DOMINIC'S POV Hours had passed since my phone call with Barry, and I was thinking about what to do about the situation. I went through the digital files to learn more about the man who was supposed to be my brother. There wasn't much information about him other than the fact that he had worked with my father for a short time, but I never met him. I could not understand how that was even possible. Emily eventually woke up from sleep and she found me in my study. She looked like she had just rolled out of bed and it warmed my heart that she came to look for me first. I shut off my laptop in a way that she didn't get suspicious. I didn't want her to even have a little bit of an idea that something was wrong. “You're up early.” She said as she walked into the office. I got up and walked the short distance over to her and pulled her into my arms. “Yeah. I didn't want to wake you up.” “Is everything okay?” She asked with an uncertain look on her face. I smiled at her, trying to
EMILY’S POV I paced in front of Dominic's door to his study. It was the sixth time today that I had come to check on him, but he didn't answer or let anybody in. This only heightened my worries because I worried that something may have happened to him in there. Lorenzo said that he requested to be alone and I wondered why. He had been fine in the morning when I had seen him… what could have gone wrong? “Dominic?” I said, knocking on the door again, but I got the same response—none. “He still isn't coming out?” Sofia asked, walking up to stand next to me. “No. He's not responding. What if something happened to him? What if he's dead? Oh, I'm so worried about him, I have the mind to break down the door.” I told her, I could hear my voice shaking with fear. “Try to calm down. Lorenzo said he wants to be alone so maybe you should just give him the space that he wants. He will come down when he is ready.” She said, But it became dark, and Dominic still wasn't out of his study. I show
EMILY’S POVDominic had not said a word in over twenty minutes. He just sat there, his head resting on my shoulder, his strong arms wrapped tightly around my waist as if he were afraid that if he let go, I would disappear. I also held him just as tightly, fully aware that he needed to be held. We both didn't say anything. I knew something was very wrong, I just wasn't sure what it was yet. I just knew that Dominic was hurting and whatever had happened had cracked something inside of him. “I should have picked up her calls…” He said, finally. His voice was soft and hoarse, I could hear the intense emotions in his voice. “I didn't and now I regret it.” Mt's heart broke for him. “Who are you talking about, Dominic?” “My mother… Her house was burnt down yesterday and she was in it. She didn't make it out alive.” He told me and a gasp escaped my mouth. “I am so sorry, Dominic.” That was the only thing I could think of to say. I knew there was nothing I could say that would dull the pa
DAMIEN'S POVPower was not given to men like me, so we had to find a way to take it, by any means necessary. This was my time to take back everything that was supposed to be mine but was ripped away from me the moment Dominic Moreno had been born. My stupid brother, my father's most precious son, the one he wanted. I stood on the rooftop of the abandoned warehouse, overlooking the dock where my men were offloading thousands of weapons that had just been shipped in from Russia. They moved them into armoured trucks. I was planning on launching an attack that would knock my half-brother off his feet. I lit a cigarette, the smoke curling around my face. My father had cast me aside, buried me like I was a dirty secret and practically wiped me from existence, but he forgot something: secrets always had a way of coming back up to the surface. Dominic was everything that I should have been—the heir to the Moreno Crime Organization, the legitimate son, the one who was in charge of everythi
DAMIEN'S POVRage filled me as the news of Williams and Carlos's death hung heavily in the air. They had been two of my biggest Allies; I contacted them immediately, and I found out that they hated Dominic Moreno just as much as I did. We had spent so much time building the perfect plan. I was upset when the bomb did not kill Dominic, but I wasn't going to give up. Now he had been one step ahead of me and he killed them… burnt everything to the ground. My fist clenched, and my blood boiled with fury. He was always one step ahead… every time I thought that I had finally had him cornered, he showed up with something new. A bomb? How had he gotten access to such a high explosive? I should have known better than to trust anyone to carry out my revenge plans, I knew nobody would be able to execute as accurately as me. Williams and Carlos had hated Dominic, but mine ran deeper than that. He'd stripped me of everything that I deserved and I wanted it back. He was going to pay for the sins
EMILY’S POV I felt strong arms around my waist and my eyes fluttered open. I had fallen asleep while reading a book and it was already dark outside. I turned around to face Dominic and Buried my face in his chest, inhaling his intoxicating scent. “You fell asleep and you missed dinner.” He told me, pressing a kiss to my forehead. “I'm not hungry,” I told him, my eyes still heavy with sleep, but my body was fully aware of his presence. I pulled his head down to mine and kissed him, my body humming with desire for him. He groaned into my mouth and deepened the kiss, pulling me closer to him. I could feel his erection through his trousers and I could not help but use my hands to feel it. Dominic inhaled a sharp breath and broke the kiss. He untied the robe that I had been wearing, revealing the fact that I was wearing nothing but matching dark, blue lace panties and bra. He placed a kiss on my shoulder and looked up at me with a knowing smile on his face. “Were you waiting for me t
DOMINIC'S POVI woke up the next morning feeling on top of the world, but that didn't last long when I got a text from Victor telling me that three of my warehouses had been burnt to the ground. Carlos and Williams were dead, which meant that this was obviously Damien's attack. He was attacking everything I'd built with my hands from scratch. When my father died, he left everything in shambles, and when I took over, I had to rebuild all over again, and now Damien thought he could ruin everything I've worked so hard to get because he is bitter. I'll make sure I end him before he ends me. Just as I got to my study, my phone began to buzz in my pocket. I answered it without looking at the caller ID, expecting it to either be Victor or Barry. An unfamiliar voice came through the phone, but I knew who it was immediately. “Hello, baby brother.” He said coyly. “I am not your brother.” I spat out. “I am going to get you. When I get my hands on you, you'll wish you'd never fucked with me.”
