Chapter 3

Hayden-

“Daddy!” The female cried.

Looking up, I saw the unknown female crawl over to the dead man, leaning over his body and shaking him. The more she shook him, the more he bled. As the pool of blood increased, so did the bile in my stomach.

I felt the urge to vomit again, but I couldn’t move. With wide eyes, I watched as the female cried over her father’s body. I should have listened to Dominic when he told me to leave. If I had, I wouldn’t have been responsible for killing someone.

Despite the female’s protest, she was hauled to her feet and dragged to the door. One of the men who came with them picked up the man I shot and carried him away on his back. The female’s red and swollen eyes met mine when they were at the door with a deadly glare.

“You will regret this day.” The female screamed as she was pulled out of the room.

Once they were gone, I looked down at my trembling hands, still clutching the gun. Although I knew I didn’t touch any blood, my eyes played tricks on me. Dropping the weapon, I stared at my hands, and they looked as if I had dipped my hands in blood.

“I shot him. I shot him.” I mumbled, continuously repeating the words.

“Hayden!” Dominic knelt in front of me, placing his hands on my shoulders.

“I shot him.” I reiterated and started hyperventilating.

“We need to get out of here.” Dominic helped me to my feet, but my legs couldn’t hold me.

“I will carry her.” Tristan said as he tried to lift me.

“Don’t touch her!” Dominic shoved Tristan away, pulling me against his side, allowing me to use him as support.

“Okay.” Tristan held his hands up defensively as he backed away.

Dominic wrapped his arms around me, gently caressing the back of my head. I started to calm down, but I still couldn’t steady my breathing. I could still see the pool of blood, and the urge to vomit again was stronger than before.

“We need to get out of here. It isn’t safe.” Dominic said as he unwrapped his arms and prepared to lift me off the ground.

Before he could, I shoved him back and bent over to empty the contents of my stomach again. Dominic helped by pulling my hair out of my face and holding it back. When I finished vomiting, I stood up and wiped my mouth.

Feeling as if I could stabilize myself, I stepped away from Dominic. “I am not leaving until I know what is going on. Who were those people?”

“This isn’t the time to talk about it. If we don’t leave, they might return.” Dominic stepped forward, but I extended my arm to stop him.

“I can explain everything, but we need to leave first.” Dominic tried to grab my wrist, but I pulled it away and moved back a few feet.

“This isn’t going to work.” Tritan sighed. “I will tell you.”

Looking past Dominic, I gave my attention to Tristan. “Then tell me.”

“Dominic is the Mafia Lord, and those people were from one of the many mafia families in the area. They came here to make a deal with us. The girl is Valerie Clint, and she is the daughter of the mob boss you shot.”

I had a feeling he was telling me the truth, but I couldn’t bring myself to accept it. “You are lying. You told me you worked at a publishing company.”

“Fox Ink is one of Dominic's many lucrative businesses. He also owns this bar.”

Shaking my head, I stumbled back as my gaze returned to Dominic. “So, your money is dirty?”

I didn’t know how else to ask. My knowledge of the Mafia was limited. I know what I have seen on television, and it wasn’t good.

“Not everyone in the Mafia is bad. When my father was the Mafia Lord, he tried to change things. I am continuing his work. Every business I own is legit. Many other families have changed their ways also.”

I was afraid to ask my next question, but I couldn’t help myself. “Have you ever killed anyone?”

Dominic didn’t answer as he looked over at Tristan, who was rubbing the back of his neck. Even if they weren’t answering, I already knew the answer. Looking over at the bloodstains, I knew I had no right to judge them.

“I need to turn myself in.” I mumbled as I started toward the door.

“No!” Dominic grabbed me around the waist.

I tried to get away, but I suddenly felt something sharp prick the side of my neck. At first, I wasn’t sure what was happening when the room started spinning. As my vision blurred and my body felt funny, I realized Dominic drugged me before I blacked out.

When I woke up, I was lying on a bed in an unfamiliar place. Looking over, I noticed I wasn’t alone. Dominic was lying on his side next to me, using his hand to prop his head up. There was a softness in his eyes that didn’t last long.

As if he snapped out of whatever was going on with him, he sat up and gave me the same cold stare I was familiar with. “You’re awake.”

“What happened to me?” I asked, sitting up and pressing my palm to my head to try and relieve some pressure from my instant migraine.

“I drugged you.” He stated as if it was something he did regularly.

“Have you lost your mind?” I scoot away, but he grabs my arm and yanks me toward him.

“Don’t even think about escaping.” His tone was dangerous, but his eyes were more so as he narrowed them at me.

“You can’t trap me here!” I pinch his flesh on the back of his hand with my free hand.

It doesn’t seem to faze him, so I dig my nails in and twist. His jaw muscles tense, but he didn’t release me. Refusing to give up, I continued to pinch him until he finally released me. Scrambling off the bed, I trip over the covers and fall to my knees on the ground.

“I can do what I want, and there is nothing you can do about it.” Dominic moved off the bed and stretched his arms over his head.

“Kidnapping is illegal!”

“So is murder.” He shrugged after his arms fell to his sides.

He had a point. Getting off the ground, I hug my arms around me. I could feel goosebumps on my arms, but it wasn’t from the cold. The memory of killing that man caused my stomach to turn. I noticed I was near a bathroom, so I rushed in.

Reaching the toilet, I sat on the floor and tried to vomit, but nothing came out. My stomach was in a painful knot, but since I couldn’t throw up, I pushed on the toilet and stood up. When my gaze lifted, I noticed Dominic was leaning against the door frame.

“Even though you were drugged and passed out, you still vomited multiple times throughout the night. I doubt you have anything left in your stomach.”

“Why are you doing this to me?” It wasn’t until I heard my voice shake that I realized I was crying.

“Your life is in danger, and until I can be sure that you are safe, you are staying here.”

“I killed a man. I should be in jail.”

“Even if you turn yourself in, the only thing that will happen is they will reward you. You took out the most wanted mob boss in the area. He has killed many cops and has never been captured. The mayor would probably even throw you a party.”

“I don’t believe you.”

Dominic shrugged. “By the way, I put a change of clothes on the dresser for you. Why don’t you take a shower and get changed? When you are done, I will have breakfast ready for you.”

Dominic left the bathroom, and a few seconds later, I heard the bedroom door shut. Feeling the need to wash myself multiple times, I did as he said. After feeling a little better, I left the bedroom and was surprised to see all my favorite breakfast foods on the table.