Page 3 of Darkest Retribution

After toweling off, I wrap myself in my silk bathrobe, pushing my dark hair behind my shoulders. Then I step into my bedroom, moving to the window that looks over the front yard. Just as I’m about to close the curtains, I spothim.

Why the hell is Dominic still up?

He’s in his bedroom, a mug in his hands, staring out his window. When our gazes meet, he gives me a nod. I wave before yanking the curtains shut.

Weeks. I’ve been avoiding my neighbor forweeks. Ever since Rosie brought him over because she thought I was dying.

To be fair, it felt like I was.

I like to think I’m a calm person. Collected. Cool. Good under pressure. But when the little girl at the end of the hallway is concerned, all bets are off.

So when my brother threatened to take her away from me, I freaked. It’s not like he hasn’t done it before. Hell, it’s how he keeps me under his thumb. But this time, something was different.

This time, his threat didn’t feel empty.

I haven’t had a panic attack since my teens. And having one in front of my neighbor? Fucking humiliating—even if itwasnice to have someone hold me and tell me everything will be okay.

Still, I’ve been avoiding Dominic ever since. Between the pitying look he gave me and a rather heated kiss between the two of us a couple months ago, I’m too embarrassed to even exist around the man.

It won’t matter soon, anyway.

Rosie may be David’s daughter, but I’m the one who loves her with my whole heart. I’m the one who takes care of her and has her best interests in mind with everything I do. It’s why I’m getting us out of here as soon as I possibly can.

With a sigh, I sink to the floor and pull a wooden box from underneath my bed. Inside is everything I’ve been working for since David forced me to move here. Cash I’ve saved up, contact information for the woman who can get us new identities, pamphlets on the places I’d like to run to—everything.

The only thing holding me back from pulling the trigger on this plan is a lack of cash. But I’ll have enough soon. And then we’ll disappear.

I stifle a yawn as I look through the box for the millionth time. The only thing I should be doing right now is going to sleep. And even though I know going over my plan won’t actually get me any closer to my goal, I can’t stop myself.

I’ll sleep when we’re free.

Chapter two

Dominic

Icursethemorningsun as I jog through my neighborhood. Maybe going on a run was a bad idea, but it’s too late to turn back now. I’ll be back home soon.

Besides, I need to dosomething.Sitting at home and trying to take the day off has been miserable so far, and I’m only a couple hours in.

It doesn’t help that I barely slept last night. How could I after seeing Jade in nothing but a tiny silk bathrobe?

To make it worse, I have no idea where she went last night.

Every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, Jade leaves in the evening and doesn’t return until the early hours of the morning. My best guess is she works some kind of third shift job. Maybe as a nurse. No idea how she manages to live in an upper class neighborhood like this on a part-time nurse’s salary, though.

But that’s not my problem. My problem is that yesterday wasFriday.And she wasn’t gone long enough for a full shift.

So what the hell was she doing?

The woman is a mystery to me—an enticing one. While I normally hate puzzles I can’t solve, I’ve never wanted to know everything about a woman so fucking badly.

I scowl. I’ve always been fine with shallow relationships and casual sex. It’s annoying—and downright inconvenient—that the woman across the street from me makes me want more. Especially because I can’t have more. Not right now.

“Good morning, Mister Dominic!”

I barely hear the high-pitched voice over the music blasting in my ears. Yanking out my earbuds, I wave at Rosie, Jade’s niece.

“Come look at what I made!” She’s grinning from the edge of their driveway—Jade won’t let her leave the property without permission.

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