Chapter 6 - The Bullet Meant for FayElena left the estate the following morning.
She hugged Mrs. Gable.
She kissed Carmine on the cheek.
And before leaving, she found Fay in the kitchen.
Fay was slicing apples.
Elena stood in the doorway.
“Can we talk?”
Fay put down the knife.
“Sure.”
Elena entered.
Without the expensive coat and diamond ring, she looked less like a threat.
More like a tired woman.
“I owe you an apology.”
“For what?”
“For treating you like staff when I arrived.”
“I am staff.”
“That isn’t what I mean.”
Fay waited.
Elena looked toward the ceiling.
Toward Dominic’s rooms.
“I loved him.”
“I know.”
“Part of me probably always will.”
Fay swallowed.
Elena smiled faintly.
“But the man upstairs isn’t the man I left.”
“No.”
“And I’m not the woman who left him.”
Elena looked back at Fay.
“Don’t punish him for loving you.”
Fay almost dropped the apple.
“He doesn’t—”
“Yes.”
Elena laughed softly.
“He does.”
“You’re the only person who apparently doesn’t know.”
Fay stared.
“Elena—”
“I spent four years with Dominic.”
“I know how he looks at something he wants.”
Her smile became sad.
“And I know how he looks at someone he’s afraid to lose.”
She picked up her gloves.
“Those are very different looks.”
Fay did not answer.
Elena walked toward the door.
Then stopped.
“One more thing.”
“What?”
“Make him earn you.”
Fay raised an eyebrow.
Elena smiled.
“He’s still Dominic Corso.”
Then she left.
For two days, Fay avoided thinking about the conversation.
On the third, Dominic kissed her.
It happened in the physical-therapy room.
Nothing dramatic preceded it.
No gunshots.
No expensive dinner.
No confession.
Dominic was practicing transfers.
Fay was reading a paperback on the bench.
He moved from wheelchair to mat successfully.
Then back again.
He looked at her.
“Well?”
Fay turned a page.
“Well what?”
“You saw that.”
“I see lots of things.”
“I did it without assistance.”
“Congratulations.”
Dominic narrowed his eyes.
“You’re impossible.”
“You hired me.”
He rolled toward her.
Fay continued reading.
Dominic took the book.
“Hey.”
“You’re ignoring me.”
“I’m reading.”
“What?”
“A book.”
“I gathered that.”
He looked at the cover.
“A romance novel?”
Fay snatched it back.
“Give me that.”
Dominic grinned.
“Fay Willis reads romance novels.”
“People contain multitudes.”
“What happens?”
“You’ll never know.”
“Does the dangerous criminal fall in love with the stubborn woman?”
Fay froze.
Dominic’s smile disappeared.
The joke had landed too close.
He moved nearer.
Fay lowered the book.
“Elena said something before she left.”
“What?”
“She said you love me.”
Dominic stopped breathing.
Fay immediately regretted speaking.
“That was inappropriate.”
“She was right.”
The room went silent.
Fay stared at him.
Dominic did not look away.
“I love you.”
No performance.
No speech.
Just truth.
Fay’s eyes burned.
“That’s a terrible idea.”
“I know.”
“You’re my employer.”
“I can change that.”
“You’re a criminal.”
“I’m working on that.”
“You throw things.”
“Not recently.”
“You’re arrogant.”
“Accurate.”
“Dominic.”
“I love you.”
Fay shook her head.
“You don’t get to solve this by repeating yourself.”
“I’m not trying to solve it.”
He moved closer.
“I’m telling you.”
Fay’s voice became quieter.
“What if I leave?”
Dominic’s expression changed.
“Then you leave.”
“You wouldn’t stop me?”
“No.”
“Wouldn’t threaten me?”
“No.”
“Wouldn’t buy my apartment building?”
“I already considered that.”
Fay stared.
Dominic sighed.
“But no.”
Despite herself, she laughed.
That was when he kissed her.
Or rather, when he almost did.
Dominic leaned forward.
Stopped inches from her.
And waited.
Fay understood what he was doing.
The man who had once controlled everything through fear was giving her complete control.
So Fay closed the distance.
The kiss was gentle.
Almost painfully so.
Dominic’s hand touched the side of her neck.
Fay’s fingers curled into his shirt.
For several seconds, the world contained no debts.
No wheelchair.
No mafia.
No past.
Only warmth.
Then Carmine burst through the door.
“Boss, we have—”
He stopped.
Fay jumped backward.
Dominic closed his eyes.
