EMILY’S POV I stood at the doorway, my gaze fixed on the woman in front of me who looked at me with widened eyes. Trying to see if I was a threat or not. Her dark hair was dishevelled, her dress was rumpled and she looked tired. But even in her discomfort, she carried herself with grace. I could tell that she had never been in a position like this before. She straightened, her hands gripping the silk beneath her. “Who are you?” She asked, her voice hoarse and dry. I made a mental note to ask someone to bring some water up to her. “I'm Emily. How about you?” I asked. I knew who she was but I wanted to hear her say it, maybe to be sure—I don't know. “You must already know who I am.” She told me with raised eyebrows. “I know, but I want to hear you say it by yourself,” I said, taking a few steps into the room. I closed the door behind me. I only had a few minutes to talk to her. Dominic did not want to disclose what room she was in, so I followed him discreetly to find out. “My n
DOMINIC'S POVI watched through the CCTV cameras as Emily left the room, my blood boiling with rage. There was a reason that I didn't want her going into that room; I didn't want her to become best friends with my hostage, and from what I could see, that had already happened. How did she even figure out where the room was? Any type of relationship between Emily and Sofia could be detrimental to my plans. It would make execution very hard for me if it was necessary. I stormed out of my office and went to my bedroom where I knew she would be. I walked into the room and saw her sitting at the edge of the bed and loosening her braids. She was so fucking graceful and beautiful; if I wasn't so angry at her, I'd have spread her legs and kissed the lips of her core. When she turned to look at me, I could tell that she knew exactly why I was angry, but she did not seem to care, which further infuriated me. “What the fuck were you doing in Sofia's room?” “I just wanted to talk to her.” She
EMILY’S POV I was filled with relief at Dominic's words, but it was only partial relief. I knew better than to believe Dominic fully. He was a man of contradictions and he could easily go back on his words. He could be sweet and tender one moment, but when it came to his enemies he could be ruthless. There was no doubt that if Sofia became more trouble than he bargained for, he would not hesitate to end her. I needed to make sure that didn't happen. Dominic moved closer to me; his eyes were still burning with frustration, and he narrowed his eyes at me as though telling me that he knew exactly what I was thinking. “I don't want to hear anything about this from you again. You will stay out of this. I have given you two things that you want. You can't make any requests anymore.” I stared at him defiantly and I crossed my arms, refusing to be intimidated by him. “I didn't say I wanted you to spare her life. I said you had to keep her safe. There is a difference.” He clenched his jaw
SOFIA'S POV I woke up to the sound of someone opening the door. The heavy metal door made a creaking sound, announcing the arrival of someone. My body tensed instinctively, my heart was racing very fast. The room was dimly lit with the sunlight filtering through the window. I turned to see Emily stepping into the room. Her gaze met mine and she gave me a small smile. I could see hesitation in her movements as she approached me. “Good morning.” She said softly. She closed the door behind her. I mumbled a response. I was still drowsy, and I still wasn't sure if I could trust her, even though she seemed different from the rest of them, and she made an effort to try to talk to me. She didn't seem cold like Dominic, there was a warmth to her. She could not hide that she was not born into this world. It made me curious to know more about her. Where did she come from? How did she end up here? “I brought you some fresh clothes. I thought you would like to come out of that dress. It looks
SOFIA'S POV As soon as Dominic left, the tension in the room decreased, but it still lingered. My heart was still racing from his presence. The way he had looked at me like he was trying to find out what was going on in my head. I'd heard my father and Dino talk about him and how he was one of the most feared Capos in the world, seeing him made me understand why. Dominic was cold when I looked into his eyes; they looked hollow and void of emotion—except when he looked at Emily. Emily exhaled, massaging her forehead in a bid to calm down. “I am sorry about that.” She said softly. I looked at her with suspicion. “Are you really sorry? Are you really trying to help me or are you just trying to make things easier for Dominic? You may disapprove of his methods, but you're still working with him.” “I don't think you understand. Dominic is not always like this… he's a very complicated man.” She tried to explain. “Yeah, right. Let me guess, he's actually a really sweet guy and he's misun
EMILY’S POVMy breath hitched as Dominic inched closer to me, closing the distance between us. His movements were slow and deliberate, showing that he was in control of the situation—of everything. His presence was domineering; they radiated with the power that he exhumed, which both intrigued me and made me feel nervous. I held my ground, refusing to see how much he affected me. I didn't want him to know that my heart was beating wildly in my chest—whether from excitement or from fear, I could not tell. “And how do you intend on making me pay?” I said, making sure my voice did not shake. “Oh, Emily.” He whispered as he traced my jawline with his finger, then he cupped my chin and pulled my face close to him. “I think you already know the answer to that.” His hands went down to my neck and he wrapped his fingers around my neck and pulled me closer to him. He pressed a kiss to my lips, it was not a passionate kiss, it was a punishing kiss. He used his tongue to get back at me for d
EMILY’S POVDominic's words made me stop. I looked at him and he looked just as shocked as I was by his words. I could not have ever expected those words to leave Dominic's mouth. Love was not something men like Dominic gave freely. They dominated, they controlled—but they did not love. “You think you love me?” It was more of a question to myself than it was to him. I wanted to scoff and tell him that he was lying. That he was only saying it because of the heat of the moment. I wanted to tell him that he would take it back before the day was over. He grabbed a hold of my waist and pulled me close to him, so close that I could feel his hot breath on my face. “That's the only explanation that makes sense.” He said, a serious expression on his face as he looked me deeply into my eyes. “Explanation to w…what?” I stuttered, trying to control my voice. “To why I feel this way… to why I feel like I need you and I can't breathe without you. Why I want to protect you and never let you go.
