Secrets and Lies
Liam barely slept.
Dom's voice echoed in his mind.
Go home, Liam.
Not stay.
Not don't leave.
Just… go home.
It irritated him more than he wanted to admit.
By the time morning came, Liam had convinced himself he didn't care.
He definitely cared.
The day passed in a blur. Liam worked his usual small shifts, served rude customers, counted coins, and pretended he wasn't constantly checking his phone—even though Dom had never asked for his number.
Which made everything worse.
That night, Ethan burst into Liam's room without knocking.
"You're not going to believe this," Ethan said.
Liam groaned. "Unless you're here to tell me Dom suddenly became emotionally available, I'm not interested."
Ethan smirked. "Rafael invited us out. Again."
Liam sat up. "All of you?"
"Yeah. Private rooftop bar. Expensive. Fancy. Definitely illegal."
Liam's stomach twisted.
"You think Dom will be there?"
Ethan wiggled his eyebrows. "Oh, he'll be there."
Liam told himself he wasn't going.
He got dressed anyway.
The rooftop bar looked like something from another universe.
Soft red lighting. Glass walls. Low music. Expensive people sipping expensive drinks.
Liam felt out of place instantly.
And then he saw Dom.
Dom stood near the edge of the rooftop, dressed in black, jacket perfectly fitted, posture relaxed but dangerous. He looked like he belonged to the night.
Liam hated how fast his heart reacted.
Dom noticed him.
Their eyes locked.
Something unreadable flickered across Dom's face.
Then… Dom looked away.
Liam's chest tightened.
"What the hell is his problem?" Liam muttered.
Noah glanced between them. "You two fight already?"
"We're not even anything," Liam snapped.
Which somehow hurt more.
Rafael pulled Ethan toward the bar.
Sebastian offered Aiden a drink with a charming smile.
Leo nodded once at Noah before sitting beside him.
Everyone was sliding easily into place.
Except Liam.
Dom avoided him.
On purpose.
Finally, Liam had enough.
He stormed across the rooftop and stopped directly in front of Dom.
"Did I suddenly become invisible?"
Dom's jaw tightened.
"This isn't the time."
"Funny," Liam said. "You didn't seem to care about timing when you were whispering in my ear."
Dom's eyes darkened. "Lower your voice."
"Why?" Liam challenged. "Afraid your secret life will crack?"
Dom grabbed Liam's wrist and pulled him toward a shadowed corner.
Not rough.
But firm.
Possessive.
Which only confused Liam more.
"You don't understand my world," Dom said quietly.
"Then explain it."
Dom scoffed. "You wouldn't like what you hear."
"Try me."
Silence stretched.
Then Dom said the words Liam hadn't expected.
"People get hurt around me."
Liam blinked. "So?"
"So if you stay close to me," Dom continued, "you become a target."
Liam swallowed.
"That's your excuse?" Liam asked softly. "You flirt with me. You stare at me like you want to eat me alive. Then you pretend I don't exist to protect me?"
Dom didn't deny it.
Which somehow hurt worse than if he had.
"So you get to decide what's best for me?" Liam snapped.
"Yes."
"No," Liam shot back. "You don't own me."
Dom stepped closer. "I never said I did."
"You act like it."
Dom's voice dropped. "Because I don't want you dead, Liam."
The words hit harder than any insult.
Liam's anger wavered.
Just slightly.
"Then stop pushing me away," Liam said. "Either walk away for real… or stop pretending you don't want me."
Dom stared at him.
Long.
Intense.
Then he said the worst possible thing.
"I don't do half-measures."
Liam laughed bitterly. "Figures."
He stepped back.
"Enjoy your perfect dangerous life, Dom."
Then Liam turned and walked away before Dom could see the crack forming in his expression.
Across the rooftop, everyone felt the shift.
Ethan frowned.
Noah watched quietly.
Aiden stopped laughing.
Something had broken.
Or maybe something real had finally started.
Dom stood alone, staring at the spot where Liam had been.
For the first time in a long time…
Dominic Valente felt like he was losing control.
And that terrified him.