Eight years ago, he looked fine. He was dating a nice vampire named Claire then a few days later, he’s covered in ragged scars that distorted his face, and the woman was no longer talked about. At all. His family pushed and pushed him, but he’d never talk about it. Dom had even privately enlisted Grayson to investigate the matter but Claire was nowhere to be found and no one seemed to know what had happened.
Vas was the most closed-mouthed about the subject. He would leave if anyone so much as mentioned her name. Now he worked with Grayson and was a tech guru. He helped with some of the bodyguard jobs to blow off steam, get paid, and get out of the house. He lived the life of a recluse and damn well never left his computer for long.
Dom’s whole family was fucked, including himself, and he still loved them more than anything.
“They voted father in consecutively and they know I’m running on his same campaign. Why do they want change now?”
“Because of Zeke. The man’s different. They want reforms and change, brother. They know they’ll get it with him, but with you.” He shrugged to let his words hang in the air.
“I want a team sent after Zeke. I want him dead.”
Vas nodded. “I’ll arrange it, but he’ll be hard to kill.”
“I have five days until the election. Get it done now.”
A soft knocked sounded at the door then Julianna stepped inside looking fresh and impeccable as always in a fitted white dress that demurely fell at the knee. Her eyes found Dom’s then darted to Vas and what could only be described as pure fury swam in her eyes.
Vas stiffened then gave a mocking smile as he dipped his chin to her. “My lady,” he said, his voice filled with sarcasm.
She jerked her gaze back to Dom’s and in a flash the fury left her gaze. “I’m headed out for some errands. Do you need me for anything tonight?”
“No, not until tomorrow. We have a campaign ball to attend at the Kensington’s.”
She inclined her head then turned to leave.
“Goodbye to you too, my lady.”
Her head swung around so fast at Vas’s taunting words it was a wonder her neck didn’t snap.
“You—” her words shook.
Vas cocked a challenging brow. “I...what?”
Her mouth moved but no words came. Then she closed the door softly behind her as she left.
“What was that about?” asked Dom.
Vas shrugged. “We didn’t get along. She didn’t much like being fetched when she tried to get away from you. Why is that anyway?”
Dom glared back down at the numbers of failure taunting him. “Why’s what?”
“Have you fucked her?”
Dom shook his head. “Always crude, Vas, and no. I haven’t.”
“She’s your bruid, isn’t she? Seems to me like you’ve been spending more time with this Felicity everyone’s been talking about.”
Dom stiffened but refused to let Vas rile him. “Just because I have to mate with Julianna doesn’t mean I want to spend my time with her.”
Vas laughed low and slow. “She that bad?”
Dom shrugged. “I wouldn’t know. I don’t have any interest in her.”
Vas stood and took another swig from his flask. “Two women wanting you and you only choose one. You could have both of them, at the same time.” He groaned in pretend ecstasy. “Just think of it, brother; tied up, bound, at your mercy.”
Dom’s gut clenched at the thought of Felicity and Julianna together with him. “I don’t think so.”
Vas’s phone beeped and he checked it with a frown. “I gotta go. I’ll get a team on Zeke, but I can’t make any promises.”
Dom stared at the gap in his chart. He was going to lose the race.
“Do whatever is necessary. I want him dead.”
Nodding, Vas left Dom to his thoughts.
Striding to the warming oven, Dom pulled out a glass of heated blood and drank it down in three gulps. He waited for the blood to take effect, for his body to relax, but it didn’t happen. He was too amped up from the stress.
He was facing the biggest election of his life against a lunatic alpha. He had to mate with a woman he didn’t know or care to know. He was in---
His thoughts cut short.
Was he? Could he be?
His heart pounded. A thick knot formed in his throat making it painful to swallow.
He looked over the railing to the fireplace below where he’d first seen Felicity Shaw walk into his study. She’d walked in here strong, but nervous and beautiful. She’d taken his breath away and filled him with a ravenous need he’d never felt before. In under an hour, he’d kissed her and had been ready to take her on the floor.
He’d thought she was his bruid. A heavy weight sat on his chest that steadily got heavier and heavier. She should be his bruid.
He realized the truth with stunning clarity.
He loved Felicity Shaw.
She was strong, beautiful, smart, funny, and imperfect. She made him want to be better. She made him want to step down from his lofty position and change. He wanted to take care of her, for her to rely on him to protect her. He wanted that distinct honor on his hands. He wanted her smiling at him, waking up next to him with her soft smile. He wanted all that gorgeous arousal she had for him and he wanted to taste it, touch it, every single day until he knew her inside and out.
He had to speak to her. He had to tell her. And he had to do it now.
Dom strode to his desk, picked up his phone, and dialed her number. The phone rang on and on. He hung up and called her cell phone again. He’d paid her bill for the next twelve months so her phone couldn’t be shut off. There was no reason she shouldn’t be at home and answering her damn phone right now.
Slamming the phone down he disconnected the call and dialed Graham.
The guard answered immediately. “Aye?”
“Put Felicity on the phone.”
A heavy pause. “I don’t think that’s such a good idea, Dom.”
Dom’s breathing grew heavy as anger filled him. Something was wrong. Something bad. He knew it deep in his soul as surely as he knew he loved her.
“Mind telling me why?”
A long sigh then, “She said she doesn’t want to speak to you. She said you might try calling one of us.”
The muscle beneath Dom’s right eye twitched. “What?”
Surely he hadn’t heard any of that correctly.
“She’s been acting strange ever since Helena came by. I tried not to let her in by the stupid guard on duty let her pass.”
The floor was taken out from under him. He collapsed back into his char. Helena. At Felicity’s. He knew without being told. He knew exactly what she’d done and why.
“Strange how, Graham?”
“She’s been really quiet in the house and she’s getting dressed up. I think she’s going out.”
“I want you to drive her straight here.”
“I can’t do that, Dom.”
“Excuse me? I couldn’t have heard you correctly,” Dom said slowly. Churning, hot anger built inside his cold bones.
“Your brother pays me, not you, Dom. I’m sorry, man.”
“Never mind. I’ll be right there.”
Another heavy pause. “Not sure that’s a good idea.”
“I don’t care what you think.”
Dom slammed the phone down and was out of the house in the next second. His heart raced in a way it never had before, in dread.
He drove too fast to be safe but arrived at her house just as her front door opened and she stepped out. Her eyes flew to his and he had a moment to see sorrow there before her expression grew blank.