The Sacrificial Lamb (48 page)

“Just make sure you deliver on the stand. That’s all.”

“Done.”

Domenic walked over to the fridge and pulled out two beers. Maybe alcohol would cheer Max up a bit and get him off his ass. He opened them, went over, and handed Max one. Domenic sat down, and they drank in silence, absorbed in their own thoughts.

“Where’s Alexis Montgomery now?” Domenic asked, trying for nonchalance. Max glanced at him sharply. Perhaps he hadn’t been as casual as he had hoped.

“None of your damn business, and if you know what’s good for you, you’ll stay away from her.”

“What? Why?”

“You know very well why! She and John Montgomery are going into Witness Protection, and you know she can’t have contact with anyone from her previous life. Her boyfriend agreed to go with them, so at least I don’t have to worry about
that
assclown giving away her whereabouts.”

“He’s going with them?” Domenic’s voice came out louder than expected, and Max gave him another look.

“Holy God damn, D’Angelo. You
fucked
her, didn’t you?”

“No, I didn’t fuck her!” Technically, it was the truth, since he hadn’t considered Alex just a fuck. “I’m just concerned about her. This morning was pretty gruesome.” Was it just this morning that he’d killed those men? It felt like years ago.

“You better not have, Domenic. I swear to God, I’ll string you up by your balls. If her father and her boyfriend don’t get to you first.”

Domenic blew out a breath and passed a hand over his face. This was going to be much harder than he’d expected. It looked as if he would have to wait until his initiative with the Liseni was over before he could find Alex again. The problem with that was how to get word to her that his intentions had been true. And now they had the added complication of her boyfriend wanting to go into the Witness Protection Program with her and her father. What a cluster fuck this was all turning out to be.

Max was still eying him suspiciously, and Domenic continued to drink his beer, avoiding eye contact. Max lifted the bottle to his mouth and drained it. Once he was done, he stood up and strode toward the door. Before going out, he turned to him.

“Stay away from Alexis Montgomery, Domenic. That’s an order.”

Max closed the door behind him, and Domenic grimaced. An order. He was surprised Max even bothered, considering how well he’d followed orders before. Domenic was considered the dark horse of the organization due to his background, but since he had been the one man able to take down one of the largest organized crime rings in the city of Chicago, that gave him some leeway.

Unfortunately that didn’t solve the problem of trying to find Alex. Who knew where she’d ended up? Even if he did find her, what could he do about it? It wasn’t like he could saunter up to her door and pick up where they left off. While Domenic was sure John Montgomery was grateful for his efforts in saving his daughter, he didn’t think he would be
that
grateful.

There was also the added hassle of the boyfriend. Domenic hadn’t wanted to think about it, but there it was. Shane was with her right now, not him. Alex had told him that she loved him before they were separated, but that was before she knew the truth. Would that, coupled with the fact he’d never vocalized his feelings for her, make her doubt everything they’d been through and experienced together? What if she realized she still loved her boyfriend and that what she’d shared with Domenic was just a passing fancy? Passion ignited from the heat of danger?

Domenic sat down and put his head in his hands. The desperate need to find Alex was becoming all encompassing. Thinking of her in another man’s arms was going to drive him mad. He had to have faith that she would end things with Shane so that they could be together, but with such a huge lie between them, his certainty was waning.

Damn it, why hadn’t he just told her? He had been banking on the fact they had more time together. Even if things with the Liseni had turned bad, they would have been dead before the truth came out. But it was the off chance they could have been captured and tortured for information that had stopped him. Domenic knew that nothing done to him would have made him admit the truth. However, if they had used Alex against him, he would never have been able to keep quiet.

The door opened and his head shot up to see Fiona O’Malley walk into the apartment.

“What are you doing here?” he asked, annoyance coloring his voice.

“I have to stay here with you,” she replied, equally annoyed.

“What?”

“Don’t look at
me
.” She sniffed. “This wasn’t
my
idea.”

“Jesus fucking Christ!” he said in abhorrence. “You’re my babysitter!”

“I guess so.”

“This is ridiculous!”

“Take it up with Max,” she called over her shoulder as she headed toward the other bedroom.

Domenic let loose with a string of curses. Yes, this would be much more difficult than he had anticipated.

He was stuck in the apartment with Fiona the entire week. She tried to stay out of his way as his mood got steadily dourer. Domenic hated that he was being watched, hated not having any freedom, and he hated not having any privacy. He couldn’t help but compare how different this experience was from the one he had shared with Alex. While they had bickered and fought, he still wanted to be near her and see her laugh and smile. In comparison, living with Fiona was like being trapped in the seventh circle of hell.

Alex was on his mind constantly. The longer he was away from her, the less certain he became about the depth of her feelings for him, or whether he was worthy of her affections at all. The time couldn’t pass quick enough, and he was anxious to see her in the courtroom so he could convince himself of her continued affection.

He would have to be very careful not to let anyone know what had happened between them. Domenic didn’t care so much for himself, but he didn’t think it was a good idea to broadcast their feelings for one another in public yet. He didn’t want Carlo to notice how he felt for her—the less he knew, the better.

