DOMINIC

TEN YEARS AGO

 

He’s sitting across from me with a cocksure grin on his face and I’m just about ready to shit my pants. I’ve always prided myself on being strong with nerves forged of steel, but when it comes to men like Seth Grimm, I know that I’m merely an ant and he’s a giant.

In this life, it’s best to understand that some people are simply out of reach. In that regard, I understand there’s no way I can go against this man. Even though I know he’s up to nothing good and never will be, even though I know he has been responsible for the loss of countless lives and will continue to be responsible for reprehensible acts of violence, I just can’t measure up against him.

Unfortunately, my path has crossed with him, and so I figure my best option is to feign a relationship of sorts with him. Though I’ll never be his friend, I also don’t want to be his enemy. I can’t be his enemy; I simply wouldn’t survive, and the collateral damage would be too great. I don’t have a lot of people in this world, just a few friends I keep at a close distance and my sister.

For all intents and purposes, I’m just a one-man machine in this world and he has an entire organization at his disposal.

“What brought you into the game?” Seth questions, his eyes narrowing in on me. “What inciting incident pushed you to the brink?”

“The brink?” I question with a light, uncomfortable chuckle. “I don’t think I’m quite there.”

“We’re all there.” He leans slightly forward and cups his hands together in front of him. “Every single one of us on this side of the spectrum. We’ve come to the brink and then we’ve made our choices. Some of us take the leap. Some of us remain stuck in place forever, and some of us simply expire. Those are the choices you’re going to have to face, but we have plenty of time for you to answer those questions. For now, I just want to know what brought you here.”

“You know…” I search for the exact right words to say, something that doesn’t commit me to anything I don’t want to be committed to. I finally settle on forcing a smile and taking the route that leaves my options open. “I haven’t quite decided yet.”

“You don’t know?” He furrows a brow, nods gently and then pushes himself back in his chair while his arms drop to rest down on the arms of the chair. “That’s an interesting predicament.”

“Let’s just say I like to keep my options open.” I scratch nervously at my right cheek and wet my lips. “After the war, I found myself looking for a purpose, but the truth is that I’ve been aimless ever since.”

“You’ll find your way,” he says deadpan. “Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow but someday, and I hope I can be there the day it happens.”

“That would be nice.” I nod in faux appreciation. “Do you often find yourself mentoring others?”

“You’re a protector.” He wags a finger at me and cocks a wild grin, seemingly changing the subject. “I can tell just by looking at you. So tell me, who do you spend your time protecting?”

“I’m rather fond of keeping myself alive and everything else is secondary.”

“Interesting…” He muses out loud and circles one finger in the air, gesturing towards the two armed men standing behind me. “Do you mind giving the two of us a moment?”

I cock my head over my shoulder to take a quick glance at the two guards who each nod their heads before pulling either of the two front doors open and exiting out into the hallway. There’s a quick gentle breeze before the doors come to a close again, siphoning all of the oxygen out of the room.

When I turn back to Seth, he’s wearing the same sinister smile as before. There’s a short pause before he continues, “You know, I don’t think you and I are much different at all.”

I try to force another smile, but I don’t think it’s very believable. Seth and I are nothing alike and for him to imply otherwise chills me to my core. What if he’s right? What if he sees something in me that reminds him of who he used to be? What if I’m just like him, but I just don’t know it yet?

“In what regard?” I continue to play along, hoping that this meeting will be over sooner than later.

“In that you will do anything for the people you love.” His eyes glance down at his computer screen off to the side before he raises his gaze back to me. “It’s in that regard that I see myself in you. All of this…” He gestures outwards with his hands. “Everything I do, it’s all for the people I love.” He leans forward, rests his elbows on the edge of the desk. “People on the outside look at me like I’m a monster, those who understand that there’s more beyond the Grimm Industries surface. But the absolute truth is that I do the things I have to do for the people I love.”

“No,” I nod. “I completely understand that.”

But it doesn’t really change anything. At the end of the day, the money in his bank account is blood money of the ugliest sort, and if the word on the street is any indication, it’s only going to get bloodier over the years. There’s so much I want to say to him—so much I need to say to him—but I know I have to grit my teeth and swallow my pride. The sooner this little one-on-one meeting is over, the sooner I can get the hell out of here and pretend as if I never knew the man.

And I know I’ll spend the rest of my life looking over my shoulder. I know that every time something happens at the hands of Seth or one of his associates, I’ll stop and admonish myself for not doing something to try and stop him.

But he’s someone in this world and I’m not much of anyone, not compared to him. The only way going against him ends is in death. I might be stubborn and headstrong, but I’m not stupid.

“Do you understand?” He pushes himself back in his chair and exhales softly. “I don’t know if you do.”