EMILY’S POVI was hurt and angry all at the same time. I did not know how to explain to Dominic that it wasn't right for him to keep things from me. He just didn't understand the implications of his actions. “I was only trying to protect you.” He told me, following me into our own bedroom. “That's not what it feels like. When you keep things from me it makes me feel like you aren't letting me into your life completely. A brother… you have a brother, Dominic and you were never going to tell me.” “Half-brother, but it doesn't even matter because we aren't siblings. I don't know where he came from. Just my father's bastard child from one of his affairs before I was born.” He explained through gritted teeth. “And what does he want with you now?” “He feels entitled to all of this. He thinks because he's older my father should have left the organization to him.” “So now he's out to get us?” “Just me, he won't do anything to you. I promise.” He said. I scoffed. “You cannot control ev
DOMINIC'S POV Victor pulled me aside after I was done talking to everybody with a serious expression on his face. “You need to talk to Emily.” He said simply. I let out a shaky breath as I ran my fingers through my hair. “I can't talk to her right now, Victor. She's counting on me for something that I can't give her right now and that I'd comfort. I'm a mess. My daughter is in the hands of my enemy and all I can think about is that I need to save her so I don't lose her.” “She's not asking you for comfort, Dominic. She just wants you to know that you are both in this together. If anything, she wants to comfort you. You can't let this whole thing tear you apart, that's how Damien will win.” I didn't respond. I knew he was right, but right now I could not give her what she was asking. I needed to handle this on my own. It was better she stayed away from the entire case. I could not handle emotions right now, it was for the best. I was about to respond when Lorenzo rushed bac
SOFIA'S POV I woke up covered in sweat, my wrist hurt from where they were bound. My mouth hurt from the gag and every single inch of my body hurt. The room was dark and damp and the smell of blood hung in the air. My head throbbed from when they'd delivered a blow to my head when I had tried to resist them. I had no idea how long I'd been out, but judging by how much my body hurt and the dried-up blood on Anita's head, I knew it had been a while. Anita was beside me; she was not moving, but I could hear her shallow breathing—thank God. Daniella was on my other side, she was bruised and very weak, but she still had a look of determination that I envied. I was just glad that we were all alive… for now. Slow and deliberate footsteps approached the space where we were kept. I winced as the door cracked open, casting light into the dark room. A man walked into the room. I gasped. He looked just like Dominic, just a bit older. He was put together, wore an expensive suit and everythi
EMILY’S POV I felt like I could not breathe as I paced up and down the length of my room. Dominic had left hours ago without so much as a word to me. I had not heard anything from them about the situation over there. I tried to call Dominic but he wasn't answering. I hated not knowing, I hated that this was happening. We'd don't everything to make sure that Damien did not find out about where they were. Everything to protect their location, but nothing has worked. Damien had still been able to get his hands on them. I imagined Anita and Daniella, terrified and Sofia too. It was ironic that the last time this had happened, it was Sofia's father who had taken them. Finally, unable to take the lack of information anymore, I called Victor. He answered immediately and I was relieved, but it also meant that Dominic was deliberately avoiding talking to me, which made me feel alone. “Emily?” “Hey, Victor. How are things over there?” There was a pause at the end of the line before
DOMINIC'S POV We got to Sydney at dawn. The air was thick with heat and tension as we drove through the street to my estate. When we got there, the place looked normal from the outside. I felt like I'd not been there in forever. The gate was still intact, so I knew that they didn't force themselves into the property. The cameras in front of the gate were still blinking rapidly. They had not been tampered with. All five of us—myself, Dino, Victor, Barry, and Ezra—walked into the house to inspect it. Lorenzo greeted us at the entrance, and he could not look me in the eye. That was good. I left him in charge, trusted him to take care of the girls, and he'd disappointed me. Even though I knew it wasn't really his fault. Damien and his men had bested him, but I needed someone to blame. “Walk us through what happened,” Victor told Lorenzo as we walked through the house. I'd asked that nothing be touched or cleaned until I came. I wanted to see everything for myself. “They came in s