Finally it was the morning of the grand jury. Domenic had managed to get an agent to sneak into his condo to get some things, including formal clothes to wear for court. He chose his most somber suit for the occasion and straightened his tie in the mirror, scowling at his reflection. The stitches had come out the day before, and the gash on his cheek had healed into an angry looking scar. Domenic knew eventually it would fade, but at the moment it stood out against his skin.

“Ah, well, scars add character,” he grumbled to himself, pulling his lips back in a humorless grin.

When he walked out into the main room, Fiona gave a small whistle and raised an eyebrow. “You clean up good, D’Angelo,” she said appreciatively. Domenic glowered at her and kept walking, not in the mood to be trifled with.

During the drive to the courthouse, he couldn’t keep his knee from bouncing up and down in anticipation. It would be difficult to see Alex and not grab her to him. Restraint would have to be forefront in his mind. First, he had no idea how pissed off she was going to be with him, and knowing Alex, it would most likely be a lot. Second, she still had no idea how he felt about her. Third, the place would be crawling with feds, and he had to keep up appearances. Domenic hoped that somehow he could get Alex alone for a few minutes to let her know he had meant what he said in the cabin, and he
would
find her again soon.

If she still wanted him. She had said she did, but that was then, and this was now.

S
LEEP
B
ECAME
H
ER
F
RIEND
. Alex used it as an excuse not to interact with anyone. Playing the traumatized victim forced everyone let her be. She used the time alone to try to figure out her conflicting emotions. Shane had taken to sleeping on the couch so as not to disturb her, and she stayed in her room most of the time except to come out and eat. Both he and her father were worried about her, but she couldn’t snap out of this melancholy mood.

Alex had tried talking to Shane several times to let him know things between them were over, but the look on his face stopped her every time. Deep down she knew that they weren’t right for each other, and she suspected he knew as well. But almost losing her had convinced him otherwise. Now he was holding on tighter than ever, and short of coming out and admitting that she had been unfaithful, Alex had no idea how to convince him they shouldn’t stay together. Perhaps just laying it all out there was the best way, but whenever she tried, the words died on her lips. Try as she might, she couldn’t recall the New Alexis Montgomery. The one who kicked ass first and asked questions later. The truth about Domenic had shaken her to the core and reduced her to a pile of ash—fragile and easily borne on the wind.

Eventually she would tell Shane. She owed him that much. In the meantime, Alex pulled away from him as much as possible with the hope that he would realize he was holding on out of fear, not out of love. He just needed a bit of time to adjust, to see that she was safe, and she needed time to find inner strength.

The trial had been pushed back a week due to a conflict with the presiding judge’s schedule. There had been no word from Domenic during that time, and as the date of the trial approached, her apprehension grew. Alex wasn’t sure how she would react when she saw him after all this time.

Once again she found herself going through the gamut of emotions. The hurt had given way to a red hot fury that consumed her, leaving her shaking with indignation over his unmitigated gall. How dare he not tell her who he was after everything they’d gone through? When she had worn herself out, anger was replaced by sadness. Alex missed Domenic horribly. During her rage, she’d been certain that being apart would diminish her feelings for him, but it hadn’t. She still woke in the mornings reaching for him, only to find the bed as empty as her arms.

Finally the day of the trial arrived and they were escorted to the courthouse so her father could testify. Shane came along with them, and no matter how much Alex tried she couldn’t shake him. He was constantly reaching for her hand or putting his arm around her. He didn’t seem to get the hint whenever she shrugged out from under his embrace or shook her hand free of his. As they entered the building, he once again snaked his arm across her shoulders. They turned the corner, and just as she was about to remove his arm, there stood Domenic.

The sight of him took Alex’s breath away. He stood straight and tall in a charcoal suit that was tailored to fit his body, emphasizing his broad shoulders and trim waist. His hair was as tamed as possible, but still in artful disarray. An angry, red scar slashed across his cheek, marring the smooth skin. It made him look disreputable and dangerous, and that was when realization struck.

This wasn’t her Domenic standing in front of them. It was Mr. Armani.

Alex stopped walking abruptly and swallowed. Her heart began to hammer in her chest as Domenic gazed at them. He was stony-faced as he took in the cozy scene in front of him. She felt nauseated when the cold emerald eyes swept over her dispassionately, and his lips compressed into a thin line. Gone was all the warmth and affection, and in its place was the stranger from before.

Shane glanced down at her. “Alex, are you okay?”

She nodded, unable to speak. Her father came up to them then, looked at her, and frowned. He turned and saw Domenic, who began walking toward them.

“Sheriff Montgomery? I’m Special Agent Domenic D’Angelo.” He put his hand out to her father, his eyes sliding toward her.

“Pleased to meet you,” her father said, pumping Domenic’s hand solidly. “Thank you. For everything.”

“Just doing my job, sir.”

Alex felt as if someone had punched her in the stomach when she heard the words drop from his lips. Her father stepped aside, and Shane shuffled both of them forward. She was frozen in place and had quite forgotten that Shane still had his left arm around her protectively. He reached his right hand out to Domenic, who looked at it for a moment before grasping Shane’s hand.

“Yeah, thank you for keeping my fiancée safe, sir. I don’t know what I would have done if anything happened to Alex.”