Kingpin (An Italian Mafia Romance) by Ws Greer Page B

body to look me in the eye, which just makes it that much harder.
    “Dominic, I’m moving,” I blurt out, as I lose all control and the tears roll out in bunches. I can’t believe I’m saying it, and I still can’t accept that it’s actually going to happen.
    Dominic still looks confused.
    “What? What are you talking about?”
    “I’m moving . My dad got orders to Alaska and we have to move.”
    “Are you serious right now?”
    “Do I look like I’m kidding? I wouldn’t joke about this, especially after what just happened. I’ve been meaning to tell you, but you haven’t been at school, and you weren’t calling me back because you were in the hospital.”
    Dominic looks like his world just collapsed on top of him and he can no longer breathe.
    “What the fuck, Alannah?” he snaps. “When is this supposed to happen?”
    I somehow manage to cry harder when I start to say the answer.
    “The military needed to fill a vacant position in Anchorage, so they gave him short notice orders, and we found out a few weeks ago. We’re only a couple of weeks away now. That’s all. Just a couple of weeks.”
    “Goddammit!” Dominic barks as he jumps up and opens the door. He nearly falls out of the car and starts pacing around outside, pulling the drawstring on his sweats to keep his pants up. “Who’s this saying you have to go? Who said you have to go, because I’m not gonna let this happen, Alannah. You have to stay here. You tell me who it was, and I’ll tell my dad. You won’t go anywhere.”
    “It doesn’t work like that, Dominic,” I bellow as I exit the car myself. “This is the military we’re talking about. The United States Air Force. They say we have to go, we have to go. Nobody’s stopping it.”
    “Then I’ll talk to your dad. I’ll tell him you gotta stay here. Let’s go, I’ll go talk to your dad right fucking now.”
    Dominic starts to walk to the driver’s side like he’s really going to do it, and I have to run over to him to stop him.
    “Dominic, please stop,” I beg. “There’s nothing we can do about this. I always knew this could happen, and I guess I just hoped it wouldn’t. I’m sorry I didn’t warn you, and nothing hurts me more than knowing I have to leave Belleville, but I don’t want to do anything to make things worse. I don’t want to feel any worse than I do right now, so please don’t confront my dad. It’s his job, and I’m his daughter. There’s no way he can stay here, and there’s no way he’d let me stay. You know that.”
    Dominic stops moving and just looks at me. It takes a second, but for the first time since I met him, Dominic’s eyes fill with tears. He tries to push them away, and when he can’t, he turns his face so I can’t see him, but I know it’s happening. All I can do is wrap my arms around him and cry with him.
    “I’m so sorry, Dominic,” I whisper as we lean against the car and sob together.
    The truth eventually sets in. After all this time, we’re finally together, but we know it won’t last, and it’s the hardest thing either of us has ever had to accept.

Dominic
    “W hy ain’t you been returning my calls?”
    I close the door to the Cadillac as I sit, but I don’t buckle my seat belt. The way I’ve been feeling the past few days, I wouldn’t care if we crashed into a brick wall and I flew through the windshield.
    “You hear me talking to you?” my father snaps. He sounds pissed, and that’s all I have to go on because I haven’t looked at him yet. “I said, why ain’t you been returning my calls, Dominic? You missed out on two scores last week. That’s the kind of thing you need to be around for. What’s the matter with you?”
    “I was with Alannah,” I reply, finally glancing at him for a second before staring out the window again. Dad steps on the gas and aims for the highway, back to River City.
    “You were with Alannah? That’s all you have to say for yourself right now?”
    “She’s moving