Chapter Eleven

 

Faith

 

“This is my absolute favorite,” I gushed, drinking the last of Sam’s fall apple cider. “It goes down so smooth.” I usually drank wine or liquor over beer, but I enjoyed the cider. It was even more potent than your average beer. A person could get in trouble drinking a lot of it.

Sam beamed. “I love coming up with fall beer recipes. They’re my favorite.”

I’d tried over ten mini bottles of his various beers, wines, and ciders. I was a little tipsy, but I knew my limit. I hadn’t gotten drunk since the night I found out Philip cheated on me. By Monday morning, he’d be the one needing a drink once Layla got done with his lawyer.

“When did you and Philip get divorced?” Sam asked. He pulled out a beer from his box and took a swig.

Sighing, I leaned my head against the back of the booth. “It was finalized just the other day. We got it pushed through quicker since he admitted to cheating on me.”

Sam’s eyes widened. “Wow. From what I remember of him he was a complete tool. Hopefully, you’re milking the shit out of his bank account.”

That made me laugh. “Not yet. He tricked me into signing some papers saying that he’d get everything if we got divorced.”

His mouth gaped. “Fucking bastard. What are you going to do?”

I waved him off and smiled. “It’s being handled. He’ll get what he deserves. What about you?” I asked, changing the subject. “Married? Kids?” The last thing I wanted was to think of Philip.

Sam took another sip of his beer and a small smile spread across his face. “Not married, but my girlfriend’s pregnant. We just found out a couple weeks ago.”

“That’s great,” I gasped. “Congratulations.”

His smile broadened. “Yeah, we’re happy about it. We’ve talked about marriage, but I think I’m going to go ahead and ask her. We’ve been together two years now.”

I reached over and placed a hand on his arm. “That’s wonderful news, Sam. She’s lucky to have you.”

“I hope so.” There was a sadness in his eyes when he said it, but then he looked away when his phone beeped. I sat back and watched him as he stared at his phone, looking confused.

“Everything okay?” I asked.

He nodded. “I think so. I just got a text from Cadoc Cartwright. Apparently, there’s a party he wants me to come to.”

My stomach twisted at the thought. It was one thing to supply the booze for the annual gala, but it was another to get close to one of the most dangerous and deceptive mafia families in the city. I didn’t know Cadoc Cartwright personally, but I knew not to get involved. Sam had no clue what he was inviting into his life by accepting that kind of invitation.

He typed out a reply and I cleared my throat, hoping he couldn’t hear the hesitance in my voice. “A party, huh? What kind of party is it?”

Sam shrugged and set his phone down. “Don’t know. I told him I was at The Chateaux Hotel with a friend.”

I breathed a sigh of relief. I could only hope Cadoc’s invitation was because of Sam’s amazing brewery, and not something nefarious. It was hard to see the good in people when all you knew was the bad.

Sam’s phone beeped again, and he picked it up. A look of curiosity passed across his face and he smiled. “Cadoc says the party is here at the hotel.”

“Really?” I replied, leaning over on my elbows. “That’s strange. I wonder where.” Sam continued to type away. Was that where Dominic was? The Chateaux Hotel had several ball rooms and meeting areas. What really had me concerned was if Dominic was there, why would he not have invited me? Either way, I didn’t like the spine-tingling sensation crawling up my spine.

Sam smiled over at me. “Guess I must’ve made a good impression. If I can get in good with the Cartwrights, it could open a ton of doors for me. Do you want to go with me? He said I could bring you.”

Now that had me intrigued. “Did you tell him you were with me?” I asked.

He nodded. “He remembers you from the party.”

Now I really didn’t like what was going on. If Cadoc was in the hotel, Dominic had to know about it. Nothing went on in The Chateaux without his approval. Sam clutched his hands together pleadingly. “Please come with me, Faith. I’ll give you a free bottle of wine.”

Pulling out my phone, I was about to press Dominic’s number, but then changed my mind. If Dominic was at the party, there was a reason he didn’t invite me. With Cadoc’s invite, it gave me a way in.

“All right,” I said, slipping my phone into my purse. “Let’s go.” I couldn’t let Sam go on his own. He had no idea he was in for. Someone had to keep him safe.

