Dom is addicted to what we do together. He loves me, too—even if I have to remind him of that sometimes. With some luck, I might even get him to walk away from the club and finally see that I’m his future. I mean, he could still be a part of a club. I could get Dad to make him a member of the Blaze. It’s kind of hot belonging to a member of a club, so I don’t want to give that up completely either. It’s just I think Dom needs to see there are things outside of that life are more important—that I’m more important.
Dom brings his hand against the side of my head, underneath my hair. Then, he slides it down to hold my neck. I close my eyes at the feel of his warm skin against mine. God, he always makes me feel so beautiful. I force my eyes to open, making sure he can tell my eyes are full of unshed tears. It’s not hard to pull off. The thought of losing Dom is terrifying. I know he hates seeing me cry though, and I do my best to use that.
He's forcing me to.
“I’ve got to, babe. I don’t have a choice.”
“You do. We just tell Thomas that we truly love one another. He’ll understand,” I counter, and I’m already plotting how to make sure Thomas accepts my choice and doesn’t say anything that will make all of this explode in my face.
“He loves you, Gab. He will step aside, but if you think for one minute that it won’t gut him to see you with me every day, you’re fooling yourself.”
“Dom, you talk like he’ll never find someone else to love,” I answer, finding it hard to keep the annoyance I’m feeling from bleeding through my words. He’s going overboard. Scanning his face, watching emotions flicker over his features, I take in the soft swell of his nose. It didn’t break, but it came pretty damn close. The fact that Thomas and Dom fought over me is a little bit surprising. Maybe I’ve underestimated Thomas.
“You’re not that easy to replace, babe,” Dom says, and that just pisses me off.
“If I’m so special, why are you letting me go?” I mumble, allowing more tears to escape. I let them slide down my cheek, hoping they can cover up my panic.
I feel a little better when Dom reaches out and uses the pad of his thumb to catch one of the tears.
“I have to look out for him.”
“Bullshit.”
“Gab—”
“Don’t give me that, Dom. If you are breaking up with me, at least tell me the truth.”
“I am, damn it!” he says, and I know I’m pissing him off. That’s not what I wanted, but he’s just not listening to me.
“You’re breaking up with me because you’re constantly at the club now as a pledge. Hell, you live there. I’m not convenient anymore. You want your taste of club whores,” I accuse him, allowing my real thoughts to come out.
“It’s not a damn fraternity, Gab. I’m not pledging. I’m working my ass off for the club as a prospect. I’ve got to prove myself to every fucking member of the crew. I’m not going to be handed the reins just because my old man is the President. They’re working me ten times fucking harder, giving me every shit job there is because he is my old man.”
“You can just—”
“And I don’t want a fucking club whore. I’ve never wanted anyone but you. You know that. Don’t you dare try and throw that shit in my face.”
“I’m just supposed to believe you? The great Dominic West doesn’t lie, right?”
“Gabby—”
“What happened when you promised me that we’d face everything together? That it was you and me forever, Dom? Were you telling the truth then?”
“Damn it, woman.”
“Just forget it,” I snap. My tears are coming so hard now that my vision is blurry. Dom isn’t reacting like I thought he would, and I’m losing control. I just allowed him to hear just how insecure he has made me, and it didn’t make a bit of difference.
I’m not sure why I thought it would.
I pull away from him. I thought that maybe he would refuse to let me go. I at least held at that hope. He doesn’t, and I want to scream at him, rail at him for hurting me and giving me away. “You just need to realize one thing, Dom,” I snap, letting my anger show.
“Gabby, baby…” he sighs, sounding miserable.
He’s making both of us miserable.
“If you walk away from me now? If you insist on breaking up with me? When I walk out of those doors, you lose me.”
“Gabby—”
“You’re not just breaking up with me, Dom. You’re giving me away to another man,” I interrupt, hoping that will be enough to make him back down. Dominic West is nothing if not territorial.