“What do you mean?” I chuckle uncomfortably and shift in my seat. “You’d do anything to protect your family and I feel the exact same.”

“Are you sure about that?” He presses his lips together flatly and passes me a cold glare. “Just how far would you go to protect the people you love?” He clears his throat. “Excuse me for my miscalculation. I meant to say, how far would you go to save her?”

Chills run down my arms, over the back of my neck and then finally, down my spine. There’s only one important person in my life, important enough to risk everything for and that’s my sister, but there’s no way he can know about her. I try to keep a straight face, try to pretend that I’m not deeply afraid of what he’s going to say next.

“What are we talking about?” I question and swallow a gulp. “Who are we talking about?”

“I think we’re past that.” He clicks his tongue against the inside of his cheek. “We’re to the point where it’s time to place our cards on the table.”

“I haven’t agreed to anything.” I flash a smile but it’s just about the most forced thing in the entire world. “I don’t even know why I’m here yet.”

“Well, good thing for you…” He points at me squarely. “We’re about to get into specifics and I think you’re going to want to listen to what I’m saying.”

I look away for a brief moment to try and collect my thoughts. “You have my ears.”

“Good,” he says flatly, his tone shifting in an instant. Gone is the pretense of this being a friendly conversation. “I know you can be stubborn, Dominic Ford. It’s written into your DNA. I also know you’re an invaluable asset.”

“I’m not an asset. I’m a human.”

“No more interruptions,” he scolds me as if he’s a teacher and I’m an unruly student in a classroom. “You’re going to learn a very important lesson today and it begins with understanding your place in the food chain.”

Sweat begins to trickle down my forehead, slicking the edge of my hairline in a thin layer of stickiness.

“Here’s the problem I’m having, Dominic,” he continues. “I know you’re playing me. Hell, you’ve been playing me since the day we first met, but it’s time to realize that you’ve been outplayed.” He snickers and for all intents and purposes, twirls his non-existent mustache. “You’re playing checkers while I’m playing chess and I’m sorry to say, but you’re down to nothing more than pawns while I’m about to take your queen.”

“I swear to God,” I grind out between gritted teeth. “If you go anywhere near her, I’ll kill you.”

“That’s an interesting choice of a threat considering you’ve been playing the part of a friend since you sat down in that chair.”

“I’m sorry,” I bite my tongue. “I just—”

“You just what?” He cackles. “You got busted. You got outplayed. You’re nothing but a little mouse and you’re surrounded by cats.” He taps his fingers on the wooden top of the desk. “If you get the chance, please tell Shelby I said hi.”

“You son of a bitch.” I throw my chair backwards and eye him for a second more, just to get a good look at the very man I’m going to be forced to kill if I found out he’s touched my sister. “I swear to God—”

“The clock’s ticking.” He shrugs. “And something is telling me that your God isn’t going to help you, not this late in the game. The wheels are already turning and there’s no going back. You’ll see what I mean.”

I stare at him, swallow a lump in my throat. I try to think about my options but I’m running on empty and I know there’s no use trying to plead with him. Men like Seth Grimm don’t bargain with emotion.

Finally, I twist on my feet and rip the first of two doors open. Standing right outside in the hall are the two security guards from earlier. They pass me an apathetic glare as I race past them and towards the elevator.

# # #

I throw my apartment door open and search with my eyes for my sister. It’s too early in the night for her to have turned in already. My stomach twists and turns, knives of terror puncturing through my gut. I try to force myself to not give up hope and to think for the best but that’s a nearly impossible task.

“Shelby?” I scream out and rush across the small living room to throw her bedroom door open, only to find out that she’s not here. “Where are you?” I mutter under my breath before running back out into the living room to pick up the phone off the receiver to dial her work number.

“She’s not here,” a man snarls from behind me.

And before I twist around to face him, I drop the phone back down onto the receiver and ball my hand into a fist.

“Who the hell are you?” I seethe through gritted teeth at the tall man with peppered hair and a thin leather jacket parked on his shoulders.

“That’s the least important question right now, wouldn’t you agree?” He leans against the doorframe like he doesn’t have a care in the world and crosses his arms over each other. “You need to think carefully about your next move though.”

“I’m going to kill you.”

“Yeah.” He drops his head with a lowly chuckle. “I wouldn’t be threatening me if I were you.”

My blood is boiling, pumping fast through my heart that’s about to beat right out of my chest. And there’s so much I want to say, but I know it’s better to bite my tongue right now. Diplomacy isn’t likely to work but it might be the last thing I have.

“I don’t know who you are, but I’m not your enemy,” I plead with the complete stranger standing in my doorway. I’ve never seen him before, not that I can recall, but I can only make the logical assumption that he’s working for Seth. “And whatever you’ve done with my sister, it’s not too late to go back.”

