Chapter 10
594words
After all, he blamed me for ruining his entire life.
Him down south, me up north—opposite ends of the map.
So when I got the call saying he was back, I thought it was bullshit.
Until his face appeared on my screen.
Seven years since I'd last seen him.
I barely recognized the man staring back at me.
Scraggly beard, deep lines etched across his forehead, sunken eyes, hair grown wild.
When he spoke, his voice rasped like sandpaper.
"Liv, can you come get me?"
I was shocked, but didn't hesitate. "Yes."
As I headed out, Jack caught my arm, brow furrowed. "You still hung up on him?"
I smiled and patted his cheek. "Relax. I just want to see how far he's fallen. Thought you might enjoy the show too."
Seven years had passed. How could I still have feelings for someone like him?
I wasn't a crime boss's woman anymore, nor was I that shell-shocked ex-con fresh out of prison.
The bar was thriving. I'd helped Jack expand into other ventures, building a decent reputation on the North Side.
I could've kept living my peaceful life, but with Dominic Hayes crawling back broken—how could I resist witnessing his fall?
My emotions were a tangled mess on the drive to the station.
I debated whether to hide my satisfaction. As I thought about it, my foot pressed harder on the gas.
He hadn't explained on the call, but his appearance had told me enough.
When I finally saw him in person, it still knocked the wind out of me.
He sat slumped in a wheelchair, turtleneck sweater on backward.
The collar was stained with what looked like old food. His pant legs were haphazardly stuffed into mismatched socks.
In the bitter cold, he wore only a thin jacket, hunched like a homeless man at the station entrance.
I couldn't stop my frown. "What happened to you…"
Gone was his commanding presence. He spoke carefully, like each word cost him.
"Could you pay my fare first?"
Only then did I notice two men hovering behind him.
After settling up, I asked again. "What happened?"
He licked his cracked lips, eyes darting away. "Paralyzed."
I didn't push.
I believed in karma, but damn—I never expected it to be this savage.
He was paralyzed from the waist down. Only his left arm and head still worked.
Getting him into the car was a struggle that left my muscles screaming.
As I rubbed my aching wrists, he murmured, "Sorry for the trouble."
I let that sink in, a dark satisfaction bubbling up inside me.
So Dominic Hayes could actually apologize? I thought his vocabulary only included commands.
I kept my face neutral and shut the car door.
We drove in silence.
At a red light, I texted Jack.
"Get ready to pick your jaw off the floor."
He replied instantly: "Can't wait. This ought to be good."
I could picture his grin, and couldn't help smiling myself.
Dominic's voice broke the silence. "Where are we?"
I glanced at the GPS and answered coldly.
"The spot where you got your ass kicked years ago."
In the rearview, I watched him drop his head.
After a long silence, he whispered, "I was wrong."
Contempt filled me, but I faked comfort. "It's all in the past."
I could have moved on, but you just had to crawl back, ripping open every wound I suffered for you.
Dominic Hayes, from start to finish, had always been a selfish, cold-hearted bastard.