DOMINIC'S POV As though he could listen to my thoughts, my phone began to vibrate again. I didn't even have to look at the phone to know that it was Dino who was calling me. I declined the call and switched off. These days, the only person I hoped to call me was the mystery caller. The fact that I still did not know who it was from, was driving me crazy. A knock sounded on my door, disrupting my thoughts. “Come in,” I said. Barry walked into my office, looking calm and in control as always. I missed the days when I was just as stoic as Barry before Emily came and flipped my world upside down. “What is it?” I demanded. I wanted to be alone and his presence was not welcomed. Unfazed, Barry said, “Dino has been spotted near the warehouse in Italy. He's getting really desperate.” “Let him wait. I like how restless he is.” I said. “He will soon break and when that happens, he will give me whatever I want.” “And what about Sofia? How long do you plan on keeping her here?” He asked. “
EMILY’S POVMy heart broke as I watched Dominic say his goodbye to Anita and Daniella. Daniella gave him a curt goodbye and stood at the side, but Anita was crying her eyes out at having to watch her father go. I cried also; I knew what was going through her mind; it was the same thing that was going through my mind, too. The fact is anything could happen, and we could never see him again. He could die. He looked at me, I could see the anger in his eyes…anger at the situation, anger at seeing his daughter cry, anger at everything that had brought him to this place. His eyes burned with fury. I walked up to him and threw my arms around him. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me closer to him. “I'm so sorry.” He whispered into my ears. “Just come back.” “As soon as I can get away again, I'll be back.” He promised and then he left. I pulled Anita into my arms as he sobbed. I watched as Daniella stood there looking awkward, but something was going on that caught my atten
DOMINIC'S POV I kissed Emily wildly and passionately as I led her to the bed, everything in me craved to be inside her. I was losing my mind in Italy, and on an impulse, I came back to see her. Being away from her was like hell, it was like a part of me was missing. The thing with the Cartel was getting too heated, and I could not be away for too long, but I needed a moment to breathe. The deeper we got into it, the more I wondered if this was actually going to end well for me. I pushed all thoughts of the war out of my head and I focused on Emily. Her plush, soft, sweet lips are on mine. I picked her up and placed her on the bed. I pulled away from her lips and trailed kisses from her neck to her stomach before coming back up to admire her perfect body, her skin was glowing with the light from the moon casting upon her. I could barely believe that she was mine. “Il sole, la luna e le stelle si inchinano alla tua bellezza.” I whispered to her. She looked at me in wonder and pure
EMILY’S POV I let out a piercing scream as my eyes flew open and I turned around to see the intruder, only to be met with Dominic's piercing ocean-blue eyes. “Shit, you scared me,” I said, my hands placed on my chest. He gave me a sympathetic smile. “I didn't mean to startle you, my love. I only wanted to surprise you.” My fear gave way to delight and I jumped into his arms. “What are you doing here? I was so worried about you?” “I missed you too much, I had to come back and see you. I was going insane. I'll have to leave first thing in the morning.” He told me, but I didn't care how long he stayed, all that mattered to me was that he was here with me. “I am so glad you're here,” I whispered. “Me too, amore mio, me too.” He whispered before taking my lips in his. He pressed me against the wall as his tongue took over my mouth, I'd missed the taste of him even though he'd only been away for a week. His hands roamed my wet body as the water continued to wash over the two of us.
