You’ve never been touched?
He froze as he fixed his dark eyes on her, his body tense above hers. Tears welled up in the woman’s brown eyes and she answered, “Never.”
And something in him, something that had been dead for years, awakened. “Then I’ll be the first,” he swore in a hoarse voice. “And the last. Only me. Always me.”
She didn’t know, had no idea that the man making this promise was the most dangerous in Boston and that he never broke his promises.
The abandoned gallery smelled of old paint and forgotten time as I walked among cracked pillars with my camera swinging from my neck. Golden light streamed through broken windows and dusty beams, casting shadows on the faded walls.
It was perfect for my historical documentation project for the library. I raised my camera and started shooting, completely lost in the work and the comforting silence I always found when surrounded by abandoned art.
That’s when I heard the voices for the first time. They were low and tense, loaded with a barely contained rage that made the air feel heavier.
I froze with my finger still on the camera button as I realized the sounds were coming from somewhere ahead, probably downstairs, echoing up the rusted metal staircase. I should have left right then, should have run, but my feet seemed glued to the floor as my heart started hammering against my ribs.
A male voice exploded in fury from below. “You owe Cross. Either pay now or—” The sound of the gunshot was different than I’d imagined. It was muffled and dull, like a deadly sight that the silencer transformed into something terribly quiet.
My hand flew to cover my mouth in an effort to stifle the scream threatening to escape. I could hear the body falling afterward, that heavy sound of flesh hitting concrete, and my stomach turned violently. “Clean this up immediately.”
The second voice was ice-cold and controlled, loaded with an authority that made my spine freeze. I heard footsteps approaching, coming in my direction. Panic exploded in my chest like shattered glass.
I needed to get out, run, hide, but my body wouldn’t obey, leaving my limbs heavy as lead, and that’s when he appeared. He emerged from the shadows as if he’d been born from them, wearing an impeccable black suit stained with dark splatters that I knew were blood.
The blood wasn’t his, which made everything infinitely more terrifying. He was tall with broad shoulders that filled the space. His presence was so dominant it seemed to suck out all the oxygen, and when his eyes met mine, the world stopped.
Dark, cold eyes carrying a promise of violence were completely focused on me. The silence that followed was so dense I could feel its weight pressing on my lungs.
I should run, scream, do anything other than stand there like an idiot, but I was frozen under that penetrating gaze. He began walking toward me deliberately, slowly. Each step was measured like a predator that had found its prey and knew it had nowhere to run.
“You saw everything.” It wasn’t a question, but a statement pronounced in that low, dangerous voice that made every nerve ending go on alert. My mouth was dry and my hands were shaking.
I tried to swallow the fear before forcing the words out. “I—I didn’t see anything, I swear.” He stopped in front of me, so close I could feel the heat radiating from him and see the blood stains on his white collar.
One corner of his mouth lifted slightly, not exactly a smile, but the acknowledgement of an obvious lie. “You’re a terrible liar.” The words came out smooth and almost amused, but I felt the steel behind them.
Tears burned my eyes and I hated that weakness, hated how my body visibly trembled. “I swear I won’t tell. I was just taking pictures and I’ll leave now and forget everything.”
The words tumbled out as I tried to get past him. His fingers closed around my wrist before I could take two steps, his grip firm and inescapable. “Not so fast.”
His touch was warm against my frozen skin. I could feel my racing pulse under his fingers and I was certain he felt it, too. My eyes filled with tears I fought not to let fall.
“Please,” the word came out as a broken whisper. “I promise I won’t tell. Just let me go.”
He studied me then with an attention that went beyond simply looking; he was really seeing me in a way no one ever had. His eyes traveled over my face, lingering on every detail as if memorizing or trying to decipher a puzzle, and I saw something shifting in his expression, perhaps curiosity.
“What were you doing here alone?” The question caught me off guard.
“It’s a project for the library where I work, historical documentation of abandoned places.” I raised my camera with my free hand, the movement clumsy.
He took the camera with an ease that should have scared me more. His fingers worked through the menus, systematically deleting. When he returned it to me, the evidence had disappeared. “Now you have no proof.”
“I wasn’t going to show—” I began, but he cut me off with a look. “I know.”
There was something different in his voice now, less threat and more assessment, but precaution. A younger man appeared behind him, tattooed and alert. “Boss, we need to get out.”
“Wait.” He didn’t take his eyes off me.
“But boss—”
“I said wait.” The voice cut like a blade, and the other man stepped back without daring to question. The silence stretched out, loaded and dense. I could feel every beat of my heart echoing in my ears, every shallow breath.
“What’s your name?” I choked in surprise.
“Why?”
Something almost like amusement flickered in his eyes. “Because witnesses have names, and I need to know if you’re going to be a problem.”
I swallowed hard. “Alyra Bennett.” My voice came out firmer than I expected. “And you?”
His eyebrows rose in genuine surprise, as if no one had ever asked him that simple question. “You’re asking me my name?”
“You asked mine first.” I answered with a courage I didn’t know I had, but that was there, firm and stubborn.
He watched me for a long moment, and then answered, “Dominic Wolfe.”
“Are you—” I hesitated before letting it slip. “Are you going to kill me?”
The corner of his mouth lifted in that almost-smile. “I should.” An eternal pause. “But no, you look like someone who keeps secrets.”
“I do,” I confirmed quickly.
“Then we have a deal.” He released my wrist, and I felt the absence of warmth immediately. “You forget what you saw, and I let you go. That’s it.”
Another pause before he leaned in, invading my space in a way that caught my breath. “But, Alyra?” I raised my eyes to meet his, so close I could see golden flecks in the dark brown.
“If you tell—” his voice was soft as a whisper, but loaded with a lethal promise. “I’ll find out, and it won’t be pleasant.”
It should have scared me, but there was something more in his voice beyond the threat, something infinitely more complex. “I won’t tell,” I promised with absolute sincerity. “I promise.”
He pulled back, giving me space to breathe, think, and flee. And that’s what I did. I ran from that gallery as if hell were chasing me, my heart beating so hard it echoed painfully.
But even running, even with fear flooding every cell, I still felt those dark eyes fixed on me, watching me even from a distance.
Dominic stood in the middle of the empty gallery, staring at the door through which she had disappeared, running like a frightened animal. Jax approached cautiously, recognizing that expression the boss rarely displayed. “You let a witness live,” Jax commented carefully.
“I know.” Dominic’s voice was distant, distracted in a way Jax had never seen before.
“That’s not how you usually do things, boss.”
“I know perfectly well.” Dominic ran his hand through his hair, messing up the impeccable style. “Get information on her. Full name, address, where she works, everything.”
Jax raised an eyebrow. “You going to send someone to take care of it?”
“No.” Dominic finally turned to look at his right-hand man, and there was something different in his eyes. “I’m going to watch her myself.”
That night, alone in his luxurious apartment that looked more like an empty fortress, Dominic couldn’t get that girl out of his head. Those frightened but brave brown eyes, the body trembling while the voice remained firm, the way she had asked his name as if she had every right to know.
He had killed men for much less than witnessing his business. He should have handled that the usual way, quick and permanent. But something about her stopped him, something he couldn’t name, and that irritated him deeply.
“What the hell is happening to me?” he murmured to the glass of whiskey he held, watching the city below through the floor-to-ceiling windows.
But he knew the answer even if he didn’t want to admit it. For the first time in years, since Leo, since Serena, since his soul had turned to ice, something inside him had reacted. And it was so unusual, so unexpected, that he didn’t know if he wanted to smother that feeling or explore it.
Dominic Wolfe didn’t do anything halfway. If he was going to watch Alyra Bennett, he was going to do it right.
Three days later, the library was wrapped in its characteristic silence that Wednesday afternoon, providing that kind of peace that always calmed my mind. I was organizing books in the history section, humming softly, trying not to think about dark eyes, ice-cold voices, and dangerous promises, trying hard—and failing miserably.
“I need a book recommendation.” That voice made me freeze, my fingers gripping the book spine like a lifeline. I knew that voice, had heard it in my nightmares for the last three days.
I turned slowly, almost afraid. Dominic Wolfe was there a few feet away, wearing a casual dark gray suit, free of bloodstains. Dark sunglasses hid his eyes, but I knew he was watching me, could feel the weight of that gaze.
“You.” The word came out strangled.
He put a finger to his lips, a small smile curving his mouth. “Shh, we’re in a library.”
He removed his glasses and those dark eyes met mine with an intensity that turned my stomach. “And I really do need a book.”
I looked around quickly, no one nearby. “What are you doing here?”
“Reading.” He tilted his head, feigning absurd innocence.
“You’re not the type who reads,” I shot back before I could stop myself.
“How do you know?”
“Because you look like someone who—” I stopped, realizing too late what I was going to say.
“Who does what?” He took a step closer and I backed up until my back hit the shelf, trapped. “Does other things.”
The way he said it, with that low tone loaded with implications, made heat rise up my neck. “Did you tell?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because I promised.” I lifted my chin, trying to look brave. “And because I don’t want to die.”
Something changed in his expression, becoming vulnerable for a second. “I’m not going to hurt you.”
“How do I know?”
“Because if I wanted to—” he took another step, eliminating the space until I felt his warmth and smelled his masculine scent. “I already would have.” A pause. “Can I take you for coffee?”
My brain stopped. “What?”
“Coffee?” He pronounced it slowly, as if I were a child. “You and me, as an apology for the scare.”
“This is absurd.”
“I agree.” That almost-smile transformed his face. “But will you go?”
I should say no, should run, do anything except what I did.
“When?”
His smile widened, genuine and devastating. “Now, your shift ends in 10 minutes.”
My eyes widened. “How do you know?”
“I do my homework.” He extended his hand, palm up—an offer, an invitation, a choice. “So?”
I looked at that hand, at him, at those eyes that held deadly secrets. And then I placed my hand in his.
Jax was driving while watching the boss through the rearview mirror. Dominic was typing something on his phone, but there was a different expression on his face, something Jax hadn’t seen in years. It almost looked like satisfaction.
“Boss,” Jax began carefully, “did you just ask that girl out for coffee?”
