Page 137 of Monster

Dominic led me to the back of the bar. Some people looked at us as we passed, but no one stopped us on the way. They all gave Dominic a wide berth, and if I had ever doubted his influence, that was no longer the case.

He garnered attention, respect, and fear.

I checked out his ass while he walked. One of these days, I would be brave enough to explore it, but right now, I could only admire his swagger, feeling a pounding ache between my legs.

Power was sexy, I decided.

But power in men who were born to lead…

That was a whole different ball game. I had been surrounded my entire life by men who were enticed by power, be it my male piano teachers, my dad, and even my first boyfriend, but never one who exuded it from the very core of his being.

Dominic turned to me suddenly when we stopped at a table in the back, and I didn’t take my eyes away from him soon enough.

He shot me a knowing look and pulled me to his side, turning us to face the men and one woman I hadn’t noticed sitting at the table.

I recognized Kai right away.

He was the spitting image of his dad, and it was like looking into the mirror of the past. I was sure this was how Dominic looked when he was younger, though there was something cynical in Dominic’s eyes that wasn’t quite present in Kai’s.

I wondered if that cynicism came with age and experience, and I didn’t know why the thought of Dominic’s cynicism bothered me so much.

I smiled at Kai, and he offered me one back.

“Everyone, this is Emmy. Emmy, these are the bastards. And that pretty little thing sitting next to the ugly ogre is Ryleigh.”

It took me a moment to realize he was talking about the only woman there.

I looked at her, waving. She offered me a shy smile and looked down at the table. The man Dominic had referred to as the ugly ogre wasn’t ugly at all. Quite the opposite, even though he was scowling at Dominic.

The man turned to me and smiled, and I almost had to stop myself from swooning. If I weren’t completely enraptured by Dominic, and if the man clearly wasn’t taken by Ryleigh, I might have been interested.

“I’m Roman, by the way. And all the shit you’ve heard about me is not true.”

“Actually, I haven’t heard much,” I said, sitting when Dominic pulled out a chair for me next to Ryleigh, then sat close to me.

I hadn’t realized until I sat down that Ryleigh was heavily pregnant. Her swollen belly seemed to have swallowed her whole. It didn’t help that she was so tiny.

Roman clutched his chest and shot Dominic a wounded look. “Ah, prez. I’m fucking hurt. You didn’t tell your little obsession about your favorite VP?”

Beside me, Ryleigh giggled, obviously completely and wholly in love with the man. I would have laughed, too, had Roman not just referred to me as Dominic’slittle obsession. I wouldn’t go so far as to say that was the case, but I could think of worse things to be than the obsession of a man like Dominic.

“First,” Dominic said, humor in his voice, “get over yourself. I only have one VP, and he’s a pain in the ass. And second, I ain’t thinking about you when I’m with Emmy, thank fuck.”

“You love me and you know it,” Roman retorted, and I smiled a little at their antics.

“They’re always like this,” Ryleigh said beside me, and I shifted a little closer to her, glad to meet a friendly and non-intimidating face.

“I’m Emmy,” I said.

Ryleigh looked down at the table shyly, and I couldn’t help but feel surprised that she had matched up with a man as rough-looking as Roman.

Yet, somehow, the match seemed to work.

Distantly, I could hear Dominic talking about the club with Roman and Kai.

“Do you want to come with me to order a drink at the bar?” I asked Ryleigh. “I mean, I know you can’t drink and all—”

She grabbed my hand to stop my mumbling. “I’d love to.”

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