The Sacrificial Lamb (54 page)

“You made me hate you. Why did you do that?” Bianca whispered, and his heart splintered once more.

“Because I knew you’d never listen if I didn’t.” Once again he looked up at Alex as he spoke. “I didn’t want to hurt you. That was the last thing I wanted to do.”

Bianca nodded against his shoulder, and Alex looked down at the floor, the amusement gone from her face. Domenic let his sister go so she could sit up. Smiling, he brushed a thumb under her eye to wipe away the lingering tears.

“Forgive me?”

“I don’t know. You’re still in the doghouse along with him.” She jerked a thumb back toward Russell, and he grinned at Domenic, showing a wide array of teeth. Something told him that the doghouse wasn’t a horrible place to be.

Alex coughed, and they all turned to look at her. She blushed prettily and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Um…I don’t know about you guys, but I’m kind of hungry. So, I’ll just go and get something to eat.”

“Oh!” Bianca exclaimed. “I’m coming too. I’m completely starving these days.” She gave Russell a look and said, “Shut it.” He held up his hands and shook his head, still grinning.

The two girls smiled at each other, and for some reason that made Domenic incredibly happy. Bianca got up, hooked her arm in Alex’s, and they walked to the door.

“Are you coming, Russ?”

“Nah, I’ll stay behind and keep Domenic company.”

“Suit yourself!” Bianca called as she and Alex left the room.

Once he was certain they were gone, Russell turned back to him. “That’s some girl you got there,” he said, gesturing at the closed door.

“She’s not my girl, Russ,” Domenic replied, choking a little on the words as he said them.

“Really? You could have fooled me.”

“What the fuck are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about how she hasn’t left your side since the moment you were brought in here.”

“What?”

“Serious! There was this nurse who tried to stop her from coming into the room, and she was all ready to do some fancy ninja moves on her!
Whoooaahh!”
Russell raised his knee up to his waist, brought his arms up in an arc beside his head, and tried to balance on one foot in a classic
Karate Kid
move. Domenic watched him wobble crazily and started to laugh.

“Your martial art moves
suck
, man.”

“Yeah, well,” Russell said, lowering his leg and arms. “I lost my sparring partner about four years ago.”

“Do I have to let you cry on my shoulder too?”

“What? Do I look like a pussy to you?”

“In this light? Yeah, sort of.”

“You’re lucky you’re injured, asshole.”

“Big words, tough man.”

Russell just laughed and came around the bed to sit in the chair by the window. He looked at Domenic speculatively. Domenic knew that look, and it always led to trouble.

“Nice change of subject,” he said in a light tone. “Alex loves you, Domenic.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about, Russell. She’s engaged to someone else.”

“What makes you think that?”

“I met the guy at the courthouse. He
said
they were engaged.”

“Yeah? Did you ask Alex if it was true?”

“I didn’t need to ask her,” he said, bristling at Russell’s tone.

“I’ll take that as a no.”

“Fine! No, I didn’t ask her.”

“Instead you said something stupid to her and made her run out right into Carlo’s arms, getting your ass shot in the meantime. Fucking Dom the Douche! You deserved what you got!”

“Dom the Douche? Fuck, how long have you been talking to Alex?” he asked, irate that Russ was calling him out and that he had intimate knowledge of things that had gone on between him and Alex.

“Long enough to know you’re acting like a stupid jackass! Didn’t you hear me?” he said, pointing to the door. “That girl
loves
you! And I know that you have feelings for her too. Don’t try to deny it.”

Domenic stared at Russell belligerently. “You’re pretty fucking mouthy for someone who’s been scarce for four fucking years.”

“And whose fault was that? Huh? Yours. Again.”

“I had to!”

“I understand that, but what’s your excuse going to be now that you can’t hide behind your undercover status?”

Rubbing his hands over his face, Domenic took deep deliberate breaths. He didn’t want to admit that Russell was right—he was making excuses to push Alex away. Even though he had divested himself of his mobster persona, he still didn’t feel worthy to be with her. He had done some horrible things over the last few years under the guise of justice, but that hardly made him an innocent.

“Look, man,” he finally said, “I’m tired.”

“So, that’s it? You’re just going to shut down?”

“I heard you, okay? I’ll talk to Alex. All right?”

Russell just looked at him and shook his head. “Suit yourself, Domenic,” he said, repeating Bianca’s phrase from before. He stood up and walked to the door. Stopping in the doorway, he said one last thing before leaving. “Don’t fuck this up.”

W
ITH
L
INKED
A
RMS
, Alex and Domenic’s sister made their way to the cafeteria, one of the guards following them at a discrete distance. Bianca chattered companionably, and Alex felt as if she had known her much longer than half an hour. She supposed it was because the other woman reminded her of Domenic in some ways that she felt such an affinity toward her.

That morning Alex had showered and gotten changed, excited but nervous to meet Bianca for the first time. After making a quick breakfast for her father, she dropped a kiss on his head and left for the hospital. She had been too agitated to eat anything herself but figured she could just get something in the cafeteria.

