CHAPTER 4
MIA POV.
As I walk the small distance from the taxi to my dorm room, my exhaustion finally caught up to me, but my head refuses to settle down. It's as if my brain is stuck on Dominic. His deep voice echoed through my mind as I remembered the way he looked at me. I felt hot under my blouse but at the same time a shiver ran down my back as I remember how he easily exerted his dominance.
I recall the way his eyes crinkled at the corners when he smiled or frowned. The way loose strands of hair came undone to fall over his face and he just casually brushes it back over his head. As I entered my room, I realized that the man had somehow etched his way into my memory like a rock carving.
I try to shake off the thoughts, telling myself I'm just reacting to the intensity of the interview. But the more I try to push him out, the more I see his piercing eyes in front of me.
I fall down onto my bed letting out a deep sigh. Why can't I stop thinking about him? I asked myself. He's a criminal, a dangerous one too. I say to myself some more. I sit back up and eye my desktop. I might as well start with my report and send it in. I decide and drag myself up from my bed and start up my computer.
I start typing, transferring all my notes and findings to my report. I’m not sure how I came to it but the next moment I was looking up Dominic Romano. I’m not sure what I was looking for, but something about our encounter has left me infuriated, but curious. Instead for the well-known rumors… who was Dominic Romano really? I wondered as I let my fingers slide across the keys of the computer.
The search results were more than I bargained for. Dominic's name is linked to a vast business empire. He had dealings in real estate, finance, technology, cars and so on. The articles that I clicked on were above impressive and I was shocked to realize on how far his power and influence has spread. I dig deeper and come across articles of former and current employees, praising him as a great boss. Speaking highly of his fairness and some employees even defending him on the crimes that he has been charged with by the council.
I was shocked by what I found. The man I met was infuriating, cold, commanding and charismatic with no respect for personal space so I was having trouble trying to wrap my head around how he could be loved by so many of his employees? Could it be that I had made a mistake in my findings? Am I too hasty in compiling my report? If this was all true then why was he imprisoned by the werewolf council? And what about the charges of trafficking against him? So far, I saw none of that on my search.
Just then, Emma, my roommate, barged into my room. Her energetic personality filling my personal space. "Hey, what are you up to?" She asks and before I could stop her, she snatches my computer screen towards her, her eyes scanning the pages open on the screen.
I sigh and explain. “I had an Interview with Dominic Romano today.” Emma's eyes widen in surprise. "The mafia kingpin? Are you for real, Mia!" Emma asks excitedly and plumps herself down onto my bed. I nod and I giggle at Emma’s excitement. "Yes, and it was intense." I say and think back to how easily he managed to get under my skin.
"Really? What's he like in person?" She asked. I shake my head, “it’s…” my thoughts jump around as to what to say. "He's...complicated. Domineering and manipulative at the same time, but he also has a magnetic charm that I can’t explain.” I speak. “His employees seem to love him, which is why I can’t understand the charges that was brought up against him.” I say and Emma shrugs.
“Are you going out?” I ask as I only now notice that she was dressed nicely and Emma seemed to remember why she was here in the first place. “Oh, yes. That is why I was here.” She said as she got up from my bed and pulled me out of my chair. She eyed my attire and gave me a disapproving look. “You are never going to get back in the dating game going out in that.” She stated matter of fact and rushed to my wardrobe.
A punch to my heart had me draw in a shocked breath. “You know?” I asked and Emma turned around sympathetically. “Yeah. Everyone knows.” Emma said regretfully. Tony showed up at today’s game with a blond on his arm and practically glued at the lips.” She said and I turn away from her. I didn’t want to start crying on front of her.
“That is why I am here.” Emma says and I look at her confused. "You need a break from all this seriousness and you need to forget about Tony.” She says and throws me a dress that I just managed to catch in time. “Emma, thank you but I don’t want to meet any more guys.” I say but Emma shrugs. “Ok then, more for me but you are going to leave this dorm room and come with me to the bar where I work part-time. Just the two of us will hang out and have a couple of drinks. You can forget all about Tony and his drama. What do you say?”
