He took her hand and led her down a series of hallways. They turned left then right then right again and left finally. She tried to keep track of it all but all the walls were white, the carpet never changed and nothing adorned any of the walls. It was the least decorated building office she’d ever seen.
Then they came upon two very stylish doors. They were arched, black and had a gold colored lever on each door. The doors didn’t need a name on it to know that someone distinguished used the room behind it. Anyone could figure that out just by looking at it.
Pulling a key from his pants pocket, he opened the door then led her inside.
The room struck her, rooting her in place. Dom even stopped walking and simply held her hand as she looked around.
His office was completely unexpected. After seeing the mere size of the building, then the ominous black doors, to come in and see...a rather normal looking office didn’t fit. It looked like someone gave a designer the wrong room to design. This did not look like an office for a distinguished, possible president of the immortal council; it looked more like something she’d have in her own house.
“Is this like a fake office?”
He peered at her, confused before looking around the room as if trying to figure out why she’d say such a thing. “What do you mean?”
“Is there like a secret door behind one of the bookshelves that leads to your real office?”
He smiled, the look transforming his face into something that should be painted.
“No, I assure you this is my real office. What did you expect?”
Felicity tried tugging her hand out of his but he didn’t release her. Pretending she wasn’t having a tug-o-war match over her hand she said, “I guess something more lavish like your home.”
Dom’s office was very much just a large, albeit nice, office. Two windows, tinted and covered with blinds and heavy dark drapes stood behind a large wooden desk. The kind of desk that had to was built in this office because no one could carry that beast through the halls. Two black leather chairs faced the desk. A leather sofa rested against a wall, wooden bookshelves stood against another, and a bathroom adjoined the left wall next to a small bar below which, she recognized, had a blood warming oven.
“I’m sorry it doesn’t impress you. Perhaps after this endeavor I can hire you to redecorate it.”
Her eyes shot to his. “Oh, no. It’s perfect really,” she said a little too fast.
He took a step towards her. “Does the idea of seeing me not please you, Felicity Shaw?”
She gulped at the dangerous look in his eyes. He wasn’t giving her the look now. He was just plain pissed off.
“Listen, why don’t we talk about why I called?”
His lip curled with sarcasm. “Yes, why don’t we.” He took a seat on the corner of his desk, crossed his arms and watched her. “What happened at the concert?”
“Is your brother crazy?”
“Of my brothers, I’d say Luc is the least crazy, why?”
Felicity cocked her head as she tried to figure out the best way to explain this. “See, the concert started and he came out, right.” She waited for him to say something but he just blinked at her. God he had nice eyes. “Well, he came out then his eyes started to glow.” Still he blinked. “The crowd was screaming and going crazy and all the while he had his eyes locked on Beth. Now Beth’s a hardcore fan of LBB. She goes to most of his concerts, listens to his music everywhere, and all that. But when he looked at her he got all weird.”
“Weird how?”
“Well, his eyes started glowing, then she got uncomfortable. She is mortal and aside from a few occasions where I’ve been royally pissed off enough for my eyes to glow I don’t think she’s ever seen that.” She paused to give him room to speak, but he didn’t. Felicity sighed, frustrated, and then took a seat on the leather sofa against the wall—the one furthest from him.
“Then what happened?” he said.
“He started singing a song, but halfway through it Beth just bugged out. She started getting all frantic and weird. It was weird. My girl is always calm and collected, but she looked shaken up. Then she ran out of the theater.”
Dom stood then walked across the room to her. Felicity quickly looked at the space next to her and knew he was going to sit there. Thinking quickly, she stood just as he neared. His lip curled at her. A small smile that gentled his face.
“Running from me?”
Yes. “No.”
Maybe she should have stayed sitting. Now they stood only a few feet apart and she knew how talented he was at pulling her close in a flash.
“Finish your story.” His voice sounded darker but maybe her ears were playing tricks on her. “How do you know he wasn’t looking at something else? His concerts always sell out. It could have been anyone.”
“Maybe that would be true if after he saw her leave the theater, he didn’t drop his microphone in the middle of the song, leap off the stage, and run after her.”
Dom’s smile fell flat, and then in the next second he was at his phone on the desk.
“Vas, no, listen to me.” He paused and Felicity watched as his shoulders tightened, his eyes flashed with anger at the poor soul on the other end of the line. “It’s about, Luc. Whatever you have doing or whoever you’re doing can fucking wait.” Her eyebrows rose high. She’d never heard him cuss.
Quit acting like you know him, Felicity.
“Luc took off with a human tonight in the middle of a concert. I need you to get Grayson and find her. Find them both.” He paused and let out a long breath. “I don’t care what the fuck you’re doing right now. This is a family matter. Just fuckin’ do it, Vas.” He slammed the phone down making Felicity nearly jump out of her skin.
The air in the room so thick she could cut it.
He was breathing hard, leaning over his desk as if the weight of the world had sunk his shoulders low. Felicity crossed the room before she could stop herself. She couldn’t help it. She wanted to help. Somehow this situation felt like it was her fault and seeing the strong and powerful Dom look fatigued didn’t sit well with her. She wanted to do whatever it took to make him feel better—it was like a craving inside her screaming at her to do it. What the heck was wrong with her? She barely knew him. Heck she knew more about how he kissed than anything else. She should not be doing this.
But I can’t stop myself.
She stopped beside him, her hand held tentatively above his back, trembling. Taking a deep breath, she let it out slowly and touched his back. She could feel his tremendous heat through his jacket. If they were skin to skin, he might burn her. Wanting to calm him down, she tried talking. Talking could usually calm her down. Of course if the conversation went in the wrong direction then she could also end up even more pissed than when she started.
“Who’s Vas?” She kept things light and simple.
“My brother.”
Well didn’t that just peak her interest. “I didn’t know you had another brother.”
He smiled a cruel smile as he turned to look at her. “My father loved my mother just not enough to keep from fucking other women. Vasilius is only a year younger than me. He and Luc are almost the same age. Grayson was born a month after me. All different mothers.”
Felicity winced. That meant that he’d impregnated the mothers all near the same time.
“My father loved his dalliances. He said it kept him alive. Obviously that didn’t work out.”
She sucked in a breath at that. His father had only died a mere two months ago and he spoke so bitterly about it. Felicity wondered what his relationship was like with his father. From what she’d read in V-Society, she’d always assumed it was pretty standard. A political businessman who raised son that would take his place when he died. The Blackmoores always seemed professional and content. Obviously, dark waters lingered under that bridge.