“It was too late the second you first ran into Seth Grimm.” He shrugs. “Whether that was an accident or it was purposeful, your lives are now inexplicably linked.”

“Where is she?” I grind out, quickly losing my composure as my fingers dig into the palm of my hand. “If you know—”

“I don’t know.” He shrugs again, steps away from the doorframe and then takes a measured step forward as if to prove he’s not afraid of me and he has the upper hand. There’s no denying that, not right now. “All I know is that the only way you’re going to get any answers is if you go to Seth Grimm yourself.”

“I just came from there.”

“Yeah, that’s what I figured.” He sighs, pushes his hands into his jeans. “We’re not all bad people, you know?”

“You’re insane to have the nerve to say that to me right now,” I scoff. “You know,” I begin to pace towards him, “I could break every bone in your body and if you think I won’t because I’m this supposed good guy, then you don’t know me at all.”

“You’re right.” He laughs softly, retrieves a hand from his pocket and wags a finger at me. “I don’t know you at all, but I also don’t need to know you. I’m just here to deliver a message.”

I continue to stalk towards him. “And what is that message?”

“I think I should add an addendum—you might want to stop thinking you’re about to do something stupid.” He scratches at his nose before he narrows his eyes on me. “If I don’t report back to Seth Grimm that you’re on your way to see him then your sister is going to die.”

I grit my teeth and shake my head because it’s literally taking every bit of strength I have in my entire body to stop myself from breaking his skull open. I’ve always been somewhat of a hothead but have been working on it since I got out of the service.

“So if I were you…” He closes the gap between us and places a palm upon my shoulder, sending shudders through my entire body. I cock my eyes to him as he continues to speak, “I’d stop imagining all the ways you want to hurt me right now, jump back in your car and go talk to the only person who knows anything.”

I pass him a death glare before breaking free from his grasp and racing out of my apartment, not even bothering to shut the door behind me.

# # #

I throw Seth’s office door wide open, my chest heaving and my throat tense. He’s still sitting in his chair and I have a feeling he hasn’t left it since I stormed out not even an hour ago. He’s wearing a sly grin on his face, the kind of grin that could send someone into a fit of rage. It’s laced with snark and malice like he knows he’s already won.

“Where the hell is my sister?” I scream, my throat tensing in rage with an undercurrent of sorrow. From the time she was born, I’ve dedicated my life to protecting her and right now, I feel like I’ve failed. “If you don’t wipe that grin off your face, I’m going to bury a bullet in your skull.”

I reach into my holster, draw my gun and aim it squarely at him.

He’s unmoved in his resolve though, but maybe that’s because he figures help will be arriving any second. Not if I have my way about it. I take a few short steps backward to lock the doors behind me.

“This isn’t going to end the way you think it is.” He leans back in his chair and chuckles to himself. He’s cool, calm, and relaxed and I guess that’s one of many things that separate him from people like me. “There’s no going back to the life you used to live, Dominic.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” I grind out. “You’re going to tell me where my sister is and I’m going to take her out of this city and then this will all be over.”

“And what if I don’t?” He shrugs with apathy. “What if I don’t tell you where your sister is?”

“Then,” I take a step towards him and swallow a gulp as my finger dances along the trigger, “I’ll kill you right here, right now. The last thing you’ll ever see is this gun pointed at your face.”

“You could do that.” He nods, swivels side to side in his chair. “And you’d probably be satisfied for a little while knowing that you took someone like me out of the picture permanently, but that’s also where you’d be mistaken.” He leans forward, cracks a teeth-baring grin. “People like me are legends. We live on even when we’re in the dirt, and though you could take a short breather knowing that I’m dead, someone will soon rise to fill the void left behind in my wake.” He pushes backwards in the chair, steadies his hands against the top of the desk and then rises to stand. “Oh, and if anything happens to me, your sister is as good as dead.”

He’s got me pinned right where he wants me. He knows he holds all the cards and I hold nothing.

“What do you want from me?” I question lowly, my grip on the gun weakening. “What do you want from Shelby?”

“The only thing I want from Shelby is you, meaning that she’s my leverage.” He caresses his hand along the surface of the desk as he begins to step towards the side and towards me. “You’re going to work for me whether or not you want to. You won’t be a part of the organization proper, but you’ll be there when I need you.”

“What do you need from me?” I drop the gun, realizing that I don’t have any bargaining leverage and I’m not going to shoot him anyways. I’m not going to gamble with my sister’s life. “Why is it so important—?”

“I’m going to stop you right there.” He rounds the table and leans back against it so that he’s standing right in front of me. “The only reason you’re important to me is because you’re an asset, a number. You’re reliable and you’re great at what you do and because of that, I need you on my team instead of playing this game against me.” He steps away from the desk and towards me until he’s standing right in my face, so close that I can feel his hot breath upon my skin. He stares me down as he reaches for my gun and disarms me.

