Page 116 of Dominic Powers Duet Box Set
When my driver arrives at the restaurant, I fumble with my purse before giving him my credit card. After waiting a few minutes for him to figure out how to use the credit card reader and print my receipt, I know the second team is already in place and ready for me. I just have to remember, in my nervousness, to keep my hands off my necklace that’s really a camera. Shadow also put a tracker inside the hem of my shirt for double safety measure.
Quattro Amore is more than opulent-it is the very definition of debonair. The wait list for reservations is long and exclusive, making me question how Shawn even got on the list. The live performer croons a romantic ballad in her sultry voice on a floor-level stage. There’s a small dance floor immediately in front of the stage and a few couples are swaying to the music. On shaky legs, I approach the hostess and give my brother’s name. “Hi, I’m meeting Shawn Vasco here. Has he arrived yet?”
The hostess checks the list and smiles, “Yes, he has. Follow me.”
The butterflies in my stomach are more like bats flying around. As we turn the corner in the five-star intimate restaurant, I catch a glimpse of Dominic intently watching me. He’s only letting me know where he is for my peace of mind. Once he steps back into the shadows of the dimly lit dining area, he completely disappears from sight.
As we approach the table, I can only see the back of the man that is waiting for me. Walking around to the other side of the table, I crane my neck to get a good look at him. My breath hitches in my chest and I grip the padded, high back of the chair in front of me. His eyes rise to meet mine and he quickly stands.
“Hi, sis,” he says hesitantly.
“Hi, Shawn,” I reply on an exhaled breath. I wasn’t sure what to expect on the way here and now I’m even less sure of why he wants to see me. Drawing on all my strength, I decide to just dive in as I take my seat. “I was surprised to hear from you. Especially now. You made it clear you didn’t want anything to do with me. So, why have I traveled all the way to Austin for dinner?”
His shock turns to shame as my words sink in. He nervously clears his throat and fidgets in his chair as he searches for the words. But I refuse to help him by filling in any of the silence. I’ll sit here and stare at him until he answers me. All this time, I’ve romanticized how close my brother and I were, but the truth is that he betrayed me. He left me and blatantly said I embarrassed him.
“I know I did, Sophia, and I’m sorry for that. I was younger and even more of a fool than I am now. Can you forgive me?”
Leaning back against my chair, I tilt my head, narrow my eyes, and intentionally rake my eyes over him. Something is off in this whole scenario. Something is terribly wrong and I feel like I’m being completely set up. The only thing I know to do is to try to keep him talking so we can figure out what he’s planning.
“Why now, Shawn?” I ask accusingly. “Why is it suddenly so important for you to see me to talk to me? We have these nifty new gadgets called phones.”
His nervousness increases as he answers, “I needed you here, Sophia.”
The waitress suddenly appears with bread and fills our water glasses. I didn’t hear a word she said about the specials for today. I have a strong feeling we won’t be here long enough to actually eat anything. When she finishes her spiel and leaves our table, I glare at Shawn.
“Why do you need me here, Shawn? Stop being so vague and answer the question.”
“Because I don’t want to go to prison,” he replies, his voice barely audible but I know exactly what he said from the look of shame on his face.
“So, you’d give up your pregnant sister to a demented madman to save your own ass from a crime you committed,” I state with disgust. My brother is long gone. The young man that sits across from me is barely a shell of the boy I remember. “You really are a piece of work.”
“Pregnant?” he replies, his voice and face conveying his complete shock.
“Yes, just over three months now. But why should that matter to you? Does it make you think twice about what you’re doing?” I spit out at him.
Shawn drops his head and stares into his lap. He’s so ashamed he can’t even lift his head to speak to me. I’m so hurt that I’m only barely holding back the tears. The anger outweighs the hurt, though, and prevents me from being a blubbering mess. A tall figure steps up beside Shawn and lightly clears his throat. My eyes are already fixed on him when Shawn’s head quickly jerks up to look at him.
Harrison.
Without another word, Shawn vacates his chair and I watch his back as he walks away, toward the door. He used my love for him against me and helped Harrison with his vendetta against Dominic. Cutting my eyes back to Harrison, the scowl on my face no doubt tells him exactly how I feel about him being here. But that doesn’t stop me from telling him.
“What the fuckare you doing here, Harrison? What do you want from us?”
“What I want is for Dominic Powers to lose everything. I want his company gone. I want him to lose you. I want to completely destroy him,” he states plainly as he butters a slice of bread.
“Why? What did he do to you?”
“You mean besides kill my sister? Oh, well, if that’s not enough then I’ll tell you the rest. He thinks he is so good–sitting on high and looking down his nose at the rest of us. Carol Ann, she tried to get him to give me a job but he wouldn’t do it. He said I wasn’t good enough to work for his precious company,” he sneers.
“So, you’re doing all this because he wouldn’t give you a job?” I try to clarify, dumbfounded at his lack of reasoning.
“Don’t you see? He’s no better than me. What’s he got that I ain’t got? Nothing, that’s what! With his big houses, all his money, his cars, and the women falling at his feet, willing to do whatever he wants them to. He just thinks he’s all that. But he’s not, he’ll see. I’ll show him what Harrison Dictman is made of.”
“This whole thing has been about your jealousy? You just want to be Dominic, have what he has, and make him look bad?” I ask incredulously.
“He wouldn’t give me a job! Said I wasn’t good enough!”
“Did he say you weren’t good enough or that you weren’t qualified?”
