Page 46 of The Viper

I head toward the front door, and wait for him. The car is already waiting for us, with Frank behind the wheel and Marco holding the back door open. When did he even have a chance to tell them we’d be leaving? Ugh, this is too much for me. Once in the car, I look out the window as I consider everything. “Just so I understand what’s happening here, I’ll basically never have a moment to myself from here on in?”

“Are you talking about privacy?” He shuffles to lean against the door and stare at me.

“This is a lot to take in. Once I leave does it stop?”

“You’re not going anywhere,” he replies casually.

“Eventually I’ll leave your home and move into an apartment.” What a massive hill I’m going to have to climb. “And, then...” My voice trails off as I think about the enormity of everything.

Suddenly, the events of the fire and the fact my sister is miserable hits me with brutal force. I can’t stop the sadness, or the flood of tears that are falling from my eyes. My heart is cracking and my soul is fractured. I’m not sure either will ever fuse into a whole again.

Dominic’s strong arms pull me into his body. I try to resist it, but his warmth is intoxicating and for some reason I’m drawn to him. I allow myself a moment of weakness to cry in his arms. “I’ve got you, baby. I’ve got you,” he whispers and kisses the top of my head.

I cuddle into him for a moment longer, liking how this feels. His protective arms are a comfort to me. “I know,” I say through my tears.

“You don’t have to be so strong all the time.” It’s almost like he can see into my broken soul.

I pull back from him and wipe at the tears clinging to my cheek. “Yeah, I do.” I lift the hem of my t-shirt and wipe at my eyes. “I’m sorry,” I say as I shuffle away from Dominic and turn to look out the window. “It’s just a lot, you know?” Dominic’s silence forces me to turn to look at him. His brows are drawn in together, his jaw is tight and his hard eyes are solely focused on me. “You’re staring.”

“Never apologize to me for how you’re feeling.”

The only thing I can do is smile awkwardly and offer him a nod. This whole situation is screwed.

I’m attracted to a dangerous man I know is poison for me. Not only that, I’m forced to live with him because my entire world has gone up in flames. Literally.

It’s okay, all I need is to pick up as much work as I can, save every single penny to get my life back on track.

I can do that.

“Thank you,” I say to Dominic once we leave work.

“For?”

I intake a small breath as I consider what I should be thanking him for. “Everything. Your generosity, for one.”

Marco snickers from the front. “Generosity?” Dominic is doing his best to control his own laughter.

“You don’t owe me a thing, Dominic. You didn’t need to open your home to me.” I look around the car and limply point toward Frank. “Nor do you have to drive me anywhere.”

Dominic stares at me for a few seconds and slowly nods once. “You don’t need to purchase a new phone. I have one for you. So, now it’s just your identification you need to replace, correct?”

I nod and add, “And my car. I need to visit the bank. I need money.”

“I’ve already ordered you a credit card.”

“That’s your money, not mine.”

Dominic closes his eyes and pinches the bridge of his nose. “We’re not doing this again,” he says in frustration.

“Dominic.” His head jerks to the side as he stares, silencing me with a hard look. I gulp as I keep my resolve. I’ll let this one slide, for now. I can’t take his money, nor do I want to.

“This aversion to me helping you needs to stop. Now.” I grind my teeth to stop myself from reacting. Dominic leans over and places his hand on my thigh. “See,” he whispers. “You’re learning. Such a good girl.” His warm lips trace the sensitive skin below my ear. I clench my thighs together, instantly reacting to his advance. I close my eyes and tilt my head to the side, craving more of his touch. Why does him whispering that I’m a good girl make my heart flutter and my insides heat in reaction?

The car stopping jolts me out of my dirty memories of where his mouth was last night. I open my eyes and straighten in the seat. Frank’s brought us to the DMV, which is the first step to recovering my identity so I can move on with my life.

Dominic slides out and buttons his suit jacket. He holds his hand out, waiting for me to join him. Reluctantly, I take it and with our fingers entwined, we head into the DMV.

Something stirs deep in my belly when I notice a couple of women in the waiting area casting greedy eyes on Dominic. They straighten in their seats and smile at him. I clear my throat and throw them a hard look. Dominic drags me closer to his body and wraps his hand around my waist. “You have nothing to worry about, Rosa.”

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