OWNED by Dominic (Possessed #1) (18 page)

“Trust me, we didn’t. Your grandma, Deidre, made such a fuss at the ceremony that we were removed.”

“She talked about you both like you were dead, but the love she had for you both was palpable. I don’t understand any of this. The woman you are describing compared to the woman who raised me is so different. I’m having a hard time correlating the two of them. My mam loved me fiercely. She told me stories of parents who loved her just as much. I’ve never heard of any of this before. She said her wedding was a fairytale.”

Do they hear the heartbreak in my words?

“We gave your mam everything we could, but she had a hard time accepting anything at face value. Never doubt the love we have for her Deidre; we love her more than anything. But there’s a time when a parent has to let the child go, and we did. I will regret that for the rest of my life.”

“Did you know about me?”

“Yes, but not until you were two. We tried to reach out, but Bradshaw refused it. She seemed happy, and that’s all we ever wanted for her. Leaving her alone was obviously a big mistake because we didn’t hear from her again until your eighteenth birthday.”

“What did she say to you?” Dom asked him. She’d almost forgotten that other people were in the room.

“She made a frantic phone call saying she was in trouble but all that mattered was Deidre. That I had to help her. So I sent my men looking for her.” He waved behind him at his guards. “We had a terrible time locating anyone but Bradshaw. He stayed very public. Which is how I knew something was going on. The only reason we learned Deidre was in the country was because Maureen hired one of my men to make fake ID’s for her. It wasn’t until later that we even found out about that either. We all seem to be going in circles, though.”

As he explained what had been happening over the last few months, Deidre felt like her world was crumbling. Like there was no more light at the end of the tunnel.

“Why are you here now?” she blurted out. Her emotions were all over the place. She was tired of the runaround and the non-answers. All she wanted was to live in peace. Looking at Dom’s concerned face, she hoped it would be with him.

“Your mam asked me to take care of you. My plan was to take you back to my home in Kilkenny; however, I can see it’s obviously not needed. Your young man here has quite the protective streak when it comes to you.” He smiled in affection.

Gripping Dom’s hand, she pulled it to her chest hugging him softly. Knowing full-well how much he cared for her brought to light just how much she’d screwed up by leaving him in the height of her panic.

*****

When he first
approached the old man in the lobby, he’d been suspicious of his motives and of who he was. But the more Dom talked to him, the more it made sense as to what Maureen and Bradshaw had done... were doing.

Immediately, he realized that Deedee was going to be upset, but she was far stronger than she gave herself credit for. He had faith that she could and would handle it. Her temper might get in the way, though, which she had proved once or twice.

Dominic understood her reticence about hearing anything bad about her mother. For her entire life, she was the only person who had ever loved Deidre, so of course she wouldn’t want to hear anything negative. Nevertheless, after reading the letter she’d found, she was a probably a little more understanding than she would have been.

As he walked Malaky and his guards out the door, Deedee was still sitting on the couch in shock from everything she’d learned. She must feel like her entire life was a lie. It seemed to be one thing after another for her.

“Take care of her, Mr. Slade,” Malaky told him as he left.

After locking the door, he turned to Dee. “How you feeling, Princess?”

She looked at him. The haunted look in her eyes had him worried. “I don’t even know how to process this.”

“Don’t think about it then.”

“How can I not? Everything I’ve been told my whole life was one lie after another.” Betrayal laced her voice.

Walking towards her, he pulled her up into him wrapping one arm around her back and placing one hand under her chin. He tilted her head to look at him. “Princess, I promise you we will figure everything out. Together. Tell me, is what you felt from your mom a lie? The way she protected you, loved you. Do you feel like that was a lie?”

“No,” she whispered back breathless.

“What about us? Are we a lie?”

“Never.”

“Then have faith. One way or another everything will work out. I will get Bradshaw out of your life. We will find out what Brock’s part in all of this was and whether or not he knows the truth about you. And Princess, when that’s all taken care of, you are done running from me.”

