I nodded jerkily and we got back on the road. We traveled for an interminable time, Dom eating up the road like it was nothing. I was surprised at how much I trusted him not to kill us.
Eventually we arrived at our destination: a picturesque cottage in Upstate New York, overlooking Lake George. It was very picturesque, with all the wooden paneling, the huge bay windows, and the view. I flopped down on the couch and turned to Dom. He was pacing in front of me, avoiding my eyes.
“Are you alright?” he asked again.
“I’m fine.”
He glanced at me and then away. “They didn’t…” He stopped and took a deep, shaky breath.
“Didn’t what?”
“Touch you or something?”
I blinked at him before I shook my head. “Not as far as I know.”
He took a deep breath again, running his hands through his hair. “Nico…”
“I’m fine, I promise. I don’t really feel… there’s no sign. I mean Rooster tried but someone stopped him. They said I was guaranteed safety or something.”
He stopped pacing to stare at me. “But you’re not sure? Did they like, drug you?”
“I can’t remember. I just woke up in a room and…” I shrugged.
I could see that I was really stressing Dom out. I wished I could say something to soothe his frazzled nerves, but I had no more information. But speaking of information. “Are Morgan and Chaz safe?”
He sighed. “Yeah. I mean, I guess there might be some anger when they discover you flew the coop, but they can hardly blame Morgan for that. Or Chaz.”
“What were you guys doing there?”
Dom sighed. “Morgan, Chaz, and…our former club president, Tank, were negotiating with the Satanists for your release. I’d authorized for them to offer carte blanche. Whatever the Satanists wanted for your safe return.”
I lost my breath a little at the implications of that little speech. “Oh…I see. So how did Chaz know where to look for me?”
Dom smirked even as he shrugged. “I have no idea. I just got a text to act cool and meet you outside the men’s room window on the south side. I didn’t ask questions.”
“Why didn’t you tell Morgan and…Tank? To leave?”
“Because I don’t want a repeat of this. I want them to sort it out. I already texted Morgan; he knows you’re safe. We have the power now. He can make sure they never come near you again.”
“How?”
He looked at me. “By whatever means necessary.”
21
Domenic
Zoom meetings aren’t just for office folk. We had Tank on the line with Sunny McDermott, President of the Satanists in ten minutes after our altercation with Curly. I spoke to Tank, offered him anything he might want and he said to me. “It’s your wife, Dom. I ain’t gon’ make you pay to get ‘er back. She’s family.”
I did not know what to think, but I wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth. Besides, calling us family clearly came with obligations, so I had no doubt he’d be calling in my debt to him sooner or later.
“Thanks, Tank.”
“No problem. Now you want me to speak with this man or what?”
We requested for an audience with the club president, who happened to be close by.
“That guy Rooster was with him,” I told Nico, now that I had her home. “After we apprised them on why we needed to talk, they went back into the office and there was some shouting.” I flicked her a glance and a side smile. “Something about running things by him first.”
“Mmm.” She inclined her head, indicating that I should continue. I crossed over to the kitchen, searching for coffee in the cupboards, so I could make her a cup.
“Are you hungry?”
‘Not more than I’m curious.”
I opened the cupboard where there was a random jar of cookies and a bag of coffee. I set up the coffee maker, put some biscuits on a plate and took them to her. “Well, anyway, when they came out, they were willing to negotiate. Apparently, the club president didn’t sanction the kidnapping, but he was more than happy to benefit from it.”
“Did they ask for money?”
“Equity.” My lips twisted. “Though I’m not sure they knew exactly what that meant themselves. Kinda got the feeling someone else was calling the shots.”
“You think it’s a set up.”
I met her eyes, cocking my eyebrows, but said nothing. She sighed, closing her eyes. “I’m sorry.”
“What for?”
“For going off half-cocked and all that. For not explaining what happened properly.”
I came to her and seated myself next to her. “I think we both fucked up on that one. Don’t they say that one of the pillars of marriage is communication?” I took a cookie and bit into it. “We suck at it.”
She laughed, leaning towards me, her bosom pressing against my arm. “Well…I don’t know. We don’t suck at all types of communication.”
“Yeah, we definitely have the sex down pat.”
She lay her head on my shoulder. “He just came out of nowhere, you know? I wasn’t expecting it. Wasn’t expecting him. Didn’t know what to do. So I thought I’d ask my lawyer.”
“Not me?”
“I didn’t know that I trusted you yet. I needed to speak to someone I knew would give me some good advice, you know?”
I sighed, knowing full well what she was saying.
She lifted her head and looked at me. “I didn’t get the grant, by the way.”
I blinked at her, actually surprised about that. “I’m sorry. I wish there was something I could do about that.”
She sighed, pursing her lips and shaking her head. “There’s nothing.”
“Hey…” I reached out and palmed her cheek gently. “Don’t give up just yet. There are still ways we can fight the power.”
She giggled. “I guess…” She shook her head. “But not this year. In a way, I’m glad I didn’t get it. Not like this.”
“That’s my girl.” I smiled at her, and for a time, we allowed ourselves to get lost in
