Page 38 of Dom

My mouth pulls into a frown as I remember the man who tried to kill Savannah not that long ago. In this very house.

“You okay?” Savannah asks me from her spot across the table.

I realize something must have shown on my face, so I quickly smile. “Yeah, good! Sorry, just zoned out there.”

“Probably working too much. Seems to run in the family.” She snorts.

King shakes his head as he stands from his seat next to her. “Quit spreading lies, Honey. You work more than I do.”

Savannah just grins as she pushes her chair back.

Aspen got up to take a call a few minutes ago.

News recently broke that her husband, Leland, passed away while on a work trip overseas. Their sources are saying it was a previously unknown heart condition, one that runs in his family. But being a stubborn man, Leland never went to the doctor to get checked for it. Even though his wife constantly begged him to.

When the story first came across my newsfeed online, I nearly spit out my coffee.

I knew the family would have to pronounce Leland dead eventually, and I’m positive the whole string of information was carefully crafted by Aspen before it was released. Still, the whole concerned wife angle was too much for me not to react to. Since, in reality, Leland had been cheating on Aspen, and Aspen was the one who asked King to kill him.

But sure,heart attackit is.

God, I wish I had someone I could talk to about this!

And it’s not because I’m scared of Aspen or King; I’m not. As far as I’m concerned, fuck Leland—he earned what he got. But it’s just such good gossip. And I want to get drunk with someone and laugh about it.

But there’s no one for me to do that with.

I take my phone out of my pocket, and my chest heats when I see a text notification.

Big Guy: Hope you’re having a good dinner. My family is over, and I’m about to kick a nine-year-old’s ass in Mario Kart.

I grin.

It’s been almost two weeks since our flight together, and other than the day right after, we’ve texted every day since.

We don’t message a lot at once, but it is every day. And it’s been so… nice. Like justsonice.

Me: Sounds like a great achievement. I’m about to sit outside around a fire and eat dessert with a bunch of adults.

Send.

While I wait for his reply, I daydream about being able to tell him everything about my family. He’s told me about his big family a few times, but with murder, crime, and intrigue, I’d definitely win themy family is crazierdebate.

Big Guy: I can think of a dessert I’d like to eat by the fire.

“Damn!” Savannah exclaims from behind me, and I smash my phone against my chest to hide the screen.

“Oh my god! Nosy much?” I’m too embarrassed to sound mad.

Savannah starts laughing. “I wasn’t even trying to look.”

I push back from the table and get up, keeping the phone against my chest. “Sure you weren’t.”

“I wasn’t!” she insists. “I was going to try and startle you.” Savannah snickers. “But I startled myself instead.”

I lift a hand to cover my mouth in a vain attempt to hide my stupid grin. “That wasn’t the response I was expecting either.”

“So…” Savannah waggles her eyebrows at me. “Who isBig Guy?”

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