it to be the turning point for all of us, a chance for everyone to finally make that fresh start.’
He pulled her into his arms for a hug. ‘Yeah, I know. I know you do. And that’s what I want too, baby. That’s what I want too.’
And all Reece could do was hope that, this time, that fresh start finally happened.
***
Dominic found Michael down in The Amber Palace casino. He looked relaxed, happy – his demeanour very different to the one he’d displayed over the past few weeks. He seemed like a different man. Like the weight of the world had suddenly been lifted off his shoulders. He was smiling at people, exchanging words with anyone who stopped him for an autograph, quite happily allowing his photo to be taken, and Dominic stood back for a while and just watched him. His famous father. A charming, polite, enigmatic man. A true star. But a man who also had the ability to become darkly dangerous.
Taking a deep breath Dominic stuck his hands in his pockets and began walking towards Michael, ready to get one final thing off his chest. And maybe India wouldn’t be too happy with what he was doing, but, for his own peace of mind, he had to say what he’d come here to say.
Michael looked up as Dominic approached him, his once-relaxed face tensing up slightly because he was acutely aware that Dominic didn’t appear half as relaxed as he was feeling.
‘I need a word,’ Dominic said, sticking his hands in his pockets, looking at the man he still couldn’t call Dad – even if that’s what he really was.
‘Now?’ Michael asked, removing his dark glasses, pushing them up onto his head. ‘I’m on my way to make sure everything’s ready for tonight’s wrap party. Can it wait?’
Dominic shook his head. ‘No. Not really. I’d rather we did this now, before tonight.’
Michael narrowed his eyes, but he wasn’t going to put up a fight. This young man was somebody he needed to get to know, if only to find out just how many of the Walsh genes he’d really inherited. He was curious about that, if nothing else.
‘I don’t want a drink,’ Dominic continued. ‘And I don’t want to sit down for some cosy chat; I just want to talk to you. For a few minutes, that’s all. There are some things I need to say.’
Michael was even more confused now. ‘Alright,’ he sighed, removing his dark glasses altogether, sticking them in his shirt pocket. ‘Let’s go outside. That okay with you?’
Dominic nodded, thinking that keeping this conversation in a public area was probably best. For everyone.
Michael followed Dominic out into the Las Vegas sunshine, both of them walking in silence until they reached the main body of The Strip which was bustling with tourists, everyone so busy taking in everything around them that they failed to notice the two famous movie stars amongst them.
They’d walked for about five minutes before Dominic stopped, sitting down on a nearby wall, staring out ahead of him, watching the throng of people walking up and down The Strip – watching as they stopped to take photographs, most of them joining the large crowd that was waiting for the 12:00pm Fountains of Bellagio show to begin.
‘I know what you did to her,’ Dominic said, his hands still deep inside his pockets, his eyes still staring straight ahead. ‘She told me.’
Michael sat down next to him, saying nothing. What could he say?
‘It’s hard, y’know…’ Dominic continued, ‘… to keep a lid on it all, all these emotions that are flying round my head right now. It’s hard…’
‘I can understand…’
He finally turned to face Michael. ‘No. No, I don’t think you can. You were supposed to love her.’
‘I did love her… I still do…’
Dominic shook his head, his attention now focused on the traffic and the tourists, anything but this man next to him. ‘How could you do that to someone you love, huh?’ He looked at Michael again, right into blue eyes that were so like his own. But he would never be like this man. Never. He would never hurt anyone the way Michael had hurt India. ‘How could you do that?’
Michael didn’t really know what to say. He’d been over this so many times, he was tired of explaining. But didn’t Dominic deserve some kind of explanation?
‘Actually, do you know what?’ Dominic said, pushing a hand through his hair as he stood up, looking at Michael. ‘I don’t want to