Page 43 of Say Yes To The Fake Date

The vein in his neck is popping, and his face is scrunched in anger. My body starts to tremble in fear, but I force myself to stand my ground. “Ray, you need to calm down. I’m not going to talk to you with you acting like this.”

He sucks in a breath and walks toward me. His smile gets bigger the closer he gets. It’s like he enjoys seeing the fear on my face. “You’re going totalk to me, Luciana. You’re going to call off whoever—”

“I’m telling you, I don’t have anyone looking into your financials.”

He grabs on to my wrists. “You’re a lying bitch.”

He pulls me toward him just as the front door slams open and Dom walks in. He takes up the whole doorway and lets out a growl that sounds like a crazed animal. He takes one look at Ray holding on to me and he’s across the room in an instant. He grabs Ray by the neck and arm and drags him out of the house.

I follow behind them and watch as Dom drags Ray down the front steps and into the yard. He then starts to punch him in the face over and over. Ray is no match for Dom. My mom is standing behind me. “I called the police when I called Dominic.”

I run down the stairs. “Dom, stop. You have to stop.”

He’s breathing hard but shows no signs of stopping.

There’s blood everywhere, and if I didn’t see it for myself, I would think Dom was bleeding too because he’s coveredin blood.

I grab on to him, and he lets go of Ray. He picks me up by the waist and walks me back up the stairs. “Lucky, I need you to stay up here.”

I’m crying now. “Dom, you have to stop. You’re going to kill him.”

“He deserves to die. He doesn’t have the right to touch you, baby.”

“And if you go to jail, I lose you again.”

Ray struggles to his feet. “You fuckin’ bitch—”

He doesn’t get the rest of it out because Dom dives off the porch and tackles him to the ground. They’re rolling around the yard when the sirens sound as they turn on the road. Three cars pull in, and they’re all out, breaking up in the fight. I’m frozen in spot as my mom walks down the driveway. “Not him… he was protecting my daughter.”

The sheriff looks at Dom. “If I let you go—”

Dom interrupts him. “I’m going to kill him.”

The sheriff puts Dom's hands behind his back and cuffs him. “Then you’re going to the station and we’ll work it all out there.”

I walk beside them, and Dom won’t look at me. “I’m sorry, Dom. I’m so sorry.”

He glances at me for a brief minute, but it’s not the warm look I’m used to. His eyes are cold. “I’m not sorry,” he says.

The sheriff puts him into the squad car as another police officer puts Ray into another car. “Sheriff, please. Dom was defending me. He did nothing wrong.”

He sticks his thumb toward the other car. “Did you see that guy? He’s going to the hospital he’s been beat so bad.”

I move in front of the cop. “What does that mean?”

“Luciana!” Dom hollers from the back of the car.

I ignore him because I know he’s worried about me. He doesn’t want me involved, and it’s my fault he’s in this mess. The sheriff takes pity on me and leans down. “Look, I know Dom, and I know he’s a good guy, but I have to take him in. He needs an attorney.”

“Okay. Okay.”

I back up as the sheriff gets in, and I stand next to the car, watching Dom in the back seat. He doesn’t look at me. He’s looking straight ahead, and I’m sure he’s wishing that I never came back into his life.

“Dom!” I holler out, wanting him to look at me.

I say his name over and over even after the car has turnedthe corner.

“Honey, you have to stop. You’re going to make yourself sick.”

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