Sam carried his box of beer over to the bar and the bartender took it, setting it beneath the counter. My heart raced so fast I felt nauseous. I waited by the bar entrance while Sam finished with the bartender.

He walked over to me and held out his arm. “Shall we?”

I took his arm. “Did Cadoc say where the party’s at?” I asked as we exited the bar.

I figured we’d head toward the hallway where the ballrooms were, but Sam pulled me toward the hotel exit. “Cadoc said we have to walk around the side of the hotel. There’ll be a guy at the gate to let us in through the back.”

And just like that, I stopped dead in my tracks. I knew exactly where that back entrance would take us. Layla had told me all about her father’s casino underneath the hotel. Everyone used to enter it through a private area at the back of the hotel. Last I heard, Dominic had shut it down … or had he?

“Faith, you okay?” Sam asked, his expression concerned.

I let his arm go and stepped back. “I need to make a phone call really quick. Do you mind?”

He shook his head. “Not at all. I’ll have a seat in the lobby.”

Once he was out of earshot, I pulled out my phone and called Layla’s number. She picked up on the second ring. “Please tell me the gala went okay,” she said.

“Nobody died,” I replied. “Yet.”

“Uh-oh. What’s that supposed to mean?”

I looked around to make sure no one could hear me. “There’s something going on, Layla. Long story short, I’m with Sam Hill right now.”

“Aww, I remember him. He was so sweet. What are you doing with him?”

“He has his own brewery now and he was hired to work the gala. He came by the hotel to let me sample some of his wine and beers. Anyway, we’re sitting there and Cadoc sends him a text saying there’s a party here at the hotel and he wants us to come.”

“What?” Layla gasped. “A party? Where’s Dominic?”

I huffed. “Good question. He told me there was something he had to do, and he’d see me later. And now, Cadoc texted Sam and told him to go around the side of the hotel and a guy at the gate would let us through to the back. Doesn’t that lead down to under the hotel where your father’s casino was?”

Layla groaned. “It does. Dominic said he got rid of the casino.”

“Well, there’s obviously something going on. Not unless, Cadoc is using this as a chance to use me to get to Dominic.”

“Oh, dear God, it could be a trap. Don’t go, Faith.”

Or it could be something else. Either way, I was going to find out. I turned to Sam and started toward him. “I’ll be fine, Layla. If I don’t call you back tonight, you’ll know where to look.”

“Faith,” she screamed.

I hung up and plastered on a smile. Sam stood and glanced down at my phone. “Everything okay?”

I nodded. “Yep. Layla wanted me to tell you hey.”

We walked out of the hotel and he smiled. “Tell her I said hey back when you talk to her again.”

“I will.” There were a lot of people walking up and down the street, but I stayed on guard. Up ahead, I could see a group of two men and two women turn down the side of the hotel where the private gate was. Once we got to it, they’d already been let in. The man at the gate was huge, just your normal club bouncer type of guy with a body full of muscles and a hard face that’d make you think twice about using a fake ID. In my case, I didn’t even know if I was allowed, especially since there was a reason Dominic hid it all from me. The guard crossed his arms over his large chest and glared down at us through the gate.

“Name,” he grumbled.

Sam cleared his throat and stuttered his words. “I’m Sam … S-s-s-am Hill. Cadoc Cartwright invited me.”

The guard nodded and opened the gate. “Come on in.”

As soon as we got past him, Sam blew out his breath. “Holy shit, that dude scared me.”

What scared me more was what we were about to see. A line of people stood waiting to get into the hotel and standing right near the door was Cadoc Cartwright and a younger man who looked to be more my age. As soon as Cadoc saw us, I could see the evil glint twinkling in his eyes. He was up to something.

“There you both are,” he called out. He shook Sam’s hand, and then reached for mine to give it a kiss. “I’m so happy you could make it, Ms. Hilliard.” He smiled over at the man beside him. “I’d like you to meet my nephew, William Cartwright.”

Grinning slyly, William’s eyes roamed up and down my body. He had the same dark hair as Cadoc, but his eyes were blue, not brown. The dirtbag vibe with him was strong. “It’s a pleasure,” he said, his voice smooth as silk. Then he turned to Sam and shook his hand.

