Page 47 of A Seed Of Peril

“Give us a moment,” Dominic calmly spoke. He cradled the back of my head in his hand.

“What about this?” Dino asked him, referring to the bag of blood.

“Set it back in the fridge.”

When the doors closed, Dominic cradled my face in his hands and tilted my head back so I could see him. He leaned in close, our noses an inch apart.

“We’ll get him,Bellissima. I need you to promise me you won’t worry yourself sick over this.”

I sniffed. “I-I can’t promise that.”

“Try—for me. For our unborn.”

Our son—we needed to keep him safe, too. No one could try to harm him again. I wouldn’t allow it. As long as Nico walked the streets, our whole family was in danger.

“Why me? W-What did I do?”

Dominic let go of my face and brought my head to his chest, at his heart.

“We don’t know exactly, but I have a theory it’s an eye for an eye situation at play.” Dominic rubbed circles on my back. “As much as I hate to wait, we’re at the mercy of Peitrov and Sallomi. Everything I’ve told you is all I know right now. I don’t want you, Katrina, or my mother leaving this house again until Nico and his fall-guys are confirmed dead, and I don’t care if I have to lock you inside to do it.”

“Okay,” I squeaked, the word muffled by his jacket.

He kissed my head. “I have every available man on this, and I will be in communication with the other families. We have cops in our pocket. The FBI. I’ll pay off and kiss whoever’s ass I need to make sure my family’s safe. I know my track record isn’t great, but I’ve learned from my mistakes.”

I let go of his lapels and wrapped my arms around him, fisting bunches of his jacket and squeezing him tight like I did when I saw him after the shooting.

“Don’t let me go,” I cried. “Please don’t let me go.”

“I won’t,Bellissima. I’m here. I’m right here.”

The heat of the soft,crackling fire caressed me. I wrapped the throw blanket from the couch back around me, trapping the warmth. I was unable to sleep, and it was becoming a common occurrence; whether it was due to the pregnancy or my racing mind was unclear.

Today, Dominic assigned the task of handling the business and its affairs to Dino and sent Anthony and Angelo into town on errands, one of them to the grocery store. Bianca and Katrina spent most of the day hanging out with me in the living room, and it was welcome company. When Bianca dozed off in the chair, Katrina covered her with the throw blanket. It was such a beautiful moment.

I looked up at the urns, focusing on Hector’s. It was a black, marble design with red trim. He sheltered us from Fabio and Vincent and was, in general, a fairly private man, even with those who were closest to him.Was there more about Vincent we had to figure out? How did Nico survive? And why on Earth was I in his sights?

“What are you hiding from us?” I muttered under my breath to Hector’s urn.

Payback for killing Vincent could’ve very well been Nico’s motive. We killed someone important to him, and now, he wanted to avenge the same. We handled the Pucinnis and the DiSantis, and I knew we could handle Nico and his merry band of bitches, but was it only those five guys?Well, Nico had a boss, but how big or small was this spider web? Did it end with Nico’s boss or spread farther and wider from there?This was the shit that was preventing me from comfortably closing my eyes for more than five minutes at a time.

I sighed, beginning to choke up. I looked down at my belly, rubbing it with both hands. People just needed to leave us the fuck alone. In all reality, I had enough sense to understand that was a pipe dream, but I held hope. Specks of it, but hope, nonetheless.Was I really ready to raise my son in such an uncertain life?I closed my eyes, letting a few tears fall.

A provocative blend of aged cigarette smoke, cedarwood, and a touch of lavender infiltrated my nostrils. I turned to see Dominic joining me in the living room. Barefoot and shirtless, the waistband of his sweatpants sat low on his hips, teasing his V-line. I clenched my thighs, turning my back to him and stepping a few paces away from the fireplace. I held it together seeing him in that suit this afternoon; I was a frayed thread short from completely unraveling and taking him where he stood. Not that he would have objected.

“Why are you crying?”

I dabbed at my eyes with my fingertips and the backs of my knuckles, saying, “You caught that, huh?”

“Mhmm.”

I stood by the entertainment stand, my back still turned.

“I just want peace, Dominic.” I let out a breath that screamed I was done with the worrying and anxiety and constantly having to look over my shoulder. “I wish we didn’t have to raise our son in such an uncertain and precarious life.”

“I wish that every day, but this is the life we live, and I swear to do my best to be home every night.”

It hit me fast—extreme sadness. I pinched the bridge of my nose, fighting yet failing to keep my tears at bay. The thought of waking up without Dominic absolutely fucking crushed me. I refused to think about it. I couldn't think about it.

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