Control

Chapter 36

Five men joined Frank Tomasini around his niece’s stunned body while he watched her. “Pick her up.” Two of them bent down to retrieve her when they heard a man yell.

“Mick!” Dom and Sallah ran towards them. The water ran over Mikaela and pulled her back to clarity. She saw one of the men reach into his jacket, pull a gun, and aim it at her mate.

“No!” She kicked his arm up and the weapon discharged in the air. Her legs continued over her head. She rolled with the motion and got to her feet. She did a spinning roundhouse kick that caught the two nearest her across their jaws and they fell away from her. A high snap kick hit a third man in his throat crushing his windpipe. He clutched his throat gasping for breath and succumbed to suffocation.

The others were at Brian and Mia’s house when they heard the shot. Mia screamed. Letty clenched her eyes. Vince and Brian got to their feet. “Fuck this shit. I’m not just going to sit here after everything she’s done for me. Vince?”

“No fucking way. Let’s go.”

They all ran out the back door and saw 6 men around Mikaela. Dom and old man in robes were approaching them quickly. Leon and a guy, who looked a lot like Mikaela, were running up from the other direction.

“No guns, Frank.” She had her fists up and her eyes darted from one man to another.

“Are you going to come with us quietly?”

“Of course not. When have I ever done anything quietly? There are 7 of you big, tough men. Don’t you think that is enough muscle to take little ole me?”

“Mikaela, can’t you count? There are only six of us.” He smiled.

“Don’t fucking lie to me! Until you beat me, I still run this family. Now drop the fucking heat.” One man grabbed her around her chest, pinning her arms to her sides. Another ran towards her but Dom tackled him and they both fell into the surf. Mikaela threw her head back catching the man in the nose. He released her arms and she spun around and drove her fist into his temple.

Brian and Vince both took on an opponent. Andros moved up behind another one and put him in a chokehold. “Leon.” He looked at Mikaela and she jerked her head towards the trees. She turned to Frank and he threw another punch to her jaw that snapped her head back. Then he punched her in her gut and it brought her to her knees.

Frank heard her grandfather yell and turned to him. “No! She is with child!” Dom, Brian, Vince, and Andros turned to see Mikaela holding her midsection and hunched over. The four men saw red and beat their adversaries mercilessly.

When Frank turned to her, he found a hand latched onto his throat. He looked into her black eyes and saw the reason why none of their men ever looked her in the eye. Death. Her right fist hit him between the eyes 3 times in quick succession and he staggered back. She bent forward to stand on her hands, locked her ankles behind his neck, and brought her legs back down launching him over her back to the ground.

Another gunshot rang out and she smiled down at her uncle. “I told you there were seven. I run this family! I will stay here and things will continue the way they have been.”

“With your lackey giving us your orders! I don’t think so.”

She clutched her stomach as a stab of pain hit her and Frank got to his feet. “You know, uncle, I was always sure you were the devil when I was a kid. Now I know why. You crave power and I have it. You never had any intention of taking me back, did you?”

“No.”

She nodded her understanding. “Even now, knowing that I’m pregnant, you would still kill me?”

“Yes.”

She fell to one knee in front of him. When he reached for her, she rose up swiftly and hit him with a vicious uppercut that landed him on his back in the surf. She walked over to him and was about to finish her assault when Dom spun her around.

“Go to your grandfather.” Her eyes looked dead and she was breathing shallow. “Mick. Go!” Andros, Vince, and Brian came up and Andros caught her as she fell.

“Finish things here, Dominic. We will take her to Sallah.” He carried her to shore followed by the others and left Dom alone with Frank.

Dom looked down at her uncle with the same cold eyes. He knelt next to him, grabbed his chin in one hand, and the back of his head in the other. “You tried to kill my wife and child.” With those last words, he snapped his neck.

He got to his feet and turned to find the four surviving men standing behind him. “Does she run your family?” He said in a calm but deadly voice.

“Yes, she does.”

“He didn’t come here to bring her back. He came here to kill her! Were you in with that plan too?”

“No. I swear to you.”

He looked at all of them and sensed the truth. “Then pick up your dead and leave my home! She will decide your fate later.” He pushed by them and ran to his mate.