I looked past Cadoc toward the door, but all I could see was the flickering of strobe lights and the boom of the music. Cadoc glanced behind him and then back to me. “You seem surprised. Have you not been down here before?”

I lifted my chin. “Casinos aren’t my thing, Mr. Cartwright.” Actually, I was pretty damn good at card games, especially Texas Holdem. I probably would’ve visited the Corsino Casino if Layla had told me about it earlier when it was still running.

Cadoc chuckled. “It’s a good thing it’s not one then. Things have changed quite a bit.” He chuckled again, and kept his voice low so Sam couldn’t hear. “With you belonging to Dominic Corsino, I figured you’d have gotten the grand tour. Allow me to show you around.”

His laugh made my stomach twist into knots. What did he mean that things have changed? It was as if everything moved into slow motion as we headed for the door. Cadoc weaseled his way in between me and Sam, and William took up my other side. I felt caged in, like there was nowhere to run. I didn’t know what I was going to see on the other side of that door. It definitely wasn’t going to be a casino. By the music and strobe lights, my first thought was a strip club. But when I got inside, that wasn’t what it was at all. People were everywhere, most of them sitting in plush seats that surrounded a caged octagon in the middle of the room where two men fought. Now I could see what Cadoc meant by ‘changed’. It wasn’t a casino anymore, but an underground fighting arena. What really caught my attention were the names on the fighters’ shorts. On one side you had the name Salvatore, and on the other was … Corsino. Micah, Connor, and Luca stood on one side of the ring, coaching and yelling at the Corsino fighter. With Micah being involved and being an FBI agent, it gave me hope that things weren’t too bad.

Cadoc circled around behind me and my skin broke out in chills. “Dominic never told you about this, did he?” he questioned, his voice low and full of amusement. “Like father, like son, I guess.” I looked over at Sam and he was so intrigued with everything going on that he paid no attention to us.

I glared over at Cadoc. “What are you trying to do?”

He shrugged. “Just curious, Ms. Hilliard. It’s my job to find my enemies weaknesses. I think I might’ve found the one I need.” I could feel the blood rush from my face. Cadoc brushed a hand down my cheek and winked. “Enjoy your night.”

William brushed a hand down my arm. “I’m sure we’ll see each other again.”

What terrified me most was that I’d just played right into Cadoc’s hands. I didn’t care about the fighting or that it was probably all illegal. All I cared about was the fact that Dominic didn’t trust me enough to tell me what he was doing.

Sam elbowed me in the side. “This is awesome. I’ve always wanted to watch a UFC fight. Let’s go find a seat.”

He grabbed my arm and pulled me over to a couple of empty seats toward the back of the room. I sat down, but my focus wasn’t on the fighters. I had to find Dominic. In a way, I was scared to find him. With his reputation, I could just imagine him sitting there watching the fight with another woman on his arm. Guess we both had trust issues.

“Holy shit look at all that money,” Sam gasped, pointing over to a table in the corner. “I don’t make enough to bet on these kinds of fights.” I looked over to where he pointed and Marco was there with a couple other men I didn’t know, counting what had to be hundreds of thousands of dollars. It all started to make sense. Dominic’s father got his power by being the most ruthless and wealthiest. This was Dominic’s way of showing his power and making money. Fighting was what Dominic knew. He’d trained in mixed martial arts for years, but his father refused to let him fight professionally. With Dominic’s father gone, I could see why he’d chosen to get rid of the casino and replace it with the fighting.

The sound of flesh hitting flesh jerked my attention back to the ring. The Corsino fighter was by far the best fighter out of the two. He didn’t even look tired as he pummeled away on the other man. Searching through the crowd, it didn’t take long to find the two people I was looking for. Reed and Dominic sat side by side, their smiling faces on the fight.

“Do you want to go sit with your boyfriend?” Sam asked.

I shook my head. “I’m good here.” The fight was almost done. Dominic’s fighter didn’t have a single drop of blood on him. All it took was a couple more punches and the Salvatore fighter was on the mat, his face a swollen, bloody mess.

Sam hooted and hollered in celebration, prodding me to celebrate with him. “Come on, Faith. Your team just won.”