EMILY’S POV “How did that even happen? The house is supposed to be very secure, and how did he even find out where they were?” The questions rushed out of me before I could stop them. The tears were flowing freely from my eyes, and I felt shattered. I'd spoken to Anita only some hours ago, and she sounded okay. She told me everything was fine. How could that have changed in only a short period? “I know as much as you do, Emily. I'm waiting for feedback from Lorenzo. I might have to make the trip down there.” Dominic said, sitting in the corner. Beside him were Victor, Barry, and Ezra, who were trying to console the both of us. “I'm going with you,” I told him. “You are not going with me.” He said quietly, shaking his head. “But—” I started to say, but he cut me off. “My decision has been made, and that is final. I am leaving before noon today, and you will stay here. I can't risk anything happening to you either.” He told me strongly. His tone left no room for argument, bu
DOMINIC'S POV The silence in the room was very heavy. The only sound in the room was of Emily clicking away on the laptop. She was so engrossed in the work, in trying to find anything that would help us take Crowley and Damien back. She spent the whole day on the encrypted server. “I can't really find anything more on him,” Emily said frustration filling her voice. I put my hand over hers and soothed my thumb over it. “Don't be too hard on yourself. Just take a break, and we can continue later. It's already getting dark. I think we should take a shower and sleep.” I told her. With a resolved sigh, she nodded her head, and I helped her up with my good arm. The pain from my injury was still very bad, but Emily disinfected it every night and dressed it. It was beginning to heal, but not as fast, and I could like it. Damien could strike at any time, and I needed to be ready. I could not do that with an injured shoulder. I hoped they would hold up any future attacks until I was
EMILY’S POV Dominic sat on the bed, still looking at the file. His jaw was clenched and I could see the calculating fury in his eyes. The way he went quiet when he was angry would be terrifyingly for somebody else, but not for me. It looked like a storm was brewing on the surface, and it was about to erupt and cause destruction. “This changes everything.” He told me, not looking away from the screen. He began to rub his temples with his good hand and I could tell that he was getting stressed. I moved to stand behind him, and I began to rub his back softly, which seemed to reduce the tension in his body. “We were focusing so much on Damien.” He said. “Trying to take him down, but all this while we were chasing the shadows. Damien is my brother; that much is true, and I think Crowley found that out and used what my father did to get in his head.” I nodded, releasing a slow breath and coming to sit beside him. “And if what the files say is true—and I believe it is, then we hav
EMILY’S POV I woke up feeling very groggy and sour from the night before. I reached out instinctively, my hand brushing against the side of his bed that was still warm. He wasn't in bed with me. I sat up straight, wincing at the dull ache between my legs. My mind went back to last night. It had been very intense and wonderful. Dominic moved in and out of me with animalistic strengths. He had an injured shoulder, but even that had not been able to stop him. Then he pulled me into his arms afterwards and whispered sweet words into my ears till I fell asleep. I ran my fingers through my hair, which was in a tangled mess. I wrapped the sheets tight around my body and walked to the window. It was a beautiful morning. The sun was shining, the sky was clear, the birds chirping in the trees. I couldn't help but feel a moment of happiness. But that feeling didn't last long when I remembered that danger was lurking in the shadows. Steven Crowley. A chill ran down my spine at the thoug
DOMINIC'S POV His Jaws were clenched as I spoke. I could see the obvious irritation on his face, but he was trying his best to conceal it. “Yes, sir.” “You've been my right-hand man for over ten years, and I am impressed with your work, and I've never had any reason to question your loyalty to me,” I told him. His features softened, and he looked happy with my approval, I could tell by the way his body relaxed. “Thank you, sir. It is a pleasure to work with you.” “I will be stepping away from my position for some time once this is over. I'm not getting any younger, and I need to work on building my family and producing an heir.” He turned to look at me like I'd slapped him across the face. “But things don't work that way, Dominic. Who will be in charge once you leave?” “You,” I said simply, and he looked like he was taken aback by this. “What?” He asked, his voice shaking. I've known Barry for a long time and it often took a lot to surprise him. He'd been through har