of the entire family now,” he says, the smile involuntarily returning. “They made me the boss.”
My body freezes in its place. I don’t really know what to make of the announcement, so I just sit there, staring off into space, barely blinking. I’m not sure if I’m breathing or not. I’m just sitting here.
“Alannah,” Dominic says. “This is a good thing.”
“So, what you’re trying to tell me is you’re a mob boss now?” I inquire. I can’t even believe the words that just came out of my mouth.
Mob boss?
Dominic exhales loudly, then he rocks my world. “Yes, I am.”
“Umm, what am I supposed to say to that?” I ask, as nervous butterflies come to life in my stomach. “I was worried enough when you told me you were a made member, which Wikipedia says is a big freaking deal, by the way. Now, you’re telling me you’re the boss of the Giordano crime family? Am I not supposed to be fucking terrified, Dominic? Because I am.”
“Wait, wait,” Dominic pleads as he stands up and approaches me. “That’s what I’m trying to tell you, Alannah. You don’t have to be afraid for me. I run everything, and if anybody fucks with you, it’s fucking with me, and fucking with me means war with the entire family. Nobody wants that. So, you don’t have to worry about anything.”
“Dominic, this is fucking insane. If there’s one thing I learned when I was in Alaska and looking up mafia shit, it’s that the boss always gets killed.”
“Alannah, this isn’t the nineties, okay? Internal beef doesn’t happen anymore, and when Leo passed the torch to me yesterday, everybody in The Family pledged their loyalty to me. Everybody. In Our Thing, that’s a big deal. Loyalty means a lot to us. I’m the boss, and no one’s changing that. I made Tommy my underboss, and Frankie’s my consigliere. We’re a unified front that nobody would ever want to fuck with. You have to trust me, Alannah. I’ve never lied to you, have I?”
I don’t even have to think about the answer, because I know Dominic has always told me the truth.
“No, you haven’t,” I whisper.
“Exactly. So, I need you to trust me. I know it’s scary, and I know you didn’t exactly expect this when you decided to come back here, but this is all I know. This Thing of Ours is all I’ve ever known, and I know how to do this. You don’t have to worry about me getting hurt, and you can rest assured that no one will ever hurt you. I’ll never let that happen. The days of elementary and high school are over. We’re grown up now, and we can have anything we want, because I’m the most powerful man in the whole fucking city.”
I fight off a smile as Dominic leans in and kisses me on the neck.
“The most powerful man in the city?” I ask. Something about the way it sounds sends an excited chill down my spine. It’s that bad boy persona no woman can resist, even when we probably should. There’s something undeniable about a man who looks this good and has this much power. It’s almost unfair. How’s a girl supposed to resist?
Dominic smiles as he kisses my neck again.
“That’s right. The most powerful man in the city,” he says as I turn and kiss his cheek. “And the fucking richest, too.”
He kisses me on the lips and I can feel myself giving in to him. By body temperature is climbing and I feel a new sense of adventure wash over me. This man has a spell on me.
I watch him as he stands and walks over to the front door. He steps outside, and after a minute or two, he comes back and makes sure to lock the door behind him. I notice he’s holding a black duffel bag, and that Cheshire smile has returned.
“What’s that?” I ask.
“I gotta show you something,” he replies as he starts walking down the hall towards the bedroom. “Follow me.”
I get up and follow him into my room. Once we’re inside, Dominic closes the door as if there’s somebody else in the house and he wants privacy. He unzips the bag, and turns it upside down over the bed. Countless stacks of money come pouring out and scatter across my floral-patterned comforter.
It’s more money than I’ve ever seen at one time, and the sight of it takes my breath away. I’m filled with two emotions that are starting to