OWNED by Dominic (Possessed #1) (4 page)

He could admit he’d fucked up. Brooke seduced him. Failed her mission and disappeared.

Now, here he was four years later with more baggage than he ever thought he’d have at his age.

He was ready to go home. Retire. Live out the rest of his days before he was marked.

When the door opened, he knew his plans just flew out the fucking window.

When did Deedee grow the fuck up?
He took in her stunning form.

“Dominic?” she whispered huskily, throwing herself into his arms in surprise.
Shit.
He should not be having these feelings for her. When the hell did she become so gorgeous? Or grow into a woman?

If she kept squeezing him, she was gonna feel something completely inappropriate to their relationship. “Dee, when the fuck you grow up?”

A blush covered her chest and slowly went up to her cheeks as she pulled away shyly. Tucking some strands of hair behind her ear, she ducked her head and shuffled her feet. “Why are you here?”

A deep sigh left him, knowing that what he was about to tell her, she wasn’t going to like. “Can I come in and talk?”

“Oh. Sure.” She stepped back and turned to walk into her small kitchen. He got a good look at her now womanly body and nearly groaned in appreciation. Hourglass figure, tight, toned body only a girl of eighteen could have.
Fuuuckkk!
Eight-fucking-teen. His brain and heart got the message, his dick not so much.
Down you horny fucker.
Clearly, three years of abstinence was a bad idea.

Insecurity and worry were written across her face. Knowing he was the cause didn’t sit well with him and realizing he was about to make it worse, didn’t make him feel any better. “How you been, Dee?”

“Huh?” She seemed lost. More so than he’d ever seen her before. Granted he hadn’t seen her in over seven years, but a zebra doesn’t change his stripes, and she’d always had a strong personality. “Fine, I guess. Glad to be away from everything.”

“Princess…?”

Finally looking at him, she seemed to really see him for the first time. “Where did you go?” Her whispered words nearly broke his heart. “Why did you let him take me away?”

“Fuck, Princess. There are things you don’t know. Things you might not understand. I didn’t let him take you away; you better fucking believe that.” He needed her to know he didn’t abandon her. He would never have deserted her.

“Then why? Do you know what they did to me that night?” The pain and horror on her face, the stark fear that lingered so many years later had him questioning if he’d done the right thing.

“Tell me.”

She looked at him like he was straight up nuts. As if he had no right to know why she held so much fear in her.

“Screw you, Dominic! You lost the right to know anything about me a long fucking time ago!”

She was pissing him off now. Did she not know she was his now? He was gonna let her go and do with her life as she had pleased, but now? Now, he had this need to own her. To show her just what he could and would do for her. Starting with destroying her father and any other cocksucker who’d ever hurt her.

“Don’t push me, Princess,” he growled, stepping towards her. She shrunk into herself for a second before remembering just how much she used to love pushing his buttons and fighting back. He was glad to see she still had it in her.

“Excuse me?” she retorted. A sardonic smile lit his face as she got frustrated with him. Stomping her feet and grumbling.

She was sexy when she was mad.

Fuck.

He had to stop thinking like that.

Only he couldn’t.

She was going to be his, and God save anyone that tried to get in his way.

Three

He was gorgeous
. Anytime Deidre had thought about Dom in the past, it had always been about how much fun she used to have teasing him and trying his patience. Making him really work. Now he was almost beautiful.

She didn’t have any experience with men, so of course he wouldn’t notice her, but the way he growled at her when she had pissed him off made funny things happen to her body. Things she never thought she’d feel. Her whole life she’d only ever wanted one thing—to be with her mam.

Now, for the first time ever, she was lusting after a man who was probably fifteen years older than her, and he would only ever think of her as some bratty child he used to protect.

“Why are you here, Dom?” she asked in exasperation. So ready to go home. Just wanting to go home.

“I’m here to take you back to your father.”

Bam
. Just like that she saw her entire life exploding before her eyes. If she went back to him, she’d never see the outside world again. Of that she was sure.

“No.”

“Deidre!” he snapped at her. She stopped in her tracks as she was about to leave, not caring that it was her house. He’d never called her by her full name unless she was in shit. “You’re coming with me.”

