Gemma’s POV
I woke up feeling like I’d been through a street war, my heart heavy and my mind clouded with the weight of family business gone wrong. But I refused to let this lancholy dictate my day. I needed to be stronger than whatever was trying to pull down. After a long, steamy shower and getting dressed with particular care, I powered on my phone while nursing my coffee.
Vincenzo had ssaged about our plans, but I decided canceling was the safest option. No need to drag anyone else into the deadly ss that ca with Thorne family business. I texted him a vague excuse and promised to reschedule soon. He responded with an adorable crying baby sticker that almost made smile.
After mulling over my options, I decided that once I wrapped things up with the family operations, I’d retreat to my grandmother’s countryside ho for several days. The peaceful surroundings would give space to breathe and think clearly, away from the constant threat of rival families and bloodshed.
Right on cue, the family sent a ssage requesting my presence in the afternoon to finalize my position within the organization. Perfect timing—I could head straight to Grandma’s afterward, assuming I survived whatever confrontation awaited.
When I arrived at the designated ti, the ard guard at the entrance greeted with a respectful nod, and another soldier escorted to the private eting room in the back of Thorne’s legitimate front business. My stomach knotted. Were they planning another interrogation about my loyalty? Stepping inside, I found everyone assembled: Daniel, Lila, Caleb, Xavier, Ruby, Jude, Nora, Finn, Zoe, and even Detective Adler—clearly on the Thorne family payroll. Taking a deep breath, I sat in the chair Caleb indicated.
"Gemma, Ivy would be here too, but her pregnancy needs special protection right now with all the heat on the family," Caleb explained gently, his voice carrying the authority of a man who’d ordered countless deaths.
"Don Caleb, let’s just get this over with quickly. Or should I prepare for more accusations of being a rat, considering we have two corrupt cops present?" I replied, my voice betraying my exhaustion with the constant suspicion that ca with mafia life.
"Gemma, have we stopped being family?" Caleb asked softly, but I could see the dangerous glint in his eyes that reminded why he ruled the streets. I just stared back, words failing .
"Gemma." Zoe approached, her face concerned but her hand never far from the gun concealed in her jacket. "The family’s worried about you."
"Zoe, you guys are the best family anyone could ask for. But they’re right—I can’t put you in the crosshairs of a war," I sighed, fighting back tears. "It’s better if I step back from operations. You’ll always be in my heart. After this eting, I’m packing and heading to my grandmother’s safe house."
"Absolutely not!" Zoe’s tone shifted dramatically as she assud her signature commanding stance, the one that had intimidated rival family underbosses. "We’d sooner put bullets in these idiots than lose you as family. And yes, that includes you, Caleb!"
"Nobody’s getting whacked, Zoe," Caleb replied calmly with the ease of a man accustod to discussing death over dinner. "And Gemma isn’t leaving the family or going into hiding."
"Gemma, I was a complete bastard," Daniel stepped forward, his eyes sincere but his massive fra still intimidating from years of enforcing Thorne family will. "I had no right to treat you that way. I was pissed about Lila being in danger and took it out on you. I care about Lila, and I care about all of you soldiers. Can you forgive ?"
"Don’t forgive him, Gemma!" Lila interjected passionately, her innocence a stark contrast to the deadly world she’d been pulled into. "But just so you know, I have your grandmother’s address, and I’ll follow you there no matter what you say. You’re my sister whether you like it or not!"
I couldn’t help but laugh through my tears at Lila’s fierce determination, so pure in this world of blood and betrayal.
"What about you two morons? Jude and Xavier? Nothing to say?" Nora demanded, smacking Jude on the head with the familiarity of soone who’d grown up around violence.
"Yeah, we were being complete assholes too," Xavier admitted sheepishly, his usual cold deanor as the family’s consigliere softening.
"Keep joking around, sweetheart," Ruby warned Xavier with deadly seriousness. "Lila and I already have our bags packed to go back to Dominic’s territory. He’s guaranteed us positions in his crew."
"Ruby, co on, you can’t leave ," Xavier protested, genuine fear flashing in his eyes.
"Try ," Ruby challenged, her hand moving to her hip in a gesture that made everyone tense.
"Dominic?" I turned to Zoe, confused about why the ntion of my forr lover sent ripples through the room.
"He would be here, but there was an ergency with his mother in Chicago territory," Zoe explained carefully.
"Gemma, we don’t want you to distance yourself from the family," Caleb squeezed my hand with surprising gentleness for hands that had personally eliminated rivals. "And we definitely don’t want you to leave our protection. Yesterday was stupid and won’t happen again. You need soldiers watching your back, and we’re going to provide them."
"Gemma, I was furious yesterday," Daniel admitted, kneeling beside like a loyal soldier seeking forgiveness from his Don. "But today I’m doing what I should have done then. I even brought Adler to help clean up this ss. We want to know about these death threats you’ve been receiving from your ex, and we’re going to handle it Thorne family style. Will you forgive ?"
