Chapter 5
"I don't know how many times I've told him he can't use that as a personal deduction," Liz said into the phone receiver. After a few seconds of listening to her assistant, she closed her eyes and looked upward, as if asking for help from Above. "Fine," she said with an exasperated sigh. "I've got a few things to take care of here this morning but I'll be in after lunch. Call him back and set up an appointment for 3:30 this afternoon," she said before hanging up and turning back to the stove to finish cooking breakfast.
When she turned around, Dom was standing on the other side of the bar watching her. She had her hair pulled up into a ponytail and was wearing a tank top and a pair of boy shorts. This was the first time he had ever seen her like this and he liked what he saw. All of the other times he'd been here, he left her in bed when they were finished. He'd never spent the entire night with her.
"I'm sorry, did I wake you?" she asked, taking the toast from the toaster and adding it to the pile on the plate.
"No, it was time to get up. I've never been the type to lie around all day," he said, watching as she brought the plate of toast around to the table and adding it to the other plates of food that was already there.
"Well, now that you're up you can eat this huge breakfast I've been working on," she said taking a seat at the table.
Dom eased himself down into the chair opposite of her.
"So, how do you feel this morning?" she asked, spooning scrambled eggs onto her plate.
"How do you think I feel?" he testily answered, then realized what he did. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to come out like that. Actually I feel worse today than I did last night, but you didn't hear me just say that."
Liz smiled. "Your secret is safe with me. It's kinda like being in an accident. Right after you're a little sore but the next day is when the real pain sets in," she said, smoothing apple butter onto a piece of toast. "Well, at least it was like that for me."
"I know what you mean," Dom said, taking a bite of bacon.
They talked all during breakfast and when they were finished, he offered to help her clean up.
"You know you don't mean that," Liz joked as she started clearing the table.
Dom laughed. "Believe it or not, I do know my way around a kitchen."
"Just the same, you're in no condition to be up and around right now. Go sit on the couch and let me finish. I'll be just a few minutes," she said, stacking the plates in the sink.
Dom made his way into the living room and lowered himself to the couch and watched Liz. She was everything he wanted in a woman and yet he couldn't have her. But what was stopping him? Letty was out of the picture, finally, so she wasn't an issue any longer. But would she mind having a grease monkey hanging around? She didn't seem the type of person who hung out with his type of people but yet here he was. Even though they hadn't been out in public together, there was something between them. Maybe it was just the sex at first, but lately things had changed. Well, at least for Dom it had.
Liz ran upstairs and showered, then dropped Dom off at his house with a promise that she'd call later to check on him. He told her that she didn't have to, that she had done enough already, but she insisted. He was learning that when Liz wanted something, she was going to get it no matter what.
Leon and Vince had left the house earlier and headed to the garage to clean up the mess Dom had made last night. Mia was in the kitchen when they pulled into the driveway.
Looking out of the window, she saw Dom slowly extract himself from Liz's car, then laugh at something she said. Mia hated to see her brother hurt, but it was good to see him laughing. It had been a long time since he was happy. She knew about Dom and Liz and secretly hoped that they would finally make a go of it. Letty was like a sister, but she and Dom weren't meant to be together. After the stunt that she had pulled, she hated her with a passion. By doing what she did, Letty had effectively cut herself off from them.
Dom made his way into the house and Mia was careful when she hugged him. She didn't want to think of her life without Dom. He was the glue that kept their little family together. If anything were to happen to him, she didn't know what she would do.
"Any sign of her today?" Dom asked, not wanting to mention her name.
"No, nothing last night and nothing this morning. The guys left earlier and went to the garage so it's been quiet around here," Mia commented.
"Well, I need to get to the office so I guess I'll be going now," Liz said, walking to the back door.
"Thanks for bringing him home, Liz."
"No problem. I'll talk to you guys later," she said before walking out.
Dom followed her out onto the back porch. "Liz," he called.
She stopped on the steps and turned to look at him.
"Thanks again . for everything," Dom sincerely said.
"You're welcome. I'll call you later," she said before walking to her car.
Dom stood on the porch and watched her back out of the driveway and drive off. He stood there for a few minutes and then went back into the house. Slowly making his way up the stairs, he dreaded having to clean up after Letty. But when he opened the door to his room, he saw that it had already been done.
"Mia!" he called over his shoulder.
Mia ran up the stairs. "What? What's wrong?" she said, worried that he was in pain again.
He looked back into his room. "What happened?"
She looked into the room. "Oh, that. Me and the guys took care of it all last night. You're in no shape to be cleaning so we thought that we'd do it. We put all of Letty's stuff in some boxes and they're in the garage."
Dom walked into the room and stared at the bed, images of Letty and the guy flashing through his mind. He slowly sat in a chair beside the window and looked up at Mia.
"Thanks for taking care of it all. I don't care if I ever see that bitch ever again."
"That's the general consensus around here too. I just hope it's over, all of it."
Dom sighed. "I don't think it is which means that everyone needs to stay on their toes. We don't know what else could be coming."
"Well, I feel better now that you're home. I'm headed to the store so you get some rest. I'll bring the cordless phone up for you if you need to make any calls," she said, walking down the hallway and down the stairs.
Dom moved to the bed and stretched himself out. He felt like shit but he knew that if he was up and around his ribs wouldn't heal. He hated not being at the garage working, but he knew that Leon and Vince would take care of things.