“So what?” Dominic didn’t look up from his phone.
“So what?” Jax repeated incredulously. “Boss, you’re literally going out with a witness.”
“I’m not going out with her,” Dominic answered calmly. “It’s research, making sure she stays quiet.”
“Research?” Jax couldn’t hide the sarcastic tone. “Right, boss. Research involving coffee and that stupid smile you were giving.”
Dominic finally looked up, but there was no anger in his eyes, just a warning. “Careful.”
“I’m just saying.” Jax couldn’t contain his smile. “That in 10 years working for you, I’ve never seen you invite anyone for coffee, much less a girl who saw you kill someone.”
Silence filled the car for a long moment. “She’s different,” Dominic finally admitted in a low voice.
“I noticed.” Jax looked in the rearview mirror again. “Just be careful, boss. Different can be dangerous in other ways.”
Dominic returned to looking at his phone, but a small smile curved his mouth. “I know exactly what I’m doing.”
Jax laughed quietly. “Yeah, sure you do. That’s why you’ve got that look of a teenager going on his first date.”
“Jax—”
“Okay, okay, I’ll shut up.” But Jax was smiling. “Just one more thing, boss.”
“What?”
“You’re screwed.”
And for the first time in years, Dominic Wolfe didn’t disagree.
Dominic chose a place that was small and discreet, hidden on a side street I never would have noticed if I weren’t with him. He held the door for me with a gentleness that contrasted strangely with the man I’d seen three days ago, and I entered feeling my heart beating erratically as I tried to understand what exactly I was doing there.
We sat at a table in the corner, away from the windows and curious eyes. He ordered black coffee and I ordered a cappuccino, and then we sat there staring at each other for a moment that seemed to stretch infinitely as I tried to find something intelligent to say.
“So,” he began, with that deep voice that made me feel things I shouldn’t feel. “Librarian, always as brave as you were that day?”
Brave? I repeated the word as if it were a foreign concept, because honestly, I didn’t feel brave at all in that moment.
“You saw something disturbing and extremely dangerous,” he continued, leaning slightly forward in a way that decreased the space between us. “And here you are, sitting with me, having coffee as if nothing happened.”
“You said you weren’t going to hurt me,” I answered, surprised by the firmness of my own voice.
“And you actually believed that?” There was something that almost looked like admiration in his dark eyes.
“Not completely,” I admitted with honesty that surprised me. “But I came anyway because you seemed so sad and alone, and I understand perfectly what it’s like to feel that.”
He stopped completely, his coffee cup suspended in the air between the table and his mouth. No one had ever said that to him. I could see by the shocked expression that briefly crossed his features before returning to that controlled mask.
“You’re strange in a way I can’t comprehend,” he finally said, but it didn’t sound like an insult.
“Thank you.” I couldn’t help the small smile that curved my lips. “It’s definitely a compliment.”
He put the cup back on the table without having taken a single sip. “Spend the day with me today.”
The declaration was so direct and unexpected that I almost choked on my cappuccino. “Why?”
“Because I want your company,” he answered with unsettling simplicity, “and because you want mine, too, even if you won’t admit it.”
“You’re incredibly presumptuous,” I commented, but I couldn’t deny what he said.
“It’s not presumption when it’s simply the truth.” That almost-smile appeared again, transforming his face in a way that should be illegal.
Half an hour later, I found myself in front of an art museum that I loved but rarely visited. Dominic had asked where I wanted to go, and when I suggested the museum, I saw something that looked a lot like pain cross his face before he agreed with a nod.
“You really want to go to a museum?” I asked as we climbed the marble steps.
“I said you chose the place,” he answered, but the tone was slightly tense in a way that made me want to laugh.
Inside the museum, it became painfully obvious that Dominic Wolfe hated every second he spent there. He looked at the paintings with a politely bored expression, his hands in his pockets, clearly just accompanying me out of courtesy, until we stopped in front of a specific painting.
“This is Caravaggio,” I began to explain, feeling the familiar passion rising in my chest. “The Calling of Saint Matthew. See how the light enters through the window so dramatically.”
I pointed to the details that always fascinated me. “It’s about choice and possible redemption. Matthew was a tax collector, completely corrupt and hated, but Christ calls him anyway.”
I continued explaining how Christ’s hand echoed God’s in Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel, how everything in the composition spoke about second chances and transformation. When I finally stopped to breathe, I realized that Dominic wasn’t looking at the painting. He was looking at me.
“What?” I asked, feeling heat rise up my neck under that intense gaze.
“You’re absolutely brilliant,” he said with a conviction that left me speechless. “Not just intelligent or well-informed; you’re genuinely brilliant in a way that illuminates everything around you.”
“I just like history and art,” I murmured, blushing violently.
“No.” He took a step closer, invading my personal space in that way that was already becoming familiar. “You’re special in a way that goes far beyond liking something. Continue. Tell me more about every painting here.”
And I did. We walked through the entire museum while I explained each period, each artist, each technique, and hidden story in the canvases. Dominic listened to every word as if I were revealing secrets of the universe, asking intelligent questions that showed he was really paying attention.
For the first time in years, since I lost my family, someone really cared about what I had to say. And it wasn’t just politeness on his part. I could see genuine interest growing in his eyes as I spoke.
When we left the museum three hours later, Dominic had a different expression on his face, lighter somehow, as if a weight had been lifted.
“I never imagined I’d like a museum,” he admitted as we walked down the sidewalk.
“And did you?” I asked with hope I couldn’t hide.
“With you explaining, I loved every second.” He looked at me in a way that made my heart skip a beat. “You transform ordinary things into extraordinary just by talking about them.”
The afternoon was already falling when Dominic asked about dinner. I expected him to suggest some expensive and elegant restaurant, the kind of place that matched his impeccable suits and intimidating presence.
“Pizza,” I suggested hesitantly. “I know a great place. It’s not expensive, but the food is incredible.”
He looked surprised for a moment before agreeing. “Pizza sounds perfect.”
The place I knew was small and run by a loud Italian family. The tables had faded checkered tablecloths, and the air smelled of garlic and fresh basil. Dominic looked around as if he’d entered another planet, clearly out of his usual comfort zone.
But then something interesting happened. He truly relaxed for the first time since I’d met him, his shoulders losing that constant tension as we sat at a table in the corner.
“This is refreshing,” he admitted while looking at the simple menu. “Different from what I’m used to, but in a good way.”
The conversation during dinner started light, talking about pizza flavors and favorite places in the city. But then, gradually and naturally, it deepened into more personal territory.
“Do you have family?” he asked while we waited for our order to arrive.
I felt the familiar sadness tighten my chest. “I had my parents and my younger brother. Car accident, three years ago.” I forced a smile that didn’t reach my eyes. “Truck lost control in the rain, hit their car. It was instant, at least. They didn’t suffer.”
“I’m truly sorry,” Dominic said, and there was genuine empathy in his voice.
“Me, too.” I looked at my hands clasped on the table. “Books became my escape after that. My work, my life, everything revolved around them because it was easier than facing the loneliness.”
“I understand loneliness better than you imagine,” he said quietly, with a vulnerability I didn’t expect to see in him.
“Do you have family?” I asked, turning his question back.
“I had a brother, Leo.” His jaw visibly tightened. “He died two years ago, and it was completely my fault.”
“I’m sure it wasn’t,” I began, but he interrupted me.
“It was. He always protected me since we were kids, always put my safety above his own.” His fingers drummed on the table, the only sign of internal agitation. “And when it came time for me to protect him, I failed completely. I couldn’t save him.”
Without thinking, I reached out and took his hand on the table. The touch was soft and hesitant, but he turned his palm up and intertwined our fingers as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
“You carry a lot of weight alone,” I observed gently.
“I always have because I had no choice,” he answered, looking at our joined hands. “It’s what leaders do, but you don’t have to carry everything alone, at least not with me here.”
I squeezed his fingers lightly. “Not in this moment.”
He lifted his eyes to meet mine, and there was something there that made me forget to breathe. Gratitude, surprise, and something deeper that I couldn’t name, but that made me feel like I was falling.
When we left the restaurant, it was already dark, and the city lights created a soft glow on the streets. Dominic insisted on taking me home, and his car was exactly what I expected—luxurious, expensive, and intimidating.
The drive was silent but comfortable, full of attention that wasn’t unpleasant, but rather loaded with expectation. When he stopped in front of my building, neither of us moved immediately to get out.
“Thank you for today,” I finally said, turning to look at him. “It was completely unexpected, but wonderful.”
“For me, too,” he answered, his dark eyes fixed on me in a way that made my skin tingle. “I didn’t expect it to be so perfect.”
The silence stretched between us, loaded with something heavy and inevitable. He leaned slightly in my direction, his eyes falling to my mouth before returning to my eyes.
“Can I kiss you?”
The question came out low and hoarse, but the fact that he asked permission surprised me completely. My heart raced as I nodded, unable to form words.
He moved closer slowly, giving me time to change my mind before finally pressing his lips against mine. The kiss was soft and respectful, completely controlled on his part, but I melted instantly against him. It was my first real kiss, the first time someone touched me like this, and it was everything I never knew I wanted.
When he pulled back slightly, my eyes were still closed and my breathing was rapid. “You,” he began, studying my face with intense attention. “You’ve never really done this before, have you?”
Shame burned my face. “It was my first real kiss, pathetic for someone 25 years old, isn’t it?”
“No.” He took my face in his hands, making me look at him. “It’s absolutely perfect.”
Then he kissed me again, this time deeper, but still incredibly gentle, as if I were something precious that could break.
“Mine,” he murmured against my lips.
“Yours?” I repeated, confused.
“Mine. You just don’t fully know it yet.” He kissed me one more time before pulling away, “But you will soon.”
He got out of the car and came to open my door, helping me out with old-fashioned chivalry. At the door of my building, he kissed me one more time, quick but intense, before returning to the car.
I stood there like an idiot, watching him leave, completely confused and in love, and absolutely lost.
Inside the car, Jax could barely contain his smile as he watched the boss through the rearview mirror. “So, how was the research today, boss?” He asked with false innocence.
