The Dominator (The Dominator 1)

“Uh, nice to meet you. Thanks.” I waved at the older of the two boys in the backseat.

“Everyone can’t wait to meet the girl that has finally stolen my brother’s heart. You’re 19? You look older than that! How did you meet? Oh my God!” She grabbed my hand again and started checking out my ring, “It’s beautiful! My brother has always had great taste.”

I felt the car swerve and got a freaked out look on my face. Then someone honked at us. She laughed and grabbed the steering wheel, “Sorry. Saw something shiny! Hahaha”

She was funny, I liked her.

“I just gotta stop at the bakery to grab dessert. My father’s wife Lisa is useless in the kitchen and Sundays his housekeeper is off so Luc is bringing dinner and I’m bringing dessert. We do di

nner almost every Sunday and we rotate who does what. Do you cook?” she turned down the radio a bit.

I nodded, “I do. I---“

Her phone cut me off. It was a really loud dubstep ring and it startled me. She answered it, “Tommy, what? Driving!” She listened for a second, frowned, and then said, “Yeah. What’s the prob?” She glanced over at me. Then she really scrunched up her face, “Yeah, I’ll be there in like five. Whatever. Here.” She passed me the phone and turned her music down some more. I almost fumbled, getting the phone to my ear.

“Hello?”

“Tia, what the fuck!” he growled.

My scalp prickled, “What’s wrong?”

“Where’s your fucking phone?”

“In my purse.”

“I’ve been calling you!”

“I must not have heard it. The music was loud.”

Tessa pulled into a parking space in a strip plaza and got out and dashed into a bakery.

“My sister picking you up was not authorized, Tia. The guy on duty was a fucking bonehead for letting her drive out of there with you. It’s not safe.”

My heart was pumping directly in my ears, it seemed. Time stood still for a beat.

Oh my God. OH MY GOD! I have a chance to get away. There was no one else in the parking lot. There were no bodyguards with us! I looked around me. I was in a suburban strip mall and there were no goons with guns watching me.

“Hello?” he called out impatiently.

“I’m here,” I slowly looped my purse strap over my shoulder, stepped out of the SUV and closed the door. I looked around, surveying the area. Should I run? This might be the perfect opportunity. This might be the only opportunity. Someone had let me off the property with the wrong person, a sister who didn’t know I was Tommy’s prisoner. I looked in the van and saw the sleeping baby and the game-playing tot. I chewed my cheek.

“Where’s Tess? It’s quiet,” he asked.

“She’s uh--- driving.”

“I’ll be there as soon as possible. Remember my rules. Yeah? Remind her not to stop anywhere. Go directly to my father’s house. It’s not safe for you to be out there unguarded.”

“Kay,” I frowned.

“You’re still wearing the ring?”

I looked down at it, “Uh huh.”

I could see his sister at the cash register, talking animatedly with the cashier.

“Okay, baby. I’ll see you soon. Be good. Text me when you’re inside Pop’s house so I know you’re safe. ”

“Kay. Goodbye, Tommy.” I hung up. I stood there, feeling like my pounding heart was inside of my ears. I pulled the ring off my finger. Goodbye Tommy.