Page 3 of Ice
She declined almost immediately, telling him she’d have an easier time getting into the country on a commercial flight—it would draw less attention to her. She was right, but it meant there were too many ways this could go wrong.
“No one knows she’s coming home if you covered your tracks. Besides, they’re not going to catch her like that in broad daylight, son.”
Dom let out a bitter laugh. “I always cover my tracks, old man. But you and I both know there are ways around people finding out shit.” He felt himself getting angrier as he spoke. “And this ain’t like your time, pops. No one gives a shit anymore. Women are no longer off limits, especially those as powerful as Sofia. They’re either going to want to kill her or fuck her into submission,” he growled, wanting to hit someone at the thought of someone putting their hands on Sofia.
“And there it is. The real reason you’re sweating like a whore in church.” His father smirked. “Careful there, son. You’re wearing your heart on your sleeve for her again.”
Dom went to say something but quickly clamped his mouth shut, knowing denying it would only egg his father on. He’d been bustin’ his balls about Sofia since he told him she was coming home.
Ever since he heard her raspy voice on the phone it was like something clicked back into place inside of him. He was anxious all the time and was having a hard time keeping a lock on his emotions.
When his father could no longer serve the Barbati organization, Dom stepped into his father’s role. Dom had seen the mistakes people made because of misguided and misplaced emotions. He had to learn early on to turn it off or he’d wind up dead or get someone killed.
He was notorious for his hair-trigger temper when he was a kid, and while he always tried to control it, he never could put a lid on it when it came to Sofia. Hearing her voice after seventeen years managed to open up all the doors he had locked.
His father and hers had been best friends and came up in the life together, which meant he and Sofia had always been in each other’s lives. Both of their mothers were intent on pushing them together, even with the three-year age gap Domenico had on Sofia. The mothers planned Sofia and Domencio’s wedding from the time they could talk.
It made him hate Sofia growing up, and the two of them had been at each other’s throats until she hit fifteen and she looked less like the annoying little sister he was used to and more of like a woman he wanted to sink his teeth into.
He felt the shift in Sofia as well. Her teasing became less menacing and more playful—flirtatious—always daring him to cross that line with her.
Dom’s cock swelled underneath his dark jeans as he remembered all too well the way Sofia tasted and felt against his skin when he finally gave into what they both desired. She was a mixture of innocence and hellfire every time they were together. He’d been her first because that’s what she wanted, and deep down he wanted it too. Sofia didn’t want her first time to be with someone who was fucking her to stick it to her father or put a notch in his belt because of who her father was.
Dom did try to ignore the temptation that she was for as long as possible. But one night at a party she had no business being at, accompanied by the douche who hung all over her, sparked a possessiveness in him he hadn’t known existed. He marched over to where they were, holed up in a corner and knocked the schmuck’s teeth out.
Of course Sofia had to argue with him because that was what she did every time he was looking out for her. He usually argued right along with her, but the caveman in him wanted to claim her in front of everybody. He was barely hanging on to his restraint, and he lifted her up, hauling her ass back to his house.
“Are you fucking kidding me, Domenico?” Not Dom like she usually called him—guess she was a wee bit pissed.
Sofia pushed at his chest. “You’re not the boss of me. I already have a father. I don’t need another one!”
She pushed him again, and he grabbed hold of her hands and pinned them behind her back. “Enough,” he growled, his restraint barely there. Sofia knew exactly what buttons to press to set him off every single fucking time.
Sofia smirked. She was the only one who taunted him instead of steering clear of him when he was like this. It was almost like she got off on the power exchange that happened between them; her in control and him flying off the handle.
“You’re not supposed to be at that party, Saffi.” His tone softened with the use of his nickname for her. “You’re also going to get your guard in trouble because you keep giving the guy the slip.” He released her hands and cupped her face. “You know what’s going on with your father. You need to be protected.”
Sofia reached for his hands, pulling him off of her face so she could interlace her fingers with his. She stepped into him, closing whatever space remained between them. “That guy is a pushover. It’s not my fault he can’t keep up with me. You should be the one watching over me, Dom.”
Ah, they were back to Dom. How quickly her temper dies down when he’s touching her.
Sofia’s eyes dipped down to his lips and he cursed. His body went rock hard remembering the way her plush lips felt against his the first time she’d stolen a kiss from him. He should have pushed her away then, put some distance between them, but he couldn’t stay away from her.
He told himself it was to keep her safe from her father’s enemies because he knew the guards her father employed couldn’t keep watch over her. If he said it enough, he would believe it eventually.
But Sofia called to something deep down inside of him, something instinctive that made him crazy and sane at the same time. He didn’t know what it was, but he was always aware of her when she walked into a room. His stomach would tighten, and his breathing would change like it was trying to match her tempo.
“I bet you watch over me already,” Sofia purred, inching herself closer to him. “It’s why you knew where I was tonight, right?”
Dom scrubbed a hand down his face, trying to lock away the memories of that night. It was the first time they had sex, and instead of him claiming a part of her, she managed to worm her way inside of him, permanently cementing herself in his heart.
It sucked when he had to give her up. He understood why her mother ran; it was to keep Sofia safe from her father’s war, but fuck if he didn’t hate it.
He checked his watch again and looked back to the exit doors.She should have been out here already.He felt his father’s hand on his arm, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “Sofia’s not someone you have to worry about, D. That girl has always been two steps ahead of everyone. She’s a Barbati and has her father’s mentality. Besides, who do you think has been raising her this whole time? Her grandfather could have sent her back when her mother died and he didn’t.”
Ah, yes. Sofia’s infamous grandfather Emanuel Gomes. The head of the Gomes family—the biggest empire Colombia had seen in its history, and he was one of the biggest coke suppliers to the United States. He supplied damn near everyone who wasn’t part of the Barbati organization. It was his way of trying to shut them down and push them out of power because he didn’t like that his daughter had fallen in love with a Sicilian man.
The Barbati family had constantly been at war because of it, and it was one of the main reasons Sofia had to leave. But Gomes didn’t stop supplying the Barbati’s enemies when he had his daughter and granddaughter back. That didn’t stop until about four years ago, right after his mysterious death.
