Only In the Dark, page 5
She twists her body to offer a better hug. “I’m so happy you are here.”
“Come on, I wouldn’t miss Dad’s birthday. But I do have to talk to him.”
“Oh, that sounds serious.”
I smile. “It is.”
“Better make it quick because the guests will be arriving soon.”
I head back to the living room where my dad is. “Can I talk to you for a sec?”
“Sure, sweetheart. What is it?”
I sit on the loveseat and face him in his chair. “Are you familiar with the LaRocca family?”
“I am. Why do you ask? We have been fighting over territories for years. It’s not a secret that’s for sure.”
“Well, I didn’t realize it in the beginning, but I have recently become acquainted with the son, Dominick LaRocca.”
“How acquainted?”
“Dad. Can I trust him?”
“Well, my rival is with his step dad, not him. And there is a rumor that someone had his dad killed, so his step dad could take over. But I don’t know how valid that is. And that order was not from anyone in this family.”
“I have to tell him.”
“If you do, you have to let him know it’s a rumor so you aren’t sure. And as far as trusting him, I don’t know. What I do know of him, I don’t want that life for you. It’s a hard life to live. And dangerous.”
“You and mom did it, and you’re still doing it.”
“It was a different time when we got married. We have done a good job keeping you away from that lifestyle, but I know it was never a secret. We just don’t want that for you. However, if you feel that strongly about him, I won’t stop you. And he will be responsible for protecting you. If you want to bring him around, I can feel him out.”
“Does that mean you’ll give him the third degree?”
“Me?” he playfully questions.
“Dad!”
“Just be careful. Okay, honey?”
“Okay.” Smiling, I stand to hug my dad. “Thank you for telling me the truth.”
The doorbell rings, and I move from my seat to go answer it, greeting my dad’s friends. They always comment how much I have grown, or that they have known me since I was a baby in my mom’s stomach. It’s crazy.
The wives make their way to the kitchen, adding their own bread and dishes for the party. These families have always been there, no matter who’s birthday it was. I grew up with their own kids as well. I was never lonely growing up. Which, in turn is why I am BFF’s with Livia.
“Is Livia coming?” Mom asks me.
“No. She’s busy. But she wishes you a happy birthday, dad.”
“Tell her, thanks. But I expect to see her soon.”
“We’re her parents, and we barely see her,” her mom states.
Dinner goes off without a hitch, and everyone sings Happy Birthday to my dad, and we all enjoy cake and ice cream. While everyone moves to leave, I help mom clean up.
“Who is the boy?” Mom asks.
“How did you know?”
“What else would you need to talk to your father about?” she smiles. “You are a grown woman now; you never need us anymore. And we barely know what is going on in your life.”
“That’s because I am always working.”
“And the boy?”
I make sure no one else can hear. “It’s Dominick LaRocca.”
She shakes her head knowingly. “Your father is fighting with his step dad.”
“I know.”
“If you like this guy, just know this life is not for everyone. Sometimes it’s very hard. You will have to make sacrifices.”
“What kind of sacrifices?”
“Your job. It’ll be the first to go when you start having kids.”
“What if I can’t give that up?”
“There will be other sacrifices. You have to decide what you can and can’t give up. If I know your father, he told you we don’t want that life for you.”
“He did tell me that.”
“Only you can decide that.”
“Thanks mom. I gotta head home now.” I hug my mom.
“Love you. I know you being here meant a lot to your father.”
“Love you, too.” I go search for my dad, who is now smoking a cigar with the last friend here.
“Hey, dad, I’m gonna head out. Happy birthday.”
“Love you, too, kiddo.” He kisses my cheek.
“Love you.”
Grabbing my coat and purse, I call for an uber and then text Dom.
Hey. Can we meet tomorrow for dinner? I didn’t expect tonight to run so late.
It’s not a bother to me. -Dom
I should probably get some sleep.
Are you sure? -Dom
Yeah. I’ll text you tomorrow.
Okay. Have a good night. -Dom
You, too, Dom.
I need time to think because even though I am fully aware of what Dom’s intentions are, I’m not quite sure what mine are. I am only twenty-four years old and have plenty of stuff I want to do before I settle down. And Livia isn’t here for me to talk this out with.
The uber arrives, and I head home. Feeling lost and not knowing what to do, I try to shove the thoughts out of my head.
I start to head inside when I feel arms pull me away. I think it’s Dom, but when I am forcibly turned, I see two masked men, one without a mask and I have never been this scared in my life, not even when Dom kidnapped me.
“Let me go.” I try to release myself for the man’s grip. Three more men surround me as one of the men hold onto me. Then it registers what is about to happen. “Get the fuck away from me.” I can’t think straight to figure out how to get out of this. We are in a back alley now, and it’s pitch black with one street lamp that barely covers the area, but I can still make out their eyes, and the man without a mask, I see his face.
One man punches me in the face, not once, but twice, and I have a flashback from the day in the prison. Only this time, it’s my other eye, and I can feel my lip start to bleed. I try to keep myself from passing out because of the adrenaline.