“No.”

“Jesus Christ. What are you, a fucking child? You’re coming home with me.”

“No.” She knew she was pissing him off by repeating the same word, but she didn’t care. She was mad. He had no right to demand anything from her.

“Goddamnit, Dee, you are. Even if I have to force you!” he screamed at her.

“Go fuck yourself, Dom! I ain’t doing shit for you! You have no idea what you’re asking by trying to make me go back to that monster.” Her voice was shaky with emotion.

“Then fucking tell me! I can’t protect you if I don’t know what’s going on, Princess.” His voice softened as he wound down.

“I can’t. Just leave, Dom. Tell the arse you couldn’t find me and go on with your life.” Turning her back, she was about to walk away when he grabbed her shoulders from behind, pulling her into his chest.

So this is what heaven feels like.
She sagged against him. His muscles rippled against her back with every breath. His thighs encased her legs. His arms held her soft but steady as he whispered, “You’re mine, Princess. I won’t ever let you go.”

“That’s where you’re wrong,” she whispered half-heartedly.

Placing one hand under her chin, he turned her head so she was facing him and lowered his mouth until their lips were just a hairsbreadth apart. He whispered, “You’re coming with me, Deedee.” Pissing her off all over again.

She didn’t know what to expect, but a light kiss was at the top of her list, not for him to demand she go back to her father. That only made her want to kick him in the nuts. “How many times do I have to tell you; I am not going with you! Do I need to dumb it down for you? Lose a few words so your over-inflated steroid brain can understand?” Her words were harsh, she knew. One day she might even regret them, but she was too angry to care at that point.

Mumbling something she couldn’t hear, he turned towards the door yelling, “It’s time to face your father again, Deidre! You can’t run forever.”

“Who says I’m running you overgrown jackass!” she spits back.

As he was about to walk out the door, she heard him snarl, “Who the fuck are you?”

Storming over, she was about to ask what the hell was going on when she saw Kennedy practically cowering in her doorway. “What’s going on, Ken?”

“Ken?” he mocked.

“Yeah, Ken, you jackass. It’s called a nickname. People give them to other people when they care about them. But in order to care, a person must have feelings first. Something you’re lacking. Now fuck off.”

“What the fuck? Dom? What are you doing here?” Kennedy’s man Creed asked clearly pissed off that she was upset.

“Well, looks like our business was in the same place after all,” Dom laughed, confusing her.
They know each other?

“Ignore him guys; he’s an ass. An ass who needs to leave now because I’m sick of looking at your perfect face.” Dee growled, frustrated beyond belief with him.

“Perfect, huh?” He smirked at her.

“Dom, why are you here?” Creed asked again.

“Cool your jets, Black. I was hired by Deidre’s father to bring her home, but she ran off here, and I had to find her again.”

“He’s not my father, and it certainly isn’t home,” Dee told him mutinously.

“You’re coming with me, Princess. Even if I have to drag you back kicking and screaming,” he warned her, leaning in close to her face.

“Ahem,” Kennedy cleared her throat, drawing the attention of everyone. “Who exactly are you? And why do you need to bring her to her father? It’s called free will for a reason.”

Laughing, he shocked them all by replying, “I’m Dominic Slade, and I have to bring her home in order to own her.”

Uh, say what now?

Her head was buzzing. She missed some of what they were saying. She shouldn’t be shocked her father would sell her. Yet she was. Completely, irrevocably, stunned.

“Wait… What?” Confusion laced her words. “What do you mean bring me back so you can own me?”

“He never told you?” Shaking her head no, he continued, “Fuck sakes. Your father and I had an agreement when you were younger. Once you hit a certain age you were mine, no matter where you were in the world. Only I had to bring you back to him one last time.”

Shock. Yes, the feeling running through her system was shock. It’s the only possible reason for everyone’s silence at his admission.

“You mean he sold me to you?” Dee asked quietly.

“No. He traded you. Your life for his.”

“I don’t understand.” she couldn’t wrap her mind around it.