I was about to refuse but I hesitated. Maybe I did need this. To get away from everyone and forget for a while. "Sure, why not?” I say and Emma squeals in excitement and starts throwing more dresses at me.
After Deciding on a strapless cocktail dress that clung to my curves and black heels, we head out, the warm evening air enveloping us we walk to Emma’s car and before I know it, we stop at the bar that Emma works at. Emma and I immediately get swarmed by her coworkers and by whom I can only assume to be regulars that are on first name basis with her. Everyone is very welcoming and drinks were being served. Emma’s stories making me laugh until Emma pulls me onto the dance floor. “I don’t think this is a good idea.” I tell Emma as Emma twirled her long body on the dance floor but she only rolled her eyes at me. “Oh, come on, Mia. You only live once.” Emma said and grabbed me by the hips and led me into a swaying motion. I wasn’t much of a dancer and even though I felt slightly embarrassed, I laughed at Emma’s antics and swayed along. It must be the drinks, I thought.
“That’s it, now you’re having fun!” Emma cheered as she started dancing on her own again. I had to admit it felt nice to let loose as I swayed to the music. When the song ended, I turned to Emma to ask her if she wants another drink, but she wasn’t there.
My eyes scanned the dancing bodies as a new song began, but I couldn’t get a glimpse of her. “EMMA!” I call out to her, but the music swallowed my voice. I go back to the bar, but it was even more crowded than ever. I didn’t see the familiar faces that I met when I got here, and I was starting to feel a sense of unease with every passing minute.
I must have searched the inside of this bar twice and I didn’t find her. Maybe she was outside? I wondered as I grabbed a drink for myself and headed to the door, but got turned around when I realized that this was not the same entrance as what we came in with. I was just about to go back when a hand grabs my arm, pulling me close with such force that I spill some of my unfinished drink. My stomach recoils as I see a drunk man with a sleazy grin, leering at me, his breath reeking of whatever he managed to find to consume. "Hey, beautiful, let me buy you a drink.” The man slurs and pulls me against his sweaty chest. I try to push him off, but he holds on tightly to me. “No, thank you.” I say as politely as I can, but what I really want to do is scratch at his face so that he can let me go. “I’m here with someone.” I state and push against his chest again with my one hand as I try not to spill the rest of my drink that I held in the other. I hoped that he would be able to catch the hint that I wasn’t alone, but apparently, he didn’t care.
His grip only tightens every time I try to pull away, his foul breath hot against my ear. "Oh, that doesn’t matter anymore. You're with me now. Come on, just one drink. You don’t want to make me angry, do you?" He slurs and pushes me up against the wall.
“Let go of me!” I demanded as I pushed harder against his chest in anger and panic. This time he stumbled backwards, and I gladly stepped away from the wall. My small victory disappeared when he pinned me with a glare before lashing out at me and grabbed me by the neck. "You're not going anywhere until you do what I say," the drunken man spits out at me, his eyes wild like an animal. My mind races with desperation, searching for a way to escape, but not seeing one. The music was blaring and there was suddenly no one around us anymore. My hand tightens around the glass in my hand, it was all I had. I summon every ounce of courage and raise the glass, ready to smash it into his face.
Suddenly, the man gets distracted and his eyes dart behind me. The next thing I know, the barrel of a gun enters my vision and is pointed against the drunk man’s head. His eyes widen in terror, and he releases his grip on my neck as though my skin burned him. Without a word further, the man flees, stumbling over his feet as he drunkenly run out of the building.
I was momentarily paralyzed in fear and shock at what had just happened when a strong arm wrapped around my waist like a vice, pressing my back against a hard chest that emanated a hotness that I couldn’t explain. My breath hitched as I felt my rescuers’ hot breath at my ear, sending a familiar shiver down my spine.
"Remember what I said, little wolf? We will meet again soon." The voice is low and husky and did things to my body that I didn’t know how to control. I knew that voice, that seductive tone.
Dominic Romano.