“Shut up, Jax,” Dominic answered, but there was no real anger in his voice.
“It’s just that I noticed something interesting,” Jax continued, clearly enjoying himself. “You spent the whole day in an art museum.”
“So what?” Dominic was looking out the window, but Jax could see the small smile on his lips.
“Boss, you hate museums with every fiber of your being. You always say you’d rather watch paint dry than stare at old paintings.”
Silence. Dominic had no answer for that.
“And now you spent three hours voluntarily in one,” Jax pressed, “which can only mean one thing.”
“Don’t say it,” Dominic warned.
“You’re completely in love with her,” Jax finished triumphantly, laughing. “I told you that you were screwed.”
Dominic finally turned to look at his right-hand man, and for the first time in years, he didn’t deny it. He just sighed and ran his hand through his hair. “I know I am,” he admitted quietly, almost to himself, “and I have no idea what to do about it.”
Jax smiled as he focused on the road. “Enjoy it, boss. From what I saw today, she’s in love with you, too.”
And for the first time since his world had crumbled, Dominic Wolfe allowed himself to have hope.
Dominic Wolfe didn’t do things halfway, but he also didn’t let himself be consumed by anything or anyone since Serena had betrayed him and Leo had died because of it. He had built walls around what remained of his heart—high and thick walls that no one could penetrate—until Alyra Bennett appeared with her frightened brown eyes and inexplicable courage.
It’s just physical attraction, he told himself the morning after the day at the museum, looking out the window of his apartment as the city woke up below. It’ll pass once I get tired of her or she discovers who I really am.
But it didn’t pass, not at all. He found himself going to her library every day, always with a different excuse. He needed a book on ancient history, wanted a biography recommendation, was looking for something about Renaissance art. The excuses were weak and she knew it, but she smiled anyway every time he showed up.
He saw her at her cafe during lunch, sitting a few tables back and watching while she read a book as she ate a simple sandwich. He memorized every detail, from the way she bit her lower lip when she was concentrated to how she always ordered chamomile tea instead of coffee. He waited outside her building at night, hidden in the shadows, just to make sure she got home safely.
Jax had started accompanying him on these silent vigils, shaking his head with a mixture of amusement and concern.
“Boss,” Jax finally said after a week of this, “this is starting to look a lot like obsessive stalking.”
“It’s not stalking,” Dominic answered without taking his eyes off the lit window of Alyra’s apartment. “It’s preventive protection.”
“Protection from what exactly?” Jax crossed his arms. “She doesn’t know anything about your business. Nobody knows she exists in your life.”
“They don’t know yet,” Dominic corrected with a tense voice. “But they’ll find out eventually, and when they do, she’ll become an automatic target.”
Jax sighed, recognizing the distorted but not completely wrong logic. “Or you could just admit you’re obsessed with her.”
“Obsession is too strong a word,” Dominic murmured, but didn’t completely deny it.
“Boss, you spent three hours in a museum and enjoyed it. You hate museums,” Jax pointed out the obvious. “You’re completely in love, not just obsessed.”
Dominic finally turned to look at his right-hand man with an expression that was half-irritation and half-resignation. “And if I am, what exactly do you suggest I do?”
“Stop fighting it and admit what you’re feeling,” Jax answered simply. “At least to yourself.”
Two weeks after that first day together, Alyra and I had developed something I couldn’t name, but that left me simultaneously happy and terrified. He showed up almost every day, always with that small smile that transformed his face, always with some excuse to see me.
Ruby had noticed immediately, of course. She interrogated me at the cafe where she worked. Her eyes narrowed with the suspicion of a protective best friend.
“So this mysterious guy,” she began while preparing my tea, “what exactly does he do for a living?”
“Business,” I answered vaguely, because it was the only answer Dominic had given me when I asked. “Import and export, I think.”
“Import and export of what exactly?” Ruby pressed.
“I don’t know the specific details,” I admitted, and it was true. Whenever I tried to ask more direct questions about his work, he diverted the conversation with impressive skill or distracted me with a kiss that made me completely forget what I was asking.
“Alyra,” Ruby said my name with that warning tone she used when she thought I was being naive. “Don’t you think it’s strange that he’s so vague?”
“Maybe he just doesn’t like talking about work,” I defended, but even to me it sounded weak. “Lots of people are like that.”
“Lots of normal people, yes,” Ruby agreed, “but he doesn’t seem exactly normal to me. The expensive suits, the luxury car, the way he always seems to be looking over his shoulder.”
I had noticed these things, too, but had chosen to ignore them because the alternative was questioning everything, and I wasn’t ready to do that. He made me happy in a way I hadn’t felt in years, since before I lost my family, and I was afraid of ruining it by asking questions whose answers could change everything.
“I just want you to be careful,” Ruby finally said, her voice softening. “You deserve to be happy, but you also deserve honesty.”
“I know,” I agreed, but didn’t promise anything.
The following days turned into weeks, and Dominic and I became inseparable whenever our schedules allowed. He took me to more museums, and I discovered that he had a photographic memory and remembered everything I explained, asking intelligent questions that showed genuine interest.
“Do you really like this now, or are you just pretending for me?” I asked one day as we walked through a modern art gallery.
“I really like it,” he admitted, putting his arm around my waist in a possessive way that had already become familiar. “When you explain, everything suddenly makes sense. Art stops being just painting and becomes living history.”
My heart tightened at the sincerity in his voice, and I allowed myself to relax against him as we continued walking.
The opera, however, was a completely different story. Dominic had gotten tickets for Puccini’s Tosca, and I was absolutely thrilled. He, on the other hand, looked like he was going to an execution as we sat in our balcony seats.
Fifteen minutes after the start, he leaned over and whispered in my ear, “This is pure, refined torture.”
I had to cover my mouth to keep from laughing out loud. “It’s Puccini. It’s beautiful.”
“It’s too long and making me very sleepy,” he answered, but his eyes sparkled with humor.
“You’re absolutely impossible,” I whispered back, shaking my head.
“And you like it,” he shot back, his smile pure male smugness.
“Maybe I like it a little,” I admitted reluctantly, and he laughed quietly before taking my hand and intertwining our fingers, keeping it that way for the rest of the entire performance even while clearly hating every minute.
What Dominic didn’t know was that someone had noticed his frequent outings and change in behavior. Roman Cross had eyes all over the city, and when one of his informants mentioned seeing the head of the Wolfe family with an ordinary girl, his curiosity was immediately piqued.
“Dominic Wolfe with a girlfriend?” Roman laughed to Serena, who was sitting in his office. “This is interesting and potentially very useful.”
“He’s never had a serious girlfriend since me,” Serena said with obvious bitterness. “He was always married to the business.”
“So, if he’s going out with someone publicly, she must mean something important,” Roman concluded, his fingers drumming thoughtfully on the desk. “A weakness we can exploit eventually.”
“You want me to find out who she is?” Serena offered, her eyes gleaming with something dangerous.
“Not yet,” Roman decided. “Let him relax first. Get comfortable. Weaknesses are more effective when they’re unexpected.”
Meanwhile, Jax had noticed the same men appearing repeatedly near Alyra’s library and had immediately alerted Dominic.
“Boss, we’ve got eyes watching us,” Jax informed during one of their daily meetings. “I recognized two guys from the Cross organization near the library yesterday.”
Dominic’s blood instantly froze. “Did they see her with me?”
“Probably, considering how many times you’ve been there in the last few weeks,” Jax answered honestly. “Boss, you knew this was going to happen eventually.”
“Damn it.” Dominic ran his hand through his hair in frustration. “Put discrete surveillance on her immediately. Two men, always. If anyone from the Cross organization approaches her, I want to know instantly.”
“Already being arranged,” Jax assured. “But boss, maybe it’s time to tell her the truth about who you really are.”
“Not yet,” Dominic said firmly. “She’ll hate me when she finds out, and I’m not ready to lose her yet.”
“You’re going to lose her anyway if something happens and she finds out you hid everything,” Jax pointed out with relentless logic.
Dominic knew he was right, but he couldn’t force himself to risk it. Not when Alyra looked at him as if he were something good and valuable. Not when she smiled at him as if he were capable of deserving that happiness.
Three weeks after our first date, Dominic invited me to dinner at his apartment. He had cooked personally, something that completely surprised me, and the food was genuinely delicious.
“Where did you learn to cook like this?” I asked as we finished dessert.
“My mother insisted that every man should know how to cook,” he answered with a nostalgic smile. “She said women weren’t servants and that I’d need to take care of myself.”
“Your mother was wise,” I commented, taking another sip of wine.
After dinner, we moved to the huge leather sofa in the living room. The view of the city through the enormous windows was breathtaking, but I could barely pay attention because Dominic was looking at me in that way that made my stomach turn.
“Come here,” he said quietly, opening his arms.
I went without hesitation, snuggling against his chest as he wrapped his arms around me. We stayed like that for a while, just enjoying the closeness, but then something changed in the air between us. He tilted my face up and kissed me, first softly as always, but then with more intensity. His fingers tangled in my hair as I clung to his shoulders, completely lost in the sensation.
“Alyra,” he murmured against my lips. “I want you.”
My heart raced violently, a mixture of desire and nervousness taking over me. “I want you, too,” I whispered back, and it was true, despite all the fear.
He lifted me in his arms as if I weighed nothing and carried me to his bedroom. The bed was huge, and the city lights came through the windows, creating soft shadows throughout the room. We kissed while he delicately removed my clothes, his hands exploring with a reverence that made me feel precious.
But when he lay over me and his hand began to move up my thigh, something inside me went into complete panic. The tears came out of nowhere, hot and uncontrollable, running down my temples as I tried to silently stifle them.
Dominic froze instantly, pulling away as if he’d been burned. “Alyra, what’s wrong? Did I hurt you?”
“No,” I sobbed, covering my face with my hands in absolute shame. “You didn’t hurt me, I just—”
He pulled me into his lap immediately, holding me gently as I cried against his chest. “Hey, hey, it’s okay. Tell me what happened, please.”
