Page 67 of Corrupted Heir (Mafia Kings: Corrupted 1)

“I arranged to have someone there to keep you safe. My brother, Leo.”

She crossed her arms over her chest, drawing my attention to breasts I hadn’t seen in too many days. She looked ready to let loose a tirade, but then her expression changed.

“You don’t like this very much, do you? Arranging for me to go back to work, I mean.”

I shook my head. It went against the grain to let her out of my sight or out of my home when there were dangers nearby.

“But you’re doing it anyway.” It seemed more like she was talking to herself.

“You’re doing this… for me,” she said softly.

No shit,I thought, but I said nothing.

The look on her face shifted. She smiled, but it wasn’t the smile that caught me. It was the look in her eyes. I couldn’t put a name to it, maybe because I’d never seen it before. It was something soft and warm and it seemed to come from somewhere deep inside her.

“Thank you, Dominic. Not just because you’re doing this, but because I matter enough to you to let me choose, to let me have my life.”

And then she kissed me. It was a soft, featherlight touch, but whatever had been shining in her eyes reverberated in her lips and filled me with a warmth that was just as foreign as the look in her eyes. Whatever it was, though, it was like a drug. The ultimate fix. And at least for the time being, I was hooked.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Fallon

The morning of my first day back at work was nerve-wracking. At the same time, I was giddy to get back to work. To see Snowball, to hold a paw in my hand, to sweep down all the fur in my clothes.

I couldn’t wait to see Corinne. Time had lost all its meaning since the morning Dominic and I set off running from my apartment. I couldn’t tell how long it had been since I’d last seen her. My emotions were all over the place.

The second I finished getting ready, my hair tied back into a neat bun, Dominic’s brother arrived at the apartment. He was the near splitting image of Dominic, although he was younger. His hair was slightly lighter, a dark brown instead of a black, that was slicked back. He wasn’t at our impromptu wedding—for some reason.

He seemed a little more... full of life than his brother. He smiled more, and he had this energy about him that reminded me of a Golden Retriever.

“Leo,” he said, giving me a small salute. “My brother wanted me to keep you safe while you’re at work. I’ll be with you throughout the day, drive you there and back. You know? All the usual stuff that will drive you up the wall.”

He was right—a freaking bodyguard at work was the last thing I wanted—but the goofy, charming smile he flashed me made it impossible to scowl at him.

He pulled on the collar of his coat, a black trench, as we made the trip to the car. He had a muscle car that looked an awful lot like the McLaren to me, but not an exact replica. It hit me as he opened the passenger door for me that he probably wasn’t thrilled about this babysitting detail either.

“Thanks for making the time to do this,” I said. “I’ve been going a little crazy holed up in the apartment.”

Was I allowed to say things like that to Dominic’s brother? I kind of wanted to take the words back the moment they were out.

“Hey, you’re all good,” he said, sliding behind the steering wheel. “I get it. I got stuck at a safe house for a while once. Wasn’t fun. Only me and some beauty magazines to keep me company.” He turned to me, his eyes comically wide. “It changed me.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. Why weren’t all the Luca brothers like him? Leo made me feel comfortable. Don’t get me wrong, Leo was still a beast among men—I knew he would be able to protect me if things went south. A chill shivered down my spine, remembering what “things going south” could entail, but I pushed it away. I wouldn’t cower for the rest of my life.

“I hope you like puppies and kittens,” I said as we pulled up in front of the clinic. It was strange to see the sign with my maiden name out on the front. My eyes glazed over it as an itchy sensation climbed up my throat.

“I’ll try to stay out of your way,” Leo said. “You won’t even know I’m here,” he added—a lie, if ever I heard one.

When Dominic said he’d have a bodyguard keep me safe, I assumed that he meant they’d be stationed at the front door. That was definitely not the case. Leo followed me everywhere I went, hovering only a few feet away at all times. I wondered what would happen if I told him I had to use the washroom… then decided I wasn’t in a hurry to find out.

Corinne wasn’t in yet while I set things up for the day. Granted, I was early, but I wanted to get the ball rolling as soon as possible. Ten minutes before opening, Corinne arrived.

When she walked into the operating room and saw both me and Leo, her eyes widened, instantly bright with tears, but she pressed her lips together, casting surreptitious glances at Leo. (Like I said, Leo seemed nice, but he was still a beast among men.) And the looks continued, glancing back over her shoulder as she went to put her things away in the staff room without a word. By the time she returned, there were clients filtering in the front door, and we had no choice but to get to work.

I didn’t see her much all morning, though every time she passed by, I could feel her gaze, darting back and forth between Leo and I. What was she thinking? Was she angry? Hurt?

By lunch time, the uncertainty was killing me. As soon as I spied Corinne entering the break room, I shot after her.

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