Vows of vengeance

Chapter Three

Crossfire

Sienna’s POV

The gun was pointed at us, not warning-shot pointed and not scare-you pointed.

Straight at my chest like the man already decided how this ends.

Dominic’s arm moved in front of me again, blocking me like a wall.

“Stay behind me,” he repeated.

My mouth opened, nothing came out…because Dominic had a gun too.

And I’d never seen him hold one in real life.

Not in movies, not in stories, but right In front of me and in the middle of the street.

The man across from us took a step forward.

Dominic didn’t move. He didn’t even blink.

His voice was calm. “Wrong target.”

The man didn’t answer, he lifted the gun higher.

I couldn’t breathe.

My fingers curled into Dominic’s suit jacket behind him like I could support myself to something solid.

Then it happened.

The first shot went off.

Everything exploded at once.

Dominic grabbed me and shoved me sideways, hard enough that my shoulder hit the wall.

The bullet hit the brick where my head had been a second ago.

My scream ripped out before I could stop it.

Dominic fired back.

One shot, and two.

The sound was loud enough to rattle my bones.

People screamed and scattered. Cars honked. Someone dropped a bag of groceries and oranges rolled across the road like nothing mattered.

Dominic grabbed my wrist. “Move!”

I stumbled, half dragged, and half running.

My legs felt wrong…too slow, and too heavy.

Another shot.

Glass shattered somewhere behind us.

Dominic pulled me around the corner of the building and slammed me against the wall again.

“Don’t move,” he ordered.

“I’m not….” My voice broke. “Dominic, what the hell is happening?”

His eyes stayed on the street. His jaw was tight. His gun was still up.

“Quiet.”

I stared at him like he was a stranger.

No, even worse.

Like he was exactly who he’d always been, and I was the i***t for forgetting.

Footsteps pounded closer.

Dominic’s men.

Two of them appeared from the black car I’d seen earlier, moving fast,with thier guns out, scanning the street like trained predators.

“Sir!” one of them barked.

Dominic didn’t look at him. “Take her. Now.”

My stomach flipped. “No….”

One of the men grabbed my arm.

I tried to pull away but he was too strong.

Dominic’s eyes finally cut to mine. “Sienna. Stop fighting.”

“I’m not going with you!”

“You are,” he snapped, louder this time, and it wasn’t anger…it was urgency. “Because if you stay here, you die.”

Another gunshot cracked, coser.

Dominic shoved me toward his men. “Get her in the car!”

I stumbled, my breath shaking.

They dragged me fast, the black car’s back door opened and I was shoved inside like luggage.

“No!” I fought, kicking, trying to twist away, but the man climbed in after me and locked the door.

The window tint made everything darker.

Like the world outside didn’t exist.

I slammed my palms on the glass. “Dominic!”

He was still outside.

Still holding the gun and still watching the street.

Then he fired again.

My whole body jolted at the sound.

I’d never seen someone shoot at another human being like it was normal.

Like it was Tuesday.

Like it was just another business meeting.

Dominic turned his head slightly, looking at the car and then at me.

His eyes were cold.

But there was something else underneath it.

Something sharp and dangerous.

Like relief.

Like he’d caught me before I slipped away for good.

Then he got in.

The door shut.

The car immediately pulled off, fast.

Too fast.

I slammed into the seat, grabbing the handle.

“What the hell was that?” I shouted.

Dominic didn’t answer.

He leaned forward. “Drive.”

The driver didn’t hesitate. The car shot through traffic like rules didn’t apply.

I turned to Dominic, shaking. “That man was trying to kill me!”

Dominic’s eyes stayed forward. “Yes.”

“Yes.

Like it was obvious.

Like I was stupid for being shocked.

My voice rose. “WHY?”

Dominic’s jaw flexed. “Because you’re easy.”

I blinked. “What?”

“You’re a soft spot,” he said. “A weakness.”

My chest tightened. “For who?”

His eyes flicked to me once. “For me.”

I swallowed hard, rage building. “So this is your fault.”

Dominic’s face didn’t change. “I didn’t send him.”

“But you brought this into my life!”

“You married me,” he corrected.

I stared at him, breathing hard.

“I divorced you,” I shot back.

Dominic’s mouth twitched. Not a smile. Something darker.

“Not fast enough.”

My stomach turned…the car swerved.

I grabbed the seat again. “Where are we going?”

Dominic finally looked at me fully. “Home.”

My blood ran cold. “That’s not my home.”

“It is,” he said.

I laughed, sharp and ugly. “You’re insane.”

Dominic leaned closer. His voice dropped. “Sienna. Listen to me.”

I glared at him. “No. I’m done listening to you.”

He didn’t react to the attitude. He didn’t even blink.

He just said, “That wasn’t random.”

My throat tightened.

Dominic continued, “That wasn’t a mugger. That wasn’t a stalker with a crush. That was a message.”

“A message from who?” I demanded.

Dominic stared at the road again.

Like he was deciding what to give me and what to keep.

Then he said, “Someone I buried a long time ago.”

My skin prickled. “You buried?”