“I’ve never done this before.” The words came out muffled against his skin. “Never with anyone. I’m a virgin and you’ll probably think I’m weird and childish and—”
He cut in firmly, taking my face and forcing me to look at him through the tears blurring my vision. “Do you really think I care about that?”
“Everyone cares,” I whispered miserably, feeling shame burn my cheeks. “Everyone thinks it’s weird that someone 25 years old has never done anything with anyone.”
“I’m not everyone,” he said with an intensity that cut through all my fears and insecurities. He held me closer, wiping my tears with his thumbs as his dark eyes searched mine with an attention that made it hard to breathe.
His body was completely tense, as if the next thing I was going to say mattered more than anything else in the entire world. The question he asked next came out hoarse and loaded with emotion he normally kept rigidly hidden. His eyes fixed on mine with an intensity that made me feel as if he were seeing through every layer of my soul.
“You’ve never been touched?”
And then we returned to the beginning and everything would change from there.
“Then I’ll be the first,” I answered the truth. “No, I’ve never been touched.”
“Then I’ll be the first,” he swore, with each word sounding like a promise carved in stone. “And the last. Only me. Always me.”
The kisses became more intense as we returned to his bedroom, our hands exploring with a growing urgency that made my heart race uncontrollably. Clothing began to be lost on the floor while he gently guided me to the huge bed that dominated the dark and elegant room.
He positioned himself over me, his body warm and solid, and his lips continued tracing paths of fire across my exposed skin while his hands explored with a reverence that made me tremble.
When I felt his hand begin to move up my thigh, something inside me went into absolute and uncontrollable panic. I stopped. I froze completely, and then the tears came.
Dominic froze immediately, his body going rigid over mine as he pulled away as if he’d been burned. “Alyra, what’s wrong?” His voice was loaded with genuine concern as he pulled back even more. “Did I hurt you?”
“No,” I sobbed desperately, covering my face with my hands in absolute shame. “You didn’t hurt me. I just—”
He pulled me into his lap immediately, holding me gently as I cried against his bare chest. “Hey, hey, look at me.” His hands took my face delicately, forcing me to meet his eyes. “What happened? Tell me.”
I swallowed hard, shame burning my face as I struggled to find the right words. “I’ve never done this,” I finally whispered, my voice so low I could barely hear it. “Never as in—”
He left the question hanging, his eyes searching mine as he waited for me to complete it.
“Never,” I repeated with a broken voice, tears falling faster now. “Nothing. No one ever wanted me like this before.” I covered my face again, sobbing. “I’m a virgin and you’ll think I’m weird and childish and—”
He cut in firmly, taking my face again and forcing me to look directly at him. “Do you really think I care about that?”
“Everyone cares about these things,” I murmured miserably.
His eyes darkened with something intense and dangerous as his voice came out low and loaded with primitive emotion. “I’m not everyone.”
He made a deliberate pause, studying me. “You’ve never been touched by anyone?”
The tears kept falling as I shook my head negatively. “Never.”
The silence that followed was absolute as I watched him process that information. Then something completely changed in his expression. Something dark and possessive and primitive was awakening behind those normally controlled eyes.
His fingers took my chin firmly as his voice came out hoarse and loaded with a lethal promise. “Then I’ll be the first.”
He leaned closer, his eyes fixed on mine. “And the last. Only me. Always me. Understand?”
My breath caught completely. “Dominic.”
“No one else touches you this way,” he continued with an intensity that stole my breath. “No one else kisses you like this. No one else has you completely.” He paused, his fingers caressing my face. “Only me.”
That should have scared me with its absolute possessiveness, but strangely, it didn’t scare me at all.
“This is very intense,” I managed to whisper.
“I feel everything intensely when it comes to you,” he admitted, kissing me softly in a way that contrasted with the intensity of his words. “But only if you really want this. No rush at all. No pressure whatsoever. You set the pace, always.”
I looked into his eyes, seeing absolute sincerity mixed with that possessive desire, and my decision formed with crystal clarity.
“I want to,” I said with a firm and determined voice. “With you, only you.”
“Are you absolutely sure?” He asked one more time, searching for any sign of doubt.
“I’ve never been more sure of anything in my entire life,” I answered with complete honesty.
What happened after was something that transcended any simple description, because it went far beyond the physical and reached something deeply emotional and vulnerable. Dominic was incredibly slow with me. Each movement was careful and deliberate. Each touch loaded with attention that made me feel like something too precious to be treated hastily.
He whispered comforting words against my skin while his hands explored with reverence, asking repeatedly if I was okay, if I wanted to continue, always giving me the option to stop at any moment. His lips traced soft paths while he prepared me with infinite patience.
When the inevitable finally arrived, there was a sharp pain that made me hold my breath and grip his shoulders hard enough to leave marks. He stopped immediately, his body becoming still while his eyes searched mine with evident concern.
“Want to stop?” His voice was tense from the obvious effort to control himself, and I knew without a shadow of doubt that he would stop instantly if I asked.
“No,” I answered, holding his face between my trembling hands. “Continue. I trust you.”
He continued then with an extreme care that bordered on reverence, kissing every tear that escaped my eyes, whispering soft and comforting words, making everything as gentle as possible for me. Gradually, the pain began to diminish and was being replaced by something different, something that made me finally understand why people describe this as true intimacy.
It was ours. It was perfect. It was exactly how it should be.
When it was over, we lay together with our hearts still beating erratically and our breathing still irregular, him holding me against his chest as if I were the most valuable thing he’d ever held. His fingers drew lazy patterns on my back as I snuggled closer, feeling complete in a way I’d never experienced.
“Are you okay?” he asked quietly, kissing my forehead with absolute tenderness.
“I’m more than okay,” I answered honestly, lifting my face to look at him. “It was perfect. It was exactly how it should be.”
“You were perfect,” he corrected gently, pulling the blanket over our intertwined bodies. “Completely perfect in absolutely every way.”
I fell asleep in his arms, feeling safe and loved and complete for the first time in years, since before I lost my family, since before I learned that the world could be cruel and lonely.
The soft golden light of morning streamed through the huge bedroom windows, creating luminous patterns on the walls as the city below slowly began to wake. I woke up slowly and lazily, immediately aware of the warmth of another body beside me, the comforting weight of an arm around my waist.
I carefully turned my head and found Dominic already awake, watching me with an expression that mixed tenderness with something deeper and more intense. There was a peace in his face that I’d never seen before, as if something inside him had finally calmed down.
What I didn’t know was what had gone through his head moments before I woke up. He had lain there watching me sleep peacefully, my hair spread on the pillow and my expression completely relaxed, and a thought had crossed his mind with frightening clarity.
Damn it, he had thought with a mixture of surprise and resignation, I’m completely in love with her.
“What?” I asked sleepily, catching only the end of what he had murmured in a low voice.
“Nothing important,” he answered quickly, pulling me closer and kissing my forehead. “Good morning, mine.”
The possessive word resonated inside me with a deep meaning I was still learning to understand. “Yours?” I repeated, testing how it sounded out loud, and I liked how it made me feel.
He pulled back enough to look directly into my eyes, his expression becoming intensely serious in a way that made my stomach turn.
“Forever,” he declared with an absolute conviction that left no room for doubt. “You’re mine forever now.”
That declaration, so possessive and definitive, should have scared me, should have made me question, but instead it made me feel wanted and loved in a way I’d never known. I smiled at him, my heart so full it felt like it would overflow.
“Forever then,” I agreed softly, sealing that mutual promise with a slow and deep kiss that promised everything words couldn’t express.
What neither of us knew in that perfect moment, while we were wrapped in each other’s arms in the soft morning light, was that that forever would be tested much sooner and in far more brutal ways than either of us could imagine.
But for now, in that golden and peaceful morning, we were just two people who had found something rare and precious, and that was all that mattered in our entire world.
Three weeks had passed since that night that changed everything, and I was absolutely glowing in a way I couldn’t hide even if I tried. Every day with Dominic was better than the last. Every moment together seemed to confirm that I had finally found something real and deep.
Ruby had noticed immediately, of course. She knew me too well not to notice the obvious change in my behavior and the way I practically floated through the cafe where she worked.
“Who is he?” Ruby asked while preparing my usual tea. Her eyes narrowed with that best-friend protection I knew so well.
“Dominic Wolfe.” I answered with a smile I couldn’t control. “He’s absolutely perfect, Ruby. Seriously, I’ve never felt like this before.”
“That’s beautiful, but that’s not what I asked.” Ruby insisted, placing my cup in front of me with more force than necessary. “What does he do for a living?”
“Business.” I answered vaguely, repeating what Dominic always said when I asked. “Import and export, I think. He doesn’t like talking much about work.”
“Import and export of what specifically?” Ruby pressed with a tone that indicated she wasn’t going to let this go.
“I don’t know the exact details,” I admitted, and I saw concern growing in my friend’s eyes. “But he’s successful, has an incredible apartment, and—”
“Alyra.” Ruby interrupted me, grabbing her phone. “What’s his last name again?”
“Wolfe. Why?” I answered, watching as she typed rapidly on the phone.
Ruby became completely still as she looked at the screen, her face visibly paling as she read something that clearly shocked her deeply. She slowly turned the phone toward me, and I felt my stomach drop when I saw the headline: Dominic Wolfe, alleged leader of Boston’s most powerful criminal organization.
The photo accompanying the article was unmistakably him leaving an elegant building wearing one of his impeccable suits. And right below, there was another more recent photo taken last week when we were leaving a restaurant together, his hand protectively on my waist.
“This has to be a mistake,” I managed to whisper, my voice coming out weak and trembling. “It can’t be him. It can’t be the same.”
“It’s him, Alyra,” Ruby said gently but firmly, turning the phone back and scrolling through the screen. “There are several different photos, articles from years ago. It’s definitely your Dominic.”
I took her phone with hands shaking uncontrollably and started reading. Each word that passed through my eyes felt like a physical blow to my chest. Criminal organizations, disputed territories, violence, unconfirmed but heavily suspected murders.
And then I saw the photo of him with me—taken without our knowledge—with a speculative caption about the mysterious new companion of the Wolfe Mafia boss.