“Tell your boyfriend, Featherstone said hi,” one guy spits out.
I can’t describe what happens next because the men take off before the worst happens.
My clothes are ripped, and I’m bleeding.
“Are you okay, miss?” a man asks.
“I’m okay.”
“Should I call the police?”
“No! I live here.” I manage to stumble to my apartment. There was no use in calling the police because all the men did was hit me, before the guy came up on us. I didn’t want to deal with that. I just needed to get inside my apartment and take a long hot bath.
Chapter Thirteen
GENEVA
Shedding off my clothes, I carefully step into the piping hot bath. Pulling my knees up to my face, I let the tears flow. Granted, what was about to happen was stopped, but still, the thought shook me to my core.
While letting the tears flow, I call Livia.
“Hey, girl. What’s up?” she sounds cheerful.
And I start bawling even more. “Gen. What’s wrong?”
“Can you come home?”
“I’m on my way now.”
I don’t know how much time passes. But I’m in the tub when Livia comes in to find me. “My god. What happened?”
I cry even harder and can barely get the words out. “About three or four men were about to rape me before some guy intervened. I must have made enough noise for him to save me. One punched me in the eye and popped my lip.”
“I should call Dominick,” she says.
“No! This is because of him.”
“One of the guys said to tell my boyfriend, Featherstone said hi.”
“Featherstone. Featherstone.” Livia tries to pinpoint the name but it isn’t registering with neither of us. She pulls put her phone out to look. She looks up shocked. “It’s the Irish Mafia, and they are some pretty bad dudes. Oh my god. We should call the cops.”
“Yeah, call the cops on the Irish Mafia,” I say sarcastically.
I step out of the bath, wrapping myself in a robe. Livia tends to my eye and my bottom lip.
“Here,” Livia hands me a bag of frozen veggies, and a hot mug of tea.
“Thanks.” I settle on the couch, and Livia sits in the chair.
“What are you going to do?”
“I don’t know, Liv. There is already enough I need to process, now I have this.”
“Is he into something dangerous?”
I let out a soft giggle because it’s funny but not funny. “His family is. And you already know about mine, it’s no secret. I found out both our families are rivals. Well, his step dad and my dad. And the first time meeting his dad, I had to dig a bullet out of him.”
“Oh my god, Gen!”
“Exactly. I had no idea what I walking into. I could have been killed. But supposedly, he didn’t know. Which is why I changed my last name.”
She stands and comes over to me to hug me. “I’m here if you need anything. Whatever you do, be careful, okay?”
“I will.”
“Are you going to be okay? Do you need anything?”
I shake my head.
“Goodnight.”
“Night.”
Now I’m more confused than ever, and the thought of sleep, it doesn’t seem like I will be falling asleep anytime soon. I call an Uber.
In my bedroom, I shed my robe and rifle through my closet. Finding something clean, I pull on a pair of skinny jeans, and form fitted crop sweater.
I send a text to Livia, letting her know I was heading out for the night. My phone vibrates and lets me know the Uber arrived.
Checking the details of the vehicle, I grab my purse and keys. Before pulling the door to go outside, I inhale a deep breath and push on the door open.
And next think I know, the Uber is pulling into Dom’s driveway.
“Thank you,” I tell the driver. He pulls away, and I ring the doorbell. I don’t know what I think I will accomplish coming here, but it’s too late to think about that now.
I see a light flick on, and the door opens.
“Geneva?” Dominick says.
I lift my head to face him.
“Jesus Christ, what the hell happened?” With a softness in his voice, he pulls me inside.
“I’m sorry it’s so late.”
“Don’t worry about it. Come in.”
I follow him to his living room, and he heads to the bar to make us both a drink. I’m going to need it. I sit on the couch.
He walks back over and says, “Tell me what happened,” as he passes me a drink and sits down.
“An Uber dropped me off at my apartment after my dad’s birthday. And three, maybe four guys grabbed a hold of me.”
“What the fuck?”
Leaning forward, he pushes my hair behind my shoulders so he can get a better look at my eye. “Did they say who they were?”
I take the last sip of my drink. “One said to tell my boyfriend that Featherstone said hi.”
“I’m going to fucking kill him and his fucking goons.”
“Who is that?”
“He’s trying to take business from me, and I’m not allowing it.”
“He punched me over business shit?”
Dominick stands, pulls out his phone and makes a phone call. I walk over to his bar and make myself another drink, then pour him some more.
He paces the living room floor as he speaks into the phone. I hear something about find him, and take him the warehouse.
Dominick tosses his phone onto the coffee table and sits close to me. “I’m going to take care of this. You hungry?”
“I could eat.”
“Come on,” he says, pulling me up and unexpectedly, he pulls me close to his chest. He doesn’t fully release me; he puts his arm around my shoulder, and we walk to the kitchen. “Sit,” he tells me, and I sit at the little island bar. I watch as he rolls his dress shirt sleeves up, and I don’t know why I find that hot. I notice one of the tattoos is a forest theme with a wolf. And the other he has a lion that takes up his whole forearm.
