Dominic (32 page)

The female name peaked my interest. "Who is Nala?"

"Nala was Damien's girlfriend, but before that she was just the cute Asian chick who followed us everywhere," Dominic said, and he smiled like he was reliving a memory with Nala in it.

I smiled also then asked, "Is she a nice person?"

Dominic shrugged. "Her dad was into the same shit as my dad and Marco but she hated what he did for 'business' like Damien and I did. She was quiet but nice, and she had the hots for Damien. She said it was his blond hair that attracted her to him and that his - our - beautiful face had nothing to do it."

I snorted. "You vain fucker, you're makin' that up!"

Dominic grinned. "Okay, she never said we had a beautiful face, but she
was
obsessed with Dame's hair colour. I think all Asians like light skin and hair, and that's what they get with Damien. He has slightly paler skin than me and his hair is white as snow naturally, so Nala was his number one fan. She came to the compound when we were all around ten. Damien had a crush on her as well so when he asked her to be his girlfriend when we were thirteen, and she said yeah, it wasn't a surprise. The only thing that was a surprise was that Trent hated them together. I think he had a thing for Nala as well and was just jealous of her and Dame, but I'm not really sure if that is the exact reason." Dominic shrugged then stretched and settled back next to me. "Dame and Nala were still together after our parents were killed but he eventually grew distant from her as well. No matter how hard she tried to help him feel better, she just couldn't. Trent was sort of her shoulder to lean on through that time; he made the mistake of trying to kiss her one night though. Damien saw the whole thing and went crazy. He attacked Trent and beat the shit out him for touching his girl."

Dominic looked up to the ceiling then and tightened his hold on me. "I think he loved Nala. I know we were only kids, but they were dating for a solid two years and knew everything about each other and did everything together. They were literally the others half and were happy until all hell broke loose. After Trent tried to kiss her and Damien kicked his ass, he spewed a lot of bullshit towards Damien, and that only made him angrier. He said Damien wasn't good enough to be Nala's boyfriend and that he belonged in the ground with our traitorous father."

Dominic shook his head. "It was a bad thing to say to a friend over a girl. Don't get me wrong, Nala was great, but she was still a girl, and I found it stupid that they were fighting over her. Loyalty wise, though, I was pissed at Trent for trying something with my bro's girl. I didn't care what he called our dad but when he wished Damien were dead, I got my turn at kicking his ass. It was the first time I was ever in a fight, and I beat the shit out of him. Damien got me off him though because he wanted to do it himself. I was fine with that 'cause I had gotten a few hits in. Trent got to his feet after Damien got me off him, and the crazy fucker pulled out a gun, a real fucking gun." I rubbed his arms when he started to get a little bit twitchy as he spoke. "I wasn't afraid of being shot by him, I was afraid for Damien though, because Trent looked at him with such hatred before he pointed the gun at him. It was then that I knew how much he truly was like Marco. If Nala hadn't jumped on Trent's back and caused him to drop the gun, there is no doubt in my mind that he would have shot and killed Dame; I feel sick just thinking about it."

My eyes were wide. "Oh, my God, where did he get a gun from?" I asked.

Dominic shrugged. "The compound we lived in never kept weapons or product onsite because we got raided a lot, but my guess is he swiped the licensed gun Marco kept in his office. After it was knocked out of Trent's hand it somehow ended up in Damien's hand, and that was when I started to panic. I still remember crying like a bitch for him to throw the gun away and that we weren't like our dad or Marco. He was listening to me as well until Trent laughed at me and called me a bitch like our dad, who deserved to be six feet under with lead in his head. Trent had already knocked Nala off him so when Damien fired the gun and hit Trent, she was safe from a follow through bullet. Trent was hit either in his heart or his shoulder. I couldn't tell because the blood that came from his wound soaked his shirt, so I couldn't pinpoint where he was hit. He wasn't moving so I guess Damien got him with one shot." Dominic shook his head then and cleared his throat. "Shit hit the fan after that. Everything went by fast, Marco had his boys clear the courtyard and wash away Trent's blood while he called the doctor, but it was too late. We were told he was already dead by the time the doc got there. Ryder being the oldest out of us met with Marco to 'discuss' things. Ryder, Kane and Alec were already involved in the business but after Dame killed Trent, they we in even deeper. We weren't stupid; we knew that the meeting with Ryder and Marco was to keep us all alive. When Ryder came out of Marco's office he told us Damien was safe, but we had to work for that safety. I knew Marco wouldn't give anything unless he received something out of the deal, so I was game for working once I knew it would keep Dame safe."

I was surprised when he snorted but didn't interrupt him.

"I was expecting to run product and sell it or some shit like that, but Marco had certain 'jobs' for us all set out. I was apparently his main man; he is really into gambling and making his money in an exciting way, and it was around that time that underground fighting got big. He wanted a fighter in the underground to represent him, and after he watched the CCTV of me kicking Trent's ass that's what I became. We have been to more countries than I can remember in the last three and half years. It seems every couple of months Marco calls me and tells me about a new underground circuit that he wants me to represent him in."

I gripped onto him as I felt my heart hammer into my chest. "He can call you whenever and tell you to leave here at any time to go to a different country to fight then, right? If he has done it in the past then he can do it again-"

"Bronagh!" Dominic snapped and shook me. "Listen to me very carefully, I am
not
leaving you. Ireland is the last country I am fighting in. I already told Marco this, and he has agreed because he was getting bored with my fights since I always win. Apparently it's not exciting unless I have an even match, and I'm fighting like an animal to please him. We're all getting released from him after my current circuit is over. Another few weeks, and it's all done with."