“No,” I repeated uselessly, tears beginning to burn my eyes. “He can’t be. He would tell me if he was. He wouldn’t lie about something like this.”
But even as I said that, memories began to fit together painfully. The way he always avoided talking about work, the men who always seemed to be around watching, the way he constantly looked over his shoulder, that first day at the gallery when I saw him.
“Oh my god,” I whispered, realization hitting like a train. “That man, he at the gallery, he really killed someone. I saw, and he just—and I—”
“What gallery? What man?” Ruby asked, alarmed, but I could barely hear through the ringing in my ears.
Everything made sense now in a horrible and inevitable way. Dominic Wolfe wasn’t just a successful businessman. He was the head of a criminal organization, a dangerous man who had hidden this truth from me for weeks while I naively believed every word he said.
Two hours later, I was furiously knocking on Dominic’s apartment door, anger replacing the initial shock as I waited for him to open. When the door finally opened, he was there with that smile that normally melted my heart, but now only made me feel betrayed.
“You’re a mob boss?” I screamed before he could say anything, shoving my phone in his face with the article still open on the screen.
His smile disappeared instantly as he looked at the screen, and then his eyes met mine with a carefully neutral expression. “Yes,” he answered simply, stepping to the side. “Come in. We need to talk.”
“Yes?” I repeated incredulously, entering and turning to face him as soon as he closed the door. “That’s it? Just yes?”
“What do you want me to say, Alyra?” he asked with a calm voice—too calm.
“The truth!” I screamed, tears finally starting to fall. “From the beginning. You should have told me from day one.”
“I protected you,” he answered, his jaw tightening. “The less you knew about my world, the safer you’d be.”
“You lied!” I accused, my voice breaking. “For weeks you lied about who you really are.”
“I never lied directly to you,” he corrected, and I could see frustration growing in his eyes, too. “I omitted information, yes, but I never gave you false information.”
“That’s not better!” I screamed, running my hands through my hair in frustration. “Lying by omission is still lying. You let me believe you were just a normal businessman, when in reality you’re a—”
“A criminal?” he finished with a cutting voice. “A killer, a monster. Go ahead and say it, Alyra. I’m not going to pretend to be something I’m not.”
The silence that followed was heavy and painful, loaded with everything we weren’t saying. I could see something breaking in his eyes as he watched me, and part of me wanted to run to him and hug him, but the other part was too hurt to move.
“Do you want to leave?” he finally asked, his voice becoming too controlled in a way that told me it was costing him everything to maintain composure. “I understand completely if you do. I won’t stop you.”
“I—I—” I began, but the words died in my throat because I didn’t know what I wanted. “I need to think. I need time to process all of this.”
“How much time do you need?” He asked, and there was real pain in his voice now.
“I don’t know,” I answered, my own voice rising again. “I don’t know anything anymore, Dominic. I don’t even know who you really are.”
“You know exactly who I am,” he said intensely, taking a step toward me. “I’m the same man who spent hours in museums with you, who cooked for you, who held you all night when you had nightmares about losing your family. I’m the same.”
“No,” I cut in, backing away when he tried to touch me. “You’re not the same. The man I thought I knew doesn’t kill people and lead criminal organizations.”
I saw something breaking completely in his eyes, and he stepped back as if I’d physically hit him. “Then go,” he said with a dangerously low voice. “Leave if that’s what you want.”
I did, leaving that apartment and slamming the door hard enough to make the picture on the wall shake. I heard the sound of something hitting violently on the other side of the door when I was already in the hallway, and I imagined he had punched the wall in frustration.
On the other side of the door, Dominic was, in fact, looking at the hole his fist had left in the plaster, his face a mask of pain as Jax appeared with a concerned expression.
“I lost her,” Dominic said with an empty and defeated voice. “Damn it, Jax. I lost her completely.”
Two days passed in a painful fog where I could barely function properly. Ruby had tried to convince me to block Dominic completely and move on, but I couldn’t because part of me still loved him desperately despite everything.
I was at the library trying to concentrate on work when an incredibly beautiful and elegant woman entered, her eyes searching until she found me. She was tall and confident, wearing designer clothes that screamed money, and there was something familiar about her that I couldn’t identify.
“Alyra Bennett?” She asked with a soft voice, approaching my desk.
“Yes,” I answered cautiously, standing up. “Can I help you with something?”
“I’m Serena Vaughn,” she introduced herself with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Dominic Wolfe’s ex-girlfriend. I think we need to talk urgently.”
My stomach dropped hearing that name, and I nodded slowly as she suggested a nearby cafe. Twenty minutes later, we were sitting at an isolated table while she sipped her cappuccino with graceful movements.
“Did he tell you about me?” Serena asked, her eyes studying my face attentively.
“No,” I admitted, feeling another layer of betrayal add to the already existing wound. “He never mentioned you.”
“Of course not,” she said with a bitter smile. “Dominic is very good at hiding things from people he supposedly loves. I know because I was you once, you know? Young, innocent, completely in love with him.”
“What happened?” I asked, part of me not wanting to know but unable not to ask.
“I saw who he really is,” Serena answered, her voice becoming softer and sadder. “He’s a monster, Alyra. Kills without thinking twice, destroys lives without remorse. And eventually, if you stay, you’ll either become an accomplice to all of it or end up destroyed, too.”
“Why are you telling me this?” I asked, suspicion growing despite the pain.
“Because I don’t want you to go through what I went through,” she said, taking my hand across the table. “I look at you and see who I was before Dominic completely broke me. Get out while you still can, while you still have your life and your innocence intact.”
She stood up then, leaving money on the table to pay for the drinks. “Think about what I said,” were her last words before leaving, leaving me alone with even more confused and painful thoughts.
That night, I was in my apartment trying unsuccessfully to watch television when I heard insistent knocking on the door. Initially, I ignored it, assuming it was some salesperson, but the knocking continued until I finally got up, irritated, and went to open it.
Dominic was there, soaked by the rain that had started falling outside. His normally styled hair was messy and stuck to his forehead, and there was a genuine desperation in his eyes that I’d never seen before.
“Listen to me,” he begged before I could close the door in his face. “Please, Alyra. Just give me five minutes.”
“Why should I?” I asked, but didn’t close the door.
“Because I love you,” he said, and it was the first time he’d spoken those words out loud. “I know I completely screwed up by not telling you the truth from the beginning, but please, let me explain everything.”
The sincerity in his voice, the pain in his eyes—everything made me step back and let him in. He stood in the middle of my living room dripping water on the floor, looking completely lost in a way that broke my heart.
“I am who they say I am,” he began without beating around the bush. “I take responsibility for terrible things. I live in a violent and dangerous world, but with you—” he looked directly into my eyes, “with you I’m different. You make me want to be better. You make me remember that there’s goodness in the world.”
“Serena told me—” I began, but he cut me off immediately.
“Serena betrayed me,” he said with a voice loaded with old pain. “She set up an ambush that killed my brother Leo for $2 million.”
“She’s not the victim, Alyra. She’s the villain of this story.”
“How do I know you’re not lying now?” I asked, even though I desperately wanted to believe him.
He grabbed his phone with slightly trembling hands and started showing evidence. Bank records showing huge transfers to Serena’s account, intercepted conversations where she planned with Dominic’s rivals, surveillance photos showing her secret meetings.
“She sold my brother,” Dominic said with a broken voice, tears finally appearing in his eyes. “Leo died protecting me from a trap she helped set and I couldn’t save him. She—”
“She really killed your brother?” I whispered, horrified, looking at the undeniable evidence on the screen.
“Yes,” he confirmed quickly, wiping his eyes. “And now she’s trying to take you away from me, too, because she knows you’re the only good thing that’s happened to me in years.”
“You scare me,” I admitted with painful honesty. “Your world scares me completely.”
“I know,” he said, approaching slowly. “But I will never hurt you. I’d die before I let anything happen to you.”
“Do you really love me?” I asked with a small and vulnerable voice.
“Desperately,” he answered without hesitation. “Obsessively in all the wrong and right ways, but yes, I love you more than I thought it was possible to love someone again.”
Tears began to fall down my face as I struggled with my own feelings. “I love you, too,” I finally admitted, sobbing even knowing I shouldn’t, even with all the fear. “I love you.”
He pulled me into his arms immediately, holding me tight as I cried against his chest, still wet from rain. “Don’t leave me,” he whispered against my hair. “Please don’t leave me. I can’t handle losing you.”
“I won’t,” I promised, gripping his shirt tightly. “I’m not leaving. We’ll figure out how to make this work.”
We stood there embracing in the middle of my living room for a time that seemed infinite, two broken hearts trying to heal together, two people from completely different worlds choosing love despite all the obstacles. And outside, the rain continued to fall as our story together prepared to face even bigger storms that were yet to come.
The morning after our reconciliation should have been perfect, but I woke up with a strange feeling of being watched. I looked out my apartment window and saw a dark car parked on the street with two men inside, both looking directly at my building.
I grabbed my phone and called Dominic, my voice coming out louder than I intended. “Dominic, there are men watching my building. This is too much.”
“It’s not too much,” he answered with irritating calmness. “It’s necessary and non-negotiable.”
“But I don’t need bodyguards following me everywhere,” I protested, moving away from the window.
“Alyra,” his voice became firmer. “Serena knows about you now. She doesn’t forget and doesn’t forgive. And now that she knows you’re my weakness, she’ll use it against me.”
The word caught me off guard. “Weakness?”
“Only one,” he confirmed without hesitation. “You’re the only thing in this world that can bring me to my knees, and she’ll exploit that if she gets the chance.”
I swallowed hard, the reality of the situation finally truly hitting me. “How long are they going to stay there?”
“Until I resolve this situation with Roman and Serena once and for all,” he answered. “Jax will personally lead the team. They’re two of my best men, discreet and efficient.”
“I hate this,” I murmured, but knew arguing would be useless.
“I know, and I’m sorry,” his voice softened. “But I’d rather have you hate me alive than forgive me dead.”
