Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 96129 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 481(@200wpm)___ 385(@250wpm)___ 320(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96129 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 481(@200wpm)___ 385(@250wpm)___ 320(@300wpm)
“What the fuck, De Luca?” He spat as he stood up.
I charged, grabbing him by the throat and pushing him onto the brick wall behind him. I’d seen the way he’d done it to her, but I knew I’d done it twice as hard. I knew that if I wanted to, I could bash his head open right now. He must have known it too, with the look he was giving me.
“Dominic. Stop.” Rosie grabbed the arm I was using to pin him down. I spared her a look and saw the fear in her eyes, the unshed tears. “Please stop. Please.”
“Step back, Roselyn.” It was my only warning to her, and I hated the way her expression changed as she let go of my arm. Hated the unfiltered fear I saw in her eyes as she took a few steps away from us. I didn’t have time to apologize or tell her it would be okay, though, because I still had this asshole in front of me.
“You’re a dead man,” I said, voice low. His eyes flashed, but the fear in them was undeniable. “I don’t like witnesses, but next time you even look in her direction, it’s on.”
I pushed him one last time before letting him go. I saw the surprise in Rosie’s eyes when Anthony didn’t even lift his eyes to her and scattered away. Fucking coward. He knew better than to defy me, though. Anthony may have a reputation for being a bully, for hitting women and strong-arming everyone who dared give him trouble, but he wasn’t me.
21
ROSIE
I was catching my breath, my eyes locked on Dominic’s shoulders as they rose and fell. I’d seen him run on the treadmill at high speeds and never take breaths like this. I’d never seen him like this at all. I shouldn’t have been surprised. I knew who he was and could only imagine the kinds of things he probably did, the tactics he most likely used, and it wasn’t like Anthony didn’t deserve his wrath, but still. This was Dominic, the charming jock, the one who would get his hand slapped by his mother every time we all had dinner together because he started before we finished saying grace. I knew he was no longer that guy. I wasn’t an idiot, but this version of him was a lot to take in at once. To make matters worse, I feared that what he’d just done could get my father killed.
Dominic whipped around suddenly and grabbed my arm to walk me out of the alley. It was so sudden that I nearly tripped on a crack on the sidewalk. It took me another second to process the pain the grip was causing me. I yanked my arm, yelling his name, but he didn’t seem to notice. If he did, he was ignoring me. Finally, I planted both feet on the ground and fought against his current.
“Stop.” I yanked away from his grasp and backed away a few steps, needing space.
The look in his eyes was dark, wild, barely contained. It took me another moment to reconcile that. I’d hated Anthony for what he did to me, hated the Costellos for what they did to my father and countless other people in the neighborhood. I knew Dominic would never hurt me, not physically and not emotionally if he could help it, but it didn’t take away from the fact that he was hauling me to the car like I was an object. Hauling me the way Anthony had done countless times when he wanted to be alone with me in dark hallways of the nightclub. The thought sparked the anger that had been buried underneath my fear and suddenly, I snapped.
“You do not get to manhandle me!”
“No?” His voice was quiet as he took a step forward, his eyes dark as coal. “I don’t get to manhandle you?”
“No.” My entire body shook with anger.
“But that asshole can?”
“That asshole is the only reason my father is alive right now!” I screamed it and choked on the last word, feeling the sob that I’d been holding back finally escape. His jaw twitched. For a moment, he just stared at me like he was barely holding on and was about to snap back. I thought he would, but when he spoke again, his voice was quiet.
“How so, Roselyn?”
“Because. They’re waiting for me to fuck up. They have people in jail just waiting . . .” I held my stomach. I was so close to being done paying the damn loan. Dad was so, so close to getting out. “Oh, God.” I took a steadying breath and met his gaze again. “Anthony has guys on the inside just waiting to kill my dad if I get out of line.”
“Is that what he told you?” He let out a laugh that held sharp edges and made my blood go cold. He took another step toward me, and I took one back. His eyebrows furrowed. “You let him touch you, yet you cower from me?”