Chapter 6 - Dominic Russo Finally Chose His Wife
The investigation lasted weeks.
Bellini's operation collapsed.
Marcus Vale testified.
Luca's financial records exposed everything.
Dominic stopped taking the contaminated supplements.
Under legitimate medical supervision, he gradually changed his medications.
His hands stopped shaking.
Sleep came slowly.
The nightmares didn't disappear.
But something else changed.
He stopped hiding them.
One night, I woke around three in the morning.
Dominic sat beside the bedroom window.
We still had separate rooms.
Mostly.
I stood in his doorway.
“Bad dream?”
“Yes.”
“You want tea?”
“No.”
I waited.
He looked at me.
“Sit with me.”
So I did.
Minutes passed.
Then Dominic said, “Vincent called me before the ambush.”
I remained silent.
“He asked me to meet him.”
“You went?”
“He was my brother.”
Dominic stared through the window.
“I knew something was wrong. I went anyway.”
“Why?”
“Because part of me believed he'd changed.”
He rubbed the scar beneath his collar.
“Two men died protecting me.”
“And you've been trying to punish yourself ever since.”
“Yes.”
It was the first time he'd admitted it.
I touched his hand.
“No herb fixes that.”
“I know.”
“No pill either.”
“I know.”
“You need someone qualified to help you.”
He glanced at me.
“You're firing yourself?”
“I was never your therapist.”
“What are you, then?”
I smiled.
“Technically?”
“Don't say wife.”
“Wife.”
He rolled his eyes.
The next morning, Dominic made an appointment with a trauma specialist.
He told nobody except me.
Weeks passed.
Then one afternoon, I entered his office.
A stack of papers waited on his desk.
My father's debts.
Every page stamped PAID.
I stared at them.
“You promised to pay these.”
“I did.”
“Why show me?”
Dominic slid another document toward me.
Our marriage contract.
He'd signed the final page.
Termination.
I looked up.
“What is this?”
“Freedom.”
My chest tightened.
“You want a divorce?”
“No.”
His answer came immediately.
“Then why?”
“Because you married me because you needed money.”
He stepped around the desk.
“I married you because I needed an uncomplicated wife.”
“That worked beautifully.”
His mouth twitched.
“But that's not what we are anymore.”
He placed the termination document in my hand.
“Your father's debts are gone. The money promised to you is already in an account under your name.”
“Dominic—”
“You owe me nothing.”
I stared at him.
“And if I leave?”
His jaw tightened.
“You leave.”
“Just like that?”
“No.”
He swallowed.
“It wouldn't be just like anything.”
For once, Dominic Russo looked completely defenseless.
“But I won't keep you because of a contract.”
I looked down at the papers.
Then tore the termination document in half.
Dominic froze.
“What are you doing?”
I tore it again.
“You're terrible at proposals.”
“That wasn't a proposal.”
“Good, because it was depressing.”
“Callie.”
I walked toward him.
“You searched Chicago for an innocent woman you could control.”
“I never said control.”
“You heavily implied it.”
He sighed.
“Continue.”
“You found a broke woman with dirty fingernails who discovered your secrets on the first night.”
“Yes.”
“You've been irritated ever since.”
“Frequently.”
“And now you're asking me to leave.”
“I'm giving you the choice.”
I smiled.
“Then I'm choosing.”
His expression became uncertain.
“What?”
“You.”
Dominic didn't speak.
I took his hand.
“But this time, there are conditions.”
He stared at me.
“Of course there are.”
“No more hiding medication.”
“Fine.”
“No more whiskey instead of sleep.”
“Reasonable.”
“You continue therapy.”
“Yes.”
“And no more pretending I'm too innocent to understand your life.”
Dominic stepped closer.
“That illusion disappeared approximately five minutes after our wedding.”
I smiled.
“Good.”
His forehead touched mine.
“Anything else?”
“Yes.”
“What?”
“If we're staying married, we're doing it properly.”
His eyes softened.
“What does properly mean?”
“Start by taking me to dinner.”
Dominic smiled.
“A date?”
“A real one.”
“We're already married.”
“Then you're behind schedule.”
And for once...
May you like
Dominic Russo didn't argue.
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