Dominic’s POV
I pulled up outside the Thorne Corporation building, watching as Gemma erged flanked by two ard soldiers from Caleb’s personal guard. My chest tightened at the sight of her - she moved with the deadly grace of soone who’d learned to navigate our world, her spine straight and steps confident like a queen surveying her domain.
The mont our eyes t, her face transford with genuine joy. She dismissed the guards with a professional nod and ran toward , launching herself into my arms. The familiar weight of her against my chest felt like sanctuary in a world built on violence.
"I missed you," she whispered against my ear, her breath sending fire through my veins.
" too, Songbird." I pressed a hungry kiss to her lips before helping her into the passenger seat of my armored vehicle.
The drive to her mother’s house was filled with easy conversation, laughter cutting through the tension that always simred beneath the surface in our line of work. I couldn’t help but notice how her posture shifted as I parked outside the modest ho - her shoulders tensing, expression becoming guarded.
"What’s troubling you, Songbird?" I asked, placing my scarred hand on her knee and squeezing gently.
She exhaled slowly. "My mother is going to want to interrogate about everything."
"She’ll understand," I reassured her. "Though Vincenzo will put a hit on when he discovers we visited your mother without bringing him along." That earned her musical laugh, dissolving the tension.
"Those two have ford quite the alliance," she agreed. My nephew possessed the rare gift of charming even the most hardened soldiers in our organization.
When we rang the doorbell, Ryder answered with the warm smile of a man who’d found unexpected happiness later in life.
"There you are!" He pulled us both into an embrace. "How are my favorite young people?"
"Good, Ryder, thank you," Gemma replied as we crossed the threshold.
He gestured toward the back of the house. "Co, we’re gathered in the kitchen. Willow decided to prepare grilled fish for everyone."
The sound of genuine laughter reached us before we entered the backyard. Nothing could have prepared for the sight that greeted us - Willow, Gerard, Carn, and Vincenzo all seated around the table, with my nephew regaling them with so tale while they hung on his every word.
Gemma’s face lit up with delight. "Well, this is certainly a surprise!"
"Auntie Gemma!" Carn leaped from her chair and rushed to Gemma.
"My favorite little dancer, I’ve missed you terribly!" Gemma knelt to embrace her, and sothing in my chest shifted watching them together.
Willow approached with the warm smile that had initially surprised in soone connected to our world. "I hope you don’t mind that I extended an invitation to your sister’s household, Dominic."
"On the contrary, Willow, it brings great pleasure," I replied, folding her into a respectful hug.
"I called Vincenzo directly, knowing he and Carn would want to join us for dinner, so I invited Nadia and Gerard as well. I’m thoroughly chard by your family," she explained.
"They are remarkable people indeed," I agreed, watching our two families blend as if they’d known each other for decades rather than months.
Gerard raised his wine glass when he spotted . "Dominic! Finally, our substitute parents have returned to us."
"Already scheming to take advantage?" I asked with mock suspicion.
He laughed heartily. "Naturally. Nadia has been wanting to take that trip to Sicily."
"Dominic, I heard you had the pleasure of eting my son Zander," Ryder said, clapping on the shoulder.
Zander appeared beside his father, grinning with the confidence of soone who knew he was well-protected. "And I heard you rushed back from a business operation because jealousy got the better of you."
"I won’t deny it, Zander. After Vincenzo inford you were one of the rare perfect gentlen in this city, I expedited my return," I confessed, noting Gemma’s confused expression.
Vincenzo eagerly launched into his tale of how he’d manipulated into cutting short my trip to Chicago, spinning an elaborate story about Gemma and Zander that had everyone roaring with laughter. Dinner unfolded with the kind of easy camaraderie I’d never expected to experience. Watching our families rge so naturally filled with a contentnt I hadn’t known was possible.
"I’m so happy for you, brother," Nadia whispered, touching my arm. "They’re extraordinary people."
"I share that happiness, sister," I replied, kissing her cheek.
The pleasant atmosphere couldn’t last indefinitely. There were serious matters that demanded imdiate attention.
"Dominic, Gemma ntioned you needed to discuss sothing important with us," Willow broached the subject during a natural lull in conversation.
"Yes, Willow, and unfortunately it concerns a rather unpleasant situation." The mood sobered as all eyes turned to .
"What kind of situation, Dominic?" Ryder asked, his expression growing serious.
I explained the escalating threats Gemma had been receiving from her unstable ex-boyfriend and the comprehensive security protocols we’d implented. I detailed how Nick had managed to locate both her apartnt and workplace despite our precautions. Concern darkened every face around the table.
"Gemma, why did you conceal this from us?" Willow demanded, her voice carrying both anger and deep worry.
"Mom, you had just decided to move in with Ryder. If I had told you, you would have sacrificed your own happiness, and that wasn’t acceptable to ," Gemma explained, her voice steady and resolute.
"But Gemma—" Willow began to protest.
"Mom, I’m a grown woman. You cannot shield from every danger in this world," Gemma interrupted with quiet authority.
I stepped forward to address her mother’s concerns. "Willow, I need you to understand that Gemma’s safety is my highest priority. She’s decided to move into my compound, where I’ve enhanced security protocols and assigned a dedicated protection detail for whenever she leaves the premises."
"You two are moving in together?" Willow’s eyes narrowed with parental scrutiny.
"Willow, I love Gemma with everything I am. She’s the woman I intend to spend my life with. We’re going to live together, and once we’ve eliminated these current threats, I plan to make her my wife." I t her gaze directly, wanting her to understand the absolute depth of my commitnt.
"Son, I don’t concern myself with paperwork or ceremonies," Willow clarified. "I was simply surprised given that you two spent months apart."
"All the more reason why I’m never allowing that separation to happen again," I vowed, earning an approving smile from Willow.
She turned to her daughter. "Are you truly happy, Gemma?"
"Completely, Mom," Gemma replied, her radiant smile capable of illuminating the darkest corners of our violent world.
"Then let’s open another bottle of wine!" Ryder rose to retrieve additional bottles.
Zander leaned toward conspiratorially. "You need to teach your secret for making a woman act as lovestruck as Pretty One here."
Gemma responded by throwing a dinner roll at him.
"That was pure fortune, Zander," I winked at Gemma. "But what’s this ’Pretty One’ business?"
"It’s a nickna I gave Gemma when we first t. I was an immature teenager and called her Pretty One. She got furious, so naturally I kept using it just to irritate her." Zander ducked another projectile from Gemma’s direction.
"You two are definitely family," I observed with amusent.
By evening’s end, Willow and Ryder had politely declined my offer of personal security, insisting they preferred to handle matters themselves. Before our departure, Vincenzo and Zander had already planned an expedition to so burger establishnt, enthusiastically including Gemma and in their arrangents.
"Dominic, we need to arrange for you to introduce us to your mother," Willow said as we prepared our farewells.
"We’ll coordinate sothing within the week if your schedules permit," I offered.
"Just inform us of the timing," Ryder agreed imdiately.
Driving away from that warm gathering, I experienced a profound sense of peace I hadn’t felt in years. Glancing at Gemma beside , I saw the sa contentnt reflected in her relaxed posture and gentle smile. She was perfection itself, and I was completely, irrevocably hers. Our families had blended beautifully, creating bonds that would strengthen our families. Now we simply needed those two deranged individuals to leave us in peace so we could build the life we’d fought so hard to claim.
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