Dominic

Chapter 19 (Just revised)

Dominic

I was preparing to bare everything to her, the good and the bad, and my heart had never beat so erratically.  I had asked her to sit down on the couch in my room because I knew if we sat on the bed we wouldn't get very far, besides I wanted to protect and keep our bed sacred; it was for us, not the nasty, ugly business that was my life.  That bed was home base, everything but us, the affection I showed her, the way I made love to her, was off limits to the outside world. 

 She kicked her tennis shoes off, sat on the couch and brought her knees to her chest and stared sympathetically at me; it wasn't pity I saw in her eyes, it was an understanding, on her part, as to how hard this was for me.  

"I'm going to change clothes" I told her as I removed my jacket, then shirt, leaving me naked from the waist up.  I caught her staring, so I smirked at her causing her to blush; God she looked so amazing when she blushed.  I changed into my standard I'm-home clothing which consisted of black sweat pants and a grey wife beater.  I walked back out and took my place on the couch next to her, inhaled, let the breath out and began.

"I'm the head of the New York Italian syndicate, otherwise known as Mafia.  I have several businesses: a strip club, a dance club and several restaurants.  Those are the legitimate ones; the ones that aren't so legit I am going to forgo telling you about them, it gives you plausible deniability should you ever be questioned about me. 

 I'm not a nice man, cara.  I have killed people and I have had people killed.  I do business with the Italians, Russians, Greek and the Irish; you met one of my business partners at my restaurant the night all hell broke lose.  I've been with a lot of women but my interest in them stopped the moment I saw you at my Mother's house. 

 I went against everything my body was screaming at me and that was to walk away from you, but I couldn't.  I've always been alone but just the little quality time we have spent together has made me realize I don't want that anymore.  I want you more than life itself, to pleasure you, spoil you and love you, if you will let me."  I stopped, letting my words sink in.  "Any questions yet?" I asked her.  She shook her head, eyes trained on me, so I continued.

"The night my restaurant was shot up, Alexi was injured.  It wasn't bad but it could have been with you and the other innocents that could have been hurt or killed.  Both Alexi and I thought he was the intended target so we both launched investigations trying to figure out who would have sanctioned a hit on the Russian Mafia boss.  

What I actually found out, and what caused me to hurt you, and for that I am truly sorry, was a dancer from my club Desideris; she  talked a bouncer into trying to kill you because she was jealous of you.  Camille, I fucked her several times, but I had always stressed to her that our relationship was strictly physical and I was assured, in many instances, that she understood this.  She saw you that night at Belladonna and she saw us leave together and that pushed her over the edge.  We tracked down the bouncer, I tortured and killed him after he finally gave up Colette's location.  It took some time to find her though, she knew how to stay one step ahead of me until the night I showed up at your hotel all messed up. 

 I didn't want to kill her but I had to; she betrayed me, she tried to fuck up what I had with the Russians and more importantly she kept threatening you and I knew if I let her walk out of there she would hurt you and I couldn't allow that.  I got falling down, stupid drunk afterwards.  One of my informants had received a call from the hotel manager stating that a woman fitting your description was staying there and had paid for two weeks in advance. 

 I asked a new member of my group to drive me to the hotel and tell no one where I'd gone.  The manager let me into your room and then that's when you found me on your bed.  I don't remember much until I felt your mouth on me."  I'd basically told her everything; now it was her turn.

"So, when I showed up at Belladonna, the woman on your lap and the awful way you spoke to me, was all you "keeping me safe" until you could deal with your dancer?" her voice was incredulous as she stared daggers at me.  I expected it and I didn't blame her one bit for being pissed off at me.  What I didn't expect was for her to cry.

  "Dominic, all of this unpleasantness could have been avoided if you had just trusted me enough to talk to me.  Do you have any idea how crushed I felt when you spoke to me like I was a common fling for the night or as you put it 'an itch that needed scratching'?  I felt humiliated, broken and most of all I hated you" she said sniffling.  I didn't say anything, I let her continue. 

 "When you showed up, bloody and drunk, I wanted to yell at you so badly, to tell you to get the hell out but when I saw your eyes, the way you looked at me, I could tell you were just as hurt and broken as I was; so I cleaned your hands, gave you a bath and put you to bed and hoped that if I woke up you would still be there."  I pulled her into my lap and took her face in my hands, using my thumbs to wipe her tears away. 

 "I will spend the rest of my life trying to make up for the horrible things I said to you.  You didn't deserve it and yes, I should have trusted you but I have a hard time trusting people and it wasn't until you showed up at Belladonna did I realize the horrible mistake I was about to make.  I am sorry, bella.  Can you forgive me?" I asked searching her eyes.  She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around my neck and sighed. 

 "I forgive you, Dominic" she said quietly.

Those four little words gave me new hope; hope that I could build a life with this beautiful woman.