Page 148 of Deception

That he's cruel, ruthless, and vindictive.

Dom keeps this vengeful side of himself under wraps, expressing it in small passive aggressive ways most of the time. The way he corrects my work, the way he belittles me in front of business partners.

At first, I take it as a challenge.

To do my job so well, that I'll be above reproach. Until I realized that's exactly what he’s doing, preying on my perfectionism, getting me to overperform. It's like playing chess with a master and I forgot half my pieces.

Two weeks slip by like that.

Ciro and Ero are away constantly on assignments for Dom. He has me scheduling them, and yet manages to keep us from ever spending more than a few minutes at a time in the same room.

It’s genius.

I wonder how long I can last.

And I wonder what his endgame is. So far, I haven’t managed to get a handle on the scope of his plans. All I know is that he’s growing the organization.

It’s getting out of hand, and I can’t council him to stop.

“Adriano, the layouts for the new compound are stunning. You really know how to get things done when you put your mind to it!” He claps me on the back, and I hate that I almost like the approval. Dom is fucking contagious.

“The sooner you have a place to live, the sooner we can move out of the hotel.”

“So true. Don’t worry, I have a wing designed just for you, your brothers too, when they’re home.”

I frown, letting my confusion show. A mistake. “I thought we’d go back to our compound, eventually.”

“Why would you go back to that burned out husk?” He turns, his eyes ice cold.

The news hits me like a sledgehammer.

“You …”

“Erased the past. Yeah. For your own good, you’ll see.”

My mind buzzes, a dull hum that mutes all other thoughts.

“Speaking of good things, I’ve been meaning to talk to you about something. It doesn’t look good, my second being a young, fresh-faced kid.”

“I’m thirty-three.” This is it; he’s going to get rid of me.

“And not getting younger, either. It would play better, really key up your image if you were a family man.”

“Wait…what?” His words jumble together in my head. What is he saying?

“Don’t worry, I already picked out a bride for you. She just got in from Paris this morning.”

My stomach falls as I hear the door open behind me. High heels clack on the hardwood, hammering like nails into my coffin.

Knowing Dom, she’ll be a harpy, a scheming, socialite leech. She’ll be hand-picked to latch her fangs into me and control me.

A trillion thoughts race through my head, all screaming my doom.

Until I see her.

Dark red and honey, and my heart stops. My mind going completely silent for once.

“Adriano, I’d like you to meet my daughter, Gloria Vipera, your future wife.”

To be continued.