Alex had waited by the nurse’s station and paced back and forth. The elevator opened, and she saw Russell right away. He stepped aside and there was Bianca. She wasn’t sure what she had been expecting, but it wasn’t this feisty Italian firecracker that came toward her. Bianca vibrated with excitement and had grabbed Alex and kissed her on both cheeks before Russell had even made the introductions.

“You must be Alex!” she’d said in a pleased voice.

“Yes, I am,” Alex replied, grinning in response. “I sure hope you’re Bianca.”

“Russell told me so much about you. I feel like I know you already.”

Alex let go of Bianca and smiled into her pretty face. She and Domenic looked almost exactly alike. Bianca was a buxom woman of middle height. Her hair was a shiny black that fell in soft waves around a lovely shaped face with high cheekbones and an olive-skinned complexion. Also like her brother, she had the striking green D’Angelo eyes. She had a vibrancy and openness that her brother lacked, however. Alex attributed that to the very different lives the siblings had led and wondered how Domenic would have turned out had he not been forced into life with the Liseni.

After the brief introduction they’d all gone to visit Domenic. During the conversation, Alex had gotten the distinct impression Domenic was speaking to her as much as to his sister when he explained why he’d kept his true identity a secret. After a few minutes she felt like she was intruding on the family reunion and had announced her intention to leave. It had been a surprise when Bianca had volunteered to come with her.

Now the two women sat across from one another, eating the food they’d gotten from the cafeteria while their guard stayed close by.

“I always wanted a sister,” Bianca said thoughtfully, cocking her head to one side and looking at Alex.

“Me, too,” she said, smiling broadly.

“I hope my brother marries you.”

Alex laughed and blushed to the roots of her hair. “Um, I think it’s a little soon for stuff like that.”

“I don’t know. Domenic is very decisive. When he wants something, he usually gets it.”

“What makes you think he wants me?”

“Just a hunch,” she said, smiling a secretive smile.

“Mmhmm…is this hunch’s name
Russell,
by any chance?”

Bianca chuckled to herself, feigned innocence, and continued to gorge on the huge breakfast she had purchased. Great, Alex had just made friends with the matchmaking wonder twins. Speak of the devil—Russell was headed toward them. He sat down, and they all chatted like old friends.

Once she was done, Bianca sat back and patted her still flat stomach. “Ah…that’s better! Alex, I hope you don’t mind, but I’m going to go visit with Domenic for a while.”

Alex waved a hand, telling her she’d see her soon. Russell and she continued the conversation until Bianca returned half an hour later, letting them know that Domenic was asleep. They stayed together for an hour or so, and then Alex walked them both out of the hospital. Despite her nervousness from the morning, she now felt as if she was almost part of the family. Bianca had been warm and caring and, most of all, welcoming. Even though Alex had no idea what would happen between her and Domenic now, it was nice to know that she was already starting to love his family.

On her way back, Alex stopped in the gift shop to pick up a book and went to wait for Sleeping Beauty to awake once more. This time she was determined they would talk and she wasn’t taking no for an answer.

When Russell left, Domenic exhaled slowly. Truth of the matter was his head was fucked up, and he wasn’t in a very good place. Living as an unlawful citizen had grown on him. No longer used to being a contributing member of society, he had embraced his alter ego to the point where he could barely distinguish the good left in him from the bad. And now he had to dig deep inside and try to recover the man he should be, the one who had morals and scruples. Alex had caused his long buried virtues to rise to the surface, but he still had a long way to go.

Would it be right of him to latch on to her and drag her down with him as he tried to overcome the darker side of his nature? He didn’t think it was. But would Alex understand that if he told her? He didn’t think she would.

This circular thinking continued for the next little while until Domenic heard someone come into the room. It was Bianca, smiling at him hesitantly. She entered the room and came to perch on the side of the bed. Her eyes roamed over his face, inspecting him for changes, much like he was doing to her. He wondered if she saw him as much changed.

She still looked beautiful with her dark hair and her too big eyes—a deep emerald green just like his, a legacy from their father. Subtle little lines bracketed them, and he hoped they were laugh lines and not ones of worry. It was a vain hope.

“Russell said you were going to try to get some rest, and I wanted to see you before we left.” Her hand reached out and grasped his. “I missed you so much, Dom,” she said in a hitching voice, her eyes beginning to sheen over with moisture.

“I missed you too, Bianca.” He managed to get out despite the lump in his throat, grasping her hand.

“You missed so much,” she continued sadly. “You missed our wedding.”

Domenic shook his head and smiled. “I saw you. You were a beautiful bride.”

“You were there?”

“I bribed the priest to let me stand in the vestibule. Crooked old bastard that he was.”

“Domenic!” Bianca swatted at his arm, and they both started to laugh.

“Well, he was! You should have seen how quick he made that five hundred bucks disappear.” Domenic sobered. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there to walk you down the aisle.”

“That was the one bad part about the whole day. I kept expecting you to show up, but you never did.”

“Ah, Bianca…you don’t know how horrible I felt about that.”

She nodded morosely, looking down at their clasped hands. After a few moments, she lifted her head and smiled.

“Well, that’s okay. You’ll just have to make up for it.” She leaned back and patted her belly. “Little Sesame needs an uncle.”

“Sesame?” he asked, chuckling and placing a hand over hers.