One Night Only

Chapter 7

Dominic pushes past the door, holding it open for me. For my second time shooting, I did very well. Maybe it was my anger from earlier that helped. "You'll have to warn me if you ever get your own gun so I can make sure I don't piss you off."

I chuckle, turning and walking backwards so I can see him. "If anyone pisses me off enough to shoot them, it'll be Owen or one of his many admirers."

He chuckles and I turn around to watch my step. "So have you two figured anything out?"

I sigh. "I don't know. We're a month away from our wedding and I don't know if he's as devoted to our relationship as I am. I've done everything for him."

"I know," Dominic agrees quietly.

"I mean, when he suggested that we get married I thought he was fucking crazy," I continue. "But he convinced me that everything would be okay," I say, raising my voice, "so I agreed and now I'm the only one who fucking cares."

Groaning, I lean back against the Audi and cover my face in frustration. Dominic stands in front of me, pulling my hands away. "Hey," he says softly. "I care and I'm here for you."

I take a deep breath then shake my head. "I'm sorry but Owen is the last person I want think about right now. Can we do something else? I don't want to go home just yet."

"Of course," he responds immediately. He glances at his watch. "It's afternoon. Want to get lunch?"

"What about your plans? I don't want to keep anyone waiting."

He shakes his head. "Don't worry about it. I'm all yours."

I frown. "Don't cancel just because of me. We can go home."

"It's not a big deal," he insists. "I'm really the only person you have besides Owen and Bryant. I want to be here for you. Let's get lunch."

He finally releases my hand and opens my door. I climb in and he sits in the driver seat. He drives deeper into the city with the radio playing softly in the background. About ten minutes later, he pulls into the parking lot of a local diner. Inside there are small round tables placed throughout the room with booths along the outside of the room. There is also seating at thr counter but we choose to sit in a booth near the window. A waitress comes to take our order then disappears once again. "So why don't you have a wife or kids?" I ask curiously.

He raises an eyebrow. "Well, I prioritize my work. I don't have time for anything else."

"Don't you want a family?" I ask.

He shakes his head. "The men are my family."

"You know what I mean."

He sighs. "It's too risky in this line of work. That's why Owen tried to keep Bryant's existence on the down-low. Our enemies will use that as leverage to get their way."

"Have you ever considered choosing the other life?" I ask. He doesn't respond so I continue. "Choosing a real family and a normal job over all this chaos."

He shrugs. "This is my life. It's what I know. I've never had a real job and I haven't been to school in over ten years so the real world wouldn't take me seriously. I'd get stuck with a shitty job that doesn't pay even half of what I make now. This lifestyle may be dangerous but it's worth the pay if you know what you're doing."

The waitress returns with our drinks, a waiter following behind with our plates, effectively ending our conversation. We make casual small talk as we eat, keeping the conversation light. When we finish, Dominic pays, dropping a tip on the table before standing. "Excuse me. I have to use the restroom."

"Okay. I'll meet you outside."

He nods, heading towards the bathroom as I saunter outside. I lean back against the car, staring down at the ground. I notice a half broken beer bottle laying on the ground between the two cars. I look up when I hear a familiar voice ahead of me. Walking towards the entrance is my ex-boyfriend William with one of his friends. We make eye contact and I instantly regret coming outside without Dominic. "Madison!" he yells, holding out his arms. "Come to daddy."

I ignore him, looking at the door in hopes of seeing Dominic. "Let's go talk to her," his friend says.

They stop in front of me and William whistles. "An Audi. You must really be sucking dick and kissing ass for this."

I glare at him. "Fuck you."

He raises an eyebrow and nods. "That sounds nice actually. How about you join me and my friend in my truck?"

Anger boils inside of me and I glance back at the door but there's still no sign of Dominic. "Leave me alone."

"Come on, baby," he says, grasping my hips. "It'll be fun."

"Don't touch me," I growl, attempting to pry his fingers off of me.

"Let's take her to the truck," his friend says quietly.

William glares at him. "Only if she's willing. I may be a dick but I'm not a fucking rapist."

"I'm not so let go," I demand.

"My turn," his friend says.

William moves aside and his friend takes his place, slipping his hand between my thighs. How can they do this in broad daylight? I squeeze my legs shut to stop his wandering hand. He tries to kiss me but I turn my head away. Using his other hand, he holds my head in places and kisses me. I move my head, biting his cheek. "Ow!" he yells, stumbling back as I push him away.

William just laughs. "Come on, babe. Take it out on me in bed."

When I try to walk past him to go inside he grabs me. I pull away forcefully, falling to the ground. I land on my arm, screaming out in pain. Crying, I look around, watching as Dominic runs outside, withdrawing his gun and aiming it at the two boys. They run away and he helps me up. "Fuck, Madison. I was gone for two minutes."

"How bad is it?" I sob, afraid to look at it.

My forearm hurts the worst but my whole arm is beginning to go numb. "You landed on the glass. I need to get you to Miles right away."

He helps me into the car as I continue to cry in pain. Cradling my arm, I stare out the window as Dominic speeds towards the house.

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