Lucca needed Kat as a piece on his chessboard.
Passing Maria where she sat, he could see her sympathy reflected in her green eyes.
“See you at the wedding,” Dom confirmed the grim reason why he had been there to speak with Lucca.
Opening the front door, he was going to walk out, but unlike last time, he allowed himself to look back at the woman he had fallen in love with, and his hopeless heart suddenly felt … hopeful.
Dominic gave her one final look. It was time to let her know he was stiking his claim. “I’ll be wanting a dance, princess.”
Twenty
A Wedding … And A Funeral
Dominic adjusted his suit jacket, feeling weird that he didn’t have his big leather jacket on instead. Growing up, he had always wanted to dress like a Caruso, but now that he was in an expensive rental suit expertly fit, it didn’t feel right.
While others viewed his last name with disdain, Luciano was a name he had proudly earned, just like his leather jacket. To bear that name meant he’d survived the devil and hell.
Opening the door, he thought it hadn’t been long since he saw that face, but it had been. The two brothers took each other in an embrace, Dominic holding him in a tight hug for a long moment, somehow missing him more than he had before, even though he was now standing in front of him.
“Let me get a look at you.” Dom finally let him go to see him.
He had changed just ever so slightly. It wasn’t his outer appearance as much as the metamorphosis that had taken place inside. However, seeing this half of a whole showed him just how bad off the other one had gotten.
“You look good, Angel.”
“Thanks.”
“They treating you right over there?” he asked, wanting to make sure what had happened when he’d first gone into the Caruso’s care hadn’t happened again.
After Lucifer, a new enemy to the two families had emerged. One-Shot. It was a man who possessed the same power he did with a gun. When a Caruso soldier was murdered and One-Shot took his first kill, some of the Caruso men had assumed it was Angel who’d done it, and they had ambushed him in the middle of the night, beating him within an inch of his life.
The tattooed brother gave him an assuring nod. “Yes, Lucca has done right by me.”
“Good.” Dominic nodded back.
Clearing his throat, the pit in his stomach ached for what he had to talk to him about. “There’s something I need tell you.”
Angel looked at him like a soldier.
“Dante will release you once the wedding is over,” he told his brother what the Caruso boss had told him earlier.
“He is?” Angel, who had prepared for bad news, had happiness in his voice.
“Yes, he will have Kat to make sure our deal stays intact.”
Suddenly, his brother’s face turned into a mask of emotions. “Listen, Dominic there’s something I need to t—”
“I know about Adalyn,” Dom stopped him. “I’m glad you have her,” he told him truthfully, having to look away, unable to meet his brother’s eyes. “I need to ask something of you now.”
Angel the soldier returned with a single nod.
“Don’t come home.” Dominic’s voice wanted to break, but he kept it strong, not letting it waiver. “For as long as Katarina is a Caruso, you must be one, too.” He forced himself to face his brother’s eyes again, knowing he deserved the decency of being faced, man to man. “We Lucianos must stick together, even if that means we will be apart. Do you understand?”
Angel’s dark gray eyes matched the sadness in his voice. “Yes.”
“Good. You will make sure that not only Drago takes care of her, but that every Caruso does too.” Dominic knew the cost of his ask, separating the twins would be Matthias’ downfall. “The only Caruso you can trust for now is Lucca, but do not trust him completely, Angel. He is just one bad day away from turning into our father, and when that time comes, it’ll be up to us to put Lucca down.”
Swallowing hard, Angel nodded in understanding again.
Dominic took his brother in another strong hug, his voice was no longer able to keep from wavering. “Make sure she’s taken care of for me, not only by Drago but by every fucking one of them.”
“I will,” Angel promised, giving him his word.
Letting his brother go, he quickly went for the door, needing to go to the source of his rage that was beginning to boil.
“Keep him alive for me?” Angel asked with a solemn whisper before he walked out.
Squeezing the door handle, Dominic wished he was able to give the same promise that Angel had for Katarina, but one of the Lucianos hadn’t mentally survived their time in hell. “I’ll try.”
Dominic silently walked into the room undetected, slowly stalking the huge man he could only see from his back, with his hand on the Glock behind his back.