(BlackHeart2) BLACKSOUL

Chapter 62 (Dom's POV)

        We were in the back room at the Velvet Lounge where I always have illegal card games running. You'd be surprised, but the chief of police in New York loves to gamble and because the man is in my pocket, I let him. It's the little things that keep these types of men happy and eager to please me.

I was leaning against the back bar with a whiskey in my hand while I watched.

He wasn't doing so bad today so his spirits were high. He wasn't alone either. Another high ranking official joined him and if they were caught in a place like this they'd be done for, but that's the point of my establishments. It all looks legal on the surface.

        I chuckled when one of the old Italian men, who likes hanging around here shit talking the younger guys, started going in on them. I was with my cousins Gino and Alessandro and I could feel them looking at me. It made me shift my eyes beside me to where they were hanging off the bar stools.

        "What?" I hate having to ask people that. "Nothing, you were just smiling..." Alessandro looked perplexed. "Oh fuck off. No I wasn't" I rolled my eyes at him. "Dom, do you have something to tell me?" Alessandro put his hands on his hips like he was an old Italian mother scolding her boys.

"Meaning?" I arched a brow at him. Gino was just looking between us.

"You've been in too good a mood. Last I saw you you were moping around after that blow out then....wait," I saw the wheels slowly turning in my cousins dumb head. "Mia," he practically gasped. I straightened my suit coat and grabbed my glass to take a sip of my drink.

        "What about her?" I played stupid. "You two are messing around again, aren't you? Why didn't you tell me?" He butted past Gino to get closer to me. He lowered his voice, but it's not like anyone here really knows who Mia is. If Elio was here that'd be a different story.

"There's nothing to tell," I shrugged. When he just kept looking at me I sighed. "Yeah, we've been messing around," I answered his inquiry. I won't tell him more than that. "Are you guys, like, dating?"

Of course  he wasn't satisfied with just half an answer. The nosey bastard.

       "Dating, what even is 'dating'." I scoffed. Mia hasn't pressed me on it and I'm grateful because words like that just make me uncomfortable. Alessandro hit my shoulder with the back of his hand basically telling me to cut the shit.

"We aren't fucking other people," I felt ridiculous saying, so I looked away from him and watched the chief of police slap his buddy on the back for taking his winnings. Same smoky lingering scent from the cigars back here. No matter how much ventilation the lingering scent of cigars will always be present.

Same thick brown leathered seating and center poker table. I haven't changed the design of this since my pops and I started it.

"Woah, hold up. You aren't fucking other girls? You told her that?" Now the asshole sounded amused. "Fuck off, Ale, it's none of your damn business."

         Gino was smart enough to pretend he wasn't listening. 

        "No, alright, I won't be a smart ass. I really wanna know. I'm the only person you can even talk about this with," he pressed on. It's true. I can't talk to Elio about this until I know for sure what's going on here. He's gonna be pissed, but it hasn't stopped me before. Alessandro is the only other person who knows about things between her and I from start to finish.

I took another swig of my whiskey. "She asked me not to and...yes, I agreed to it. Alright?"

A shit eating grin split across his face. "This is good. Very good. You've been fucking miserable for almost a year, Dom. Whether you wanna admit that or not you were in a destructive spiral since coming back from Paris," he called me out. I'm not in a better mood because of her.