The Daddy and The Dom - Julia Sykes Page 0,4

were intimidating a man with the help of some new guys, men Marco and I had recruited.”

The victim’s name was William Johnston. I’d never forget his name. I’d never forget his face, pale and scared. Bloody and ruined.

“The boys got out of control. They took it too far, and the man ended up in the hospital. He died two days later. And it was my fault.”

I grimaced and looked away, no longer able to bear her wide-eyed stare.

“I vomited when I found out. I got sick in front of Dad and Marco’s father. My dad was so ashamed of me. I hated that I’d disappointed him, but I hated what I’d done even more. That’s why I ran away to Cambridge. I’d always wanted to go to college, but I hadn’t been allowed. My education in violence was more important than anything I could learn from a book.”

I found her gaze again, desperate to drink her in. This might be the last time she ever allowed me to touch her, and I didn’t want to waste a second with her.

“And then I met you, and I deluded myself into believing everything would be okay. That my life would be different. That I’d deserve you.”

I traced the lines of her cheekbones with my thumbs. “I know now that I don’t. I never will. But I can’t let you go, Ashlyn. I need you.”

She drew in a sharp breath, but she simply continued to stare up at me in shock.

My gut knotted when she didn’t respond right away. “Say something, please,” I begged.

She reached up and touched her fingertips to the tense line of my jaw. “I knew you were a good man. I need you too, Joseph.”

I huffed out the breath I’d been holding, relief ripping through me.

“I’m not a good man, angel.”

Her gaze sharpened with determination. I rarely saw this fire in her, but when it flickered to life, I knew she was about to give me a piece of her formidable mind.

“You are. You didn’t ask for your life, and you obviously don’t want it. You didn’t mean for that man to die.”

“That doesn’t change the fact that he did,” I said, strained.

“No, it doesn’t,” she allowed. “But the way you feel about it changes everything. When Marco kidnapped me, I thought I didn’t know you. I thought I couldn’t trust you. But I was always right about you. I know you, Joseph. You are a good man. And when all this is over, we’ll go back to Cambridge and have the life you want. The life you deserve.”

My chest tightened at her words. I wished they were true. I was relieved at her reaction to the ugly truth about me, but I knew her vision of our future was impossible. Now that she was in my world, I wouldn’t be able to return her to her old life. Even if she could go back to her classes at Harvard someday, her life would always be tied to mine.

Because I wouldn’t let her go. I wasn’t capable of letting her go.

“I’d like that, angel,” I said, offering her the only truth I could. I longed for the dream of a normal life with her, but the time for that had passed. It had never even been a possibility.

She beamed up at me, elated at my response. She didn’t realize that I was deceiving her again, but I couldn’t bring myself to shatter this moment with her. By some miracle, she wasn’t horrified by the admission that I was a killer. I wasn’t willing to ruin that by dashing her hopes. She’d adjust with time, and she’d forget that she’d ever thought about leaving.

I hoped I wasn’t deluding myself.

Chapter Three

Ashlyn

“I thought we were going for a walk?” My brow furrowed as Joseph led me into the massive garage, but I didn’t hesitate to follow where he led.

His sensual lips tilted in a crooked, heart-stopping smile, and the bright fluorescent light glittered across his aquamarine eyes. “I have something a little more exciting in mind.”

His warm hand enfolded mine, tethering me close to his powerful body. He practically glowed with excited anticipation, and I was so entranced by his magnetic energy that I barely noticed the rows of luxury cars, motorcycles, and ATVs.

“Marco lets me keep some of my favorites here,” Joseph explained, gesturing toward several vehicles that were probably obscenely expensive. “The storage conditions are ideal, and the garage would be half-empty otherwise. He doesn’t really care about cars like