“What, you’re going to ignore my question?” Dominic said as he took a seat next to her.
“When you ask it as you do, then yes. I can’t understand what your problem is with Travis or the way you two always acknowledge each other.”
She looked at him and said with a mocking tone, “Travis. Dominic.” Leaning against the couch, she laughed. “Could you two be any more obvious in your dislike for each other? I don’t get it.”
He tapped his chin as a mocking expression adorned his cute face. “Hmm, let’s see. Maybe because he’s the son of Martin Chilani, a man I’ve never liked and told you many times. And oh, yeah, he was arrested this morning. According to the newspaper, smuggling guns. Why would I like that criminal?”
“Dominic Chester, don’t you dare call him a criminal again,” she stated in her most authoritative tone. “I know you’ve never liked Mr. C, but you have no reason to dislike Travis.”
“Sara, sweets, please take the blinders off your eyes. That isn’t a good family. Don’t you read the papers? I know Lily is your best friend, and honestly, she’s a peach. I have no problem with her. But the rest of that bunch, bad news. I’ve told you that from the start.”
She always liked it when he called her Sara, one of the few people who actually did. Now it made her wonder why he did. Most of the Chilani family called her Fina. Perhaps that was his way of distancing himself from them. Dax’s words filtered in, mingling with Dominic’s. Was she ignoring the glaring facts in front of her? Were they dangerous people?
She found it so hard to believe when she had known the entire family since sixth grade. They would never harm her. She believed that wholeheartedly.
“Did he talk about his arrest?”
“Not really. I have to admit, he was quite evasive on giving me a clear answer whether he was involved.”
He grabbed her hand, clutching with delicate tenderness. “What does that tell you, darling? He’ll skate the charges like his father does, but he’s guilty. Taking over the family business it seems.”
Her hand stiffened, the wine glass almost slipping from her fingers. “What did you say?”
“What part?”
“The family business part.” It couldn’t be.
“You like to ignore the things said about Martin, but he runs a lucrative business in the crime world, Sara. Travis, to my surprise, has never been mentioned in the papers…until today. That tells me that his dad is finally trying to teach him the ropes, reel him into the family business. Clearly, he needs to teach him better. Getting arrested like an amateur.”
Or because she helped that arrest go down. The family business. Was that what Travis had been talking about? Did he go down to the pier that night, executing a piece of the family business for his father?
“What did I say?”
She averted her eyes by taking another sip of wine. “Nothing. I don’t like it when you talk about Travis like that.”
“Any more of that wine left? Your insistence to ignore what’s glaringly obvious makes me want a drink.”
She laughed despite herself, nodding toward the kitchen. “Help yourself, cupcake.”
“I will, muffin.”
He let go of her hand, squeezing once before he did, and walked out of the room. No matter how many times they got into it about the Chilani family, they never acted like the arguments affected them. This one, for the first time, affected her. Not even teasing each other with goofy nicknames like they liked to do was making her feel better.
Could she be wrong? Should she avoid the Chilani family from now on as Dax asked her? He had seemed worried about her safety. Dominic’s expressions foretold the same worries. It was hard to contemplate ripping them from her life. They were like family.
“So, tell me about the wedding,” he said as he walked back into the room with a full glass of wine, the bottle of wine in his other hand. He refilled her glass, setting the bottle on the coffee table and took a seat next to her again. “You never called me. I’ve been dying to hear all the juicy details.”
“Geez, what sort of juicy details were you expecting? It was a wedding.”
“Exactly. Weddings always bring out the nostalgia. Any cute men you met? Details. I need details.”
“How’s Freddie? I was thinking I needed a massive makeover.”
He raised a brow high as concern mingled with confusion touched his lips. “Deflecting the conversation. So unlike you. And massive? A makeover, sure, to make you feel a little better, but a massive one. I don’t think so. Spill your guts, now.”
A heavy sigh released like the helium from a balloon making her light-headed. Before she lost her nerve, she told Dominic every sordid detail since the wedding night. Well, everything besides the part where she overheard Franklin’s disturbing phone call, seeing Dax at the precinct, and his secret.
His deadly secret.
She may not believe Mr. C would harm anyone, but she wasn’t willing to take that chance. She gave Dax her word she would keep his secret, and she didn’t intend to break that promise. Even to Dominic, whom she trusted with her life.
He clucked his lips as he digested every word. “I’ve never known you to be a one-night stand sort of woman. You’ve been waiting for him to call or show up again, haven’t you?”
“Maybe. I know that’s dumb of me, but I can’t help it. He was amazing. Different, unlike any man I dated.” She nudged his shoulder as a sly smile emerged. “Including you. There was something about him. I know it was wishful thinking, especially since we laid it out at the beginning of what would occur between us. I don’t know. I guess I hoped deep inside that I was wrong, that he would see how great we are. I know now it’ll never be possible.”
“You don’t know that. It’s been two days since the wedding. He could still change his mind.”
Not wanting to spill the rest of the truths she was hiding from him, she drank a large gulp of wine. “It’ll get better. I’ll get over him. Good thing I took a week off work after the wedding for some me-time. Who knew I’d need it to recover from another broken heart.”
Pulling her into his embrace, he rested his head on top of hers. “Must’ve been serious for you to have to recover from a broken heart. You barely know him.”
“I know enough. I can’t say love was in the equation, but there was something very special. It stinks.”
“It does. I see where the word ‘massive’ comes in. How does tomorrow sound? I’ll play hooky from work and we’ll make a day of it. Massage, hair, makeup, spa treatment, and shopping. What do you say, darling?”
She wrapped her arms tight around the best friend she would never let go of and smiled as a spurt of happiness surrounded her heart for once. “I say I couldn’t have asked for a better friend than you. Does Freddie have an appointment available? It’s last minute and he’s always a busy man.”
“For you, he has one available.”
For once, Sarafina chose not to argue. She needed this. Needed to feel whole again, wipe away any trace of the woman from two days ago. Perhaps that would help rebuild the gaping hole in her heart.
Dax walked into the house, dropping his keys into the first drawer in the kitchen. Standing for a moment, he took in the bleakness around him. Dark, empty, alone. That’s all he saw.