If only I’d known I had a team. I stood with him and clapped along with everyone in the crowd. Marco handed out the stacks of money to those who made the right bets, and once that was done, he took the largest amount of cash over to Dominic and handed it over. I’d never seen that much money before.

“This seriously can’t be legal,” Sam said, gazing around in awe.

“That doesn’t bother you?” I countered. If he only knew the things I did.

Judging by the look on his face, it didn’t. “Not at all,” he said, shaking his head. He was starstruck. The room was filled with some of the richest people in New York City. With the right connections, his brewery could skyrocket. It was scary how money could blind you.

Tons of people walked up to Dominic to congratulate him and he met them all with a smile on his face. There were even a couple of women who tried to rub up on him and he moved away without giving them a second notice. Deep down it gave me a level of satisfaction to see that, but it still didn’t change the fact that he kept a huge secret from me.

“Why are you standing over here and not with Dominic?” Sam asked, nodding over at Dominic. I met his gaze and when I didn’t answer, he sucked in a breath. “Oh my God, you didn’t know about all of this, did you?”

I shook my head. “Dominic failed to mention it.”

His eyes widened. “What the hell? I’m so sorry. Do we need to go?”

“Probably. I don’t want him knowing I’m here.” A part of me wanted to go right up to Dominic so he’d know I was there, but the other wanted to test him, to see if he’d ever tell me the truth. However, it didn’t look like I’d get to do either of those things. You know how in the movies there would be a crowded room and the two lovers were destined to make eye contact? That was exactly what happened. Dominic found me from across the room and froze. My heart stopped and everything around me ceased to exist. There was no sound, only the pounding of my pulse in my ears.

Sam grabbed my arm. “Faith! What do we do?”

The spell had broken, and I sucked in a breath. By now, Reed had seen me and both him and Dominic tried to get through the crowd. It wasn’t the right time or place to confront him. I squeezed Sam’s arm. “You can stay here, but I have to go. Thank you for tonight.”

Turning on my heel, I hurried toward the door, but I didn’t get far before someone stepped in my way. “I should’ve known you’d find your way down here.”

Dominic and Reed still hadn’t managed to get through all the people, but I was running out of time. I looked up at Isaiah who had a smug grin on his face. “Yeah, well, I’m resourceful like that.” I tried to step past him, but he blocked me again. “Seriously, Isaiah, you need to get out of my way.”

He crossed his arms over his chest. “You’re not thinking of running off, are you?”

I wasn’t the type to run away from anything. I faced my problems head on. Huffing, I pursed my lips. “Actually, I want to go to my room. In a matter of minutes, Dominic will be pushing through that swarm of people,” I said, pointing at the mob behind me. “And when he does, I don’t want to be here. He can find me upstairs.”

Isaiah’s gaze narrowed, but then he nodded. “Okay. I’ll make sure you get up there.”

In other words, he probably didn’t believe me and had to make sure I didn’t try to run away. Instead of going to the door I came in, Isaiah led me to a red door at the far end of the room. Once we made it through, there was a long hallway and a set of elevators. Things were about to change. I could feel it.

 

***

 

Isaiah dropped me off at my suite, but when I looked out the peephole, he was there, talking on the phone. No doubt to make sure I didn’t try to sneak away. In the meantime, I hurried into the bedroom and slipped out of my dress. The knock I was expecting came not long after. I quickly put on a pair of shorts and grabbed a T-shirt out of my dresser. I pulled it over my head as I made my way to the door. When I opened it, Dominic stood there alone, his eyes desperately searching mine.

“Can I come in?” he asked.

I opened the door and stepped out of the way. He walked in and went straight to the living room, his steps cautious as if he was walking on eggshells. I could feel the tension between us as I followed him. When he turned around, his gaze met mine, and there was so much emotion in them it took my breath away.

For as long as I’d known Dominic, he always kept his emotions to himself. It was part of who he had to be to keep up the facade of the Corsino family. They were the most powerful mafia family in New York City. Showing weakness wasn’t an option. Over the years, I’d seen the real Dominic behind closed doors. I knew there was another side of him that no one else had the privilege of seeing.

