He made light of it, but then his face grew serious.
“He didn’t want you fucked during the training either. The liaison was very specific.”
“What?”
Dominic glanced at me as he navigated around the still opening gate. “What I said. And from what you told me, he didn’t rape you. Did his men touch you?”
I shook my head. “He wouldn’t let them.”
“Why?”
“He was jealous of James. Maybe he wanted me for himself? He offered to spare me the branding if I fucked him. When I said no, he didn’t force himself on me.”
“And he sent you to me to train and sell off?”
“Maybe he planned on buying me himself.”
“Sick fuck. I wouldn’t put it past him. It would certainly return you…humbled.”
“Let’s talk about something else.”
“Library address.”
I gave it to him, and he programmed it into the GPS, studied the map, then turned the little machine off.
“I know where it is. It’ll be a little over an hour.”
I unwrapped one of the two bars.
“One of those for me?”
“No.” As I brought the one to my mouth, he reached over and took it, biting into it himself.
“Don’t be fucking rude, Gia.”
“Fuck you, Dominic.”
He grinned and shoved the rest of the bar into his mouth. “Shit. This is old.”
I smiled, but my stomach fluttered, and my face heated. I had to turn and watch the passing scenery out the side window, unable to take his intense gaze. It felt like he read me like a damned book.
I focused on something else. On my mom. I wondered if she was planning Mateo’s funeral. Wondered how worried she was about me. I didn’t know if they’d trashed my apartment. They’d taken me when I’d walked out of a café after work. Did she even know I was missing? She had to by now, now that she knew about Mateo. She would get in touch with Angus Scava when she couldn’t find me. It’d be the first place she’d go.
I almost asked Dominic about calling her but stopped myself. He’d say no. But this wasn’t up to him. I’d make sure to get aholdof her or at least get a message to her that I was alive. I’d tell her to go back to Sicily. Hell, she was safer there than here.
At that, the thought that Victor would have hurt her crept into my mind.
No, he wouldn’t have done that. He wouldn’t have involved her. There was no reason to.
“Did he hurt my mother? Do you know?”
Dominic looked at me as if he hadn’t heard my question. I repeated it.
“I haven’t heard anything, but I haven’t been looking for news. I’ll make a call and find out.”
To my surprise, he took out his phone and dialed a number then and there. It was to his brother, Salvatore. They spoke for a few minutes, Dominic asking for information and Salvatore, I assumed, promising to call back as soon as he found out.
“Thanks,” I said. But that wasn’t going to be enough for me. I’d make some calls myself once we got to the library and he was busy copying files.