I sat up and just looked at him. "So that's it? Marco is going to let your family off the hook that easily? Damien
killed
his nephew."

Dominic shrugged. "Men like Marco don't care about family or honour. He knew that Ryder was planning to get us out of New York whether Damien wanted to leave or not, and after Trent was killed it was the perfect pitch for him to play and keep us with him."

I pulled a face. "I hate him already, and I haven't even met him."

Dominic pulled my head down to his. "You won't ever meet him either."

I nodded my head. "Good."

He brushed a light kiss over my mouth before pulling back. "Do you understand why I do what I do now?" he asked.

I nodded. "You're protectin' your brother."

Dominic kissed my forehead. "I knew you would understand once I told you everything."

I gave him a hard look. "That
is
everythin', right? There is nothin' else you're keepin' from me?"

Dominic shook his head. "You know everything about my past, most of it isn't even mine, it's Damien's, but you still know about it."

I nodded my head and released a huge breath. "I do understand it, but I'm still processin' it. It's a big pill to swallow."

Dominic rubbed my crossed legs. "I know, baby."

I remained quiet for a moment then asked, "Are you and Damien goin' to school as a cover for the 'family business' to make your family look normal?"

Dominic snorted. "No, we
want
to go to school. It's the only normal thing in our lives that we can control."

I nodded my head then thought of his brothers.

"What do the other lads do for Marco if you fight for him?"

Dominic chewed on his lip before he said, "Kane is his debt collector and what Marco calls his bruiser. If someone is late on payments or just in need of a 'talking' to, then Kane is the man Marco sends in to get the job done."

I gasped. "But Kane is lovely!"

Dominic grinned a little. "You've seen his scars, he didn't get them from being lovely."

Holy shite!

Kane with his big beautiful smile hurt people for this Marco creep. It was his bit to help keep Damien safe, I got that, but still, it was beyond shocking!

"Alec, what does he do? If you tell me that the flirt hurts people then I will go to the corner and just cry."

Dominic laughed. "Alec, fight people? Get real, he fucks Marco's problems away, literally."

I stared at Dominic. "You better fuckin' explain that."

Dominic rubbed his eyes. "Marco deals in things from drugs to weapons to all types of entertainment, including, but not limited to, fighting and sex."

I stared at him still waiting for him to get to Alec's role in all this.

Dominic laughed and scrubbed his face. "Alec is an escort for Marco's clients, Bronagh. Usually the wives or husband of his clients, his job is to keep them happy."

"WHAT?!" I screamed.

Dominic jumped with fright then laughed. "Out of everything I just told you, that is what freaks you out?"

No, but still!

"Alec is
gay
?" I asked, shocked beyond belief.

Dominic shook his head. "He is bisexual."

Oh, my God.

"I did not pick up on that at all, I thought he was straight," I stated.

Dominic snickered. "He loves pussy
and
cock, the greedy fucker simply can't choose between them."

I blinked at him then opened my mouth to speak only to close it again. Dominic laughed at this while I just sat next to him in shock.

"So you're an underground fighter; Kane is a bruiser and Alec is an… escort. Am I right so far?" I asked then shook my head.

There was a sentence I never thought I would hear myself say.

"Yeah, and Ryder runs drugs and weapons for Marco, so he is technically a drug and weapons dealer."

Oh, my fucking God!

"And Damien?" I squeaked.

"And Damien's nothin', he isn't involved with Marco. It's part of our deal to keep him safe. He keeps out of everything while we deal with it."

I blew out a breath. "Thank God
one
of you is normal."

Dominic moved and had me on my back with himself nestled between my legs in only a few seconds. "What's not normal about me, pretty girl?" he teased.

"You're supposed to be an eighteen-year-old foreign exchange student,
not
a secret underground fighter who is tied up with one of the most dangerous men in the entire world!" I wasn't shocked that my eyes filled with tears, and neither was Dominic because he had a bit of a grin on his face when my tears fell, which made me think of him as a huge bastard.

Dominic pressed his forehead to mine. "I was wondering when the tears were going to come. I'm surprised you got through me telling you everything without crying."

I sniffled, "Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

Dominic laughed at me which made me lightly chuckle.

He kissed my nose. "I know this shit is crazy and hard to believe and hard to accept, but I need you to trust me, okay? I know what I'm doing; I can handle this."

"I do trust you. I can't believe all this shite, but I trust you on it."

He kissed me then and kissed me hard, but stopped when I reached down and not so gently gripped his dick in my hand and squeezed.

"Fuck! Why are you doing that?" he shouted.

I released him and grinned when he whimpered a little on top of me.

"You just told me some of the most shocking things I have ever heard my entire life and you're trying to kiss me like
that
while I'm trying to process it? Get fucked, you bloody eejit," I snapped.

Dominic was laughing and wincing at the same time when he rolled off me and cupped himself. "I live you, pretty girl," he said through his pain.

I rolled my eyes and turned over. "Live you too, Fuckface."

"This is the first time you have come to school on a Monday with no fresh bruises on your face in weeks," Miss McKesson said to me as I entered her classroom on Monday morning.

I was a little surprised that she was in class already; I am usually the first person in here.

I forced a smile to the miss, but didn't say anything to her.

She nodded her head towards the door. "Will you pop down to the main hall and give Alannah and some others a hand with some things down there?"

I furrowed my eyebrows. "A hand with what? What is she doing down there when school doesn't even start for another ten minutes?"

The miss smiled. "Her and some other students are gettin' a head start on gettin' the hall ready for the Christmas concert. It's only a week away after all."