“Please say something, Faith. I know you’re mad at me.”

“Actually, I’m not,” I said, catching him by surprise.

His brows furrowed. “You’re not?”

I shook my head. “I’m hurt.”

The second I said those words, he winced as if I’d struck him. There was look of agony on his face I’d never seen before. Sighing, he sat down on the armrest of the couch and lowered his head. “I should’ve told you. I was just …”

I closed the distance between us. “Just what?”

Wrapping his arms around my waist, he leaned his head against my chest. “Afraid.” He stood and brought his hands to my face. “I didn’t want you to see me differently. Coming here, I didn’t know if you’d let me touch you or not.”

The pain on his face made my heart ache. “You can trust me, Dominic. I know who you are and everything about your family, and I’m still here. I love your sister and I’m …”

What I was about to say caught me surprise and I paused. It’d been a long time since I’d felt anything for a man. With Philip, I fell out of love with him by the second year we were married. I didn’t want to leave all the hard work I’d put in our firm. Having these feelings for Dominic scared me, but it felt right.

Dominic’s hands tightened on my face, his eyes searching mine. “What were you going to say?”

Heart racing, I placed my hands over his. “I was going to say that I’m falling pretty hard for you.”

He closed his lips over mine and I melted in his arms. His kiss was urgent and hard, like it was the last time. I held onto him, but he broke the kiss and rested his forehead to mine. “I feel the same way, Faith. I’ve always had feelings for you. Every time I ran into you when you’d visit Layla wasn’t just a coincidence. I wanted you then.”

“I wanted you too,” I murmured against his lips. “I had a feeling our run ins weren’t just coincidence, but I didn’t want to assume. If only …”

Back then, he was the forbidden fruit. We’d met in the hotel lobby a few times and we’d find ourselves talking for what would sometimes be hours. There was even a time we almost kissed, but he’d pulled away before our lips could touch. I’d often wondered what would’ve happened after that. Layla didn’t say it in so many words, but I knew she tried to keep me away from her family because of the safety risks. If only she knew then that I’d be smack dab in the middle of it years later maybe things would’ve turned out differently.

Dominic blew out a sigh. “I regret not kissing you that day. Layla didn’t want me bringing you into our world, and I understand why. I’m afraid you’ll run once I tell you the truth.”

I cupped his cheeks and kissed him again. “I’m not going anywhere, Dominic. You can tell me anything.”

Sighing, he slowly backed away, but kept his eyes on mine. “What you saw tonight was nothing compared to what I’ve done. The fights aren’t legal, and yes, I’m making a shit ton of money off them, but no one’s going to get hurt. The pit is my version of my father’s casino. The city has belonged to my family for generations. Showing that I have the upper hand in both money and strength is what I need.” He turned his back on me and walked over to the windows where the city lights twinkled below. “This isn’t the first time I’ve dabbled in fighting, Faith.”

The way he said it made my stomach drop. “What do you mean?”

When he didn’t answer, I walked down to him, but he wouldn’t look at me. He kept his eyes on his own reflection in the window. “Remember how my father refused to let me get in the ring?” he asked, his voice dark and dangerous.

Shivers ran down my spine. “Yeah.”

“Well, I didn’t listen.” He looked down at me, and I trembled. “After you got married to that bastard of a husband of yours, I left town for a few months and went to Vegas.”

“And?” I prodded, swallowing hard. It was like listening to a scary story and waiting for the climax.

His jaw clenched. “There was a place called the Dark Side. It was an underground fighting ring where there were no rules. Every fighter knew the risk.”

He didn’t have to explain for me to understand. I already knew. “By risk, you mean death?”

With a heavy sigh, he nodded. “Yes. It was the way it worked. The skull tattoo on my back was my ticket in. Nobody could fight unless they got one.” So that was the reason behind the skull tattoo. “What’s even more fucked up,” he explained, “is that I loved it. I got high off the power, of knowing I could kill someone with my bare hands. I didn’t need a gun or the Corsino name. People feared me because I was that damn good.”

I could see it in his eyes; he was addicted to power. His father was the same way, but Dominic wasn’t evil like him. “Why do you need to be the best, Dominic?” I asked, placing a hand on his cheek. “You have all the money you could ever want. It’s dangerous doing what you’re doing. Can’t you just stop?”

