OWNED by Dominic (Possessed #1) (16 page)

And then I fell pregnant with you.

The moment I found out I cried out of joy and sadness.

Joy because you were a part of me. Someone I could love for the rest of my life with no limits or expectations. You were going to be someone who would love me because I loved you so completely.

But then there was sadness…never because I was to have you. However, you weren’t going to belong to who you should have. I was married to your da, but my heart belonged to Brock, and so did you. I kept it a secret as long as I could, but Bradshaw knew almost from the start that you weren’t his because I was full of so much joy.

Some days I wonder why he didn’t force me to abort you, but then I would remember he was all about appearances. He saw you as a way up, only he brought us down. Further and further every day.

I know you must be angry because of my lies, and for that I am sorry. More than you could ever imagine.

Today is your eighteenth birthday, and I knew once you arrived back in Dublin and couldn’t find me, you’d come home. At least, I hope you do.

I’m praying it’s you reading this and not that despicable man.

I am sorry, a stór, more than I will ever get to tell you.

I truly hope you find this letter before Bradshaw finds you, though.

After you went to boarding school, Brock got word to me about what happened with this Dominic fellow and the deal he made with Bradshaw. I can only hope he’s taking care of you in the way you rightly deserve.

Brock helped me find out everything I could about the young man as soon as I heard about your da’s plans. I wish I could have told you, but you were so young and didn’t need to have more to worry about. You needed to be the young woman you never got to be with Bradshaw and I.

I don’t have much time left, but please, a stór, trust your heart and believe in yourself. It will be the only way to get through everything you’ve yet to face. And please don’t be too angry at Brock. To this day, he has no idea he is your father. Only Bradshaw and I know.

I love you with my whole heart and soul, Deidre. Please, for me, live long and love hard.

Love, Mam.

She was speechless. Completely and utterly shocked. She always knew her fath–...Bradshaw hated her. He’d never hidden it, and now she finally understood why. The pain was no less real, though.

She was still confused. Where was her mam? And if Brock was her father, why would he try to kill her? That he would take an order like that from Bradshaw didn’t make sense. Unless he thought death was better than what Bradshaw had planned for her?

Tears ran hot down her cheeks, splashing the paper. She was so tired of trying to find something she’d never really had. Wanting to be happy, safe, and loved was all she ever wished for. It was an attainable goal, hard to reach, but she’d always held out hope that she would one day have it. How was she to proceed now, though? According to her mother, the danger was only beginning.

The screech of the front gate gripped her heart. She froze, afraid to move or breathe. Praying it was the neighbor’s, but knowing from years of listening to that sound followed by Bradshaw’s screams told her someone was there.

When she heard the front door groan and light footsteps tap up the stairs, her tears came faster, and her breathing grew heavier. She watched in horror as the bedroom door began to open slowly.

When a shadow fell across the room, she nearly screamed until she recognized the voice. A voice that brought her nothing but pleasure.

“Deidre?”

Dominic.

Fifteen

She couldn’t move
. The look on his face was unreadable. His eyes reflected his pleasure upon seeing her in one piece, but the hard set of his jaw betrayed his anger at her swift betrayal. She’d left. She hadn’t trusted him enough not to abandon her.

It was all her fault, and she knew it. It was a hard pill to swallow.

“I am so sorry.” She cried into her knees. Feeling his eyes on her burned a hole in her so deep that she feared the heated flames would be real.

When the bed dipped, she looked up into his handsome face. Soft, sad green eyes spoke of the depth of his feelings for her—the good and the bad.

Bringing his hand up to her face, he glided his knuckles across her cheek and over her brow before descending into her hair. The grip he held on her nape had pain running along her skin where his fingers held her.

“Look at me, Deidre.” His demand held a note of steel. “Don’t. Ever. Fucking. Run. From. Me.” Each word was punctuated with a sharper grasp on her neck. “I will follow you to the ends of the earth and back, Princess, but never make me worry like that again.”

She could hear the hurt laced with the anger in his voice. “I swear.” She would do almost anything to have the happy light back in his eyes.

