And those were the things that drew me.
Maybe it was because he wasn’t the only monster in this strange thing happening between us. Maybe we had both truly met our match.
Love wasn’t always beautiful. It wasn’t always kind or sweet. Love could be a twisted, ugly bitch. I’d always known this was the kind of love I’d find. The only kind that could touch me. Because some of us, we belonged in the dark, and Dominic and I belonged in the dark.
After I finished packing my bag, I went into Dominic’s room and found his duffel. He hadn’t unpacked it since arriving. I emptied it to see its contents. Two pair of jeans, a couple of shirts, that was it. That and a small, worn-out envelope that fell out from the pocket of one of the jeans. I picked it up off the floor and opened it. I pulled out a worn photo of a little girl wearing a hot-pink cast on her arm and beaming into the camera. Dirt smeared on her face and wisps of hair stood wild, defiant, unwilling to be contained by her ponytail. She looked to be about nine years old.
I had to smile back at the little girl with creases across her face from the much handled photograph. Effie. I would have recognized her to be related to Dominic even if I didn’t know about her. It was her dimple in exactly the same place as Dominic’s. But more so, her eyes betrayed her heritage. Thecolor, the shape, the shrewd cockiness inside them. It was all Dominic.
How could he stay away from her? If I had a child, could I stay away from her? Walk out of her life? He loved her. I knew it from the way he talked about her. But it was his punishment, his self-flagellation. And it made perfect sense. Dominic hated himself for what he’d done. Hated himself forwhohe was, and more importantly, who he was not.
I tucked the photograph back into its envelope and went into the closet to find him a suit. I figured Salvatore’s clothes were likely still there like Lucia’s had been, and I was right. I wondered why he’d left in such a hurry. I’d have to ask him.
I realized he’d asked me where we were. He didn’t know we were at his house? Well, Dominic had said it was his house now. I wanted to meet Salvatore, wanted to see the dynamic within the family. I wondered if Salvatore would recognize the suit I chose for Dominic. I grabbed Dominic’s toiletries, finished packing his bag, and went downstairs to wait for him to return, knowing what I’d do while he was gone.
He’d left his laptop in the study, and the little flash drive I recognized as the one he’d used to copy Mateo’s file stuck out of one of the ports. I sat behind the desk and listened, steeling myself, telling myself it would be over soon. That I’d have my revenge soon.
Darkness had fallenwhen a car door slamming shut startled me awake. I lifted my head up off the desk and looked around, confused for a moment before remembering. I looked at the time on Dominic’s phone. A little after two in the morning.
I ejected the flash drive from the computer and tucked it into my pocket then walked out into the foyer. Dominic stood just inside the door, his eyes looking as though he were a million miles away.
“Hey. You okay?” I asked.
“Why are you still up?”
“I was waiting for you. Thought you might need someone.”
He seemed confused by my answer.
Shadows darkened his eyes, and his hair looked as though he’d been running his hands through it for the last few hours. “You don’t look so good.”
“What are those?”
His gaze fell on the bags I’d packed and set at the bottom of the stairs.
“I figured we’d need clothes for the funeral.” I stood anxiously awaiting his response.
He studied me. “You can’t go.”
“You can’t stop me.”
“Scava will be there. Not to mention others who may be involved.”
“I’m not hiding. I already told you that. I’m going to use this as my debut.”
“A funeral for a debut.” He chuckled, shaking his head. “You are one twisted girl.”
“What difference does it make anyway? He’s going to find out day after tomorrow we’re MIA when I don’t turn up at the auction. What better place to confront him than publicly within his own community?”
“There’s more, Gia. More players. These are very dangerous men you’re talking about.”
“Ever hear of David and Goliath?”
“What are you going to do, take Victor Scava out with a slingshot?”
“Don’t laugh at me. It’s not always the biggest and the baddest who wins.I’mgoing to win this round, and I’m going to win this war.”
“I said no.” He turned to walk toward the kitchen.
