Total pages in book: 36
Estimated words: 32664 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 163(@200wpm)___ 131(@250wpm)___ 109(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 32664 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 163(@200wpm)___ 131(@250wpm)___ 109(@300wpm)
Taking a deep breath, I exit the room and walk downstairs, following the scent of coffee and the sound of people talking. He's in the same breakfast nook as last night, but I have a feeling there is a much grander dining room somewhere in this mansion. For now, though, I'm more than happy to be close to him while we eat.
Dominic is talking to Ashton, who takes his leave when I enter the room, leaving just Dominic and me alone with a spread of food. Scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, toast, bagels, and a fresh pot of coffee.
"Good morning, Daisy," he tells me, standing as I take my seat and pushing a cup of coffee towards me. His eyes are warm, his lips quirked up in a half-smile. "Did you sleep alright? Was the room satisfactory?"
"It's amazing. Thank you."
"Of course." His smile turns sly. "I pride myself on being a fantastic host."
"Mmm." I take a sip of the steaming, perfectly made coffee, and Dominic chuckles softly.
"I have to go into the restaurant today, and Ashton will accompany me, but we'll have security posted outside of course. I've asked Elena to stay here with you. You can do whatever you like. The house is yours. Feel free to order groceries online for yourself or to explore."
"Maybe I will." I smile at him over the rim of my mug. "It's a big house, and I'm a curious girl. But..." I pause, wondering if I should interrupt this lovely meal by pushing his buttons. But I really want to go with him. "Can't I come with you? I'd really prefer to earn my keep."
It's supposed to be a joke, but my last words make his expression darken. "You're here because I want you here, Daisy. You're under my protection. This isn't some room and board that you have to earn."
"I know that." I push. "But it will kill me to just sit around while you work. I'm not a woman who enjoys sitting on the couch."
His jaw clenches. "Daisy—"
"Come on." My own temper flares to life, and for a second, I forget that the man sitting across from me is probably one of the most dangerous men in the entire country.
Dominic's hand closes over mine, and the shock of his touch makes my body go hot and cold all at once.
"Pushy, are we? You're going to do as I say, little one," he growls, his eyes burning into mine.
"Why?" I snap, too stubborn and headstrong to let it go. "Because it's not safe?"
Dominic's eyes gleam. He hasn't let go of my hand, and I can feel him tracing slow circles over the back of it, a surprisingly gentle gesture for such a big, stern man.
"Because I said so, Daisy."
I scoff, and Dominic chuckles, taking his hand away, and a tiny thrill goes through me at the loss.
"Eat, Daisy. Please."
I grumble but do as he says, helping myself to some breakfast. Elena brings a fresh pot of coffee out, but then leaves Dominic and me alone, just like Ashton did.
"I wanted to talk to you about my son. If I'm going to protect you, I need to know how serious things were between you two. He's much harder to get in contact with than I anticipated."
"Not serious at all," I tell him quickly, for some reason wanting Dominic to know that things were never intense with his son. "Carlo pursued me, not the other way around. We went out a few times, but it was always just fun. Never...romantic, really. But he was possessive anyway."
Dominic frowns, a small line appearing between his brows. "Possessive?"
"Yeah, um...he never got mad, but he would always tell me he didn't like it when I went out with friends or if I worked late shifts. He didn't like for me to work at all actually, but he couldn't really do anything about it." I squirm in my seat, hating to be the center of such an intense and serious conversation. Especially with this man. It feels wrong. "He would just give me this look when I would tell him I was busy or something."
"Hm." Dominic mulls this over, and he looks like he wants to say something but is having trouble figuring out the exact words. Finally, he sighs heavily and sets his coffee cup down. "We've been dancing around this, but you're a smart girl, Daisy. I'm sure you've picked up that the history of my family, and in turn, Carlo's family, isn't all above board. We've done...I've done some terrible things, but that was just part of the job."
I think I know where he's going, but I don't want to assume. "The job?"
"We're mafia, Daisy."
My mind is reeling. Mafia. This insanely rich, sexy older man is part of the mob.
"I've been trying for over a decade now to separate the Falcone name from everything. I'm tired of it all. But Carlo was the opposite. He wanted all the blood and glory and the money that came along with it. Now he's missing and I have to clean up his mess yet again." Dominic leans back, his plate cleared, and he takes a long sip of coffee. "I won't put you in the position to be used as leverage against us, Daisy. That's why you have to stay here. Understood?"