“Please, Dominic.” She wasn’t sure what she was asking for.

His eyes watched her for so long and with such intent that she almost didn’t think he was going to do or say anything, “What Princess? What do you need?”

“I...I don’t know.”

Pulling her into his arms, he let her cry for a few minutes before she finally gathered her resolve to show him the letter she’d just finished reading.

She watched as an intense range of emotions crossed his features the more he read, still unsure of how she felt about the new revelations. Knowing her mother had an affair didn’t bother her but learning that her real father tried to kill her, burned a hole in her already fragile heart.

Sure, according to her mam, he didn’t know the truth, and if Brock was in fact working for Bradshaw, then it would be something Bradshaw got a sick sense of glee from. But it hurt either way.

She had one father try and sell her when she was just a child. Now, the other one was trying to kill her. Was that what she was meant for? To be a pawn in some maniacal game? When would she get the chance to live her life without someone trying to do her harm?

*****

Dom didn’t know
who he wanted to kill more…Brock or Bradshaw. Or her mother who knew what was going on. At the very least, she had an idea of it. Yet not once did she try to warn her only child, a child she claimed to love more than anything. There was no explanation as to why Brock hadn’t left his life to be with her at some time in the last twelve years, and he found that to be quite suspect. He wasn’t sure if he trusted what Dee’s mother was saying or not.

The look on Deedee’s face told him all he needed to know; his woman was dying inside. Having so many things thrown at her repeatedly wasn’t going well in her mind, and he couldn’t blame her. A lesser woman would have caved long ago, but that wasn’t her style. She was the strongest, most caring woman he’d ever met. He admired her strength, even when she was being bullheaded. It made her the perfect woman to handle his over the top protectiveness.

“Princess, we gotta go. I will get to the bottom of this; I promise. But we have to get out of here.”

She nodded her head and leisurely climbed off the bed, her box of letters still clutched in her hands. Putting his finger to his lips, indicating silence, they quietly made their way back down the stairs and to the taxi he had waiting.

“Furthest hotel you’ve got with good security,” he instructed the driver as they sat in silence.

Pulling out his phone he sent a quick text to Larry.

Dom:
Find out everything you can on Brock. Might be D’s real father.

Larry:
Shit, she ok?

Dom:
Not really. How’s li’l man?

Larry:
Wants his pincess.

Jax had an extreme attachment to Dee. Normally, he’d be worried but knew she had one to him, too.

She proved it by asking, “How’s Jax?”

“Missing his pincess.” He smiled.

“I miss him, too,” she muttered, leaning into his side. He held her close as they drove, wrapping his arms around her.

He wanted to be mad at her for leaving and making him worry, but after reading that letter and seeing the anguish on her face, he knew that was how things were meant to play out. They needed the new information in order to finally end things with Bradshaw or her mother. Whoever was behind it. Then it would be time to deal with his bitchy ex.

As they arrived at the hotel, Dom paid the driver and they made their way inside. “Take a seat, Princess. I’ll get us a room,” he instructed her as they passed a small seating area in the foyer. Keeping his eye on her as he went to reception, he worried because she had yet to look up and was silent the hour-long ride it took to get there.

“How can me help ya?” the young receptionist asked.

“Just a room for the night.” He couldn’t take his eyes off Dee.

“For ye and the lass?” she asked him. Nodding his head in reply, she typed away on her computer for a few minutes before getting them a room.

Keycards in hand, he walked over to Deedee pulling her up and into his arms. He felt the need to bring her back from whatever ledge she was currently battling, so he kissed her.

Anytime their lips touched, his entire body ignited and this time was no different. His jeans got tight with the growth of his dick, his heart rate accelerated, and his head got fuzzy with need. Her moans of desire didn’t help any. The explosion of her flavor on his tongue made him want to strip her down right there and please her the best way he knew how.

Regretfully pulling back, she whimpered and held his shirt tightly to her chest while he suggested huskily, “Let’s go upstairs, Princess.”