On the other side of the city, in a luxurious office that mirrored power and danger, Roman Cross was sitting behind his mahogany desk as Serena entered with a confident smile on her red lips.
“You were right,” Roman said, pointing to the chair in front of him. “Dominic Wolfe has a girlfriend. My men confirmed it.”
“I told you,” Serena sat down with rehearsed grace. “He really loves her. I saw it in his eyes when she left the apartment. He was destroyed.”
Roman leaned forward, his fingers drumming thoughtfully on the desk. “So, the girl is our perfect leverage.”
“Exactly,” Serena agreed, her eyes gleaming with something dangerous. “Take her and you control him. Dominic would do anything to keep her safe.”
“And what exactly do you want from this?” Roman asked, studying her.
“To see him suffer,” Serena answered without hesitation, her voice loaded with old bitterness. “I want him to feel the same pain he caused me. I want to destroy the only thing that makes him happy.”
Roman smiled slowly, a smile that didn’t reach his cold eyes. “We have a deal then. You help me get the girl and I’ll let you watch Dominic Wolfe fall apart.”
Serena extended her hand across the desk. “Deal.”
Three days passed in a false sense of normalcy as I tried to get used to having invisible bodyguards following me everywhere. Jax had been professional and respectful, keeping his distance but always present when I needed him.
I was working at the library that quiet afternoon, organizing books in the history section, when I noticed a man entering. He looked out of place there, his eyes searching for something specific as he moved between the shelves with a purpose that had nothing to do with books.
Jax, who was pretending to read a newspaper near the entrance, stood up immediately. I saw him making a discreet signal to someone outside before starting to move in my direction. The strange man accelerated then, coming straight at me with clear intention in his eyes.
My heart raced as I instinctively backed away, knocking books over in the process.
“Get out of here now.” Jax appeared between me and the man, his voice low but loaded with a lethal threat.
“I just want to talk to the girl,” the man said, but his hand was moving inside his coat.
Jax didn’t wait any longer. He moved with brutal speed, grabbing the man’s wrist and twisting until I heard something crack. The man screamed and tried to fight back, but Jax hit him once in the stomach and again on the chin, leaving him unconscious on the floor in a matter of seconds.
“What the hell was that?” I managed to scream, my body shaking violently as other library patrons began to approach.
“Protection,” Jax answered shortly, grabbing my arm firmly but without hurting me. “Come with me, now.”
He pulled me out of the library while another man appeared to deal with the unconscious man on the floor. A huge armored car was waiting in front, engine running, and Jax gently pushed me inside before getting in behind me.
“What’s happening?” I asked, still shaking, as the car accelerated down the street.
“Kidnapping attempt,” Jax answered, already typing furiously on his phone. “Boss is going to want to know immediately.”
Twenty minutes later, we were at Dominic’s penthouse, and he was waiting at the door when we got out of the elevator. As soon as he saw me, he pulled me into his arms with a force that almost hurt, holding me as if he were afraid I’d disappear if he let go.
“Are you okay?” he asked, his hands checking my face, my arms, looking for any sign of injury. “Did you get hurt? Did he touch you?”
“No, I’m fine,” I assured, my own hands gripping his shirt. “Jax saved me before he got close.”
Dominic finally let out air, pulling me against his chest again, before turning to Jax with ice-cold eyes. “Who sent him?”
“Roman Cross,” Jax confirmed. “I recognized the tattoo on his neck. It’s from the Cross organization without a doubt.”
Something dangerous crossed Dominic’s face, his jaw tightening as cold fury settled in his eyes. “He touched her. He sent someone after her.” His voice was low but loaded with a violent promise. “He’s going to pay for this.”
“Dom, wait,” I began, trying to calm him.
“No,” he cut me off, turning to me with an intensity that made me take a step back. “He crossed the line. No one touches you and lives to tell about it.”
Then his expression softened slightly, seeing my fear. “You stay here with me until this is over.”
“But my job at the library,” I protested.
“I’ll handle it,” he said firmly, then took a deep breath and his voice became softer. “Please, Alyra, stay here where I can protect you. I can’t—” He paused, vulnerability crossing his face. “I can’t lose you, not after finally having you back.”
I looked at him, seeing the real desperation in his eyes, and nodded slowly. “Okay, I’ll stay.”
He pulled me back into his arms, kissing my forehead. “Thank you,” he whispered against my hair.
An hour later, I was drinking tea in the living room while Dominic and Jax talked in low voices in his office. I could hear fragments of the conversation through the half-open door.
“I want Roman Cross alive.” Dominic’s voice was ice-cold and calculating. “He’s going to pay personally for threatening her.”
“What about Serena?” Jax asked.
“Her, too,” Dominic answered. “But first, we need to send a clear message. Alyra is untouchable. Anyone who tries anything against her will wish they were dead before I’m finished.”
There was a pause before Jax spoke again. “How do you want to proceed?”
“Send a message to all our contacts.” Dominic instructed. “The girl is under full protection of the Wolfe family. Anyone who accepts a contract against her will deal personally with me. And warn Cross that he just declared war.”
I felt a shiver run down my spine hearing that. This was the Dominic I had seen in that gallery. The cold and calculating mob boss who didn’t hesitate to use violence to protect what was his. It was scary and fascinating in equal parts. But he was doing this for me, to keep me safe. And that realization warmed me in a strange way.
“Boss,” Jax said with a lighter tone. “She really changed you, didn’t she?”
“In every possible way.” Dominic admitted. And I could hear the small smile in his voice. “Before her, I didn’t care if I lived or died. Now—now I have something to live for. Someone worth being better for.”
“She’s lucky to have you,” Jax commented.
“No,” Dominic corrected gently. “I’m the lucky one. She gave me something I thought I’d lost forever: Hope.”
Tears burned my eyes hearing that. I got up and went to the office door, pushing it open. Dominic looked up, surprised to see me there.
“I heard,” I admitted, crossing the office to him.
“Alyra.” He began, but I cut him off by kissing him deeply.
“I love you,” I said against his lips. “And we’re going to get through this together.”
He held me tight, his forehead resting against mine. “Together.” He agreed.
And as we stood there embracing with the storm forming around us, I knew our story was just beginning and that the challenges we would face would only make us stronger.
A week had passed since the kidnapping attempt at the library, and I was getting restless in Dominic’s penthouse. As luxurious as the apartment was, it was starting to feel like a gilded cage that was slowly suffocating me.
“Dominic,” I began for the third time that morning as he drank coffee and read reports. “I need to get out of here, even if it’s just for a few hours.”
“It’s not safe yet,” he answered without looking up from the papers.
“You said you put protection on me,” I insisted, approaching the table. “Jax and his team are good at what they do. I just want to go to the library, grab some books, and see my colleagues. Please.”
He finally looked up, studying my face carefully. I knew he could see the tension there, the need for some normalcy amid the chaos my life had become. “Two hours,” he relented reluctantly. “Jax goes with two more of my best men. At the first sign of trouble, you come back immediately.”
“Thank you,” I breathed in relief, kissing him quickly before running to get ready.
Forty minutes later, I was entering the library with Jax at my side and two other men flanking the entrance. My colleagues greeted me enthusiastically, curious about my sudden absence, and I made up an excuse about family problems that needed attention.
I was just grabbing some books in the literature section when I heard the sound. A deafening explosion shook the entire building, making the window glass shatter and the shelves sway dangerously.
“Alyra!” Jax screamed, running in my direction as smoke began to invade the space, but the explosion had only been a distraction.
Masked men invaded through the back doors with military precision, and before Jax could reach me, strong hands grabbed me from behind.
“No!” I screamed, fighting with all the strength I had as they dragged me.
Jax turned and ran in our direction, his gun already drawn, but one of the invaders hit him with something heavy on the head. I saw him fall with his eyes rolling back, and my scream got stuck in my throat when a cloth was pressed against my nose and mouth. The world became blurry at the edges as the chemical smell invaded my lungs. I fought to keep my eyes open, fought against the hands holding me, but all of it was useless.
Darkness pulled me down as I was dragged to what I assumed was a waiting van. My last conscious thought was of Dominic and how he had tried to protect me and I had insisted on going out.
Dominic was in his office reviewing contracts when his phone rang. Seeing Jax’s name on the screen at that hour put him on alert immediately, and the tone of voice when he answered confirmed that something was terribly wrong.
“Boss.” Jax’s voice was weak and full of pain. “I—I lost her.”
Dominic’s world stopped spinning. “What?”
“It was Roman.” Jax continued, his voice breaking. “He caused an explosion at the library as a distraction. They took her while I was down. Boss, I’m sorry. I tried.”
The silence that followed was deadly and ice-cold. Dominic stood still for three seconds that seemed like an eternity as he processed that information, and then something inside him simply broke.
“Mobilize everyone.” His voice came out low and dangerous, loaded with fury that made the air feel heavier. “Burn the whole city if necessary. I want all our men on the streets. I want every informant being pressed. I want every damn contact being used.”
“Yes, boss,” Jax answered immediately.
“And Jax?” Dominic asked, his voice becoming even colder. “I want her back. I don’t care what it costs or how many bodies I have to leave along the way. You understand?”
“I understand perfectly, boss.”
Dominic hung up and stood still for a moment, his breathing heavy as he fought against the panic threatening to consume him. Alyra was in Roman Cross’s hands, a man who had no limits when it came to cruelty. He punched the desk hard enough to crack the wood, then grabbed his gun and began preparing for war.
I woke up with a throbbing headache and a dry mouth. It took a few seconds for my eyes to adjust to the dim light of the environment, and when they did, I realized I was in some kind of abandoned warehouse. My hands were tied behind my back with rope that cut into my skin, and my ankles were fastened to the chair where they’d sat me.
The initial panic hit me like a wave, but I forced myself to breathe deeply and assess the situation. Going hysterical wasn’t going to help me, and Dominic had taught me that staying calm was essential in dangerous situations.
The sound of high heels echoing on concrete made me lift my head. Serena appeared from the shadows wearing a red dress that seemed inappropriate for a kidnapping, a cruel smile curving her lips as she approached.
“Hi, sweetheart.” She said with false sweetness. “Are you comfortable?”
