Page 33 of Until You Break

Mason leans over, pressing a soft kiss to my forehead, and I close my eyes, willing myself to feel something, anything. But there’s nothing, just emptiness, and the ghost of Dominic’s touch lingering under my skin, taunting me.

“Let’s get some sleep,” I say, pulling back, forcing a small smile. “Long day tomorrow.”

He nods, pulling off his shirt and tossing it onto the chair, slipping under the covers with that familiar ease, like everything is fine, like nothing’s changed.

And I lie there beside him, staring up at the ceiling, feeling like a stranger in my own life, haunted by a man who’s decidedhe won’t let me go. A man who has proven just how much he’s ruined me for every other man.

Chapter twenty-three

His Sinner

It’s been a weeksince that night at the beach house, and Dominic’s gone silent. He hasn’t left any traces, hasn’t snuck in, hasn’t even taunted me with a single look. It’s like he’s vanished into thin air, and the absence feels like a weight pressing down on my chest.

I should be relieved. Hell, Mason’s happy, thinking I’m finally back to myself, that whatever had me on edge these last few weeks has passed. But he’s wrong. The silence, this emptiness Dominic left behind, is eating at me in a way I can’t explain.

I’ve tried to work, tried to pretend everything’s fine, but I can barely concentrate. My mind keeps drifting back to him, to the way he looked at me, like he was claiming me all over again, like he was going to pull me right out of the life I’ve built and into something I can’t control.

And the worst part? I want answers. I want to know why he’s doing this, why he’s come back only to tear apart everything I’ve tried to piece together.

So I make a decision. If Dominic won’t give me answers, then maybe his brothers will. I grab my jacket, helmet and keys, barely thinking as I ride out to the garage, my mind racing with questions, with anger, with the frustration of being left in the dark.

By the time I pull up to the shop two hours later, my hands are shaking and my chest tight with nerves.

Luca and Matteo are outside, standing near the open bay door, beers in hand, chatting like they don’t have a single worry in the world. They spot me the second I pull up, Luca raising an eyebrow while Matteo just leans back, crossing his arms with a cocky smirk that makes my blood boil.

“Look what the cat dragged in,” Matteo says, his eyes gleaming with amusement as I march over. “Come for another chat about Dom?”

I don’t have the patience for his games. “Where is he?” I demand, my voice sharper than I intended, but I’m past caring. “Where the hell is Dominic, and why is he doing this?”

Luca glances at Matteo, a flicker of something unreadable passing between them before he turns back to me, taking a slow sip of his beer.

“Doing what, exactly?” he asks, his tone calm, measured, like he’s daring me to spell it out.

“You know exactly what,” I snap, frustration boiling over. “He’s… he’s ruining my life. He’s sneaking into my home and whispering things in my ear, making me feel—”

“Making you feel what?” Matteo chuckles, clearly enjoying every second of this. His eyes are glinting with the same smug satisfaction as Dominic’s.

I glare at him, refusing to take the bait. “Is this a game to you all?” I look between them, my jaw tight. “Because I don’t have time for your bullshit. If he’s trying to mess with me, then he’s succeeding. But I want to know why. Why now after five years?”

Luca sighs, finally setting his beer down on the edge of the workbench, his gaze steady, serious. “Maybe he’s just reminding you of what you’re missing.”

“Or maybe he’s reminding you who you belong to,” Matteo adds, not bothering to hide the smirk spreading across his face.

I scoff, crossing my arms. “I don’t belong to anyone. Especially not him.”

Matteo raises an eyebrow, his smirk widening. “Sure about that? Because the way you’re standing here, demanding answers, desperate to know where he is—doesn’t look like someone who’s moved on.”

I swallow, feeling the anger rise, but I can’t deny the truth in his words. That’s exactly what I’m doing, standing here, practically begging for any clue about Dominic. About why he came back just to vanish again. It’s humiliating, but I need to know.

“Why won’t he just talk to me?” I say, the frustration breaking through, my voice almost a plea. “If he’s trying to prove something, if he wants… I don’t know, closure, or revenge, or whatever, then why can’t he just face me?”

Luca studies me for a long moment before answering. “Maybe he doesn’t want closure. Maybe he doesn’t want revenge. Maybe he just wants you to remember.”

“To remember what?” I snap, barely keeping my voice steady. “What could he possibly be trying to prove by tearing into my life like this?”

Matteo shrugs, his tone almost bored. “That you can’t move on from him. That no matter how much you try to pretend, no one else will ever fill the space he left behind.”

I let out a bitter laugh, shaking my head. “You guys are delusional if you think that’s what’s happening here. He’s a ghost, and he needs to stay that way.”

---