Page 18 of The Don's Hidden Heir

“I don’t hate you,” she whispers, “I just can’t be around you. It’s not that easy for me, Dominic.”

Only a few inches separate us. I take a step forward, inhaling the scent of her innocence mingling with the fragrance of lavender. It’s so familiar and seductive, I want to bury my nose in her neck and breathe her in.

She tenses when our bodies touch for the briefest second. Her breath is ragged, and she refuses to look at me.

I tilt her chin, needing her to look at me. “It wasn’t easy when you chose to leave without giving me a reason.”[JV1]

“I had a reason, Dominic. I chose not to tell you the reason because you lied to me,” she rasps. Her eyes flicker to mine, and I take in the way she’s gasping for air. Her long ash-blonde hair flutters with the breeze like expensive satin, and it blankets the smooth, olive skin around her shoulders.

Christ, what am I to do with this woman?

My eyes take hers captive until her cheeks are a deep crimson. I can tell she’s nervous around me, and it makes me want to taunt her even more, but the sadness I see in her eyes breaks me.

It’s no fun when she’s hurting.

I tuck her hair behind her ear, and she gasps as my skin comes in contact with hers. “I missed you.”

She places her hand on mine. “Dominic…”

Whatever she wants to say is cut off when a couple saunters out onto the veranda. Elena leans away from me, returning to her previous shell. “I think we should call it a night.”

I glare at the couple. They’re smiling, happiness filling around their faces. It infuriates me to see them so happy, like I used to be with Elena all those years ago.

“Fine.” I tug my jacket. I’m not leaving because of the couple, and the conversation is not over yet. I have some other things to attend to, so I let her off the hook this one time. “See you around.”

I turn to leave but stop by the door leading into the gala room. “One more thing,” I say as I twist my head to look at her. “Stay away from David Peterson. He is not who you think he is.”

Her eyes lock onto mine, as if she’s searching for something. “Neither are you.”

Her words hit me in the gut as I re-enter the hall.

Neither are you.I’m curious as to what she meant when she said those words, and I find it’ll make the perfect excuse for me to see her again. Not that I need an excuse. Everything in this city will gradually become mine, and she’s no exception.

My eyes meet with David Peterson’s, and I stride over to him. “Well, well. Who do we have here?” he greets me. His eyes glint maliciously as he stares at me through his grey lashes.

“Hello, Uncle.” I stretch the word to let him know I don’t call him that as an act of respect.

Hetsks. “It’s good to see you’re still as arrogant.”

“The same can be said about you.” I grab a glass of wine from a passing tray. “Except arrogance doesn’t look good on you. You’re better whining and plotting against your own family.”

He snorts. “I don’t consider you, or your brothers, family.”

I clutch at my chest, pretending to be in pain. “You’re hurting my feelings, Uncle. Don’t you think you’re being a little harsh?”

He turns to me, seething. “Listen, boy. We stopped being family when you humiliated me and threw me out of the family. I promised you I’d take everything you own, and I intend to keep that promise.”

“You’ll need to have your legs attached to your torso to keep that promise.” I close the space between us. “I would hate to have to tear your limbs off to get you to behave.”

Anger heats my veins like a furnace, but I manage to keep my calm. My uncle has always been a chatty man, arrogant beyond his true strength. He makes every nerve in me twist violently.

He’s been begging for death for far too long, and while I’ll be more than happy to grant him his wish, I still need him around. He’s the last person who saw my parents before they died, the only person who knows what truly happened that night.

It’s been ten years, yet he refuses to speak of it. My patience is an overflowing cup, and I intend to get the truth out of him soon. First, I need him to get his ass out of my damn business.

His chuckle forces me back to the present. “You’re all words and no action, boy. If you wanted to kill me, you would have done so by now.”

I tug his tie and drag him close. “Don’t get it twisted, old man. I’m keeping you alive only because I want to.”

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