Carmine looked at the ceiling.
“I saw nothing.”
“Get out.”
“Yes, boss.”
He disappeared.
Dominic rubbed his forehead.
“I’m going to kill him.”
“You’re working on that.”
Dominic looked at her.
Then they both laughed.
For three weeks, life became strangely good.
Fay moved out of her moldy apartment.
Not into Dominic’s bedroom.
She refused.
Instead, Mrs. Gable offered her a small cottage on the edge of the estate that had once housed the groundskeeper.
Fay paid rent.
Dominic objected.
Fay threatened to move back to her old apartment.
Dominic immediately agreed.
They had dinner together.
Argued.
Kissed.
Fay continued working because she refused to become financially dependent on him.
Dominic continued physical therapy.
Then, one Tuesday morning, his right foot moved.
Barely.
A twitch.
The physical therapist saw it.
Dominic saw it.
Fay saw it.
Nobody spoke.
“Do it again,” the therapist whispered.
Dominic stared at his foot.
Sweat appeared across his forehead.
Nothing happened.
“Again.”
His jaw clenched.
The toes moved.
Less than an inch.
Fay covered her mouth.
Dominic looked at her.
His eyes filled.
Not with triumph.
With terror.
Hope terrified him.
Because hope could be taken away.
The therapist crouched.
“This does not mean you’ll walk.”
Dominic nodded.
“We need imaging.”
“Neurological tests.”
“It may be involuntary.”
Dominic continued staring at Fay.
She crossed the room.
Took his hand.
“One inch.”
He laughed shakily.
“One inch.”
Fay kissed his forehead.
“We’ll take it.”
The tests were scheduled for Friday.
They never reached the hospital.
At 8:40 that morning, Fay and Dominic left the estate in an armored SUV.
Carmine drove.
A second vehicle followed.
Snow had begun melting.
The streets were wet.
Traffic heavy.
Fay sat beside Dominic in the rear.
“You’re squeezing my hand.”
“I am not.”
“You are.”
“I’m preventing you from becoming overconfident.”
Dominic smiled.
Then the windshield exploded.
Carmine shouted.
The SUV swerved.
A bullet struck the reinforced glass beside Fay’s head.
“Down!”
Dominic grabbed her.
The vehicle slammed into a parked delivery truck.
Airbags deployed.
Metal screamed.
Fay hit the floor.
Gunfire erupted outside.
Carmine returned fire through the damaged windshield.
Dominic pulled Fay behind the armored door.
“Are you hit?”
“No.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
Another burst of gunfire.
The security vehicle behind them accelerated and blocked the intersection.
Men scattered.
Sirens approached.
Then silence.
Carmine opened his door.
“Stay down.”
He disappeared outside.
Fay’s ears rang.
Dominic touched her face.
“Look at me.”
“I’m fine.”
“Look at me.”
She did.
His expression terrified her.
Not anger.
Fear.
Pure fear.
“Dominic.”
He pulled her against him.
Hard.
His body shook.
“I thought—”
“I’m okay.”
“The round came through your window.”
“I’m okay.”
He buried his face against her hair.
Fay held him.
Ten minutes later, Carmine returned.
His face was grim.
“One shooter dead.”
“Two escaped.”
“Who?”
“We don’t know.”
Dominic’s fear vanished.
Something colder replaced it.
“Find out.”
Fay looked at him.
“Dominic.”
He did not hear her.
“Every camera.”
“Every plate.”
“Every contact Leo had.”
“I want names by tonight.”
“Dominic.”
His eyes finally found hers.
She saw the old darkness returning.
The man who solved fear with violence.
“Don’t.”
His jaw tightened.
“They tried to kill you.”
“They tried to kill us.”
“The bullet came through your side.”
“You don’t know who they were aiming at.”
“I know enough.”
Fay took his face between her hands.
“Look at me.”
He did.
“I am alive.”
“For now.”
“That is exactly the kind of thing you used to say.”
Dominic froze.
Fay lowered her voice.
“Don’t become him again because you’re afraid.”
The words landed.
Carmine looked away.
Dominic closed his eyes.
When he opened them, the rage remained.
But controlled.
“Find them.”
Carmine nodded.
“Alive if possible.”
That last part cost Dominic something.
Fay knew it.
Two days later, they discovered the truth.
The attack had not come from Leo’s remaining people.
It had not come from the Russians.
It had come from inside Dominic’s organization.
May you like
And the order had been signed by someone Fay trusted.
Mrs. Gable.
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