“Go to hell.” I answered with more courage than I actually felt.
Serena laughed, the sound echoing in the empty space. “Good girl, got some fire in her.” Then her face contorted in anger and she slapped me hard enough to turn my head. “But you need to learn some respect.”
I tasted blood in my mouth but refused to give her the satisfaction of seeing tears. I turned back to face her with all the defiance I could muster.
“He won’t give in,” I said with a firm voice. “Dominic doesn’t negotiate with—”
“Oh, he will give in,” Serena interrupted me, leaning down to be at eye level. “Because unlike me, you actually matter to him. He truly loves you, which makes you the perfect weapon.”
Roman Cross entered then, a tall and impeccably dressed man who radiated danger differently from Dominic. Where Dominic was controlled fire, Roman was calculating ice.
“Enough playing,” Roman said to Serena. “Guard her and prepare for the call. Wolfe is going to want proof of life.”
Two hours later, Dominic’s phone finally rang with an unknown number. He answered on the first ring, his voice coming out controlled despite the storm raging inside him.
“Wolfe.”
Roman’s voice was smooth and confident. “I have something that belongs to you.”
Before Dominic could respond, I heard my own desperate voice in the background. “Dom, don’t come. It’s a tra—”
The sound of a slap echoed through the line, followed by my muffled scream.
Dominic felt something wild and violent explode in his chest. “If you lay another finger on her,” he began with a dangerous voice.
“You what?” Roman interrupted him. “Going to kill me? Of course you’ll try, but first, let’s make a deal. You’re going to have to choose between her or your empire. I want all the property documents, all the accounts, total transfer of power, or she dies right in front of you.”
Dominic didn’t hesitate for even a second. “Where?”
“Pier 19, midnight sharp. Oh, and come alone. If I see any of your men, she gets a bullet in the head before you get close.”
The call ended. Dominic stood still for a moment before Jax entered the office with a bandage on his head.
“Boss, it’s a very obvious trap,” Jax began.
“I know,” Dominic cut in, “but I have no choice.” He turned to his right-hand man with iron determination. “Prepare the full team. I want a coordinated attack. I’ll go in first alone like he wants, but you’ll be positioned, ready to invade at my signal. Understood?”
Jax agreed. “We’ll bring her back, boss.”
It was midnight and Dominic was standing at the entrance of Pier 19, a black folder in his hands containing forged documents that looked real enough to deceive. His team was hidden in strategic positions around the area, waiting for the signal. He entered slowly, his hands visibly empty except for the folder.
Roman was in the center of the empty warehouse with Serena at his side, and my heart jumped painfully when I saw Dominic. I was tied to a chair between them. My face was bruised and there was dried blood at the corner of my mouth, but I was alive, and my eyes met his across the distance.
“Hand over the documents first,” Roman demanded.
Dominic threw the folder; it slid across the floor until it stopped at Roman’s feet. “Done. Now, let her go.”
Roman picked up the folder and passed it to Serena to verify, then walked to me and pulled me from the chair. I felt the cold metal of a knife pressing against my neck as he used me as a shield.
“You know something,” Roman said casually, “I think I’ll kill her anyway, just to see your face.”
Everything happened in seconds. Dominic drew a gun that was hidden at his back and shot with surgical precision. The bullet hit Roman’s hand holding the knife, making him scream and release me.
“Now!” Dominic shouted, and his team invaded from all directions.
The shootout that followed was chaotic and deafening. Dominic ran in my direction as Roman tried to grab his gun with his good hand. He reached me first, cutting my ropes quickly and pulling me behind him protectively.
“I got you,” he said urgently against my ear. “You’re safe now.”
Roman tried to escape through the back of the warehouse, but Dominic turned and fired three times. Then Roman fell and didn’t get up again. Serena tried to run through the side door, but Jax appeared, blocking her exit and handcuffing her with efficient movements.
“You’re going to regret this,” Serena screamed as she was dragged away.
“No,” Dominic answered with an ice-cold voice. “But you will, in prison for the rest of your miserable life.”
Two hours later, I was sitting in the ambulance being examined by paramedics while Dominic held my hand as if his life depended on it. He hadn’t let go of me since the rescue, his fingers intertwined with mine as he refused to move away even for a second.
“Just some cuts and bruises,” the paramedic informed. “Nothing serious, but I recommend you get follow-up care.”
When we were finally alone, I looked at Dominic and saw silent tears running down his face. “You chose me,” I whispered, “instead of your entire empire.”
“I’ll always choose you,” he answered without hesitation, kissing my hand repeatedly. “Without you, the empire means nothing. You are my life now.”
“I love you,” I said with a choked voice.
“I love you more,” he answered, pulling me carefully into his arms. “And I’m never going to let anyone take you from me again.”
And there, surrounded by the chaos and consequences of the night, we both knew we had survived the worst and that from then on, we would be unstoppable together.
The hospital smelled of antiseptic and flowers—a strange combination that made me nauseous every time I breathed deeply. I had insisted I was well enough to go home, but the doctors wanted to keep me under observation for a few more days because of the mild concussion I had suffered during the kidnapping.
Dominic hadn’t left my side for even a single minute since we arrived at the hospital. He slept in the uncomfortable chair beside my bed, his hand always holding mine even when he was asleep, as if he were afraid I might disappear if he let go.
“Dom,” I said softly that second night, observing the dark shadows under his eyes that indicated deep exhaustion. “You need to go home and really rest. That chair is going to destroy your back.”
“No,” he answered without hesitation, adjusting the blanket over my legs carefully. “I’m staying here with you.”
“But you’re not sleeping properly,” I insisted, squeezing his hand lightly. “You look exhausted and I’m fine here. The doctors are taking care of me.”
“I said I’m not leaving here,” he repeated firmly, but his voice was soft as he leaned in to kiss my forehead. “I almost lost you, Alyra. Don’t ask me to move away from you now, not even for a few hours.”
I looked at the man I loved, seeing the raw vulnerability in his eyes, and understood that he needed to stay for himself as much as for me. So, I just nodded and pulled him closer, letting him rest his head on the mattress beside my waist while I ran my fingers through his hair.
The next morning, Dominic was unusually quiet as he helped me eat the hospital breakfast that tasted like cardboard. He kept looking out the window with a thoughtful expression, clearly processing something important in his mind.
“What’s wrong?” I finally asked, putting my fork aside. “You’re different today.”
He turned to look at me and there was determination mixed with nervousness in his eyes as he pulled the chair closer to the bed. “I need to tell you something, a decision I’ve made.”
My stomach tightened with anxiety. “What is it?”
“I’m getting out,” he said simply, watching my reaction carefully.
“Getting out?” I repeated, confused. “Out of where?”
“The mafia, everything involving crime,” he explained, taking my hands in his. “I’m going to pass command to Jax. He’s loyal and capable enough to lead. I’m going to focus only on legitimate businesses, clean investments, start everything over from scratch.”
I was silent for a moment, processing what he was saying. “Because of me?” I asked with a low voice. “Because you think I can’t handle your world?”
“No,” he answered quickly, squeezing my hands. “It’s not because of you, or at least it’s not just because of you.”
“Then why?” I insisted, needing to understand.
He took a deep breath before answering. “Because when that man put the knife to your neck, I realized something. I realized that this world is eventually going to take you from me, either through violence or through fear, and I can’t live knowing that every day could be the last because of choices I made in the past.”
“Dominic,” I began, but he gently interrupted me.
“Let me finish, please,” he asked. “I want to be better, not just for you, but for myself, too. I want to be able to sleep at night without worrying about who’s trying to kill me or who I’m going to have to kill to survive. I want to build something clean and honest for the first time in my life.”
Tears began to burn my eyes as I saw the absolute sincerity in his face. “Are you sure about this? Because I don’t want you to do this just for me and then regret it.”
“I’m completely sure,” he confirmed, bringing my hands to his lips and kissing them softly. “I’m doing this for both of us, for a future where we don’t have to live in constant fear.”
“For us, then,” I agreed with a choked voice, pulling him into a tight hug. “Let’s build this new life together.”
The transition was smoother than either of us expected. Jax took control of the Wolfe organization with impressive efficiency, and although he still came to consult Dominic occasionally about important decisions, he was the leader now in fact and in law.
Dominic dove headfirst into the world of legitimate business, using the connections he already had to establish investments in technology, real estate, and emerging companies. He still maintained power and influence in the city, but now through completely legitimate means that didn’t put him at constant risk.
I had returned to my job at the library, but now with discreet security that Dominic insisted on maintaining just as a precaution. He was also actively encouraging me to pursue my old dream of writing, something I had abandoned years ago after losing my family.
“You have too much talent not to share your stories with the world,” he told me one night as we had dinner at his apartment that was now practically ours. “I want to support you in this in every possible way.”
As for Serena, she had been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole on multiple charges, including conspiracy to murder and kidnapping. The trial had been quick and definitive, and finally that chapter was closed forever. Roman Cross was dead and buried, and with him were buried the last serious threats to our safety.
The city had quickly adjusted to the new balance of power, and life went on. Three months after the kidnapping, Ruby finally asked to truly meet Dominic. We met at her cafe on a quiet Saturday afternoon, and I could see the tension in Dominic’s body as he waited for my best friend’s judgement.
Ruby studied him for a long moment in silence, her eyes analyzing every detail while Dominic remained calm under the scrutiny. Finally, she spoke.
“He changed,” Ruby said, looking at me with a softened expression. “I can see it clearly. He really changed for you.”
“Not just for me,” I corrected gently, taking Dominic’s hand on the table. “We changed each other, together.”
Dominic squeezed my hand in response, his eyes meeting mine with warmth that made me melt inside.
“She saved me,” he admitted to Ruby with raw honesty. “Saved me from a life that was killing me slowly. Gave me something worth living for.”
Ruby smiled then, a genuine smile that lit up her entire face. “I’m still going to watch you closely,” she warned Dominic with a playful but serious tone. “And if you hurt my best friend in any way, you’re going to have to deal with me.”
“Fair,” Dominic agreed with obvious respect in his voice. “I wouldn’t expect anything less from a true friend.”
