Chapter 14
Dominique spent an hour soaking in a bubble-bath after the wonderful dinner Maria had prepared. When the water was almost ice cold, she rinsed off, stepped out of the tub, and wrapped herself in the plush terry-cloth robe that was hanging on the door. Out in her room, she looked at the clock – 8:50 PM. Richie was getting ready to go onstage – or was already on. A two-hour show, a two hour flight, and he’d be there.
There was a gentle knock on the door.
“Come in.”
Sonny opened the door and stuck his head in. “I just wanted to make sure you didn’t drown in the tub.”
“Very funny, Daddy,” she smiled. “I was just enjoying the bubbles and peace and quiet.”
“I understand, sweetheart. It’s nice to see you smile.”
“Have you heard from Jason?”
“While you were soaking.”
“And?”
“I’m meeting him in Miami later tonight after the jet gets here.”
“Please be careful. Three years without you was enough.”
“I promise to be careful. There are a couple dresses in the closet for you. I picked them up while you were in the hospital. Tomorrow, you can go into the town and get more.”
“Thank you.”
Sonny watched his daughter and moved to her. Taking her hand, he asked, “Want to talk?”
“How do you do that?”
“You’re
my daughter and even though you’ve been gone, I can still see the sadness in
your eyes. Come here.” Sonny pulled her with him to a chair and sat down.
Dominique sat in his lap, snuggling next to her ‘hero’ like she had done as a
little girl. “Tell me what’s bothering you.”
“I want to get on with my life but Chris has taken everything from me. Even if
you take him out, someone will retaliate.”
“You will be free from Santadio…completely…and you won’t have to worry about retaliation.” Sonny paused for a minute to gather his thoughts. “Nikki, I talked to Noah about you getting more help dealing with what happened. There’s a place in Laguana Beach that he recommends. They’ll work with you one on one to heal.”
“How long do I have to be there?”
“Two weeks minimum. You don’t have to go right away.”
“When do I need to go?”
“If you agree, I’ll have Noah make the necessary arrangements and I also want to make sure you’re safe.”
Dominique knew she needed this but she also wanted to stay with Richie.
As if she was speaking her thoughts, Sonny said, “You’ve got the next few days with Richie.”
“It won’t really matter. Richie’s not going to hang around long anyway.”
“Why do you say that?”
“I can’t give him children.”
“Baby, Richie adores you. Give him a chance. Talk to him…tell him how you feel. Let him make that decision.”
“Do you think I could go with him to San Juan?”
“Depends on what Jason and I get done. Santadio has been watching Richie.”
“Is he safe?”
“I’ve got two men on him and his own security. If things are clear, you can go.” Dominique stifled a yawn but Sonny didn’t miss it. “Why don’t you get a nap before Richie gets here?”
“Promise to get me up in time to meet him at the airstrip?”
“I promise,” said Sonny and she gave him a kiss before getting up.
Sonny watched as she went into the bathroom and when she returned, she was wearing a tour shirt. As she climbed into the bed, he went to her to tuck her into the covers.
“The last time I tucked you into bed, you were five years old and you’d lost your first tooth,” said Sonny fondly as he sat beside his daughter.
“You had to convince me that the tooth fairy wasn’t going to try and take all of my teeth, just the one I’d left for her.”
“And if I recall correctly…you got twenty dollars.”
“You always did go overboard!” Dominique laughed. Getting serious, she asked, “Daddy, do you regret not marrying Karen?”
“My only regret in life is not protecting you better,” he said, a sadness in his eyes, as he caressed her cheek.
“I know you did everything you could to save me. I’ve never been mad at you for what happened,” she whispered taking her father’s hand. “I love you, Daddy.”
Sonny kissed her on the forehead. “I love you too, Nikki. Get some sleep.”
Moving to the door, he looked back at his daughter who was curled up under the covers with the stuffed dog Richie had given her. To look at her now, you’d never know the terror she’s endured but he knew from having been at the hospital with her that nightmares would interrupt her sleep. Turning out the light, he made a silent vow to make Christian Santadio pay for what he’d done.