She seemed to ponder his words for a minute before saying, “I didn’t mean what I said earlier to sound the way– “

“Don’t worry about it,
Princess, I get it.”

“No, I need you to know that the way you make me feel isn’t a bad thing, Dominic. I love all the emotions I get to experience when I’m with you. It’s empowering and overwhelming. It absorbs everything in me. I can’t call it love because I’m not even sure I know what that is.”

This girl.

“When I’m with you, I believe I’m safe. I know I never have a single thing to worry about. For so long, I’ve never thought I belonged anywhere, but when I’m with you, I’m home. You are my safety, my courage. Dominic,
you
are my home.”

Fuck me.

He didn’t know what to say to her confession. She’d rendered him utterly speechless. How could he possibly tell her that she was all that and more for him, too.

“Fuckin’ hell, Princess.”

Leaning forward, he claimed her lips in a slow caress. Putting everything he felt for her into it. His ownership of her. His need. His love. He poured his entire soul into her mouth as their tongues tangled in a dance as sweet as honey. She gripped his shirt with such intensity like she never wanted to let him go. And that’s exactly what he wanted.

Pulling from her delicious lips, he sighed, “You’re it for me, Princess.”

Her smile lit up her face.

Leaning into his chest, he cradled her head with one hand. Just wanting the enjoyment of holding her for the moment.

“What do we do now?” she questioned him quietly.

“What do you want to do, Dee?”

“Go home.” She didn’t hesitate in her answer, making him smile.

“Then that’s what we’ll do.”

Seventeen

As they prepared
to take flight, Dee sat in silence with one thought on her mind: How did she move forward?

Never in all the years she’d questioned where she belonged or why her father hated her, did she imagine the heartbreaking truth. It was shocking yet made a sick sort of sense. In Bradshaw’s shoes, could she have done what he did? Could she have raised another man’s child as her own? She felt like the answer should be simple considering her bond with Jaxson. She was willing to raise him as her own, but she was never betrayed the way Bradshaw was either.

Not condoning what he did, but she sort of understood his feelings towards her now. Growing up, she’d always thought it was a fault with her, and in a way it was. She was another man’s child after all.

Confusion encompassed her.

She and Dom had spent the previous night talking about everything and nothing at all. He asked her all kinds of questions about her mam and their relationship. He’d told her about his own parents. They’d been married for nearly forty years and happily resided in Florida. But they’d never delved too much into the two of them as a couple, and for that she was grateful. She needed a clear head to decide on where her life was going to go once the danger had passed.

She still carried uncertainty where their relationship was concerned. Everything had been moving at lightning-fast speed and high intensity, so she had to figure out what her genuine feelings were for them together.

She knew he could make her body sing a tune only he knew. He could make her heart beat faster than a runaway train. He took her mind to places she’d never even dreamed of before. The intensity in which he held her left her breathless with need.

But was what she was feeling something born out of gratitude or genuine affection?

Million-dollar question, Dee.

“Sleep, Princess,” Dom whispered in her ear.

And so she did.

*****

The minute they
touched down at BWI, Dom ushered Dee off the plane and straight through customs into his waiting truck. He’d texted the garage to bring it around as soon as they could after departing the plane.

She’d slept most of the flight and been scarily quiet the rest. He knew she had a lot on her mind. More than any one person should have to handle.
But he wished she would talk or scream or cry or do
something
other than the cold silence.

He didn’t even think she knew she was doing it. It was one of those things that just was. So much had happened in such a short time, he figured she was still processing.

“What are you thinking, Princess?” he tried asking.

Sighing, she looked at him with haunted eyes. “I want to see him.”

Not what he was expecting.

“By him, I assume you mean Brock?” Nodding her head, her eyes seemed to plead what her words couldn’t. “Why?” He needed a good fucking reason to intentionally bring her that kind of heartbreak.

“I need to know if he knew.” Determination laced her words.

