Page 33 of The Obsession
His words have me scoffing. “Why do you even care?”
He chuckles, but not in an amused way. It’s dark and dangerous just like him. “You have no idea, do you. No clue what seeing these bruises on you does to me.”
“Do you care about the bruises you leave on others?” He probably does more than that, but I refuse to let my mind go there. “You’re a hypocrite, you hurt people for a living.”
He rears back slightly like I just slapped him, but he knows I’m right. “I’ve never hurt a woman,” he counters, “and I’d never hurt you, Em.”Em.Why does hearing him call me that send a little flutter in my chest? “I hurt bad people,” he continues. “And I’ll sure as fuck hurt a man who thinks it’s okay to put his hands on a female. I was too young to defend my mother when my father mistreated her, but I beat the shit out of the guy who roughed up my sister, and he deserved everything I dished out. I have no regrets. I’d happily do it again.”
I stand here stunned by his admission, blinking a few times as I let his words settle in. His father hurt his mother? His sister was in a violent relationship, too?
“I won’t ask you again,” Dominic growls, taking a step forward and getting up in my space. “Who the fuck did that to you?”
I snatch my chin from his hold and straighten my spine. “Like I said, I fell.”
“Bullshit, Emily. It’s not the first time I’ve seen a bruise on you. Is it that cocksucker who picks you up from work on the motorbike? Because I’ll snap him like a fucking pretzel if it is.”
His threat against Mick makes me hesitate, and for a heartbeat, I almost tell him the truth, but I don’t. I’m alreadyliving with one monster, and I’m not about to let another into my life. “I’ve got to go … I’m working, Dom.”
He opens his mouth to say something, just as a stunning, petite brunette rounds the corner, nursing Peach on her hip. Is she his girlfriend? His wife? Is Peach actually his niece or his daughter? The questions hit hard, leaving a sour taste in my mouth.
Do men see me as some kind of gullible joke? Just a pretty face with air for a brain? I can almost hear Mick’s voice echoing in my head, reminding me I’m lucky anyone even puts up with me. That’s just one of the awful things he says when he’s trying to justify his bad behaviour. Like I should be grateful he wants me.
Maybe he’s right.
Maybe all I am is something nice to look at.
“Is everything okay?” the brunette asks with one brow lifted like she already suspects the answer.
Tears burn the back of my eyes as my gaze moves from her to Dominic. When his shoulders slump, and he loosens his grip on my wrist, I know she matters to him in a way I don’t. Do Mafia men stick their dick in anything that moves like Mick and his misogynistic bikie brothers?
The brunette locks eyes with me and flicks her head, a small, patronising gesture that tells me to move along. I don’t hesitate. I give her a tight, practised smile as I pass, my cheeks hot with shame over what she just saw.
If I lose my job over this, I’ll kill him.
Before I’m out of earshot, I hear her say, “What the hell was that?”
Your guess is as good as mine, lady.
“Hey,” a female voice says, coming up behind me and gently grasping my elbow. I glance over my shoulder, andwhen I see it’s the brunette from earlier, my stomach drops. “Have you got a quick minute?” she asks, and though her English is perfect, her Italian accent softens each word.
I want to tell her I’m too busy, because I’m a coward, but instead, I nod. She gestures for me to follow her to the side, away from the crowd.
“I’m Lucia,” she says, holding out a hand.
“Emily,” I reply, forcing a smile as I wrap my fingers around hers. “I … umm, I’m sorry about before?—”
“Don’t be,” she cuts in smoothly. “I know how intimidating Dom can be. He’s like a big grizzly bear with sharp teeth and even sharper claws. He’s rough around the edges, loud, a little reckless, but underneath all that, he’s all heart. Once he decides someone matters to him, he’ll move mountains to protect them. It can feel overwhelming at first, but that’s just who he is. He doesn’t always know how to show it gently.”
That’s not what I expected her to say. I thought she was going to tear into me, warn me to stay away from her man, and make sure I knew my place. Instead, she seems kind and understanding, with a softness that makes my chest ache.
Stupid tears sting the backs of my eyes again, and I blink them away, hating how fragile I’ve become. It’s getting harder to fake being fine.
“There’s nothing going on between us,” I tell her quickly, needing her to know. “I see him sometimes when he comes into La Riviera, where I work. That’s it.”
She lifts a hand, stopping me. “You don’t have to explain anything to me. I just wanted to check in and make sure you’re okay.”
“I am,” I lie. The words taste bitter. I’m not okay, and being here today has only made everything more confusing.
“Well, I’ll let you get back to it,” she says with a small smile, stepping back, and my heart finally starts to slow. “Ihope to see you around. Maybe I’ll stop by La Riviera one day and say hi.”
