
The Domination Game Book 2
Autor:in
Jen Byars
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Adire's life is a whirlwind of love, danger, and high-stakes drama. From Beijing to Boston, she navigates a tumultuous relationship with Davis, confronts a dark past, and faces threats that put her and her loved ones at risk. As she battles personal demons and external foes, Adire's journey is one of resilience and passion, culminating in a fight for her future and the safety of her family.
Prologue
ADIRE
My eyes were bloodshot as I stepped into my momâs room on Christmas morning.
Lucy was perched on a chair, and my mom was knitting a vibrant pink blanket, both engrossed in A Christmas Story playing on the small TV.
As I entered, my gaze immediately found Lucy. She put down the TV guide, understanding that I needed to talk to her privately.
My mom, however, was blissfully unaware of the tension in the room. âKitten! Merry Christmas,â she greeted me, her voice carrying the off-key cheerfulness that was becoming more frequent.
I leaned in to kiss her forehead, still dressed in my dinner clothes, now stained with the dirt from my knees after retrieving Allieâs spare key.
I hid my swollen hand behind my back, not wanting her to see the damage Iâd inflicted on myself. âMerry Christmas, Mom. Did you have a good morning?â I asked.
Her hair was neatly pulled back into a ponytail, her preferred style for relaxed days. But even in relaxation, she was the picture of elegance and composure.
âOh yes. Lucy made me confetti pancakes this morning. And guess what she did with the syrup?â she asked, her voice filled with excitement.
âNo, what?â
âShe warmed the maple syrup in the microwave, and then added a pat of butter!â She laughed joyfully. âBest thing Iâve ever tasted,â she told me, contentment in her voice.
âWow, that does sound delicious, Mom. I canât wait for her to make me some,â I replied, kissing her perfectly styled hair.
Lucy got up and grabbed her cigarettes from the kitchen counter. âLoretta, darling, Iâm going to step out for a quick smoke.
âI donât want to miss the part where they put the lamp in the window,â she told my mom as she headed for the door.
I gently touched my momâs shoulder. âMom, do you mind if I join Lucy for some fresh air?â I asked softly.
She was too engrossed in our familyâs favorite Christmas movie to pay attention to my words. Her knitting needles started moving again as she chuckled at the TV show.
âOh no, kitten. Go right ahead,â she mumbled, her eyes glued to the screen.
Lucy had already stepped outside. I noticed sheâd picked up a bandage wrap for my hand, having spotted the swelling.
As I stepped into the small courtyard, she gave me a once-over, then shook her head. âYouâre still in last nightâs clothes. And whereâs your jacket? Itâs freezing out here!â
She lit her cigarette and came over to examine my swollen hand. âI think you mightâve broken it, sweet pea. How did this happen?â she asked.
I shook my head, not ready to spill everything that had happened.
âIs this about me taking your momma back to Georgia? I know you love her, A.B., but I love her too.
âIâve already told my kids weâre moving to Savannah. Theyâre okay with it, I promise. Theyâll love your momma just as much, and you can visit her anytime you want.â
I nodded. âMomâs sick, isnât she?â I whispered, dreading the truth but needing to know.
âYes, I believe she is, sweet pea.â
I choked back a sob, trying to keep my emotions in check. âI thought so. Is it just Alzheimerâs, or is there more?â
âI think thereâs more to it, but yes, Alzheimerâs is definitely a part of it,â she told me, her voice heavy with sadness.
I looked up at her, and she met my gaze as she carefully wrapped my hand.
âLucy, are you sure you want to do this? Itâs a lot to take on. Should I quit my job and move to Georgia with you two? Iâm here, and I am her daughter,â I whispered.
âI know you are, and thatâs why I thought youâd be upset with me for taking her away from you. I know how much you love her.â She released my hand and took a drag from her cigarette.
âIâve been with her for eleven years, Adire, and I love her.
âI want to take care of her, but I need you to sign some papers that say Iâm her caretaker and can make medical decisions for her. Are you okay with that?â she asked.
I held my hand to my chest, trying to ease the throbbing.
âIâll sign whatever you need, whenever you need it. Iâm just a phone call away,â I assured her, shivering in the cold.
She rubbed my arms to warm me up. âLetâs get you inside,â she chuckled.
I shook my head, still needing to tell her the real reason for my visit.
I took the cigarette from her and inhaled deeply. âI want you to take Mom away from hereâŠnow. I want you both out of Revere, out of Massachusetts, by tomorrow morning.
âI donât care what you tell Mom; you just need to get her away from here, and I think Georgia sounds perfect,â I said.
âIf you need help with moving, just let me know, and Iâll cover the costs. If you need to pack a suitcase and have movers come for the rest, thatâs fine. Iâll pay for that too.â
Lucyâs dark-brown eyes widened in surprise, not expecting me to agree with her plan to take my mom out of state without a fight.
âA.B., what on earth is going on?â she asked, reclaiming her cigarette.
My hands were trembling, and I balled up the uninjured one, trying to keep my composure. âI ran into someone tonight at Davisâs place,â I said softly.
âWho did you meet thatâs got you this rattled?â
A tear slipped out, and I quickly brushed it away. âI met Davisâs father,â I whispered.
She squinted at me, not quite grasping the significance. âAndâŠâ
âLucy, Davisâs father is the man who hurt Mom.â
âWhat?â she exclaimed into the deserted courtyard.
