While the room was full of people, the Rossis, Lombards, Mucis, and Capos ate in a separate room. Raelyn recognized it from her vision. They sat at a huge circular table in a room dominated by heavy, dark wood with red velvet accents. She kept looking around to see if Gabe would appear. He didn't.

The three Capo boys stared at her from across the table. Their father kept quiet as the conversation flitted from person to person.

Then, in the middle of salads, Rossi turned his attention to Raelyn. "Miss Jasper." Dominic tensed and set down his fork, ready to jump in at any moment.

"Yes, Mr. Rossi?"

"Tell me about yourself."

Raelyn shifted in her seat, grateful that she had practiced this question for job interviews. "I grew up in the Chicagoland area and am attending Loyola with a degree in social work. I'm involved in on-campus academic clubs and tutor on the side. I love sociology, hot chocolate, and Great Danes."

Rossi stared at her blankly.

"I'm also kind of dating your son."

One of the Capo boys elbowed the other and they smiled. Raelyn frowned. Did she say something wrong?

She glanced at Dominic, who was shaking his head. He leaned in to whisper in her ear. "Mafia queen, not neighborhood girl with OCD."

"I'm undiagnosed," she hissed. Raelyn turned and smiled at Rossi before going back to her food.

Rossi wasn't done. "I studied at the University of Chicago. Who is your father?"

Raelyn glanced up at him, anxiety beginning to creep into her veins. "I don't know. I was raised by my mom."

"How old are you?"

"Twenty-one."

One of the Capo boys perked up. "We're twenty-three."

Rossi ignored them. "Who is your mother?"

"I usually call her mom," Raelyn joked.

Rossi slammed his fist on the table and everyone at the table flinched. Dominic reached his hand out to steady Raelyn, but she didn't flinch. In fact, her irritation rose. She knew she was supposed to follow Dominic's lead, but he hadn't said a word. In fact, everyone seemed terrified of this man. She didn't do well with bullies. Especially ones from the University of Chicago.

"Do you call your mother something different? Maybe you're a 'mommy' person?"

Dominic shot her a look of warning, eyebrows going up.

Rossi ran his tongue over his teeth. He nodded to his son. "Bring your blood whore over here. I think it's time someone trained her."

Raelyn felt a bubble rise in her chest. She couldn't quite explain why Rossi had set her off and not Muci, but her mind was singularly focused. Honestly, she didn't care. She flexed her fingers. Dominic wanted mafia queen? She would give him mafia queen.

Dominic tried to pull her into her seat and Raelyn realized she had stood up. "My name is Raelyn Jasper. And unless you're going to give me a bachelor's degree, I accept no training."

In an instant, Rossi stood and launched two blades in her direction. As they flew in the air toward her, time seemed to slow. She locked eyes with the knife headed toward Dominic and managed to grab the handle and redirect it to the table. By the time she turned back to the other one, it was beginning to scratch her shoulder. While she had focused on the other knife, Dominic had grabbed her and pulled her against him.

In an instant, time sped up again and Raelyn fell into Dominic's arms. It would have been romantic if his dad wasn't actively trying to kill them both.

Rossi froze, eyes wide. Raelyn prevented a goofy grin from crossing her face as she stared at his dumbfounded eyes. Dominic looked at his chest, expecting to see a silver knife sticking out of it. Instead, it was stuck on the table.

He turned to Raelyn in shock. "Did you do that?"

She nodded. An instant later, exhaustion hit her like Louisiana humidity. Dominic set her down into her chair as she yawned.

"It seems there's more to this girl than meets the eye." Raelyn's eyes felt heavy, but the voice was unfamiliar. She pried one open and saw it was the elder Capo who spoke. He then took a bite of pasta casually.

Rossi was still frozen in shock. He then whirled to Muci. "Who did you bond my son to?"

Muci shrugged.

Then everyone froze. Raelyn's shoulder stung and Dominic quickly bent down to stop the bleeding. It was too late—everyone had smelled it. She forced her eyes open, but the room felt like it was full of water.

Rossi's frown turned into an intrigued stare. "A source, a hunter," he sneered, "and a high-tier vampire." He took a seat. "My, my. My son has landed a jackpot, it seems." Rossi waved a hand at a few guards. "Take her."

Dominic pulled two silver daggers from his jacket. "You will do no such thing."

"This is my party, son." Four guards rushed toward Raelyn, and she tried to press the bubble in her chest, but it was gone. She tried to grab Dominic but realized that her hands only lifted a few inches. Uh-oh.

Seven vampires dressed as kitchen staff burst into the room, wielding knives and creating a semi-circle around Dominic and Raelyn. "This may be your party, but this is my bonded."

Rossi looked around and finally sat down. "Another time then."

Dominic picked Raelyn up and she tried to resist. What she intended to say ("I can walk") slurred to "Ihh wak." Dominic—wisely—ignored her. Rossi just smiled as he watched his son.

"You know that I always win."

"Not this time, father."

A shrill shriek filled the air. Everyone—even Raelyn, although her motion was significantly delayed—turned to the door. A woman stood there, disheveled and furious. Her bright red hair escaped a previously immaculate braid.

Muci turned red and stood angrily. "Get out!" he roared.

She stormed up to him with a knife and pressed it under his chin. None of the guards—Muci's including—did anything. "Consider this a divorce. Turns out our surrogate didn't get my egg. But guess what?" She lowered her voice and took a step back, sweeping her arms. "She didn't have your sperm either. Guess what, you pathetic excuse for a man? You're impotent. Not a single sperm left in your pathetic package."

Muci scowled. "Are you high?"

"No. I'm not. In fact, I am more in my right mind than ever before. Guess which children aren't yours? The twin? Ding, ding, ding!" she shouted. "Their father is a bartender in New York. How about new little one? Turns out she got her satisfaction from a truck driver in Vermont. Wonder why that little boy had beautiful black hair? It's not from you and it's definite not from that blonde whore!"

Muci's face turned bright red.

Dominic took the distraction to usher Raelyn out of the room and back into the kitchen. Kitchen staff—unsuspecting from all appearances—nodded at him and made a path for him, blocking off the path behind.

Dominic made his way out into a delivery dock and set Raelyn down on a pallet of flour. "Are you okay? What happened in there?" He patted her down, checking for any injuries.

She swallowed. "Tired." He sat down beside her and leaned her against him.

"You just pulled vampiric speed that I can only do after feeding from you. We're both lucky my father's knives didn't find their mark." He pulled out his phone, but before he could dial, Crockett ran up from inside. Dominic looked around. "Where's Dane?"

Crockett frowned. "Uh. Iggy was having a hard time finding his leash."

Dominic swore. He nodded to Raelyn. "Grab her. And tell Iggy to get Dane here now."

Raelyn's ears perked and her vision flashed in front of her. "Nic?"

Dominic turned to her, softening. "What's wrong, baby?"

"You need to go save Gabe."

Dominic frowned. "Gabe's at home."

Raelyn shook her head.

A car peeled and reversed into a delivery spot. The trunk popped open, and Dane leapt out, racing toward Dominic and Raelyn. Iggy popped out. "Sorry, couldn't remember where I put his leash."

Dominic ignored Iggy but glanced back at the building. "Dane, protect." He looked up at Crockett. "Get her in the car. Once I am back, I want us on the fastest route back to my apartment."

"What happened?" Iggy asked.

Dominic leaned Raelyn against the concrete wall, and Dane jumped up beside her, nuzzling her with his nose anxiously. Dominic stormed back inside but paused. "Turns out, Raelyn's a vampire."