Chapter 4 - Playing with Fire
“You’re bleeding,” Dominic said, his voice tight with an emotion I hadn't heard before.
We were back in the safehouse, the doors locked and guards stationed every five feet outside. He grabbed a first-aid kit, his large, calloused hands surprisingly gentle as he wiped away a small line of blood on my shoulder where a piece of flying glass had grazed me.
“I’m fine,” I said, my adrenaline still pumping. I slammed the silver burner phone onto the table between us. “Look at this. The assassin’s phone. The last call came from Derek’s personal number. He didn’t just want an open marriage, Dominic. He wanted a closed casket.”
Dominic stared at the phone, his jaw tight. “He’s desperate. Desperate men make stupid mistakes. He didn't organize this hit. He doesn't have the connections. The Bratva gave him that assassin because they realized you signed with me. They wanted to take out my new legal shield and eliminate you at the same time.”
He finished bandaging my shoulder, his fingers lingering against my skin. I looked up at him, our faces inches apart. The danger of the night, the betrayal of my husband, and the raw, unyielding protection this man offered pulled at something deep inside me.
Dominic’s eyes darkened as he looked at my lips. For a second, the mafia boss disappeared, replaced by a man who wanted something far more intimate than a legal defense.
“You shouldn't be here, Scarlett,” he whispered, his breath warm against my cheek. “I am a dangerous man to love.”
“I don't remember asking for your love, Mr. Rossi,” I replied, my voice dropping to a whisper as I closed the distance between us. “I asked for your strength.”
When his lips met mine, it wasn't a gentle kiss. It was possessive, fierce, and full of the dark passion that governed his entire life. I consumed him just as much as he consumed me, letting go of the pristine, perfect lawyer I had pretended to be for ten years. With Dominic, I didn't have to be perfect. I just had to be lethal.
The moment broke when Dominic’s chief of security, a mountain of a man named Marcus, burst into the room. He looked uncomfortable but urgent.
“Boss, sorry to interrupt,” Marcus said, looking down. “But we tracked Derek’s phone signal. He’s not at his apartment. He’s at the old shipping warehouse near the Hudson River. But... something is wrong. We intercepted a radio transmission. The Bratva turned on him. They found out he lost the Cayman funds you seized.”
Suddenly, the silver burner phone in my hand began to vibrate. I answered it immediately.
A sob broke through the speaker. It was Derek. He sounded broken, his voice muffled by the sound of heavy weeping and the distinct, terrifying sound of a metal pipe striking flesh.
“Scarlett... please... oh God, Scarlett, I’m sorry,” he wept, coughing up blood. “They’re going to kill me. They already... they already broke my legs. They have Ashley too. They know you're with Rossi. The Russians said... they said if you don't bring the legal files regarding the Rossi indictments to the warehouse in thirty minutes, they will send us back to you in pieces. Please, Scarlett! I know I messed up, but I’m still your husband!”
I stared at the phone, my face completely devoid of emotion.
Dominic looked at me, waiting to see if the lingering pieces of my old life would make me weak.
May you like
I pressed the button to speak. “You wanted space to explore other options, Derek. Consider this your final destination. I’ll be there in twenty minutes. But I’m not bringing the files. I’m bringing the cleanup crew.”
I hung up and looked at Dominic. “Get the cars. It’s time to settle the marital assets.”
