Chapter 8

Dominick

Holy shit. This situation is so much worse than I'd imagined.

I was genuinely thinking it was just a difficult breakup. Maybe he had a temper. But this?

Drug running, maybe money laundering, and dangerously controlling. Yeah, I'm starting to really hate this Ethan douche.

Chloe's eyes are wide as she looks at me.

"Do something? The police wouldn't help. What exactly can a club owner do?"

I sigh. I'm not really looking to divulge all the details to her, but Chloe has already done the heavy lifting of being the first to spill their truth.

I can hardly leave her hanging now. Besides, I'm dealing with this fuck, and there's nothing that's going to stand in my way.

She was emotionally abused, manipulated, and now her life is in jeopardy because this guy is in with a bunch of drug-dealing thugs.

It's hitting a little too close to home. Like Mom, but worse.

I was going to help anyway, but I'm looking forward to stomping out this threat even more now.

I'm not standing by this time. I couldn't help before, but I can actually do something about it this time around.

Raking my fingers through my hair, I exhale hard. "I have a friend who's a lawyer. Cameron. He was in the military with me and my brothers, and I trust him with my life. He's got connections."

"Right." She stares at the floor, absently rubbing her arm. "You guys always did get in trouble when we were young."

"So?" I quirk a brow at her.

"So, I don't want you getting in trouble because of me. It'd be different from sharing detention with Anthony because you guys got caught smoking pot. I mean, what exactly do you think you can do?"

I don't hesitate with my response, leaning closer to her. "Take care of him. For good."

Chloe whips her head to face me again, and I hold her shocked stare. Her wide eyes are slightly red from the tears, and all I want is to drag my thumb across her cheek and wipe them away.

"What?"

Adjusting on the couch, I face her head-on.

"Guys like him don't learn. So we'll make sure he's put away for a long time. We'll do whatever it takes. Linking him to drug runners is a good place to start."

"No! You can't be serious. You're not a cop, and a lawyer is great, but what if you get hurt?"

"It's unlikely." I tip my head toward her, hammering home the point. "Marines, remember? None of us have let those skills diminish. I assure you."

She rolls her eyes, chuckling humorlessly. "Oh, great. That's still illegal, you know. And you're my boss. What if this hurts your business, too?"

"We have several. We'll get by."

She shakes her head with a smirk. "You just won't drop this. Will you?"

"No."

"You can be really annoying, you know that?" She doesn't look over as she speaks.

"I've been told."

I hold the silence, not letting her off the hook or backing down. This is what family is for, and as much as Anthony isn't blood, he is family.

So, by extension, Chloe is mine. Chloe is mine .

The weight of that thought settles on my shoulders, and I'm immediately taken aback by the fact that I've known it's true since the moment I saw her behind the bar.

Taking her hand to tend to that cut was just the most recent step in a long walk toward her.

Slowly, Chloe nods, her eyes unfocused once more as she recalls the past. The soft waves of her hair hang in her face.

"God. Okay. Well, they were tall with dark clothes. I-I don't remember much. I'm sorry." A tear slides down her face. "I know I should have noticed sooner. But I…I didn't let myself. He'd been so helpful with Gran. I didn't question it. I should have. I know I should have."

She pulls herself up, tucking her hair behind her ears, and I see the confusion pass over her features.

"I don't know how he found me. It's not like we talked about my life much, which, yeah, I know—red flag." She turns to face me. "And that guy, he?—"

"It's okay." I finally reach for that tear and smooth over it with my thumb, leaving my hand there on her cheek. "I know how much your Gran means to you, and you're safe now."

Chloe's eyes are pleading. "She's the only parent I've known. Anthony, too. Gran…she's the most important thing in my life. I used to have teaching, too, but now…"

Seeing her like this creates a maddening swirl of thoughts. Chloe is still wearing my blazer over the club's ridiculous outfit, just the shoes and wig discarded by my door.

This close-up, I can also see she isn't wearing makeup. It's not good or bad per se; it's just so different from the other women at Opal.

She didn't have a jacket. Realization hits me. Jesus, could she not afford one?

The thought stings, and that desire to keep her safe from all this, to make her life at least livable, is overwhelming. All I can think is how badly I want her hurting to stop.

"I know, Chloe. I've seen how much she means to you, remember?"

She looks up at me, leaning her head into my hand, and my chest nearly bursts. Before I can think better of it, I'm moving closer.

I close the few inches separating us, my knee sliding between her legs. At once, she's aware of how near we are, and her frantic eyes look down.

"You put everyone else first, don't you?" She scoffs, nodding against my palm without meeting my gaze. "Let me help. Just this once."

When her eyes meet mine again, I try to drill my commitment into her brain with just my stare, and something clicks.

The amber brown of her eyes shines in the soft glow of the penthouse. Chloe's shoulder has slipped out from beneath my blazer, and I can see her smooth skin beneath the mesh shirt.

She's been forced on the run by some asshole, and she just wants to be free. There is pain there, I could sense it before, and now?

Now, I'm dying to make her feel safe, feel…good.

"Chloe."

Her name comes out as a plea. For what? I'm not sure. Except, damn, I need to taste her.

My other hand finds her face along with the first, and I cradle it between my fingers. The curve of her bottom lip is intoxicating.

I drag my thumb over the soft flesh, my body humming with desire.

"Dominick, I?—"

"It's Dom. Everyone just calls me Dom."

Moving closer, I hover my face inches from hers. Our lips could touch at any moment.

I know this is wrong. Chloe is Anthony's sister. She's my employee. She's in a messed up situation. I can't just bust into her life after twelve years.

But despite all those reasons to stop, I don't.

My lips are on hers in a flash, crashing us together with a desperation I've never felt. The world rocks on its axis, and in the back of my mind, I know this is huge.

This changes everything.

I don't care. I can't find one single fuck to give. It's Chloe. It's her. She's everything I want right now and more.

And there's no way I can hold onto it anymore. So I don't bother trying.

I just melt into the bliss of tasting this incredible woman, never wanting to let go.