They gathered Frank and the other man’s dead bodies and made their way to the street. Leon came up with a rifle over his shoulder. “Your friend is waiting for you by the limo.” He ran back to the beach and saw everyone grouped around Mikaela. ‘Oh God!’ He pushed by Andros and Vince and sank to his knees next to her.

“Dominic.”

“I’m right here, baby.” He picked her up and cradled her in his lap. He rocked her softly in his arms and kissed her hair.

“The baby…”

His eyes clenched and tears rolled down his face. “It doesn’t matter, Mick.” He choked out. “As long as I have you.”

“No, love. He’s okay.” She whispered. “He just aggravated my bruise.”

“Are you sure, baby?” She nodded against his chest. “Thank God.” He cried openly and kissed her head again.

“Son, take her inside. I have some herbs that will help her.” Her grandfather was touching his arm and trying to calm him. “Dominic. They will be fine.”

Dom nodded his head and got to his feet carrying her in his arms. He was dazed from this whole experience. He fed off her anger and killed for his mate and son. He was terrified when he thought they had lost the baby. He was shaking from the horror of almost losing his woman. It was taking every ounce of willpower he possessed to focus on getting his family inside.

“Leon?” He stopped unsteadily in his tracks.

“Yeah Dom.”

“I need you…to carry my family…inside. Please.”

Leon looked into his eyes and knew he was about to break down. He handed the rifle to Brian and took Mikaela in his arms.

“Dominic?” She could feel his emotions taking over him and her instinct to protect him kicked in.

“Baby, please go inside. Let them take care of you.”

She was reaching out for him when Leon carried her inside. “No! Let me go! He needs me!”

“Micki, he wants to be alone and we need to make sure you and junior are ok.” She was struggling against his hold and he was having a hard time keeping her in his grasp.

Vince saw Dom sink to his knees and crouched next to him. “Hey brother. You gonna be ok?”

He nodded his head and his tear filled eyes turned to Vince’s. “Leave me alone for a bit. Go make sure she’s okay.”

“Sure thing, bro. You come in when you’re ready.” He patted his shoulder and went past Letty into the house.

When Vince walked into the living room, he found he was one of six people standing in the path of an irrational Mikaela and her hurting mate.

“Get out of my way! He needs me!”

“Cousin, calm down.” Andros walked closer to her with his hands up.

Outside, Dom’s shoulders were shaking with his quiet sobs. Letty approached him warily. She had never seen him like this before and her concern was about to put her in more danger than she’d ever been in.

Inside, Mikaela went mad with her lover’s pain. She snapped a high sidekick to Andros’ head knocking him to the floor. She rushed her grandfather, planting her fists in his chest, and drove the air from his lungs. She turned to Brian next.

“Mikaela.”

“I don’t want to hurt you. Stand aside.” When Brian stepped away, she found Leon and Vince barring her way. “Move Leon!”

“No.”

Vince put his hand on Leon’s shoulder. “You better check your shit, brother. She don’t belong to you and she never will. Don’t think for a minute that she won’t take your head off to get to him. Back off.”

“No.”

“Leon, get out of her way. I’m not blind. I know you’re in love with her but look at her! Look at the tats on her chest! They don’t say Leon’s! They say Dom’s!”

“I don’t care. Part of her belongs to me. I need to help her.”

“Then stand aside!” Vince grabbed his arm and Leon turned on him. When the 2 of them started to fight, Mikaela fought the urge to help Leon and ran out to her mate.

“Vince, let me go! Micki!” He saw her leave the house.

“Leon, chill out!” Vince felt him relax in his chokehold. He looked around at the wake Mikaela left in her path and noticed one of them was missing. “Where’s Letty?”

When she ran out the door, she saw Letty’s hands cradling Dom’s head. “Get your hands off of him!”

Letty stood back a step and realized too late her mistake. “I was just trying help him.”

Mikaela circled Letty like prey. “I told you I know everything. I know you still love him.”

“We were together a long time. It doesn’t just stop.”

“It did for him.” She was in full bitch mode and tried to hurt her verbally before she did so physically. “And I’d try real fucking hard to make it stop if I was you.” Her tone carried the deadly threat and Letty took it serious. “Back away from my man.”

“Mikaela, no!” Brian yelled as she charged Letty, grabbed her neck in her left hand and lifted her a couple of inches off the ground by her throat.

