Page 7 of DOM: The Miami King

“No!” Her voice elevated. “If I’m in danger, I deserve the truth Dom.”

I looked at her sexy, feisty, spoiled ass. The look on her face was a mixture of fire and ice. Her eyes were hardened because she had no choice, but they were still wide enough to see that she wasn’t as hard as she was pretending to be. “You don’t want the truth,” I finally said. “Because the truth’ll get you killed faster than a fuckin’ bullet. Make ya’self at home.”

Tone flopped onto the leather sectional with a sigh, kickin’ his feet up and flippin’ through my channels like this was just another Tuesday night. “I like her,” he said, poppin’ open a Heineken. “She feisty and got that ‘talk-back-even-when-bullets-flyin’ energy. Type shit I like.”

“Tone,” I growled in a low tone.

He shrugged. “What? I’m just sayin’.”

Victoria shot him a look, then looked back at me. “So that’s it? No real answers? Just make yourself at home and pretend like I didn’t just almost die?”

I nodded toward the hallway dismissin’ her again. My world didn’t stop just because she was here, and she needed to know that. The fuck did she think this was? “Third door on the right. It’s a private bathroom and a walk-in closet. You’ll be alright.”

She stared at me for another long second, with her jaws clenching, and then snatched her bag and stomped off down the hall. As soon as she disappeared, my Tracfone started buzzin’. I had a feeling it was Carmen, and it was. I stepped out onto the balcony as the glass door shut out the sound of the TV behind me. The humid air kissed my face smellin’ like salt and storm.

“Carmen,” I answered.

“You good?” Carmen’s voice came through soundin’ all soft, and smooth, with just enough warmth to soften any man.

“Yeah. I got a situation though.” I said already knowin’ that no matter the situation, Carmen was gon’ have my back even if she felt a way about it.

“Yeah, I figured,” she said. “The news says a shootout in Brickell. I’m guessing that wasn’t a coincidence?”

“Nope.”

“Victoria?” She quizzed.

“Yup.”

There was a long silence as I tried to read her through the phone. I had to control my feelings when it came to Carmen, and I needed her to do the same. There was a long silence before she spoke again. “She okay?”

“For now, she’s here stayin’ at the main penthouse.”

“Oh…”

It was more to where that ‘oh’ came from and I felt that shit. I sighed while rubbing my temples. “It’s temporary Carmen.”

“I didn’t say anything.”

I don’t know who she thought she was foolin’, cause I knew her like I knew every vein on my dick. “You didn’t have to.”

“I get it, Dom,” she replied. “El Blanca asked and that ain’t something you turn down. But just know,” she continued, “I ain’t stupid, and I ain’t blind. You got a fine little thing in your space, and in your bed sheets, so if you cross that line, shit gets complicated.”

“She ain’t in my bed,” I snapped, and maybe even too fast.

Carmen laughed, but it was a little sarcasm behind it. “You need anything from me?” She asked instead of pushing the issue although deep down inside I knew her feelings were hurt. After-all, she was my wife and there would never be another, but business came before feelings.

“Yeah, hold it down at the club if O’Shynn needs you and keep your ear to the streets. Let me know if you hear El Dorado names pop up.”

“It’s done,” she replied before once again hanging up. Carmen ended the call with no ‘I love you,’ or no goodnight and not that she said it often, but this time was different because she was hurt, but she’d never say it. Maybe I needed to pay her ass a visit at the club tonight. I exhaled and walked back inside. Muhfuckas loved to say they knew Dom, but didn’t even know what all came with being a dude like me. This shit wasn’t for the weak.

Tone looked up from the couch. “How mad is she?”

“Silent mad. You know how she is.”

“Whew.” He winced. “That’s the worst kind. That’s ‘boil the hot water and key a nigga’s car type of mad. What you gon’ do if Carmen say fuck it and get another man? You know, a splackavellie and shit.”

“A what?” I frowned.

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