âIâm telling you, heâs the one,â I insisted in a hushed tone.
âHoney, that was ages ago. How can you be certain after all this time?â she asked. But I could see it in her eyes: she was hoping, praying, I was mistaken.
I let out a bitter laugh. âIf thereâs one thing I remember about that night, itâs sneaking around the corner and seeing him grab her ass and say some disgusting things to her.â
I laughed again, but it was a laugh filled with pain. âLooks like the old bastard hasnât changed his ways,â I told her angrily, recalling what Iâd just witnessed.
Lucy sank onto a bench. âOh, Lord, honey! I never thought Iâd hear that from anyone,â she said, lost in thought.
âAnd now you want us to move to Savannah because of him?â
I walked over and flopped down gracelessly, hugging myself for warmth.
âYes, and I want you to do it as soon as you can. The last thing I need is Davisâs father trying to find her or Mom bumping into him on the street.
âCan you imagine the chaos if he suddenly showed up to talk to or threaten Mom?â I said firmly.
âBut why would he come looking for her?â
âBecause of me, Lucy. Because of what I said today, what I accused him of in front of his whole family. I gave him a hint that she was still around here, and Iâm Davisâs fiancĂ©e.
âNow he knows thereâs someone out there who knows what heâs done. And Iâm scared of what he might do,â I said angrily.
I shivered, and she put her arm around me. âAre you saying youâre going to marry that boy?â she asked.
I shook my head. âNo! How can I marry him now? Heâs the son of the man who tried to kill my mother⊠I canât. I just canât!â I whispered, wiping my runny nose unceremoniously with my sleeve.
Lucy handed me a handkerchief. âAlright, honey. Iâll have us packed up by tonight, and weâll be gone by dawn.â She nodded, taking one last puff of her cigarette.
âSo what are you going to do now?â
I took a deep breath of the icy air, feeling it sting my lungs before I spoke. âIâm leaving. Iâm leaving him, my brownstone, and Massachusetts altogether. I plan to be gone for a while.
âIâll come and visit you in Savannah when Iâm done with my next job.â
She placed her dark hand over mine tenderly. âAnd the boy?â she asked softly.
Whenever Iâm with Lucy, I feel like a fifteen-year-old girl again. I shrugged, just like I used to do back then.
âLife has thrown me another curveball. How can I get past who his father is to my mother?â
âSins of the father, honey. They shouldnât fall on the son,â she suggested. She turned her head and looked at me. âLast night, you told Loretta you loved him. Is that true?â
âYes. I still love him, even though I canât,â I glanced down at my hand, realizing Iâd need to visit the emergency room before I left.
âSo anyway, Iâll come see you and Mom before I head out tonight.
âI have some personal things to take care of. But Iâm going to get you two new phones so I can reach you whenever I need to,â I told her.
She nodded. âYou going to the hospital to get your hand looked at?â
I bit my lip, the pain still throbbing intensely. âYes. Iâll take care of that first.â
âYouâre not even going to tell your boy youâre leaving him? Donât you think he deserves to know what youâre planning?â she asked, her face creased with a deep frown.
âNo, and I donât plan on telling him,â I replied.
âSo youâre just going to run away now?â
âLucy, when is this ever going to end for me? We both know that whenever I get seriously involved with a man, it seems to have serious consequences for my life and my family.
âIsnât it time to call a spade a spade?â I asked with a shrug.
âYou accepted his marriage proposal?â
âYes, I did.â
âI donât think a man that in love with you is just going to move on, A.B.,â she responded.
âIâm sure heâll move on, Lucy. They all do, donât they?â I murmured sadly.
She shook her head at me. âIt seemed like he had plans for you, girl. You need to settle down, A.B., start a family,â she urged me.
But I shook my head back at her, unhappy with the direction the conversation was taking. âThings got messy, and messy doesnât suit a woman, Lucy.
âI let him go, and Iâm going back to work. Thatâs all there is to it.â
âWhy do you look so down if itâs that simple?â she asked, her hand soothingly rubbing my back.
I pushed myself off the bench, heading for the door, but then I turned back to face her.
âThere are things, Lucy, that just arenât meant to be. Even if we want them more than anything else weâve ever wanted.
âIâve always been practical about life and the choices we have to make.
âIâve always taken what life throws at me, and now itâs time to get back on track and move forward. Thatâs what I always do,â I said, keeping it simple.
Then I headed back to the door that led inside the house.
âAdire, AdireâŠâ she called after me.
I paused, turning back to face her.
âPeople change, sweet pea. Sometimes, you canât go back to who you were once youâve broken out of that mold,â she said.
âWhether you like it or not, I see a change in you. There will be consequences if you donât face your feelings and leave the man you love.â
Her words made me frown, but she went on. âJust remember, when you stumble from this decision and your knees are bruised and aching, you can always get back up, sweet pea.â
We locked eyes for a moment, this woman who was like a second mother to me.
âIâm going to say goodbye to Mom. Iâll arrange for your plane tickets and a car in Savannah within the hour.
âIâll drop off the phones before I leave tonight,â I rushed out, not wanting to hear the truth in her wordsâŠnot ready to admit the truth to myself.















