They shook hands across the table, a silent agreement being made between them. Seeing the two most important people in my life finally accepting each other made my heart overflow with happiness.
That night, Dominic and I were on the terrace of his penthouse watching the illuminated city below us. The air was cool and pleasant, and I was nestled against his chest as he wrapped his arms around my waist.
“Do you regret anything?” I asked softly, looking at the lights twinkling in the distance.
“Changing my life?” He asked back, his voice reverberating through his chest against my back. “Never. Not for a second. What about you? Do you regret staying with me despite everything?”
“Impossible,” I answered with absolute conviction, turning in his embrace so I could look into his eyes. “You’re the best thing that ever happened to me, even with all the chaos and danger that came with it.”
“I love you,” he said with a simplicity that made the words even more powerful. “More than I thought it was possible to love someone in this life.”
“I love you, too,” I answered, rising on my tiptoes to kiss him softly. “And I can’t wait to see what the future holds for us both.”
“Whatever it is,” he murmured against my lips. “We’ll face it together. Always together.”
And there, under the stars with the city spread at our feet, we both knew we had found something rare and precious. We had survived the worst the world could throw at us, and we had come out the other side stronger and more united than ever. The past was finally buried, and the future shone ahead, full of infinite possibilities. And we were ready to embrace every moment that came, side by side, heart to heart.
We had finally found a calm and stable rhythm that neither of us had experienced before. Dominic was thriving in the world of legitimate business, his investments in technology and real estate generating more money than he had ever made with criminal activities.
I had returned to the library full-time and was working on my first novel in my free time, something that brought me deep joy. We were happy in a simple and genuine way that surpassed all the fantasies I’d had about relationships before meeting him.
It wasn’t perfect. We had our difficult moments and our occasional arguments, but it was real, and it was ours. Security was still present in our lives, but now it was just distant precaution instead of urgent necessity. Jax had completely consolidated control of the organization and kept the peace in the city with a firm but fair hand. The threats to our well-being had diminished until they practically disappeared.
That specific Saturday afternoon, I was finishing my shift at the library when I received a message from Dominic asking me to stay a little longer after closing time. He said he had a surprise for me in a few minutes. I said goodbye to my colleagues and locked the main doors after everyone left, leaving only the side entrance open for Dominic.
The empty library always had a special magical atmosphere, with the endless rows of books creating silent labyrinths full of stories and knowledge. I was organizing some books that had been left out of place when I heard the side door open, and his familiar footsteps echoing in the silence.
I turned with a smile that died on my lips when I saw the expression on his face. He looked nervous in a way I’d never seen before, his hands fidgeting in his pants pockets as he walked toward me between the shelves of old books.
“Are you okay?” I asked with growing concern. “Did something happen?”
“I have a surprise for you,” he said, his voice coming out slightly trembling.
“Another one?” I smiled, trying to ease the tension I felt from him. “You’ve spoiled me too much this whole year.”
“This is the last one, I promise,” he answered. And there was something in the way he said it that made my heart start beating faster.
Then he did something completely unexpected. Dominic Wolfe, the most powerful and feared man in Boston, the man who never knelt for anyone, went down on one knee right there in the middle of the history section of the library.
“Dom!” My voice came out as a breathless gasp as my hands flew to cover my mouth in shock.
He pulled a small velvet box from his jacket pocket, his eyes never leaving mine as he began to speak with a voice loaded with emotion he wasn’t trying to hide.
“Alyra Bennett,” he began, opening the box to reveal the most beautiful ring I’d ever seen—a solitaire diamond that captured the library’s soft light and transformed it into rainbows. “You were my first in everything that truly matters in this life. You were my first true love, the first real reason I had to change and become a better person, the first person who made me believe that genuine goodness still exists in the world.”
Tears were already falling down my face as he continued, each word hitting my heart like precise arrows of pure emotion. “You saw me at my worst moment, saw me doing terrible things, and still chose to see something good in me,” he continued, his own voice breaking slightly. “You gave me hope when I was certain I’d lost it forever. You gave me love when I thought I no longer deserved to be loved.”
He paused, taking a deep breath before asking the question that would change our lives forever. “Marry me, Alyra. Let me be your first and your last in absolutely everything, forever.”
I was crying so hard I could barely see his face through the tears that completely blurred my vision. “You already are,” I managed to say with a voice choked with emotion. “You’ve already been my first and my last since that first day at the gallery.”
“Is that a yes?” he asked, hope and nervousness mixed in his eyes as he waited for my official answer.
“It’s always yes,” I answered with absolute conviction, extending my trembling hand to him. “Yes, yes, a thousand times yes.”
He slid the ring onto my finger with hands that also trembled slightly and then stood up to pull me into his arms and kiss me with an intensity that stole all the air from my lungs. The kiss was deep and loaded with promises of a future together, of eternal love, of happiness we had fought so hard to achieve.
The sound of applause made us separate in surprise. We turned to see Ruby and Jax coming out from behind one of the more distant shelves, both with huge smiles on their faces and clearly having watched everything.
“You were spying?” I asked with false indignation, but couldn’t keep the serious expression for long before starting to laugh.
“Someone had to document this moment,” Ruby defended, waving the phone she had clearly used to record everything. “Besides, you think I was going to miss the chance to see you finally engaged?”
Dominic laughed, too, keeping his arm firmly around my waist as he accepted congratulations and hugs from our closest friends. It was perfect in a way I had never imagined my life could be, surrounded by the people I loved and starting a new chapter with the man who had my whole heart.
The wedding was small and intimate, exactly as we both wanted. Only close family and true friends were present at the small lakeside chapel we had rented for the occasion. The spring sun shone through the stained-glass windows, creating rainbow patterns on the polished wooden floor.
I was wearing a simple but elegant dress that Ruby had helped me choose, and I carried a bouquet of white peonies that were my favorite flowers. When the chapel doors opened and I began walking down the aisle to the sound of soft piano music, I saw Dominic waiting at the altar and almost forgot to breathe. He was wearing a dark gray suit that brought out his eyes, and the expression on his face when he saw me was one of pure admiration and absolute love.
His eyes shone with unshed tears as I approached, and when I finally reached his side and took his extended hand, I felt like I was exactly where I was supposed to be. The ceremony passed in a haze of happiness until we reached the vows.
We had decided to write our own, and when it was Dominic’s turn to speak, he took my hands in his and spoke with a firm voice loaded with sincere emotion.
“Alyra,” he began, his eyes fixed on mine. “You saved me from myself when I was drowning in darkness and violence. You saved me from my past and gave me a future worth living. I promise to spend every day of my life trying to deserve you, and I hope I succeed. Otherwise, my life won’t be worth it. Nothing is worth it without you.”
It was my turn now, and I took a deep breath before starting to speak with a voice that came out surprisingly firm, despite the tears that fell freely.
“Dominic,” I began, squeezing his hands. “You were my first in absolutely everything that matters. My first true love, my first real kiss, the first person who made me feel complete after losing my family, and you’ll be my last in all those things, too. I promise to love every version of you. The man you were, the man you are now, and the man you’ll still become.”
When the officiant finally declared us husband and wife and said Dominic could kiss the bride, he pulled me into his arms and kissed me in a way that made everyone present applaud and whistle. It was a kiss full of fulfilled promises and a bright future. And when we separated, we were both smiling through tears.
We had bought a new apartment together a few months earlier, a space that carried no memories of Dominic’s dangerous past. It was our place, chosen by both of us, decorated with our combined tastes—a true home instead of just a place to sleep.
After the small but cheerful reception, we returned to our apartment as officially husband and wife. I was still wearing my wedding dress when we snuggled on the big living room sofa, exhausted but deliriously happy.
“Do you regret anything?” I asked softly, playing with the new ring on his finger, changing my life completely.
“Changing my life?” He asked back, pulling me closer against his chest. “Never. Not for a single second. You?”
“Impossible. It would be easier to regret breathing.”
“Even with me being so innocent when we met?” I asked with a small smile. “Even with me knowing nothing about your world?”
He turned me in his embrace so he could look directly into my eyes and then kissed me with infinite tenderness before answering.
“Especially because of that,” he said with absolute conviction. “You constantly remind me that true goodness exists in the world, that purity and genuine love exist.”
“You’re my light when everything gets dark and you remind me that I’m strong,” I answered, touching his face gently. “You make me feel brave and capable of facing anything.”
“You were always strong,” he corrected gently. “Since that first day when you looked me in the eyes even though you were terrified. I just helped you see what was already you.”
We were silent for a moment just enjoying being there together before he spoke again in a low voice. “I love you more than words can express.”
“I love you more,” I answered with a playful but sincere tone.
“Impossible,” he said with that small smile I loved. “Mathematically impossible to love more than I love you.”
We kissed again, a long and deep kiss that promised a lifetime of moments like this, of love and companionship and happiness achieved through all the storms we had faced together.
Dominic held Alyra in his arms as she finally fell asleep against his chest, exhausted from the long day of celebration. The soft moonlight streamed through the window, illuminating her face in a way that made her look almost ethereal.
He remembered that night over a year ago when she had cried in his arms and admitted with a broken voice that she had never been touched by anyone. He remembered how something inside him had awakened in that moment, something possessive and protective and deeply loving.
You’ve never been touched? He had asked, barely able to believe it.
Never, she had answered through tears, and he had sworn right then with his entire being that he would be the first and the last, that no one else would ever have her that way, that she would be his and he would be hers forever.
It was the best promise he had ever made in his entire life. It was the best decision he had ever made, and as he looked at the woman who was now his wife sleeping peacefully in his arms with the wedding ring shining on her finger, he knew with absolute certainty that it was the best life he had ever lived—with her, always her.
His innocent one who had seen goodness in him when no one else did. His salvation who had pulled him back from the darkness. His Alyra, now and forever. And for the first time in his entire violent and troubled life, Dominic Wolfe was in complete peace, knowing he had finally found his place in the world in her arms, forever.
Disclaimer : This content may be created by AI for entertainment purposes. Any resemblance to real persons, events, or places is coincidental.