Her dazed nod told him he’d successfully brought her out of wherever her mind had taken her. Entering the elevator, he pushed the button to their sixth floor room just as Deedee pulled his head down so their lips met in a fierce kiss.

She tried to take control long after the shock wore off, but he wouldn’t let her. Clasping his hands under her ass, he easily lifted her in his arms. “God, Dom, I’m so sorry. I made such a mistake leaving like that.” She cried, pulling from his mouth.

“Make it up to me,” he growled into her neck, biting her pulse.

Gasping, she ground herself against his abs where he had her pushed up against the wall. A ding made her pull back from him, but he wouldn’t let her. Gripping her hair tightly, he told her, “Never pull away from me, Princess. You’re fucking mine, and I don’t care who sees.” Slamming his lips on hers, he carefully walked out of the elevator.

Thankfully their room was right across the hall, and he had them in there in no time at all. As soon as the door closed behind them, he told her, “Strip and get on the fucking bed, Deidre.” She gave him an unsteady look but did as she was told.

His anger was back again. The second the door closed, the emotion slammed into him like a sledgehammer, and he was pissed at her.

Watching as she slowly stripped, he walked up behind her and ordered, “Faster.” A sharp bite entered his voice even she wouldn’t miss.

Shooting him a questioning look, he narrowed his gaze at her before she hurriedly undressed.

The way her ass swayed as she climbed to the center of the bed should have had him ready to jump her, but all he wanted to do was see it a shade of red as angry as he was feeling. Quickly walking to her, he grabbed her hips before she got too far, pulling her back so she was sitting on her heels with her back to his chest. He wrapped both arms around her so tightly that she couldn’t move, not that she was trying to.

“You’re going to be punished for running, Princess.” When she would have protested, he covered her mouth lightly with one hand. “You ran from me, Deidre. I’m mad as hell about that. More than I could ever tell you. I was terrified someone had taken you and was prepared to tear that hospital apart.”

“I’m sorry,” she sighed weakly.

“I know you are, but you need to know there’s no leaving me. You are everything to me. My breath, my heart, my life.” With every word he spoke, the anger became more intense. It was all true. Before he’d found her again, he lived for Jaxson alone. That gave him a fulfilling purpose, except he wasn’t actually happy. With her he’d found that and thought she had, too.

“Are you ready?”

She whimpered just before he gripped her hair, pushing her down so her ass was in the air facing him.

Sixteen

He was really
going to punish her! At first, she’d been terrified. Punishment didn’t exactly sound fun, but the heat behind his words held a dark promise. He probably didn’t even realize she’d heard it.

With his hand wound tightly in her hair, he pushed her chest down. She felt more exposed than she had before. Scared, she fisted the sheets with both hands, closing her eyes tightly and waiting for whatever he was going to do.

She heard the rattle of his belt as he unbuckled it, the rustle of his clothes as he began to undress, and his labored breaths as he became more and more excited by the moment.

When he reached over her, his bare chest against her back felt delicious, and his hard cock against her ass was intoxicating. He grabbed both of her hands pulling them behind her, contorting her arms so they were bent at the elbow and her hands were crossed between her shoulder blades. She felt his belt twine around her forearms as he knotted it at her wrists.

Kissing her fingers one at a time, he told her, “Don’t fucking move.” His voice held a threat that had her frozen. Whether that threat would be good or bad was anyone’s guess, so she obeyed.

“Good girl,” he murmured as he peppered kisses along her back.

The sensuality in his movements didn’t feel like a punishment, which in turn had her relaxing into his touch.

Big mistake.

His soft laugh made her want to look at him just as his strong hand landed on her ass. Biting her lip so she didn’t cry out, she tried to focus on the sensations vibrating through her skin as he rubbed circles where he’d just smacked her.

When he pulled his hand away, she prepared for the next one. Landing on her other cheek, she let out a small whimper mixed with pleasure and a small bite of pain.

She had no idea what his plan entailed, but she was pretty sure it wasn’t to turn her on. Shockingly, she ached for more. To have his harsh hand land harder. Heavier. To give her everything he was feeling and more.