Dominic averted his gaze, then took a key out of his pocket. “Turn around.”

I looked at it and touched the collar around my neck, which seemed to press heavier against my skin. I’d forgotten it. I’d forgotten all about it.

I turned and lifted my hair up. When his fingers brushed my skin, I shuddered. The sound of the tiny key sliding into the lock sounded as loud as a large iron key turning a Medieval lock, and then I was free. The weight was gone. I was no longer his.

I felt cold, and when I wrapped my arms around myself, Dominic took off his jacket and draped it over my shoulders. I let him and for a moment, we just stood there, watching each other. The draw to slide into his arms, to press against his chest and let him hold me was so strong, but I wouldn’t do it. I couldn’t.

He turned to one of his men.

“Take her where she wants to go,” he said.

The man nodded and walked toward the door.

Dominic took out his wallet and opened it. “You’ll need money.”

“No. I don’t want anything from you.” It would only be another moment before the tears fell and drowned me. I needed to get out of there.

“If you ever do—”

“I won’t.”

“Gia.” He started to reach out then changed his mind. “You’ll be safe. You and your mom. Scava won’t come near you.”

I nodded. I couldn’t speak.

I shifted my gaze down to my feet and clutched his jacket closer to me. I would keep it. I would keep this one thing of his.

“You’ll always have my protection. Anything you need.”

I looked at him one last time, memorizing his face, his eyes that studied me so closely, so carefully, eyes that seemed to want to draw words from me I could not say, not now, not ever. Eyes that saw the things I felt, the things I should not feel. That held a tenderness I only saw when their gaze fell upon me.

Without another word, I went to the door. The man opened it, and I walked out of the house. I didn’t look back, not when he closed the car door, not when we drove away.

I didn’t know if he watched me go but I knew he cared that I had left. I knew he hadn’t expected that. But I couldn’t think about those things. I couldn’t. Not if I wanted to be able to go on.

25

Dominic

I went immediately into the study and shut the door. The house already felt different. Empty.

I took a seat behind the desk and opened my laptop.