“Good idea.” We barely make it into the hallway toward the stairs when the house goes off in an explosion, sending us falling backward, and the world goes black.
Chapter Five
Aria
“Where are they?” I sigh, freaking out more and more as time ticks by, wringing my fingers as I sit down and get up again to pace the room. It’s been two hours since they left the estate. They should have been back. I stare at Cormack, who looks calm.
“What the hell happened, honey?” Gloria asks her husband. I stop and wait for him to explain where my father and fiancé are.
He shrugs like it’s not a big deal when I’m ready to jump out of my skin. “I don’t know. They were going inside the house to get the guy that my team had bagged and gagged believing he’s the guy who was here. Maybe they went to work on him.” So what he’s saying is they probably took him somewhere to torture and kill him.
“Well, why don’t you call them and find out?” I snap, getting in his face. Gloria gently takes my hand and leads me to a chair.
I stare at my brother-in-law as he dials. It feels like forever as he goes through contact after contact, but Cormack doesn’t get an answer until he tries the last guy. It’s muffled and loud as he puts it on speakerphone because he can’t hear him.
“Boss, explosion,” a voice groans out. Did he say explosion? I swear the room tilts a bit, but I press my hand on the armrest.
“No talking. Get this man to the hospital. Who is this?” a male voice snarls on the phone.
“Who the hell is this?” Cormack barks out.
“This is Chief Miller from the CFD.” The fire department is at our house?
“What happened to Danny?”
“We had an explosion. Several men dead.” Oh my God. I did hear him correctly.
“No,” I cry out, standing because I need air.
Stumbling toward the front door, the following words cause me to freeze. “Are there any survivors?” Cormack asks.
“Not that we can tell.” The world goes black and I crumble, falling into someone’s arms as I lose consciousness.
****
“Wake up, amore mia.” I swear I hear Domani, but it must be a dream. The feel of his strong hand sliding over my cheek wakes me up. I press my face into his hold to remember his touch in my soul.
“Domani, you’re alive,” I call out as my eyes focus on his face. Tears flow freely down my face.
“Yes—no one can take me away from you. I told you that. Please, amore, don’t cry.” I do my best to rein in the tears, but it’s the opposite. He holds me to his chest, breathing in my scent as he steals kisses on the crown of my head.
Finally gaining control of my emotions, I pull back slightly to look up into his rugged mug. “Where am I?”
“In our bedroom,” he growls with a smirk.
Lust shoots through my veins, and I let him know it as I hum, “Got me right where you want me, don’t you?”
“Yes, but we still have a day before I make you my wife.” He releases his hold on me and backs off the bed. I take him in for the first time, and I’m shocked. He’s covered in dried blood, his clothes filthy and his face caked with dirt.
“Oh my goodness, you look bad. What are you doing here? You should see a doctor.”
“I’m fine,” he says, brushing off my concern.
“My dad,” I screech, jumping up. I forgot he went with him. Domani grabs my arms, holding me firmly in place.
“Calm down. He’s good, showering and then resting. Your mother’s tending to him.” He lets go of me and then removes his suit jacket. “Dinner’s waiting for us, so as soon as I get out of the shower, we’ll eat. I could really use some food and need to make sure you’re well fed.” He strolls to the bathroom like it’s nothing, while I have a hundred and twenty questions.
“What happened?” I call out, walking toward the bathroom. My heels are gone but I’m still in my dress, which has shifted a bit. I adjust it and ask again, “What happened, Domani?”
He cups my face and kisses my forehead. “We managed to avoid the biggest part of the blast.” He shakes his head. “That guy was fucking nuts.”
“Who was he? Why was he after you?”
“It was the guy whose arm I broke for trying to kiss you.” I gasp. Did he? He blanches from the slip.
“You broke his arm?” I ask, because the incident happened two years ago, shortly before I was pulled from the school.
A knock at the door interrupts his response. “Yes?” he calls toward the door, getting out of my interrogation.
“Domani, I need to see you.”
“Okay, Mama.” He walks past me and goes to the door.
The second he opens the door, she throws her arms around him and cries. “I almost lost you.” Has he not seen her already? “Damn it, you need to be more careful.” She slaps his chest, making him groan. “Now get in the shower, eat, and then the doc will see you later.”
She walks past him, pulling me down to sit next to her on the edge of the bed. Brushing my hair away from my face, she asks so sweetly, “Are you well, dear? You gave Domani a good scare.”
“He gave me one, too,” I complain with a slight smile on my face. When I look, he’s heading into the shower, closing the door. Slick fucker. Still, my mind has a million questions that I will get answered in good time.
“You two are going to be hilariously cute together.”
“Thank you. I should get up and go eat with everyone.”
“Actually, everyone has decided to eat in their rooms. After this drama, Gloria and her husband are holding their babies close for the night. Your parents are resting, and I must tend to my husband, so you and Domani actually will just be dining together. ”
A knock comes against the door frame. “Dinner, Signoras.”
“Come in.” The chef brings in a tray with two other servers.
“Please enjoy, Mrs. Bianchi.” I realize he’s speaking to me. “This is not how I planned to serve my first dinner to you, but alas, things can’t be perfect all the time.”
“It smells fabulous.”
“Grazie. If you should need anything, please do not hesitate. I am Giuseppe,” he says.
“Grazie, Giuseppe.”
“I hope you two have a pleasant night. Get some rest. We have a big day tomorrow,” his mother says, brushing a kiss to my temple before standing.
“Yes, Mrs. Bianchi.”
“Come, Giuseppe. I’m sure they want to eat in private.” He leaves with her, and his staff goes with him. She closes the door with a goodnight.
“Goodnight.”
That’s when I process that the shower has turned off. I don’t know how long it’s been that way until the door opens, and Domani is just in his towel that’s snugly wrapped around his waist. He has another towel that he’s running through his thick dark hair. Muscles bulge from his biceps, creating a compelling picture. His broad chest has a spattering of hair across his killer pectorals and down to his taut abs, making a happy trail to his large cock that’s jerking under the cloth material. I’m practically panting in heat. My thighs clench shut as I stare.