Blood Bonded

30

While the room was full of people, the Rossis, Lombards, Mucis, and Capos ate in a separate room. Raelyn recognized it from her vision. They sat at a huge circular table in a room dominated by heavy, dark wood with red velvet accents. She kept looking around to see if Gabe would appear. He didn't.

The three Capo boys stared at her from across the table. Their father kept quiet as the conversation flitted from person to person.

Then, in the middle of salads, Rossi turned his attention to Raelyn. "Miss Jasper." Dominic tensed and set down his fork, ready to jump in at any moment.

"Yes, Mr. Rossi?"

"Tell me about yourself."

Raelyn shifted in her seat, grateful that she had practiced this question for job interviews. "I grew up in the Chicagoland area and am attending Loyola with a degree in social work. I'm involved in on-campus academic clubs and tutor on the side. I love sociology, hot chocolate, and Great Danes."

Rossi stared at her blankly.

"I'm also kind of dating your son."

One of the Capo boys elbowed the other and they smiled. Raelyn frowned. Did she say something wrong?

She glanced at Dominic, who was shaking his head. He leaned in to whisper in her ear. "Mafia queen, not neighborhood girl with OCD."

"I'm undiagnosed," she hissed. Raelyn turned and smiled at Rossi before going back to her food.

Rossi wasn't done. "I studied at the University of Chicago. Who is your father?"

Raelyn glanced up at him, anxiety beginning to creep into her veins. "I don't know. I was raised by my mom."

"How old are you?"

"Twenty-one."

One of the Capo boys perked up. "We're twenty-three."

Rossi ignored them. "Who is your mother?"

"I usually call her mom," Raelyn joked.

Rossi slammed his fist on the table and everyone at the table flinched. Dominic reached his hand out to steady Raelyn, but she didn't flinch. In fact, her irritation rose. She knew she was supposed to follow Dominic's lead, but he hadn't said a word. In fact, everyone seemed terrified of this man. She didn't do well with bullies. Especially ones from the University of Chicago.

"Do you call your mother something different? Maybe you're a 'mommy' person?"

Dominic shot her a look of warning, eyebrows going up.

Rossi ran his tongue over his teeth. He nodded to his son. "Bring your blood whore over here. I think it's time someone trained her."

Raelyn felt a bubble rise in her chest. She couldn't quite explain why Rossi had set her off and not Muci, but her mind was singularly focused. Honestly, she didn't care. She flexed her fingers. Dominic wanted mafia queen? She would give him mafia queen.

Dominic tried to pull her into her seat and Raelyn realized she had stood up. "My name is Raelyn Jasper. And unless you're going to give me a bachelor's degree, I accept no training."

In an instant, Rossi stood and launched two blades in her direction. As they flew in the air toward her, time seemed to slow. She locked eyes with the knife headed toward Dominic and managed to grab the handle and redirect it to the table. By the time she turned back to the other one, it was beginning to scratch her shoulder. While she had focused on the other knife, Dominic had grabbed her and pulled her against him.

In an instant, time sped up again and Raelyn fell into Dominic's arms. It would have been romantic if his dad wasn't actively trying to kill them both.