Page 77 of The Viper

“You’re welcome.” I return to the pass-through and find several more dishes ready to go out. I take them out to the customers, and as I’m placing the dishes down my skin prickles. I take a sharp breath, knowing he’s close.

I close my eyes for a few seconds before I turn and see Dominic and Marco enter the café. Dominic looks like a damned god. He’s dressed in one of his delicious dark gray suits, and his sinful auburn eyes are locked on me. I tuck some of my loose hair behind my ear as I glance down to the floor before walking over to his table. “Rosa,” his thick, throaty voice slides over my body causing my stomach to flutter.

“What are you doing here?” I ask as I bite on the inside of my cheek.

“I want a coffee.”

“You didn’t have to come down here to get one.”

“Too bad.”

I lower my chin to give me a reprieve from his beautiful features so I can gather my thoughts. “This isn’t a good idea, Dominic.” The words sting as I attempt to hold on to my conviction. I look over to see Marco is now ordering, while Frank waits by the car, smoking.

He shoves his hands into his pockets. “How is Eliza?”

Okay, Dominic’s not asking about me. Good, he’s not making it personal. “She’s hurting,” I reply earnestly.

“Where are you staying?”

My shoulders soften as I look up to him and tilt my head to the side. “Really?”

“What?”

“The black town car that’s been following me, you’re going to tell me it’s not one of yours?”

Dominic’s eyes harden and he looks over to Marco. “It’s following you?” his voice matches the tension of his eyes. “Since when?”

“I saw it this morning.” My throat begins to close. “If it’s not you, then that means Eliza and I need to leave. Shit.” Panic takes over as I mentally begin to prepare for where we can go.

“I’ll take care of it,” Dominic says.

“No, this has nothing to do with you.” Marco approaches us, and they both walk away so I can’t hear them. I see Abbie and Finn both looking at me, and I try to push all this to the side while I’m at work. But how can I not think about that black car knowing now that it’s not Dominic?

“Rose, are you okay? You’ve gone white,” Abbie says.

“Yeah, of course,” I say in an unusually high pitch. No, I’m not. Eliza doesn’t have a phone so I can’t even reach out to warn her. Dread is creeping through me as every scenario plays out in my head. With shaky hands, I reach for the coffees to take to the table. “Get it together,” I whisper to myself. Abbie is staring at me with concern. I pull my shoulders back and smile. “I’m good.” The vomit sitting at the top of my stomach tells me I’m far from fine.

I take a second to compose myself before once again reaching for the coffees. I take them over to the table and as I walk back, I can’t help but search for where Dominic and Marco are. I see them across the street, Dominic is on the phone while Marco is beside him having a smoke.

Dominic’s gaze has been firmly on me, and when he ends the call, he walks over and back into the café. I’m nervously chewing on my nail as I wait. “Rose,” Finn calls. Dominic rubs his hands up and down my arms as I eagerly wait for him to tell me what’s happening. “Rose,” Finn repeats with more force.

Dominic arches a brow and turns to stare at him with a stiff unimpressed scowl. “Give me a minute,” I say as I walk away from him. “Don’t go, please.”

“I’m waiting for my coffee.”

Marco and Dominic sit together and I go to grab the two coffees waiting for me to take to the table. “Where do these go?”

“To your boyfriend,” Finn snaps with disgust.

My lips thin with my own irritation as I tilt my head and run my tongue over my teeth. Finn ignores me and returns to making coffees. I slide the cups off the counter and head toward Dominic and Marco. I give Dominic his coffee first, then Marco’s. “Who’s following me, Dominic?”

“I don’t know.”

“What? How can you not know?”

“You need to return home.”

“No, I can’t. You know this.” Marco stands, takes his coffee and heads over to another table. “Dominic, I’m not coming back.”

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