Chapter 6 - The Echo of Touch
Dominic’s fingers rested against Ruby’s cheek,
where her skin was soft,
warm,
and pulsing with a steady rhythm.
He had spent ten long years hardening himself against tenderness,
believing that any display of affection was an invitation for weakness,
yet here he stood in his private sanctuary,
completely undone by a maid who refused to be silent.
Ruby didn’t pull away from his touch.
She leaned imperceptibly into the solid warmth of his hand,
her dark eyes reflecting the stormy gray light streaming through the massive glass windows behind him.
"You're not afraid of the quiet,
Dominic,
" she whispered,
her voice low,
smoky,
and rich with an understanding that chilled him to his core.
"You're afraid of what you hear when it finally stops."
Dominic’s thumb brushed slowly across her cheekbone,
feeling the soft,
vibrant flush of her skin.
"I hear memories,
" he admitted,
the confession slipping past his lips before his calculated mind could stop it.
"I hear gunshots in empty alleys,
"
"I hear my father's dying breath against marble floors,
"
"and I hear the hollow echo my mother left behind when she was taken from this house."
"Then let me give you something else to remember,
" Ruby said gently,
placing her hand over his,
her fingers warm and grounding against his wrist.
The space between them closed,
heavy with unspoken tension,
undeniable longing,
and terrifying danger.
For a fraction of a second,
Dominic forgot about the blood on his hands,
the crime syndicate waiting for his absolute commands,
and the rival wolves lurking at his borders.
He saw only Ruby—her lush curves,
her unyielding strength,
her fierce brown eyes,
and the vibrant,
unapologetic life that filled every breath she took inside his dark world.
Before he could lean down to capture her lips,
the heavy mahogany doors of the sanctuary slammed open.
Marcus stood in the threshold,
his face pale,
his hand resting nervously on his hidden sidearm,
and his chest heaving with exertion.
"Boss,
" Marcus interrupted,
his voice cutting through the intimate air like a jagged blade.
Dominic didn't drop his hand immediately;
he took a slow,
deliberate breath,
letting his fingers linger on Ruby's face for one extra second before turning to face his chief of security.
"This had better be life or death,
Marcus,
" Dominic said,
his voice dropping into that terrifying,
flat monotone that usually preceded extreme violence.
"It might be both,
boss,
" Marcus replied,
his eyes flicking nervously toward Ruby with a look of profound concern.
"Julian Moretti just hit our primary logistics hub on the east river."
"Two of our perimeter guards are wounded,
"
"a crate of imported cargo was torched,
"
"and Julian left a message painted on the main warehouse doors."
Dominic's eyes narrowed into slits of dark,
murderous ice.
"What did the message say?"
Marcus swallowed hard,
his posture rigid.
"He wrote,
'The quiet boss has a loud maid,
"
"and quiet men lose everything when the music stops.'"
Ruby felt a sudden chill run down her spine,
but she kept her head held high,
refusing to let fear take root in her chest.
Dominic slowly turned back to look at her,
his expression transforming back into the ruthless mafia lord that the world feared.
"Marcus,
" Dominic ordered calmly,
"double the guards on the estate perimeter."
"And lock Miss Bennett in the interior quarters until I return."
"Wait a minute,
" Ruby interjected,
stepping forward with her hands on her hips.
"You can't lock me away like a prisoner!"
"I am keeping you alive,
Ruby,
" Dominic snapped,
stepping into her space with overwhelming authority.
"Julian Moretti thinks you are my vulnerability."
May you like
"And in my world,
vulnerabilities get destroyed."
