She could tell he hadn’t expected that.His lips pressed together, and Dominic let the silence hang as though there were more she should say.
“I’ve had time to think while everything played out around me,” she said.
“About?”
“Death do us part,” she repeated the words he’d mailed to her.
His cold demeanor remained unaffected.
“You would never hurt me,” she lied, but knew he had always believed that to be true.Dominic never thought that sharp words, psychological coercion, or physical pain hurt when it came from him.He was missing a part of his brain that made sense of reality.“Everything I’ve been through, running from what I didn’t know, wouldn’t have happened if I were with you.”
His disgust snarled.“You weren’t alone, though.Were you?”
Her heart stuttered.
“I had a conversation with Callum Hale.”Disdain dripped as he spat the words.
Grace might be sick.“That’s my brother’s doing.I can’t help it.I’ve never been able to control them.”
“He’s always wanted you.That was clear from the first day I met him.”
Could everyone see what she and Callum hadn’t been able to?Why hadn’t she seen it?But no, Grace had fallen for Dominic during the onslaught of lavish attention.“I… I, uh, don’t know.”
“You didn’t then.You don’t now.You’re an idiot, Grace.”
Oh, thank God.He didn’t see the way she loved Callum.“Why did you talk to him?”
“He wants to find you.Everybody wants to find you.”He rubbed a hand over his face and sighed.“I’ll deal with them later.This is how everything will go.”
She bit her lip and nodded.
“You come home.I’ll let you pick the place you want to stay.The penthouse in Las Vegas is easier.But New York works for me as well.Not DC.Not Miami.”
“Why?”
“You’ll continue to communicate with the family and friends who know about your situation.Your life will continue exactly how it was, except you will stay in that one place.No resurrecting your life.You will continue to work on your little hobby job.”He paused.“I actually like some of your work.”
“I don’t understand.”
“You don’t need to.”
“Dominic—”
“Las Vegas or New York?Which will it be?”
“I, uh…”
“Grace, choose.I don’t have to give you the option, darling, but I’m trying to be magnanimous here.”
“I would be… a prisoner?”
“You would be safe.You will have everything at your disposal.You can stay in contact with your family.Though if you say a word or stray from our agreement, I’ll kill you and bury you in the grave people already think you’re in.”
“New York.”
“Fine.”He turned for the door.“Time to go.”
Grace followed Dominic through a maze of humming hallways.His expensive shoes echoed on the polished floor.The building seemed alive around them.She hadn’t seen another person as they moved through the surreal labyrinth of matching walls and doors devoid of identifying characteristics.
