Chapter 8
Dominic didn't leave.
He stayed in town.
He got a job at a hardware store.
He rented a small apartment.
He stayed away.
Mostly.
But Victor's men reported he'd drive past the house at night.
Slow down.
Stare at the windows.
Then drive away.
It was creepy.
But not illegal.
Not yet.
We got a restraining order.
He had to stay at least five hundred yards away from me, Sophia, Lila, and Ethan.
He didn't violate it.
He was careful.
Too careful.
Then the accidents started.
First, the brakes on my car failed.
I was driving Sophia to a birthday party.
I pressed the pedal.
Nothing.
I swerved into an empty parking lot.
Scraped the side of the car against a concrete barrier.
We were fine.
Shaken.
But fine.
The mechanic said the brake line had been cut.
Clean.
Professional.
Then, a week later, a fire started in the garage of Lila's apartment.
It was small.
The smoke alarm went off.
The fire department put it out fast.
No one was hurt.
But the fire marshal said it was arson.
Someone had poured gasoline around the water heater.
Lit a match.
Then ran.
Victor was furious.
He put 24/7 security on both houses.
Armed guards.
Cameras.
Panic buttons in every room.
The police investigated.
But there was no proof.
No fingerprints.
No witnesses.
Dominic had alibis for both incidents.
He'd been at work.
Then at a AA meeting.
Dozens of people confirmed it.
"Coincidence my ass," Victor said.
"He's paying someone. Someone who knows what they're doing. We just can't prove it yet."
Marcus used his connections.
He got the FBI involved.
They opened a case.
Harassment.
Stalking.
Possible attempted murder.
Still no proof.
Then, one night, I woke up.
The house was quiet.
Too quiet.
I checked on Sophia.
She was asleep.
I went downstairs to get a glass of water.
The back door was open.
Just a crack.
I froze.
The alarm was off.
Someone had disabled it.
I reached for my phone.
Then I heard a voice.
From the living room.
"Vivienne."
Dominic.
He was in my house.
I backed toward the stairs.
I hit the panic button on my phone.
"Stay where you are," I said.
My voice was steady.
"The police are on their way. Victor's men are three minutes out."
Dominic stepped into the light.
He looked terrible.
Wild eyes.
Unshaven.
He held a gun in one hand.
A gas can in the other.
Oh my God.
He was going to kill us.
Burn the house down.
Make it look like an accident.
Collect the insurance money.
Run.
Again.
"You always were too smart for your own good," he said.
He stepped closer.
"That's why I loved you. That's why I had to leave you. You were going to figure it out. Sooner or later. You always do."
"Put the gun down, Dominic," I said.
"It's over. You're going back to prison. For life. This time, there's no way out."
He laughed.
A crazy, hollow sound.
"I'm not going back to prison. I'm not going to rot in a cell for another twenty years. I'm done. We're all done."
He looked up the stairs.
At Sophia's room.
"Where is she?" he said.
"I want to say goodbye. To my daughter."
"You will never touch her again," I said.
I stepped between him and the stairs.
"Over my dead body."
Dominic smiled.
"That can be arranged."
He raised the gun.
Then the front door exploded open.
Victor.
Marcus.
Julian.
Three of Victor's men.
All with guns drawn.
"DROP IT!" Victor yelled.
Dominic spun.
He fired.
The bullet hit the wall next to Victor's head.
Victor fired back.
Once.
Clean.
Right to the shoulder.
Dominic dropped the gun.
He screamed.
He fell to his knees.
Blood poured down his arm.
The police burst in thirty seconds later.
They cuffed him.
They led him out.
He screamed my name the whole way.
I slid down the wall.
My legs gave out.
Victor ran to me.
He knelt down.
"Are you okay?" he said.
"Did he hurt you?"
I shook my head.
I couldn't speak.
Upstairs, Sophia started crying.
I ran up to her.
I held her.
She shook in my arms.
"Mommy, what was that? Who was that?"
I stroked her hair.
May you like
I kissed her forehead.
"It's okay, baby. It's over. He's gone. He's never coming back. I promise."
