His Merciless Redemption novel Chapter 97

Chapter 97

Isabella’s POV

“You want a drink?” he asked, and before I could tell him no, he turned to the bartender and ordered one for me anyway.

I glared at him. “No, thanks, I don’t,” I replied, turning to the bartender and asking for a simple water instead.

Honestly, all that constant sitting had made my muscles stiff. What I really wanted right then was to go home and lie down, not entertain a jerk like Nico. His behaviour hadn’t been particularly pleasing during the meeting, and it was clear it wasn’t going to get any better out here either.

Something about him just rubbed me the wrong way, and I figured staying away from him was the best thing I could do right then.

I stood to leave after picking up my glass of water.

“Where do you think you’re going?” He asked, standing up now, too.

I huffed. “You’re done talking to me.”

“Ah,” he said, smiling slowly. “There it is. The ice.”

“I’m not interested,” I repeated. “This isn’t personal,” I added, looking at him coldly.

Even if he was new, he was one of Dominic’s business partners. I didn’t want to start a fight with him if I didn’t absolutely have to. But I would if he went too far. I could only hope he wouldn’t, though.

“Everything’s personal,” he said. “Especially when a woman like you walks into a room full of men and pretends she doesn’t know what she’s doing.”

My jaw tightened. “That’s enough.”

He leaned closer. Too close. “You belong with men who know how to enjoy you. Not ones who keep you on a leash.”

I stepped to the side, ready to leave. “I’d rather not waste my time with you.”

His hand shot out, not grabbing yet, but blocking my path.

“Relax,” he said. “I’m just talking.”

“No,” I said sharply. “You’re not.”

His smile thinned. “You think you’re better than me?”

“I think you’re embarrassing yourself,” I said, done with his bullshit already.

That did it.

His expression hardened, something ugly flickering behind his eyes. “You’re just a pretty accessory,” he said. “Dressed up so men like him can show you off.”

I stepped to the side again, but he stepped with me, blocking my path again. I ground my molars, getting frustrated now. “Get out of my way, Nico.”

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“Or what?” he sneered, leaning closer. I wrinkled my nose as I leaned away from him, the stench of alcohol strong in his breath. I didn’t realise how drunk he was until then.

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“You’ll complain to your boss?” he taunted when I didn’t say anything.

“I said, move, dammit,” I said, glaring at him, trying to get away from him again.

That’s when his fingers closed around my wrist, hard enough to bruise.

“Don’t walk away from me, you frigid little bitch.”

I yanked my arm, pain flaring. “Let go.”

He laughed, tightening his grip. “Playing hard to get doesn’t make you special. It just makes you-”

The impact came out of nowhere.

Nico was slammed against the wall so hard that the bottles behind the bar rattled.

Dominic had him by the collar, forearm pressed against his throat, fury rolling off him in waves I’d never felt before.

“Say it again,” Dominic said, voice low and lethal. “Say one more word about her.”

“Let me go,” Nico managed to choke out, but Dominic was furious.

Suddenly, Eduardo was there, too.

“Dominic-” he rushed forward. “This isn’t-”

“He touched her,” Dominic cut in.

I grabbed Dominic’s arm. “Enough. Let him go,” I said to him, not wanting him to create a scene.

Albeit young and idiotic, Nico was still one of his business partners, and I didn’t want him to create a scene because of me. Besides, the answer to everything wasn’t violence. He could’ve used his words, too.

But Dominic didn’t even look at me.

“She’s one of us,” he continued, eyes locked on Nico’s panicked face. “Touching her is touching my organization.”

“Dominic,” I snapped. “Stop.”

Nico choked out a sound, hands scrabbling uselessly at Dominic’s arm.

Dominic released him just long enough to reach into his jacket.

The gun appeared like it had always been there.

He pressed it to Nico’s temple without hesitation.

The room went dead silent.

“I will end you,” Dominic said calmly. “And no one will blink.”

“Dominic!” I shouted. “This is not protecting me!”

Dear God! If he actually killed a man just for grabbing my hand, I didn’t know what I’d do. Had he completely lost his mind?

Eduardo stepped closer, careful. “Boss. Look at her. This isn’t what she wants.”

For a split second, Dominic hesitated. But then he tightened his grip around Nico’s throat some more.

I stepped back, shaking my head, suddenly feeling overwhelmed.

Why did he have to create such a big deal out of this? Threatening to kill a guy just because he tried to grab my

hand?

I shook my head again. I knew he sometimes got too angry. I knew his world was a lot different from mine. But this felt like it was going too far. I couldn’t stand by and watch him do this.

I turned and walked out.

Didn’t look back. Didn’t wait.

The cool night air hit my face like a slap, but I welcomed it. My hands were shaking, unable to fully process what had happened inside.

My mind went back to the first night I’d met with the Vitellis outside Club

Vero. Someone had tried to grab me then, too. Dominic had hit that man. Hard. But I’d been too rattled that day. If anything, I’d been grateful for the protection. And even then, he’d simply scared the man off. Not threatened to kill him or anything. Then why the extreme reaction tonight? Why the gun?

Seeing him ready to kill a guy just because he said a few bad words and grabbed my wrist somehow didn’t feel justified to me. He could’ve hit Nico a bit, and maybe I wouldn’t have minded so much.

But pointing a gun at him and threatening to end his life just for grabbing me felt like a little too much.

I knew there were women out there who would be glad that their man was ready to kill for them at the drop of a hat. But I just wasn’t one of those women.

If this was Dominic’s regular world, I didn’t know how much longer I could stay in it.

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