Chapter 10 - The Deal Dominic Tried to Make
Dominic disappeared before sunrise.
Diana discovered his empty room at six fifteen.
His jacket was gone.
His phone sat on the desk.
So did a note.
She read it once.
Then tore it in half.
Miguel entered seconds later.
“What happened?”
“He left.”
Miguel swore.
Diana shoved the note at him.
“He's trading himself.”
The message was exactly what she expected.
Dominic apologized.
He said Victor wanted him.
He said Maria died because Dominic had once allowed other people to stand between him and consequences.
He refused to let that happen again.
Diana's hands shook with fury.
“He learned nothing.”
Miguel looked grim.
“Cross has always been addicted to martyrdom.”
“My mother literally warned him.”
Alvarez entered.
“His vehicles?”
“One missing.”
“Tracker?”
“Disabled.”
Diana grabbed her coat.
“Where are you going?”
“To find him.”
Alvarez blocked her.
“No.”
Diana laughed.
“I'm beginning to hate that word.”
“Victor wants you emotional.”
“Too late.”
“We find Cross professionally.”
“And if he gets there first?”
Alvarez had no answer.
Diana thought.
Victor wanted Dominic.
Dominic wanted to surrender.
Where would they meet?
Not Kane's warehouse.
Too obvious.
Somewhere meaningful.
She remembered the original attack.
The street where Maria died.
“Where was my mother shot?”
Miguel looked at her.
“Diana—”
“Address.”
Twenty minutes later, police surrounded the location from a distance.
An abandoned restaurant now occupied the corner.
Dominic's car sat nearby.
He stood alone inside.
Victor had not arrived.
Diana marched through the door.
Dominic stared.
“No.”
She slapped him.
The sound echoed.
Miguel turned away politely.
Diana's hand stung.
“That,” she said, “was from my mother.”
Dominic touched his cheek.
“I deserved it.”
“You don't get to die for me.”
“Diana—”
“No. You spent twelve years deciding what protection meant without asking me. Now you're doing it again.”
“Victor will keep coming.”
“Then we stop him.”
“He wants me.”
“He wants control.”
Dominic's expression hardened.
“If giving him me ends this—”
“It won't.”
Diana stepped closer.
“Men like Victor don't stop after they get what they want. They find something else.”
Dominic looked at her.
“You could die.”
“So could you.”
“I can accept that.”
“Well, I can't.”
The words escaped.
Silence.
Diana's pulse raced.
Dominic stared.
She wished she could pull them back.
She couldn't.
“Why?” he asked quietly.
“Because…”
Everything she felt became too large.
Anger.
Grief.
Safety.
Resentment.
Attraction.
Trust.
Fear.
“You came back,” she whispered.
Dominic's expression changed.
“And now you don't get to leave.”
He moved closer.
Not touching.
“Diana.”
She looked up.
“I'm not fourteen anymore.”
“I know.”
“My mother told me to choose my own life.”
“I know.”
“And if I choose to have you in it?”
Dominic stopped breathing.
“That would be a bad decision.”
“Probably.”
“I'm serious.”
“So am I.”
His hand lifted toward her face.
Stopped.
Diana closed the distance herself.
She kissed him.
Brief.
Soft.
Nothing dramatic.
When she stepped back, Dominic looked stunned.
“Now,” she said, “stop trying to get yourself killed.”
Miguel cleared his throat from the doorway.
“Excellent timing, but we have company.”
Vehicles approached.
Victor had come.
Police moved.
But not quickly enough.
A blast detonated behind the building.
Smoke filled the room.
Dominic grabbed Diana.
Masked men breached the rear entrance.
Miguel fired.
Alvarez shouted outside.
Chaos.
Diana felt someone grab her.
She fought.
An arm tightened around her throat.
Then Rook launched from the doorway.
The Rottweiler slammed into the attacker, forcing him away without biting Diana.
Dominic pulled her free.
Victor's men retreated.
One threw something before fleeing.
A phone.
It landed near Diana.
Video played automatically.
Rachel.
Elena.
Eddie.
All three in separate rooms.
Victor's voice spoke over the images.
“You thought there was one hostage.”
Diana stared.
“We have Rachel at police protection.”
Alvarez checked her radio.
Her face went pale.
“No response.”
Victor continued.
“Three people. Three locations. One hour.”
The screen changed.
Coordinates appeared.
Then:
Choose who lives.
Diana's heart stopped.
Dominic looked at Miguel.
“Can we trace?”
“Working on it.”
Diana stared at the three faces.
Rachel had betrayed her but tried to make things right.
Elena had protected her family.
Eddie had abused her but possessed evidence capable of destroying Victor.
Victor wanted her to choose.
That was his mistake.
Diana looked at Dominic.
“We don't choose.”
He understood.
“We get all three.”
One hour.
Three hostages.
Three locations.
Victor Kane believed he had finally found a way to break them.
Instead, for the first time, Diana and Dominic were about to fight the same battle together.
May you like
Continued in Chapter 11…
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