EMILY’S POVIt has been three days since I had heard from Dominic since the last time that we spoke and I had to force myself not to worry about it. I needed a distraction. I walked into Sofia's room and found her with a book in her hand. I felt bad for being away for so long because I'd been distracted. She was probably losing her mind spending the whole day in this room. I decided it was time to give her some freedom. Dominic was not around and I was in charge. Plus, Dominic and Dino were now working together. “Hey,” I said. “Hey,” Sofia responded. “I'm sorry I've not been here to check in on you for a while. But I decided that since Dominic and Dino have reached an agreement and are now working together, there is no need to keep you locked up in this room. You deserve to have a bit of freedom. Move around the house and stuff.” I told her. Her face was bright, but she looked uncertain. “Would that sit well with your fiancé?” “What does it matter? He's not here. Plus I am in ch
DOMINIC'S POV The smell of blood and gunpowder filled the air as I stood in the middle of the chaos that had just occurred. We had taken back my warehouse, but of course, the cost of it was the lifeless bodies that were littered all over the floor—some of the men from my side and the majority from the Mendez Cartel. I had won this part of the war, but I could not dwell on it for long because I knew worse attacks were on the way. Victor walked up beside me, wiping blood off his hands with a piece of clothing. We were both covered in blood. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes carried the same burden of fatigue that I felt in my bones also. “We've won this one.” He remarked. I nodded, still looking at the havoc before me. Williams had been nowhere to be found causing me to be disappointed. Williams was a desperate man… he was desperate for revenge and that was what made him more dangerous and a big threat to me—one that needed to be eliminated. “How many men did we lose?” I
DOMINIC'S POVThe cold air bit into my skin as I stood on the balcony of Victor's mansion. I was exhausted, but my mind was too restless to let me sleep. The moon cast its pale glow over the estate, making it look especially magnificent. The view reminded me of Emily, I wish she was here so we could enjoy the scenery together.I let out a sigh. Tomorrow would be a bloodbath. Many lives would have to be taken to recover the warehouse that was taken from me. If Williams and his accomplice thought they could launch attacks on me with no consequences, then they had another thing coming. They thought I was scared of them. I wasn't—not anymore. I'd had many battles, but this was more important because it felt like I had something to lose. I had to protect Emily and Anita at all costs. ***EMILY’S POV I woke up drenched in sweat and breathing very hard as a result of the nightmare I'd just had. It had been so vivid, I was shocked to find out that it was a dream, but I was glad it was just
EMILY’S POVMy phone rang and I rushed to answer it, knowing it was Dominic. I had been waiting for his call since he left. “Dominic…” I whispered into the phone, my voice shaking. “My love. I am here. I arrived at Victor's house an hour ago. I am exhausted.” He told me and I could hear the fatigue in his voice. A sob escaped my mouth even though I tried to stop it, the worry I had been feeling finally taking over. “I'm so glad you're okay. I was so scared. How's everything down there?” There was a heavy silence, almost as though he was trying to figure out whether to tell me or not. “There is nothing for you to be worried about. Everything is under control.” His voice was filled with confidence, but I did not believe him. I knew that even if I pushed for a response, I wasn't going to get anything more from him. For now, I was just grateful to be hearing his voice. “Okay. Be careful.” “I will. How are things over there?” “Everything is fine. I've been shopping with the girls…
EMILY’S POVI watched as Dominic packed his bags, wishing he didn't have to go, but I knew that he did not have a choice. We shared a long, passionate kiss, and he moved away from me. The look in his eyes sent chills down my spine. “I should not be away for long, maybe a week. I'll call you when I land.” “Okay,” I told him weakly, knowing that there was nothing more to say. He nodded and then he walked out of the room. The moment he left the room, an unsettling feeling washed over me. I knew Dominic was strong, but this wasn't just any war that he was fighting. He was going against people who wanted his blood in return for the life that he took for them. That was practically a death sentence. I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to get rid of the chills that took over my body that had nothing to do with the temperature. This was the part that I hated… the uncertainty, the waiting, not knowing how things would go from here. A knock on the door brought me out of my thoughts. “C
DOMINIC'S POV“They've launched an attack.” Barry and Ezra came to my office with the bad news the next morning, ruining my good mood and high spirits. “What did they do?” I asked through gritted teeth. “They intercepted one of our shipment drops and killed three of our men,” Ezra said. “Fuck, they've already begun to strike,” I said, feeling anxious because I did not have a plan yet. Just as I was trying to think about what to do, my phone rang with a call from Victor. I answered immediately. “I just heard what happened.” He said. “You need to come down to Italy right away. I've got thirty allies and we need to come up with a plan.” My jaw clenched and my mind was racing. Going to Italy meant leaving my family behind and who was going to be checking on things while I was gone? But I had to go, I needed everything Victor had to offer to help me fight this. I could not do this on my own. I needed the strategy and most importantly, the allies. “I'll be there tonight,” I assured h