And I don’t even fight him.

I can’t.

“I think you’ll eventually come to discover that you and are more alike than you’d like to believe, but in the meantime, you’re going to work for me.” He passes me a knowing grin. “When I call, you’ll answer the phone and you’ll do what I ask.”

“And what if I don’t?” I question deadpan, out of fight. “If I don’t do what you ask me to do?”

“Yeah…” He sighs, steps backwards until he’s parked against the desk once more. “I think you know exactly what’s going to happen.”

I swallow my pride, every last bit of it. “For how long?”

“Until I say it’s over.” He reaches backwards to press a button on the desk and almost immediately after, the doors behind rumble in place.

Thankfully, I locked the doors behind me when I first arrived but I know that they’ll get in no matter what. It’s only a matter of time, so knowing my new place in the foodchain, I twist around to unlock the doors.

And as the two men step into the room on either side of me, I turn back to Seth one last time to find him now sitting down again. I pass him a death glare, my eyes speaking all the words I want to say but have to hold at bay.

“Will you two gentlemen get this man the hell out of my sight?” The two men each grab one of my arms to escort me out of the building, but Seth continues, “I’ll be seeing you soon Dominic. When I say jump you jump, and that’s all there is to talk about today.”

I’m going to kill you. That’s what I want to say, that’s what I’m thinking. In my head, I’m already trying to find a way out of this mess. I’m trying to find a way to save my sister before it’s too late and even though Seth Grimm is basically a king for all intents and purpose, I’m not afraid of him.

Because I’m Dominic Ford and somehow, I always find a way to win…

# # #

 

NINE MONTHS AGO

For years, I worked for Seth Grimm and his associates. I did what they asked me to do even when it went against my values and morals, and they frequently did. Because of him, because of the firm grasp he had on my sister, I was never able to say no. The things I’ve been forced to do have weighed heavily on my soul over the years.

The only blessing that’s come from my relationship with Seth Grimm is that it was the inciting incident for starting Ford Security with some of my closest friends. The whole thing was designed to stand against people like Seth Grimm but never Seth Grimm directly.

Right before he died the first time back when he had faked his death, he had told me that all my efforts were in vain. He had told me that my sister had been dead for years, but he still needed me so he had me continue to do his dirty work for him. I made it my mission right then and there to make sure I finally put an end to him. The only hitch was that Zach and Zane had beaten me to the punch.

Only it turns out that they didn’t. I received word from one of Grimm’s associates—a man named Brendan—that there were rumblings he was still alive. And knowing Zach and Zane’s connection to the Grimm family, it wasn’t difficult to follow them to the source so when I shared with Richard that Seth was, in fact, alive, he offered me a trade, said if I took care of him that he would tell me where my sister was.

She’s still alive. That’s what Richard says and though I’m not prone to trust anyone in Grimm’s circle, I’m willing to take the bait if there’s any possibility that it leads me back to my sister. Why he wants Grimm dead? That’s none of my business.

The front door isn’t locked so it’s an easy task to make my way inside. I push the door to a close behind me but I don’t hear it click into place. That’s not my concern though. I search around the living room and kitchen area with my eyes. It’s nice and modern, but it’s not something I’d ever imagine him living in.

He has a fondness for older architecture and prefers to be surrounded by things with character—inanimate objects, not people. This place, however, doesn’t have much character at all. It’s like nobody even lives here, a place that any millionaire in the world could live in.

He has no intention of staying in this house for long. Too bad he doesn’t have long to live. I step down the short hallway and steady one hand on the gun in my holster while pushing the door at the end of the hall open with my free hand.

The door is beyond quiet as it cracks open, and with the assistance of the hallway light lighting up the bedroom, I can see him sleeping in bed. He’s fast asleep and peaceful, looks like he’s dreaming about something. But this son of a bitch has never been peaceful in his entire life.

He doesn’t deserve a peaceful death but as I step towards the bed and aim the gun squarely at his rested head, I can’t help but to believe it’s better this way. There will be no struggle and there will be no evidence left behind, not that the authorities will be investigating anyways. After all, Seth Grimm is supposed to be dead.

But a little birdy tipped me off that he was alive and well and recuperating from three gunshot wounds up in the Hollywood Hills. I just knew I had to get to him before somebody else could, had to get to him before he spilled the beans about our association.

I’m so close to ending this once and for all. I’m so close to possibly getting my sister back, and I’ll be damned if a ghost from the past threatens that. I’ll be damned if Seth Grimm of all people takes the one thing away from me that he once took before.

“Goodbye, asshole,” I say quietly, but it still manages to make him stir in bed.

His eyes flash open and just before he can say anything, just before he can protest, I pull the trigger.

It doesn’t feel as good as I always thought it would.