“I was sent to kill him eight years ago, so I had to infiltrate his life. I was your bodyguard until he noticed the attention I was giving you. I treated you like you were a person rather than a thing, and he didn’t like it so you were sent away and I was reassigned. Instead of taking the new job, I used my time wisely and waited for my opportunity to strike. As I was about to, he was in the middle of a deal, and I took advantage.”

“What kind of deal?” she whispered, terrified of the answer.

“He was about to sell you to a human trafficker for top dollar. Your eyes are a very unique color; therefore, bringing in the highest bidders. He was going to get millions for you. I gave him a choice,” Dom told her softly.

“My life for his.”

“Yes.”

“Sunshine,” Creed called Kennedy. “Let’s go on back home.” He went to reach for her hand, but she pulled back.

“I won’t leave her like this, and with him! Are you insane?”

“It’s fine, Ken. I’ll be okay. I have nothing to fear from Dom, never have. Just don’t like his arrogance,” Dee explained to her with a small smile. While it was true, Dom would never hurt her physically, she wasn’t so sure about emotionally.

“Are you still leaving tonight?” Kenny asked.

“Yes,” she shot a dirty look to Dom. “But I’m going back home, not to his royal asshole’s.” Laughing at the growl Dom let out, Dee hugged her whispering, “I’ll see you soon. Go home, Kenny. Your folks miss you.”

“You’ll be okay?” she asked pulling back from the hug.

Would she? Probably not.

“It’s time to go home, Kennedy. For both of us.”

With one last hug and sad smiles shared, Kennedy started to walk away with a warning to Dominic. “You hurt her, and I’ll hunt you down myself, Mr. Slade. Understand?” He looked like he was going to laugh her threat off at first.

“She’s safe with me; you have my word,” Dom promised.

The men did their weird fist bump/half hug thing with whispered words neither girl had a chance of hearing before they parted ways.

*****

“Fuck!” Slamming his
hand against the steering wheel, he was angry. At himself, at her father, at Creed for forcing him to tell Dee before he had a chance to soften the blow. After her friend had left, she’d kicked him out. He tried to stay, but she told him one of them was leaving. He figured if he did, at least he could watch her house until he convinced her to leave with him.

Fatigue tried to tug at his eyes as he watched her front door. He wouldn’t put it past her to slip out while she thought he was sleeping. A door slamming drew his attention to the rear of her house. He was almost disappointed that she would prove him right.

Climbing out of his car, he quietly jogged to the back to keep his eye on her. Not seeing her at first, he grew worried until he heard light humming closer to the water’s edge. Scanning for any signs of her, his gaze settled on a small figure sitting in the sand about half way between the house and sea.

Not wanting to startle her, he shuffled through the sand so she would hear him. Coming upon her still form, it only took a second before he realized she was crying.

Sitting behind her, he wrapped her in his arms, rocking her gently. “What’s going on, Deedee?”

Turning into him, she seemed to breathe his scent in before answering. “I just…I wish it was a different time. A different place. I wish I weren’t me.”

Her words spoke to him in ways nothing else had because he understood completely. Some days, he wished for a different life...to be someone he wasn’t. To be the man worthy of her. He would do everything in his power to make her happy.

“I just want to go home, Dominic. I want to see me mam. Can you understand that?” She looked up to him, searching his eyes, showing him her desperation to go home. To have the normal life she’d always craved.

“I got you, Dee,” he told her. Not promising he would take her home. Not promising he wouldn’t either.

“I can’t go home, though, can I?” Defeat was in her softly worded question.

“You will, Princess.”

“But I can’t. I talked to Mam. Da’s friends were in Dublin. They’ll never stop looking for me.” The heartbreak in her voice was evident. She was eighteen and alone. Lonely for so long, he couldn’t even imagine how she’d felt all these years. Cut off from the only family member she had. “Not that it matters,” she continued. “You’re making me go back anyway.”

Never in his life had Dominic felt so horrible about trying to do what he thought was right. He wasn’t bringing her back to Bradshaw because he’d ordered it. His idea was to bring her closure. He knew her better than anyone and understood she had a ton of anger towards her father that she needed to get out. She had to let the man know how she felt about the way he’d treated her. But if she was hurting this bad over just the thought of it, he didn’t think she was going to do it.