“Dominic put the gun away,” I demand.
“No. Not yet. hate that fucking vase,” he says and shoots the vase in the corner. It smashes and I move Isabella behind me. “And that fucking picture of that stupid shit.” Another bullet echoes and lands in a painting of some abstract designs.
“Dominic stop it,” I yell.
“Fuck you,” he turns to me and waves the gun around. “Look at you acting all noble. The underboss by day, and by night you fuck the enemies daughter. You should be ashamed of yourself. How quickly you forget it was her father’s fault that Alyssa’s dead. Her father did that to you and you don’t care. All you care about is your fucking dick and pussy.”
I’m numb and I’m infuriated. He’s saying things I’ve already battled in my mind. While I can’t see Isabella I know she must be completely humiliated.
“I saw the two of you on the island, fucking, fucking without a care in the world. Alyssa was reason enough not to go there Tristan, but Pa…” he winces and then I see the answer to what happened to him. He’s grieving. “Gonna deny it? here’s proof.”
To my horror he presses a button on his phone and the wide screen tv comes on with footage of Isabella’s bedroom back on the Island. The two of us are in bed having sex. The image of us is there and our moans and groans of pleasure fill the room.
My eyes are fixed on the screen before me of me devouring the woman I shouldn’t have had. Dominic is high and acting on it, but what he said is shit he’s wanted to say. What he’s doing is what he truly wanted to do.
Isabella grabs on to my shirt and I dare not look at her. It was my fault we crossed that line. Not hers. I took the first step.
“Switch it off!” roars Massimo from the other side of the room. Candice is standing next to him. The two are staring back at both Dominic and the recording with dismay.
Dominic switches it off but he smiles. “Of course boss, you would side with him. You’re well versed in fucking the enemy’s daughter. Maybe I should find someone to fuck too to join the club.”
“Dominic you’re in trouble,” Massimo says.
“No, I’m not in trouble. I’m fine. I’ve never felt better. Never felt more alive. You should try it. When I’m like this I forget the pain. I forget I have no one.”
“That’s bull shit and you know it!” I cut in.
“Is it? You two stick together. Andreas was the loner. All I had was Pa and he’s not here anymore. He’s dead and I was just expected to move on and get revenge. Like that’s gonna solve anything or bring him back. We don’t talk about how we feel, not with me anyway. You all leave me out.”
“That’s not true,” Massimo says.
It isn’t true but Dominic believes that.
“It’s fucking true,” Dominic counters and fires another shot. This time he gets the window and the glass smashes.
“Dominic please put the gun down,” Candace says.
“No.” He wails and shoots the metal panel on the wall.
I almost die as I watch the bullet ricochet off the metal and recoil into her, hitting her right in her chest.
She screams out a sound so piercing it seems to rock reality.
“Candace!” Massimo shouts as she falls to the ground. He grabs her and Isabella rushes over to them crying hard.
It must be shock that has me paralyzed because I can’t move. I watch Dominic as he realizes what he did.
He lowers the gun first and then it slips from his hands. He’s shaking his head and looking at them.
“No… oh God, no. Candace, my angel,” he says. He takes one step to go to them but I intercept.
I rush him with the rage I felt and send a punch straight to his face knocking him to the ground. He scrambles to get up but can’t. He’s stunned from my blow and the fucking drugs he’s taken.
“Fucking bastard, don’t you dare go to her. You don’t deserve her. You don’t. We all grieved when Pa died. Don’t tell us bullshit to make it okay for you to believe the lies you tell yourself.”
He’s staring back at me with tears streaming down his cheeks.
I pull out my phone to call 911.
When Massimo starts CPR, my heart breaks. There’s so much blood everywhere.
Candace isn’t moving and she’s not breathing, all she’s doing is bleeding.
I can’t lose her. We can’t lose her.
Massimo continues CPR, but it’s not working.