“No, I didn’t. I gave them fake money. It’ll only take a few hours before they find out that it’s not real and then they’ll come for the both of us. That’s why we need to move. We can’t stay in my house anymore. It’s not safe.”
I looked at my hands, which were covered in bruises. I didn’t want to look at him. Couldn’t, maybe. All I knew was that I just had the most horrifying experience ever and that I didn’t want to feel that ever again. Something had to change.
“Do you know what I’ve been through?” I whispered. “I saw a man get shot in front of my eyes.”
“What?” Dominic’s eyes widened.
“It was right there,” I said, pointing at the door. “The doorman. He was killed, and I don’t know what they did, but there’s nothing left of him. He was there, I swear!”
“I believe you, Julie,” he said, and he frowned, biting his lip. “Shit, this is far worse than I imagined.”
“They grabbed me, drugged me, chained me and locked me up,” I continued. “I’ve been through hell, Dom. I can’t … I can’t …” I was hyperventilating and crying at the same time.
He shushed me and tried to calm me down by rocking me back and forth. “You’re safe now. You’re with me.”
“I don’t feel safe,” I muttered.
He looked down upon me. “What can I do? Please, tell me what I can do to ease the pain? I cannot tell you how sorry I am, because the words don’t feel like they’re enough. I’ll never let them get their hands on you again.” He squeezed me tight against his chest. “They’re going to pay for this. I’m not going to let them get away.”
We sat there, on the couch, still rocking back and forth, crying against each other. His fingers were spread out across my back, his warm body encapsulating me. I blocked out everything that happened today, to cope with the pain. I pushed the memories to the far corners of my mind, trying to erase them.
Dominic left soft pecks on top of my head. “I don’t want to lose you, Julie. Never again. I’ve never loved a woman this much and I’ll do anything for you. I want to keep you safe and from now on I’m going to do everything I can to make that happen.”
“Like telling me what the fuck is going on?”
He chuckled shortly. “Yes, something like that. You’ve given me so much and all I’ve done is hurt you. I don’t want that anymore. I never wanted that.”
“I know …” I said. “I love you too …”
He nudged me forward to look at me. “But?” He wiped away a tear from my eye. “Say what you need to say, Julie.”
I sighed and looked into his blue eyes for a while. Those mesmerizing eyes kept their hold on me like a magnetic force. I didn’t want to look away, but my brain told me I should. This time I listened to my heart. “There’s no ‘but’,” I said. I didn’t know if that was the truth, but at least for now, it was enough.
He pressed his lips on top of mine and kissed them like he’d never kissed them before. It was exactly the kind of soothing love I needed to feel okay again.
Whatever would happen, I knew I could handle it. I’d been through the worse already. I had Dominic by my side, and now that the truth was finally out, I knew it only meant he’d protect me with his life. I could feel it from the way he kissed me, like he wanted to safe keep me. And I did actually feel safe with him. He was the only person in this world who could make me feel that way. And I cherished that.