Chapter Twelve

 

Dominic

 

Things between me and Faith seemed to grow stronger since I came clean. I’d underestimated her. I didn’t think she’d understand the real me. It turned out she probably knew me better than I knew myself. We spent the rest of the weekend at the hotel, and I wasn’t about to complain. The more time I spent with her, the more addicted I became. Now it was early Monday morning and I promised her we’d get away. That was why I planned to surprise her with a four-day trip to Aruba, and then end it by making a pit stop somewhere else.

“Dom!” Marco shouted.

I threw a couple more T-shirts into my bag. “Be right there!” I shouted back.

Once I had everything packed up, I carried my luggage into the living room where Marco was there, sitting on the couch. Marco was loyal to my father, and I often wondered what his life would’ve been like if he’d made different choices. He could’ve been a pro football player, but chose to follow my father and the Corsino legacy. It made me think of the choices I’d made and were still making. They all seemed to head toward bad, except for Faith. She was the only thing I had that was right.

I tossed my bag onto the floor. “Is everyone on their way up?” I asked.

Marco nodded. “Should be here in a minute. I got Reed, Micah, and Connor as requested.”

A few seconds later, the door opened, and Isaiah walked in with all three behind him. Micah took a seat next to Marco, looking all laid back as if he didn’t give a fuck about anything while Connor and Reed stood off to the side. Reed stayed with me through the fight, but when he saw Faith in the pit, he wanted to rush to her. His loyalties were with her. I couldn’t blame him. Mine were too.

“Now that you’re all here. I wanted you to know that Faith and I are leaving town in about an hour and we won’t be back until Saturday morning.”

Reed crossed his arms over his chest. “Where are you going?”

“On a little vacation,” I said. “With Layla confronting Philip’s lawyer this morning, it’s going to piss him off when he finds out. I know Philip. He’ll show his ass.”

It was only part of the truth. Cadoc was my main reason for getting Faith out of town, but I wasn’t about to tell Reed that. If I did, he’d be demanding she go to Wyoming. I had enough on my plate. I didn’t need a fight with him to add to it.

Reed sighed. “Since you’re not going to be here, I’ll head back home for a few days.”

I nodded. “Go. There’s nothing going on here.”

Micah stood and stretched his arms behind his head. “I’m staying. Taylor fights this weekend and I want to make sure he’s ready.”

Connor agreed with a nod. “Same.”

I shook both Micah and Connor’s hands. “Thanks for being here. I really appreciate it.”

Micah smirked. “No problem. You’re paying me a fuck ton to be here. It’s a whole hell of a lot more than what I get from the FBI.”

Micah slapped a hand on Reed’s shoulder before heading to the door while Connor did the same. Reed watched them leave, and then turned back to me. “I’ll get a flight out this morning, but I want to talk to Faith before I go.”

He’d been trying to convince her to leave New York ever since he got into town. She trusted him, and I wasn’t going to lie, I fucking hated it. Maybe it was because I knew he was better than me. He didn’t have the demons following him around like I did. Her life would be a whole hell of a lot less complicated if she’d chosen him.

“She’s in the princess suite packing up her things,” I said, nodding toward the door. I just prayed like hell she didn’t tell him about Cadoc. Reed was a Chandler and I knew how they worked. Plus, he had the skills to sneak her away from right under my nose.

Reed nodded his head at both me and Marco, and then disappeared out the door. It took all I had not to follow him. I didn’t want to smother Faith, but dammit to hell, I didn’t want her to change her mind and leave me, not when I knew I could keep her safe.

Marco chuckled under his breath. “You got it bad, son.”

I glared at him over my shoulder. “No shit.”

His grin broadened. “Faith’s a beautiful woman. She’s got fire. I can see why Reed wants her.”

It was too early for a drink, but I needed one. “Reed’s not the only one who’s showed interest in her,” I confessed.

Marco’s eyes narrowed. “Who?”

“Cadoc Cartwright.” The muscles in my jaw clenched so hard I could feel my teeth grind. “He’s the reason why she showed up in the pit. He thinks she’s my weakness.”

“And is she?” he asked.

Sighing, I ran a hand through my hair. “Yeah, she is. And we all know the Cartwrights like to manipulate their enemies’ weaknesses.” Layla was my father’s weakness, and people targeted her left and right. To this day, she still had no clue how many people I had to kill to keep her safe.

Marco stood. “That’s why you’re taking her away, isn’t it? I knew it couldn’t be because of her pussy of a husband.”

I scoffed. “Hell no. I’d put that fucker down in a heartbeat if I knew I could get away with it. The police would come straight at me if anything were to happen to him.”

“You’re right,” he agreed. “With Sheriff Moneta gone we don’t have the police in our pockets anymore. In the meantime,” he said, slapping a hand on my shoulder. “I’ll keep an eye out on the Cartwrights. When you get back, we’ll make sure he doesn’t get anywhere near Faith.”

I hugged him. “Thanks, Uncle. I hate I drug her into this.” There was no way to have her without putting her in danger.

Marco hugged me back. “You love her, and she loves you. Not many people in our situation are that lucky.”

That was for damn sure. Unfortunately, I wouldn’t call myself lucky. I was selfish. I wanted a woman who deserved to be kept safe and not have to worry about someone taking vengeance on her to get to me. One day I’d have to pay for my sins … I just prayed it didn’t involve Faith.