop. My teeth chattered against each other, and I burrowed my face deeper under the covers. An owl sounded in the background in the otherwise silent night, which made me think we had to be outside of town in some kind of forest. The image of Snow White came to me, where she was running in the forest like crazy when the Huntsman took her there to die and she couldn't find a way out. With my luck, those ‘huntsmen’ wouldn't take pity on me, and the nice animals of the forest wouldn't have any chance of getting me out of this mess.
How the hell could I escape from here? Why didn't being a princess of the Cosa Nostra come with a handbook of instructions on how to handle certain situations? If we had such traditions, then maybe our fathers wouldn't have to be so afraid of letting us leave.
