Page 43 of A Seed Of Peril

“I love you, too,Bellissima.”

I had calmeddown since being shot at. When Dominic caught up with us at Wild Willy’s, I urged Katrina to let Anthony hold her, eager to leap out of the Escalade and crush Dominic in my arms. After we drove down the road to a more low-key spot and parked next to each other, crushing him was exactly what I did. The moment both of his feet touched the ground, I lunged and cried into his suit, refusing to let him go.

“I’m here now.”

His words carried such safety.

Katrina was snug in my arms in my and Dominic’s bed, sound asleep from taking a melatonin gummy. She wanted to sleep in our room with us. I offered for us to bunk in her bedroom, but it was a big fat nope from her. Dominic had no problem with it, telling me whatever either of us needed, we would get it.

She clung to me like I predicted—metaphoricallyandliterally. The ordeal frightened her and shook her up. I stayed strong for her, soothing her however I could. Singing to her. Reading to her. I made a video call to Bianca, which turned out to be comforting for me, too. Once Bianca quit panicking at the news of what occurred, she told us if we needed her, she would fetch a cab to get here if necessary.

Dominic arranged for Bianca to be transported to a different hotel closer to us for tonight out of precaution, and tomorrow, he would arrange for her to have round-the-clock security until we figured all of this bullshit out. He wasn’t keen on his plan, telling me if his hand wasn’t forced, he would’ve left her in Tenafly. Hedidcave, however, to Katrina’s attachment to his mother and would tolerate her hanging around here if and when Katrina requested.

Three hours felt like days as I stared mindlessly at the door. I perked up slightly when someone turned the handle. Dominic opened the door and shrugged out of his suit jacket as entered the room. He closed the door, loosening his tie with his other hand while staring at me, reverence in his blues.

“How are you?” he asked, undoing his tie and taking it off. He tossed it on the chair in the corner and started walking across the room while unbuttoning his dress shirt.

I looked down at Katrina, feeling blessed.

“Better than I was.”

I heard him toss his dress shirt on our white, plush, two-seater sofa.

“Is there anything else you or the kid need for the night?” He undid his belt buckle, waiting for my answer.

“No.”

He headed for our massive walk-in closet, opening its door and walking down its stairs. He kept his belts there in their own section. His jewelry, his watches, ties, and other accessories were organized. So was my stuff, except my clothes weren’t arranged by color and type and size like Dominic’s. It annoyed him, which amused me.

Dominic was wearing one of his casual, basic T-shirts when he emerged from the closet. I listened to him walk to our dresser and get himself a pair of pajama pants. He then walked into the bathroom, finished changing, and tossed his slacks on the sofa.

“Did you find anything?” I asked him.

He rounded the corner of the bed and turned on his lamp. “Hold on.” He turned off the main light before walking back to the bed. “No.” He sat along his side of the bed, exhaling a defeated breath. He looked drained. Off. “Registrations were fake. Plates were useless—so were the witnesses.”

“Cameras?”

He flippantly moved his hand, shrugging. Something was definitely troubling him. It wasn’t just his body language. It was in the air around us.

“I have men combing through it, but without a solid visual on any of the fuckers, we have nothing. Whoever they are…” He let his words trail off, shaking his head as he looked down toward himself. “I don’t want you leaving this house until every one of them is in the ground.”

“I won’t let them win.” There was no way in hell I would become a hermit for days. Weeks. Running away and hiding gave them power.

Dominic slowly turned his head and looked at me, his expression telling me it was best not to test him.

“Don’t make me lock you in here.”

I raised my brow in defiance. “I’d love to see you try.”

His eyes widened, a dark chuckle escaping him. He then decided to stare off at the room.

“Dominic, what’s wrong?”

His brows furrowed. “What do you mean?”

“Baby, please talk to me. I can tell something’s been eating at you since we got home. I know this afternoon really shook you up. It shook all of us, but… There’s something else. Not just them shooting at us.”

He looked toward me and then focused back on the room. He raked his hand through his hair, blowing out a breath.

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