"I don't know how many times I've told him he can't use that as a personal deduction," Liz said into the phone receiver. After a few seconds of listening to her assistant, she closed her eyes and looked upward, as if asking for help from Above. "Fine," she said with an exasperated sigh. "I've got a few things to take care of here this morning but I'll be in after lunch. Call him back and set up an appointment for 3:30 this afternoon," she said before hanging up and turning back to the stove to finish cooking breakfast.
When she turned around, Dom was standing on the other side of the bar watching her. She had her hair pulled up into a ponytail and was wearing a tank top and a pair of boy shorts. This was the first time he had ever seen her like this and he liked what he saw. All of the other times he'd been here, he left her in bed when they were finished. He'd never spent the entire night with her.
"I'm sorry, did I wake you?" she asked, taking the toast from the toaster and adding it to the pile on the plate.
"No, it was time to get up. I've never been the type to lie around all day," he said, watching as she brought the plate of toast around to the table and adding it to the other plates of food that was already there.
"Well, now that you're up you can eat this huge breakfast I've been working on," she said taking a seat at the table.
Dom eased himself down into the chair opposite of her.
"So, how do you feel this morning?" she asked, spooning scrambled eggs onto her plate.
"How do you think I feel?" he testily answered, then realized what he did. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to come out like that. Actually I feel worse today than I did last night, but you didn't hear me just say that."
Liz smiled. "Your secret is safe with me. It's kinda like being in an accident. Right after you're a little sore but the next day is when the real pain sets in," she said, smoothing apple butter onto a piece of toast. "Well, at least it was like that for me."
"I know what you mean," Dom said, taking a bite of bacon.
They talked all during breakfast and when they were finished, he offered to help her clean up.
"You know you don't mean that," Liz joked as she started clearing the table.
Dom laughed. "Believe it or not, I do know my way around a kitchen."
"Just the same, you're in no condition to be up and around right now. Go sit on the couch and let me finish. I'll be just a few minutes," she said, stacking the plates in the sink.
Dom made his way into the living room and lowered himself to the couch and watched Liz. She was everything he wanted in a woman and yet he couldn't have her. But what was stopping him? Letty was out of the picture, finally, so she wasn't an issue any longer. But would she mind having a grease monkey hanging around? She didn't seem the type of person who hung out with his type of people but yet here he was. Even though they hadn't been out in public together, there was something between them. Maybe it was just the sex at first, but lately things had changed. Well, at least for Dom it had.
Liz ran upstairs and showered, then dropped Dom off at his house with a promise that she'd call later to check on him. He told her that she didn't have to, that she had done enough already, but she insisted. He was learning that when Liz wanted something, she was going to get it no matter what.
Leon and Vince had left the house earlier and headed to the garage to clean up the mess Dom had made last night. Mia was in the kitchen when they pulled into the driveway.
Looking out of the window, she saw Dom slowly extract himself from Liz's car, then laugh at something she said. Mia hated to see her brother hurt, but it was good to see him laughing. It had been a long time since he was happy. She knew about Dom and Liz and secretly hoped that they would finally make a go of it. Letty was like a sister, but she and Dom weren't meant to be together. After the stunt that she had pulled, she hated her with a passion. By doing what she did, Letty had effectively cut herself off from them.
Dom made his way into the house and Mia was careful when she hugged him. She didn't want to think of her life without Dom. He was the glue that kept their little family together. If anything were to happen to him, she didn't know what she would do.
"Any sign of her today?" Dom asked, not wanting to mention her name.
"No, nothing last night and nothing this morning. The guys left earlier and went to the garage so it's been quiet around here," Mia commented.
"Well, I need to get to the office so I guess I'll be going now," Liz said, walking to the back door.
"Thanks for bringing him home, Liz."
"No problem. I'll talk to you guys later," she said before walking out.
Dom followed her out onto the back porch. "Liz," he called.
She stopped on the steps and turned to look at him.
"Thanks again . for everything," Dom sincerely said.
"You're welcome. I'll call you later," she said before walking to her car.
Dom stood on the porch and watched her back out of the driveway and drive off. He stood there for a few minutes and then went back into the house. Slowly making his way up the stairs, he dreaded having to clean up after Letty. But when he opened the door to his room, he saw that it had already been done.
"Mia!" he called over his shoulder.
Mia ran up the stairs. "What? What's wrong?" she said, worried that he was in pain again.
He looked back into his room. "What happened?"
She looked into the room. "Oh, that. Me and the guys took care of it all last night. You're in no shape to be cleaning so we thought that we'd do it. We put all of Letty's stuff in some boxes and they're in the garage."
Dom walked into the room and stared at the bed, images of Letty and the guy flashing through his mind. He slowly sat in a chair beside the window and looked up at Mia.
"Thanks for taking care of it all. I don't care if I ever see that bitch ever again."
"That's the general consensus around here too. I just hope it's over, all of it."
Dom sighed. "I don't think it is which means that everyone needs to stay on their toes. We don't know what else could be coming."
"Well, I feel better now that you're home. I'm headed to the store so you get some rest. I'll bring the cordless phone up for you if you need to make any calls," she said, walking down the hallway and down the stairs.
Dom moved to the bed and stretched himself out. He felt like shit but he knew that if he was up and around his ribs wouldn't heal. He hated not being at the garage working, but he knew that Leon and Vince would take care of things.