When I look up, I see him spotting me looking, and I blink my eyes while clearing my throat. The man is sexy as hell.
“Here you go,” he passes me a sandwich and sets out the mustard and mayo if I want it.
“Thank you.”
“I could have cooked something fancier if I knew you were coming.” He sits in the bar chair next to me.
“This is perfect.”
He swivels his bar chair to face me. “I’m really sorry you got mixed up in my shit. I should have never approached you to do that favor for me.”
“Well, being punched twice in a matter of weeks sure isn’t ideal.” I crack a smile as best as I can with my busted lip.
He chuckles. “That’s for sure. But I am glad you came over and told me what happened.”
We continue eating our food, and I begin to broach the uncomfortable subject. “There’s more I need to tell you. And I don’t think you are going to like it.”
“Sounds like I need another drink for this. You?”
“Sure.”
He pours our drinks, and we sit back down on the couch. “What is it?”
I take a deep breath, not sure how or where to start.
Chapter Fourteen
DOMINICK
I watch Geneva intently as she begins to tell me. “As you know, I went to see my father for his birthday.”
I nod as she continues. “I talked to him about you, and I expressed my concern with your family and mine. My dad said he doesn’t have an issue with you, just with your step dad.”
“Alright.”
“Right. He thinks your dad was murdered so your stepdad could take over. But I need to express it’s a rumor, he didn’t know for sure.”
I swallow hard.
“And that order didn’t come from my family. It’s just some rumor my dad heard.”
I am stunned. “Wow. That is a little heavy. But I appreciate you telling me.”
“I thought you should know.”
I have to shove that information to the back of my mind for now. “Thanks. So he doesn’t have objections about you and me?”
“He said he didn’t. Just with your stepdad.”
“Good. Then I can do this.” I lean forward, cup her face with one hand and kiss her. She flinches, and I pull back. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t stop,” she tells me as she begins to take charge. I pull her into my lap so she straddles me. One hand rests on her back as we continue kissing. My tongue slips in and tangles with hers. Somehow, even with her busted lip, we manage to kiss. This woman does things to me that no one else has. Part of me, a sick part of me, likes tasting her wounded lip. Our kissing is primal with a need I can’t explain.
Then my phone buzzes, and I smile against her lips. “I should get this.”
She moves to sit next to me as I pick up the phone.
“Hey.”
“Sorry, boss, but I have Featherstone and one other guy.”
“I’m on my way.” I hang up the phone and put it into my pocket. I look at Geneva. “I have to go. But you can stay here if you want.”
“Can I come with you?”
I swallow a hard lump. “Remember when you said you didn’t want to know what I do?”
She nods.
“Well, I don’t want you to see that side of me.”
She stands and comes close to me. “I want to see. I already know who your family is. And mine is in the same business.”
“All right, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
She cracks a small smile, and we head out to my garage.
“Should we take the Bugatti?” I ask.
“Yes.”
“Buckle up.”
We get situated in the car, and we are off to the warehouse, that is only ten minutes, maybe five minutes away with this car.
In a flash, I exit the car, and Geneva walks next to me.
“Boss,” Vinny says, and puts his arm out to keep Geneva back. I offer a curt nod and spot Tatum standing in front of Featherstone and his goon.
“This the guys?” I ask Geneva.
She steps forward to get a good look. And before she replies, she slaps the man across the face. “It’s him.”
I get eye level with Featherstone as he is strapped in a chair, and I smirk. “You fucked with the wrong one motherfucker.”
The asshole spits in my face, and I see red. My fist flies into his face. Left and right. His head moves like a swivel. Blood spills everywhere.
I adjust my pants as I bend down again. “Now, do you want to tell her,” I point… “You’re sorry.”
Featherstone smiles, and blood fills his mouth. “No. I’ll never say sorry. She is nothing but a whore.”
Now he’s fucked up, and I’m going to kill him. Now Geneva can see I’d burn the world down for her, and I’d even kill. I get more punches in him while I nod to Tatum to take out Featherstone’s associate, if you can even call him that.
Once I’ve had my fill, and Featherstone is completely knocked out, I nod to Jimmy. “Get rid of them.”
“Sure thing.”
I put my hand on the small of Geneva’s back and lead us back to my car.
Getting back to my house passes in a blur. And I finally snap out of it when I feel Geneva cleaning my busted knuckles and hand.
“We gotta stop doing this,” she says.
“I didn’t want you see me at my worst because I didn’t want to scare you away.”
She wraps my hand in a bandage and secures it with a clip. “You couldn’t scare me away if you tried.” Now she is the one kissing me. And I get lost in her kiss, her touch, and she begins undoing my shirt. And I lift her sweater over her head. She stands before me, tracing my chest tattoo with the tips of her fingers. Slow and gentle. It’s a large very detailed eagle, mostly on my right side. I have praying hands and a cross on the left side.
I bend my head down to kiss her neck, and work my way back to her lips. Her hands dig into my back, and I hoist her body up as she wraps her legs around my waist. “I’m taking you to my bed.”