He leaned into my touch. “I don’t know how. This is all I’ve ever known. All I know is that I don’t want to lose you.”

His life wasn’t like mine. I grew up by the ocean where making sandcastles was the joy of my life. Dominic had to grow up way before his time. He was surrounded by lies and deceit. Not with me though. Through hell or high water, I was going to make him see that he could have a normal life, that the money and power didn’t mean anything. I just prayed it worked.

Dominic pulled me into his arms and held me tight. “I thought for sure I’d lost you tonight.”

I breathed him in. “I don’t scare that easily. There is, however, something you should know.” I looked up at him. “Cadoc’s the one who gave Sam the invitation. He sought me out when we got down there.”

Dominic’s face darkened. “What did he want?” Cadoc might’ve scared me, but the look on Dominic’s face scared me even more. I didn’t want to start a war, but I had a feeling it was what Cadoc wanted. “Tell me,” Dominic demanded. “He didn’t touch you, did he?”

“No,” I lied, even though Cadoc did kiss my hand and touch my cheek. Even his slimy nephew touched me. I figured it was best not to disclose that. “But he did notice my shock when I saw everything. He said he was looking for your weakness and he thinks he found it.”

Dominic clenched his fists. “Fuck that son of a bitch. If he so much as breathes near you, I’ll rip off his arms.” He stepped away from me and paced the floor, his body shaking with rage. “I knew he’d bring you into this somehow.”

He continued to pace, but I stepped up behind him and wrapped my arms around his waist, hoping it would calm him down. His breath started to slow, and I smiled. “Am I your weakness?”

Taking my hands, he pulled me around to his front, his gaze boring right through mine. “You know you are. That’s what makes this so difficult. I’ll never forgive myself if something happens to you.”

I squeezed his hands. “I’ll be fine. I’m strong and a complete pain in the ass. The Cartwrights aren’t going to want to mess with me.”

A small smile spread across his face, but then it disappeared. “You’re right, they aren’t. That’s why I’m not letting you out of my sight.” He lifted my hands to his chest and placed his on my waist. “What would you say if we left town for a few days?”

Excitement bubbled in my chest. “And go where?”

He shrugged. “Anywhere you want. A tropical island, Europe, the mountains, you name it. Cadoc won’t be able to get close to you, and not to mention, the shit’s going to hit the fan on Monday when your ex gets fucked up the ass. It’ll be good to get away from here. I don’t trust what I’ll do if either one of them try to come after you.”

Getting away was exactly what we needed. I hadn’t been on a vacation in years. Squealing, I jumped in his arms and kissed him. “I am so down for a vacation. I don’t care where you take me. Just being alone with you is all I want.”

He swung me around and chuckled. “Done. There’s only one problem though.”

“What is it?” I asked as he set me down.

The troubled look on his face came back. “We have fights booked on Saturday night. I must be there. If you don’t feel comfortable …”

I placed a finger to his lips. “I’ll be right by your side. Cadoc thinks he put a wedge between us, but we’ll show him. If he tries to do something to me, I’ll cut off his balls and shove them down his throat.”

Dominic burst out laughing. “Remind me never to piss you off.”

His phone vibrated in his pocket and he groaned when he looked at the screen. “Who is it?” I wondered.

He turned his phone toward me. “Layla. This is her fifth time calling me.”

Sheepishly, I bit my lip. “That could be my fault.”

He groaned. “You told her, didn’t you?”

I held up my hands. “Not exactly, but she knows you’re up to something.” Huffing, he walked over to the couch and sat down. I took the seat beside him and reached for his phone. “We’ll tell her the truth together,” I offered. “She’ll listen to me.”

Dominic scoffed. “Not when she finds out her husband knew everything before her.”

I gasped. “Seriously? Bryce knew about the fighting?”

A heavy sigh escaped his lips. “Yep. I’m going to need a good stiff drink once this is over.”

I kissed his cheek. “Don’t worry, I’ll loosen you up later.”

Taking my hand, he rubbed it over the hardness between his legs. “Sounds good. I’m starting to feel a little tense.”

So was I, but in a good way.