“Baby…” Dom grabbed her leg as she pulled back her right hand to punch Letty. She stopped her swing and dropped her to the ground forgotten.

“Dominic.” She dropped to her knees and pulled his head against her chest. “I’m here, my love. I’m not going anywhere.”

He was shaking in her arms and she rocked him slightly trying to calm him. “I almost lost you.”

“Never.”

“I almost lost you and my son.”

“No. His mother is stronger than most. I wouldn’t let anyone or anything take your son from you.”

“What about you? You almost took him from me. You were hurt already from before and your drive to fight almost cost us our child. You’re anger almost cost me you!” He was projecting hurt, fear, and anger at her actions that almost deprived him of everything he loved.

“I did it for us. So we could stay together.” Her heart was breaking from his feelings. “You know what I am and why I do the things I do.”

“You need to be my wife and the mother of my child! I am supposed to protect you! I killed that son of a bitch for you!”

She pulled away and recoiled from his anger. “And I killed for you too! I don’t need you to protect me. I would’ve killed Frank myself and I don’t need to be anything other than what I am! Or maybe I need to be what I was!”

She started to back away until he stood and grabbed her arm. She cocked her head to the side, glanced at his hand, and looked up into his eyes. “You know the most important thing I learned from Kerry comes in handy right about now.” She twisted her arm from his grasp, circled behind him, and jumped on his back.

She wrapped an arm around his chin and locked that hand in her other arm. “This is a sleeper hold, baby. Your chin is forced into your neck and slowly cuts off your oxygen until you pass out.” She leaned her weight back and the hold was taking effect. Her feet were back on the ground and he was sinking to the ground.

“I love you and I release you from your bond to me.” She lowered him to the ground and kissed him gently on his parted lips. Tears flowed from her eyes and she touched her forehead to his chest, then she took off her ring.

She got to her feet and turned to the others. “I don’t suppose you would all be willing to leave my neighborhood quietly, huh?” She looked at their stunned expressions. “I guess not. So I have to leave my home. Brian, come here.”

He walked up to her and she took his hand. When she released it, he saw her ring in his palm. “Mikaela, don’t do this.”

“Give it back to him for me. You need to gently drive a knee to his back to wake him.” She cupped his cheek in her palm. “I told you I lose everyone, sweetie.”

She turned to the others and focused on Sallah. “I want to return to Egypt, if you will allow it.”

“I think you are being unreasonable, child, but you may return with me.”

“I’ll follow you later. I need to make arrangements for my things. I’ll get Anton to fly me and the dogs down in a couple of days.” Her eyes glistened with her tears and she took a shaky breath.

“Child, do you mind if I use the house for a few days? This old man just finished flying across the world and would like a break before I do it again”.

“Of course, Sallah. You and Andros are free to stay. I need to be alone for awhile.”
She knelt beside her mate and kissed him again. “You should have taken the out I gave you. Your only chance is to release me. I love you, Dominic.”

“Mikaela, why are you doing this?” She turned to see Mia’s crying face.

“Baby girl. He doesn’t accept me the way I am and I’ve caused him nothing but pain. I need to go now. Someone has to wake him up real soon.” Micki gave Mia a hug and pulled back to look in her eyes. “I loved being a part of your family. Bye baby girl.”

“Vince, take care. Brian, take care of Mia. Letty…see ya. Boys! Come!” She turned and started to walk down the beach.

“I don’t merit a good-bye?”

She didn’t turn around when she answered him. “I can’t say good-bye to you, Leon.” She continued on down the beach with her dogs.

When she disappeared from sight, Brian sat Dom upright and drove a knee into his back. He watched as he sucked in a deep breath and started to come to.

”Leon, where are you going?”

“Following her. Find out where she’s running to.”

“Mick…”

“ Dom! Are you okay man?”

“My head feels… cloudy. Mick? Where is she?” Brian held out his hand and Dom picked up his ring. He held it in his shaking hand. “Vince…where is she?”

He knelt in front of Dom and looked in his haunted eyes. “She split, Dom. She took her dogs and headed down the beach. Leon is following her but she plans on leaving to Egypt soon.”

“She’s not going anywhere!” He got to his feet with Brian and Vince’s help. “She’s mine!”

“Son.” He turned to Sallah. “She released you. You will suffer horribly if you don’t let her go.”

“I’m suffering already! Which way did she go?”