Page 79 of Corrupted Heir (Mafia Kings: Corrupted 1)

“Of course,” I said. “Before you go.” I grabbed his shoulder and squeezed. “Be safe.”

“Jesus, Dom. You getting all soft on me?”

“Maybe.”

“Good.” Dante patted my hand. “It’s about time you’re no longer a husk of a man.”

I spent the rest of the day orchestrating the biggest shift in asset storage in Luca history while simultaneously organizing searches of every one of our remaining buildings and business interests. From a brief investigation, it seemed some of the fires had been caused by small-scale demolition explosives, and others were set on fire with a couple of Molotovs.

I had men stationed outside of buildings that hadn’t been destroyed yet. I instructed them to report anything to me—even the smallest fucking bird that flew by.

By the time the moon was high in the sky and the city was asleep, it looked like the attacks were over.

But the Lucas never slept.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Fallon

I glanced at the clock.

2:26 AM.

I paced back and forth across my bedroom in the dressing gown Maria had dressed me in. She’d taken care of me when Leo brought me back here. She’d helped me bathe and dress, and then sat on the bed with me and let me cry against her shoulder.

She’d left hours ago, long after the sun had set, but minute by minute, my chest tightened.

Dominic had been gone all day, and all Maria could—or would—tell me was that he was “sorting out business”. But I’d heard the explosions. The staccato bangs that had sounded like gunfire.

What if he’d walked into a situation he wasn’t prepared for? What if he’d been too close to one of those explosions? What if he’d been shot? Every question was like a tendril of fear that had snaked its way through my body and wrapped itself around my heart. And then the worst, the most terrifying tendril of all; it squeezed so hard it left me gasping for breath: What if Tony had won?

I shouldn’t have cared. I didn’t want to care. I didn’t want to feel the sharp stab of pain in my chest every time I thought about him lying lifeless somewhere. This man worked with the monster who’d killed my mother. I could picture the two of them plotting moves in some dark corner, shaking hands and smiling like the devils they were.

I grabbed one of Dom’s sci-fi novels from the nightstand and chucked it across the room.

“I don’t care about you, damn it!” I shouted at the book.

If he was dead, I’d be free. Freedom was what I wanted… wasn’t it?

I stared at the stupid book, trying to muster up the certainty that wouldn’t come.

The door opened behind me, and I spun around. It was Dominic.

Safe.

Unharmed.

No blood.

I rushed at him with my hands in fists and slammed one into his shoulder.Goddamn it, that hurt.He was as solid as a freaking rock.

But now that my fears had been proven unfounded, I was pissed. I was pissed at him for working with Belemonte. For dragging me into this life. For making me worry about him so much I felt sick.

I punched him again, and this time, his shoulder jutted backward. I did it again and again. He became more like a rag doll, taking every blow and letting it push him backward.

Tears cascaded down my cheeks. My arms ached, but I couldn’t stop.

“Where the hell have you been?” I yelled at him as I kept up my onslaught. “I didn’t know if you were alive or dead, goddamn it.”

---