Dominic’s voice was flat. “Not literally.”

I didn’t believe him, because i couldn’t.

The way he said it sounded like he’d done worse.

I pressed my hands to my knees, trying to stop shaking.

“I don’t understand,” I whispered. “I left you. I signed the papers. I’m not in your life anymore.”

Dominic looked at me again. “You think paper changes blood?”

My stomach flipped.

He leaned back slightly, watching me like he was studying how close I was to breaking.

“I warned you,” he said. “When you walked away, you didn’t just leave me.”

“I left your control,” I snapped.

“You left my protection,” he corrected. “There’s a difference.”

“I didn’t ask for your protection!”

Dominic’s voice sharpened. “You don’t get to ask. Not anymore.”

I stared at him, breathing hard.

I hated him, I hated the way he spoke like my choices were cute little suggestions.

I hated the way my body still reacted to him, my heart racing, skin hot, and my stomach tight.

Not because I wanted him, but because he scared me.

Because he still had power over me.

The car slowed.

My heart slammed.

I looked out the window and saw it.

The gates, the cameras, the tall walls and the mansion.

No.

I yanked at the door handle immediately…It was locked.

Of course it was locked.

“Dominic….” My voice cracked. “Don’t do this.”

He didn’t answer.

The gates opened like they were expecting us.

We drove through.

And the second we were inside, the gates shut behind us.

A loud, and final sound, like a prison sealing.

I turned to Dominic. “You can’t keep doing this. You can’t just take me!”

Dominic’s eyes were unreadable. “I can.”

The car stopped at the entrance.

Two guards rushed forward to open the doors.

Dominic got out first.

Then he turned and held his hand out, like he was offering help, like he was a gentleman and like he didn’t just drag me into hell.

I slapped his hand away and climbed out myself.

My legs were still shaking.

Dominic didn’t react. He just walked beside me, close enough that I could feel him.

His men surrounded us immediately.

Four, six even more.

Like I was a target or a prize.

I stepped back. “Why do you have so many guards?”

Dominic didn’t even look at me. “Because they already found you once.”

My stomach dropped.

“What do you mean once?” I demanded. “They shot at me in the street, Dominic!”

Dominic’s voice stayed calm. “And they’ll do it again.”

I stared at him, my breath shaking. “Then call the police.”

Dominic finally looked at me like I was slow.

“They’re already paid,” he said.

I froze. “What?”

Dominic stepped closer, lowering his voice. “This city belongs to people like me. And people like my enemies.”

I shook my head hard. “No. No, that’s not real.”

Dominic’s eyes didn’t soften.

“Welcome back,” he said. “Now you understand why you were never safe without me.”

I wanted to scream, I wanted to run.

But the gates were closed behind me.

The guards were around me.

And Dominic was right there.

I turned toward the mansion doors anyway, moving fast.

If I couldn’t escape, I could at least get space.

I pushed inside.

The air felt colder.

The house looked the same…expensive, perfect, and quiet.

Like nothing bad could happen here.

But I knew better now.

I walked straight toward the stairs.

Dominic followed.

“Where are you going?” he asked.

“Away from you.”

“You’re not leaving my sight.”

I spun on him. “Stop saying that! Stop acting like you own me!”

Dominic didn’t flinch. “I don’t act.”

My chest rose and fell fast. “You’re sick.”

Dominic stepped closer, eyes locked on mine. “You’re alive.”

I swallowed hard.

Then a voice cut through the air.

A woman’s voice.

Cold, controlled and sharp enough to slice skin.

“Well,” she said smoothly, “look what the devil dragged back in.”

I turned.

And there she was….Vivian Vale.

Standing at the top of the staircase like she’d been waiting for this moment.

Her eyes landed on me.

And she smiled.

Not warm and not welcoming.

A smile that said I didn’t belong here.

Dominic’s jaw tightened instantly.

“Mother,” he said.

Vivian’s gaze stayed on me. “Sienna Hart,” she drawled. “Back already?”

I didn’t answer.

Because my throat was tight, because my skin was crawling and because the way she looked at me didn’t feel like curiosity.

It felt like calculation.

Vivian stepped down one stair slowly. “I told you she’d come running back.”

Dominic’s voice dropped. “She didn’t run back.”

Vivian lifted a brow. “No?”

Dominic’s hand came to my lower back, it felt possessive, controlling, and silent.

“She was brought,” he said.

Vivian’s smile widened.

Then she looked at me like I was nothing.

“Of course,” she murmured. “You always were easy to move.”

My hands curled into fists.

Dominic’s voice turned dangerous. “Watch your mouth.”

Vivian’s eyes flicked to him, amused. “Or what, Dominic? You’ll bite your own mother?”

Dominic didn’t answer.

But his silence was loud.

Vivian looked back at me. “Tell me, dear… did you really think a divorce meant you were free?”

My body shook.

Because she said it like she knew.

Like she’d been expecting the messages, the scratches and the attack.

Like she was part of it.

My voice came out low. “What do you mean?”

Vivian smiled again.

And this time it looked satisfied.

“Oh,” she said softly, “you’ll find out.”