I gazed into his eyes and saw genuine remorse reflected in everyone’s faces, even those hardened by years of mafia warfare. Maybe I had been too sensitive, overwheld by everything happening at once. It had been a perfect storm of family politics and bloodshed.
"Of course, Daniel. Let’s put this behind us," I said, taking a deep breath that still carried the tallic scent of danger.
"No, we’re not just putting this behind us," Lila insisted with surprising steel. "You need to understand that if you act like this again, you’ll lose us all."
"I already understand, little one," Daniel nodded with the respect of a killer acknowledging a future queen. "No hard feelings, Gemma?"
"No hard feelings. I apologize too—I’ve been stressed with all the family wars happening."
He hugged , and I hugged him back, feeling the weight of his concealed weapons and the safety they represented.
"That’s the problem, Gemma," Nora complained, her voice carrying the authority of soone who’d seen too many funerals. "So much blood is being spilled, and you don’t talk to us. You can’t expect us to only be part of your life when the bodies aren’t dropping. We love you—through every war."
"You’re shutting us out again," Zoe gently scolded, her tactical mind already planning protection strategies. "You need to stop doing that if you want to stay alive."
"I’m sorry, girls," I broke down completely, and they surrounded in a group embrace until my sobs subsided, their warmth a stark contrast to the cold world of organized cri we all inhabited.
"Am I forgiven too?" Xavier asked tentatively, his usual calculating deanor replaced by genuine concern.
"Yes, you too," I managed.
"What about ?" Caleb inquired with the patient authority of a man accustod to absolute loyalty.
"Of course," I smiled, wiping away tears while acknowledging the deadly power he wielded.
"Then no leaving the family," Caleb stated firmly with finality that brooked no argunt. "That goes for Lila and Ruby too."
"Gemma, do you forgive for not defending you and letting this enforcer Daniel intimidate you?" Jude approached cautiously, aware that family loyalty was everything in our world.
"Of course, Jude. Thank you."
"Has Marcus tried contacting you again?" Jude asked unexpectedly, his ntion of Dominic’s exiled father making everyone in the room tense.
"Yes, several nights ago. I don’t even know how that bastard got my number, but I told him to go to hell. Why?"
"Because we’re going to end this threat permanently," Jude declared, glancing at Zoe with the look of soldiers planning war. "Let Dominic know."
"On it!" Zoe typed furiously on her encrypted phone, coordinating what would likely be Marcus’s final mistake.
"Well, everything seems back to normal!" Detective Adler spoke for the first ti, her corrupt badge gleaming under the dim lights. "Now, Gemma, I need to know everything about you and your ex, when these death threats started, and what they entail."
"Gemma, I’ll leave you with her," Caleb said with the casual authority of a Don dismissing subjects. "Rest today and co back to family business tomorrow. But I don’t think you should stay alone in your apartnt with Marcus making moves."
"That’s non-negotiable, Caleb. I don’t want my mother involved in family business, and I’m not staying at anyone’s safe house," I replied firmly, knowing that in the mafia world, independence could be deadly.
"Then I’ll move in with you. That was my plan anyway, before the Finn situation," Lila offered quickly, her loyalty touching but dangerous.
"No, Lila. You’ll stay in protected territory, and you too, Ruby," I insisted, seeing Ruby about to make the sa offer. "My building has Thorne family security."
"Dominic won’t like this," Zoe muttered, but I chose to ignore the implications of her words.
Just then, my phone rang. Unknown number. I answered cautiously, then imdiately put it on speaker when I recognized the voice, looking at Jude with alarm.
"What do you want? I told you not to contact ," I snapped, my blood running cold.
"Darling, I’m persistent. I don’t give up on a beauty like you at the first rejection," Marcus’s smooth voice replied, carrying the dangerous charm that had once made him a powerful capo.
"Stop calling , or I’ll have the family deal with you permanently," I threatened, my emotions at the breaking point.
"Threats? No, darling, I’m just a man who knows what he wants," he responded with infuriating calm that suggested he had powerful backing.
"I already told you to leave her alone, Marcus," Jude interjected before I could reply, his hand moving to his weapon.
"Oh god, the annoying soldier again," Marcus complained with the dismissive tone of forr family royalty. "Always unpleasant talking to you, Jude. Gemma, dear, I’ll call you later. Kisses." He hung up.
"This psychopath is insane! He disappeared when he was exiled—why start threatening now?" I demanded.
"Let guess—he disappeared when Dominic left the territory?" Caleb suggested with the calculating mind of a chess master.
"Now that you ntion it, yes, exactly," I realized with growing dread.
"And he started pursuing you again when Dominic returned to power. He’s using you to get back at his son and reclaim his position. That treacherous bastard!" Caleb fud with the controlled rage of a man planning execution. "Adler, Daniel, finish up here with Gemma. I’ll wait in my office. Gemma, the soldiers will look after you."
"Only if you want dead!" I retorted with fire. "I don’t need bodyguards. Don’t insist."
"You girls are truly alike. Each more stubborn than the last," Caleb huffed as he left the room, already planning Marcus’s elimination.
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