Page 9 of Dominic

Dom’s deep chuckle vibrated through his chest. He patted my hand as he got off the bike before helping me off. He kept hold of my hand and led the way to a path that led deeper into their compound. I looked over my shoulder and saw a couple of guys closing a chain-link gate with foliage and some kind of camouflage drape to obscure the fence if someone was looking at it from a distance.

There were several houses and neatly kept paths and one small road going deeper into their territory. Some had bright flowers in front of them or in planters on the porch. Others were decorated for the upcoming New Year’s Eve party. And some were nearly as Spartan as the huts we lived in at the camp. These houses, though, looked sturdy and not leaky. The open areas mostly had a canopy of the same stuff covering the gate. It made paths through the small village that, even now, children ran through like they might a maze, giggling and chasing each other in fun. I smiled as I watched a group of two girls and a young teenaged boy ducking in and out of the canopies. They were so carefree. Not like the camp I grew up in. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to fully shove back the memories threatening to crack through that locked and sealed door in my head.

Dominic led me to his house, a modest, well-kept single-story with a front porch that housed a couple of rocking chairs. Nothing like what I’d live in at the camp. As we entered, a large brown dog came bounding toward us, followed by a sleek black cat that regarded me with curious green eyes.

“You two.” Dominic scowled at the pair. The dog whined, ducking his head and moving closer to me while the cat just gave the dog a disdainful look. “What have I told you about being on the porch? You’re not allowed. You get hair and muddy footprints everywhere.” He sounded appropriately angry, but neither animal scurried from him. Instead, the dog lay down right on top of my feet and looked up at me with a pitiful gaze. The cat licked a paw unconcernedly.

I bent down to pet the dog and he flopped over, his tail wagging between his legs and his paws spread wide. Obviously he wanted a belly rub. Who was I not to oblige?

The dog whined happily, his eyes sliding shut in bliss. The cat sauntered over to me and put her paw on top of the hand rubbing the dog’s tummy. She looked up at me and meowed.

“Jealous?” I have no idea why I was talking to the cat. If I’d done it at the camp, I’d have been punished. We weren’t allowed to have pets, let alone talk to them. Animals were for work or food. Not for affection.

The cat looked up at me and meowed again.

“Not cool, Peaches.” Dominic pointed at the dog, indicating he was talking to him. And I knew it was a him despite the feminine-sounding name. “Not fucking cool.”

I swear, the mutt grinned up at Dominic. The lolling tongue wasn’t so much the dog breathing as it was him genuinely sticking his tongue out at the big, gruff man. That’s how smug he looked.

“He’s so sweet. Don’t be mean to him.” I decided to test the waters. See just exactly what I’d stepped into. Immediately the dog whined and looked pitiful again.

“He’s the one bein’ mean to me. Makin’ you think I’m mean to the bastard.” On cue, the dog let out a small, sharp yelp, as if remembering a pain. “See? I’m not a monster. I don’t kick puppies.” The cat reared up on her back legs, putting both her paws on my knee where I was squatted down, clearly wanting my attention again.

“And you, you little shit.” Dom pointed at the cat. “I never said I didn’t kick cats. Only dogs.”

The cat hissed casually over her shoulder before hopping up to stand on my knee. I had to use both hands to keep her from falling which was obviously what the ball of black, silky fur had planned all along.

I stood, cat in my arms, and regarded the big man. There was a glint of humor in his eyes. Obviously, he wasn’t as irritated as he sounded. In fact, I’d say he very much loved these animals. When the dog jumped up from where he was still on his back begging for tummy rubs, he went straight to Dom, tail wagging rapidly and leaned against his leg. Dom ruffled the dog’s ears, then the creature moved back to me.

Dom opened the door and the dog immediately bounded inside.

The cat, still cradled in my arms, seemed to decide it was her turn for exploration and leaped gracefully from my hold to follow the dog into the house. I hesitated at the threshold, watching Dominic as he moved about, flipping on lights.

“Come on in. Don’t be shy. This is your home for the foreseeable future so you need to be comfortable.”

His words were unexpected, warming yet also causing a flutter of nerves in my stomach. Home. That was a concept so foreign to me yet so desperately desired. On a small table in the corner of the room some framed pictures were displayed, a mix of family photos and candid shots of people laughing, riding motorcycles, a few of them with Dominic right at the heart. He didn’t really seem like the sentimental type so this surprised me. Then again, I’d known him all of two or three hours.

Dominic caught me looking at one photo in particular. It was a younger version of him without the beard, his arm around a woman with a vivacious smile.

“That’s Tina,” he said softly, following my gaze and pointing to the picture in question.

“She’s beautiful.” A knot formed in the pit of my stomach. This woman was special to him, though it was the only picture on the display with her in it. Next to the photo of him and Tina was another woman who looked remarkably like Tina, but had Dominic’s eyes.

“She was.” There was sadness in his voice. Regret?

“What happened?” Immediately, Dominic stiffened, then stepped away from me, and I knew I’d asked the wrong question.

“Fear and misunderstanding. I was too young back then. Neither of us really knew what love was, and I had a dangerous job. She’s gone, but I have my daughter now. That’s the only part that matters.”

My heart ached for Dominic. I could feel how much he was hurting. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to pry.”

He took a breath, then his gaze softened when he looked at me once more. “You’re not. I haven’t talked about Tina to anyone other than my daughter. We’ve only recently been reunited.” He reached out a hand for me. “Come on. I’ll show you to your room.”

Taking his offered hand, I followed him down a short hallway. The hallway opened into a cozy living area with a large window overlooking the backyard where the afternoon sunlight streamed in, dancing on the wooden floor. Though the place was pretty sparse, it had some rugs on the floor and a big, inviting fireplace. Dominic led me past this room to another door which was slightly ajar.

“This space is all yours,” he said, pushing the door open fully. Inside, the room was simple yet welcoming, painted in soft blues with a comfortable-looking bed covered in a quilt that looked handmade, and good work by the look of it. A small desk sat beneath a window that offered a view of the tall trees bordering the property, and a love seat sat along the opposite wall.

“It’s beautiful,” I murmured, more to myself than to Dominic.