“Are you sure? What if you don’t get the answer you want? I don’t want to see you hurt, Princess, and I can’t guarantee I won’t kill his ass for upsetting you.” Just the thought of it had him on edge.

“I need to know if there’s anyone who ever gave a damn about me, Dominic.” Tears gathered in her eyes, threatening to spill over.

“I do,” he told her grabbing her hand and bringing it to his lips to kiss her knuckles sweetly.

“I know you do.” She smiled at his actions.

“So does Case.”

She barked out a harsh laugh at that. “Please. Case thinks I have a big mouth and would probably be happy to see me gone after everything that’s happened.” Her face showed her hurt at that thought.

With a growl in his voice, he told her, “Much as I hate to say this—because you’re
my
woman—that fucker loves the hell out of you. I went to seen him after I found out where you’d gone, and he was ready to leave the hospital to help me. So have no doubt. That ass loves you like crazy.”

They fell into a companionable silence after that. She didn’t deny or accept his words, so he figured it was a small victory. He didn’t want her going to see Brock feeling like she had no one to care about her. She had an entire family of men that would move heaven and earth for her if she’d only let them.

*****

“Are you sure
you’re ready for this?” Dom asked her for probably the tenth time since they parked at the hospital. He’d called in a favor to make sure she got to speak to her biological father before he was taken to lockup.

“Not at all,” she told him honestly, “but I have to know.”

With a firm but reluctant nod, he walked up to the guard at Brock’s door and introduced himself. After the man verified who Dominic was, he let them through. Taking a fortifying breath, she followed Dom inside.

What greeted her was not something she’d expected. Knowing Brock for as long as she could remember, he’d always seemed so big. Larger than life. Like an unswayable tower. Now he looked old and washed out. Of course, being shot would do that to a person. Like this, handcuffed to a bed with an IV in his arm and slightly pale from pain, he didn’t look quite as scary. Which made what she had to know so much easier.

Before he could say anything to her, she blurted out, “Did you know?”

“Know what?” he snapped at her.

“Watch it,” Dom growled back.

“I know about you and Mam. Did. You. Know?” She was losing her own patience.

“What the hell are ya talking about?”

“Me. You and Mam had an affair.”

He seemed to pale a little more at that. Shock and hurt colored his dark eyes.

Could he have not known?

“What are ye saying, Deidre?” Desperation colored his words.

“You, Brock, are my biological father. You didn’t know?” He still hadn’t answered.

“No,” he uttered quietly in horror.

Looking at Dominic, she needed to know what he thought about the man’s obvious torment. She was inclined to believe him because a person couldn’t fake that kind of reaction. But if Dom thought he was lying, then she would trust his instincts.

The light shake of his head was her answer. Dom believed him. So for now, she would, too.

“Why did you come after me? Why did you shoot at us?”

He was visibly shaken at the reminder of what he’d done. “Bradshaw instructed us to bring you home. That’s what he told me, at least. The mission was to bring you back no matter what.”

“Even if that meant injuring or even killing others? There was a little boy with me! A man who has given far more to his country than anyone should have to! How could you think that was ok!” Her upset was so severe that tears were rolling down her face.

“I didn’t know.” He tried to defend himself.

“It doesn’t matter! Do you know that the little boy that was with me is his son?” She pointed to Dom. “How he hasn’t killed you yet is beyond me because I sure feel a murderous rage burning in my gut to do just that for even scaring him.”

If she were to kill anyone, she was pretty sure it would have been him. Or Bradshaw.

“I’m sorry. I was strictly instructed to bring you back to England.”

“Why? Why does Bradshaw want me so badly? He should be happy to be free of me by now.” She was still incredibly confused as to why he wanted anything to do with her.

“You know him, Deidre. He keeps everything close to the vest.” What Brock said was true; he’d always been quiet about some of his harsher decisions.

“So you just do as you’re told without a reason why?” Dom snapped at him.