Chapter 296: Chapter 80 Blood and Blackmail

Dominic’s POV

The workday at Zenith Systems had finally ended, but Zoe maintained her usual professional distance as I prepared to leave the money laundering operation headquarters. At least Vincenzo had promised to help by taking Gemma out from Caleb’s legitimate business front this week. I headed to Gregory’s, our preferred upscale establishment where made men could conduct business without prying eyes, hoping my brothers would have intelligence about her.

"Well, look who finally decided to grace us with his presence!" Xavier stood as I approached their table in the private dining room.

"Gentlemen, it’s been too long," I said, greeting everyone around the table with the traditional embrace. I was pleasantly surprised to see Finn there, still recovering from the recent territorial skirmish. "Finn, good to see you back on your feet."

"Wouldn’t miss your welcome back celebration," he replied with a grin, raising his glass of aged whiskey in a toast.

"I’m glad you’re healing well after that ambush," I said genuinely, knowing how close we’d come to losing him to rival family bullets.

"Going stir-crazy with Zoe running surveillance on me around the clock. Did you convince her not to transfer to another operation?" Finn asked.

"Of course. I can’t run the family’s financial network without that woman anymore," I admitted, which made him smile knowingly.

"That’s good because she’s equally lost without you handling the books," Finn quipped.

Caleb, our Don, fixed me with that penetrating stare that had made lesser men confess their sins. "Just ask what you’re dying to know, Dominic. Don’t dance around it like some amateur."

"You guys know me too well—" I began, but was interrupted by the last person on earth I wanted to see in our territory.

"My prodigal son! Back from your extended exile, I see!" My father Marcus approached with that smug expression I’d learned to despise during my years in the family. The other patrons quickly averted their eyes, recognizing the tension.

"Pretend I’m invisible, Marcus," I said, my mood instantly darkening like storm clouds over the harbor.

"Such an ungrateful child! Is this how you address the man who gave you life?" His tone dripped with the same sarcasm and mockery that had gotten him banished from Thorne territory.

"Father? Blood doesn’t make you famiglia. You’re just a traitor who got lucky with genetics," I replied coldly, my hand instinctively moving toward the concealed weapon at my side.

"You think you’re so much better than everyone, don’t you, Dominic?" I saw that familiar rage flash in his eyes, the same fury that had led him to betray family secrets years ago. "Whatever. Listen, son," he emphasized the word with pure venom, "I have a business proposition. Meet me at your operation tomorrow."

"I don’t negotiate with rats. And you’re permanently barred from Thorne territory," I responded, barely maintaining the composure expected of a Capo.

"Let me be direct then. You’re going to sign over twenty percent of the family’s laundering operation to me. You’ll triple my monthly payments. And you’ll make the private jet available for my personal use. You’ll do all this and have the family lawyer draw up proper contracts for us both to sign," Marcus stated with the confidence of a man who believed he held all the cards.

"You’ve completely lost your mind," I scoffed. "I would never agree to any of that. In fact, I’m cutting off all payments to you entirely."

"Oh, you’ll do exactly as I say," he moved closer, lowering his voice to the whisper used for the most dangerous threats. "And do you know why? Because if you don’t, I’m going after that gorgeous Gemma. I’ll claim her as my own, then send you beautiful footage of her servicing me, so you can see who’s really the superior man in this family."

Something primal snapped inside me. My fist connected with his face before rational thought could intervene, and I grabbed him by the collar as blood trickled from his split lip onto his expensive suit.

"Don’t you dare touch Gemma. Don’t even breathe the same air as her. I can have you disappeared," I threatened, but he only smiled that devil’s smile I remembered from childhood. I knew my threats wouldn’t deter a man with nothing left to lose.

Gregory’s security pulled us apart, their movements swift and practiced. Caleb managed to convince the manager to have Marcus escorted from the premises, but before leaving, he shouted across the dining room, "One week to get your affairs in order, son!" His maniacal laughter echoed through the restaurant as the security team dragged him toward the exit.

I sat back down heavily, and Jude placed a double whiskey in front of me without being asked.

"Take it easy, Dominic. He won’t get near Gemma," Jude assured me, though his voice carried less conviction than his words.

"I’m not convinced, Jude. I know Gemma wouldn’t willingly associate with him, but he’s cunning like a snake. He could manipulate her or use leverage against her family. The man’s capable of anything after what he did to our famiglia," I said anxiously, running my hands through my hair. "Now tell me how she’s doing in the legitimate operations."

"That’s the problem. We’ve barely seen her," Caleb admitted, causing my eyes to widen in alarm.

"She works in your cover business," I reminded him unnecessarily, knowing he oversaw all legitimate fronts.

"Yes, but she’s been transferred to financial records on the third floor. You know how it is—I don’t have time to personally check every department of the operation," Caleb explained with the practiced efficiency of a Don managing multiple enterprises.

"What about you, Xavier? She was under your protection," I said hopefully to our consigliere.

"She left the safe house after less than a week. Claimed she wasn’t comfortable with the round-the-clock surveillance. Then she convinced me she’d be secure in her own apartment since we’d neutralized the immediate threat. I couldn’t force her to stay under family protection," Xavier explained with his characteristic calm.

"What about the women? Don’t they keep tabs on each other?" I pressed.

"They hardly see her either. Even Lila hasn’t been able to maintain contact," Daniel added, his cop instincts clearly troubled. "She’s stopped attending the family social gatherings, and whenever Lila or Ivy visit her department, she’s always buried in paperwork."

"She’s avoiding her own people? What’s happening? Why didn’t anyone inform me of this development?" I demanded.

"Hold on, Dominic. You distanced yourself from all family business and didn’t want contact with anyone. We respected those wishes. Gemma seems to be doing the same, and we’re extending her the same courtesy," Finn said in his characteristically diplomatic manner.

"You haven’t even heard the most concerning part," Caleb sighed heavily. "Gemma dismissed her personal security detail because she wanted to spend time at her mother’s house without surveillance. Nothing we said could change her mind."

"Cristo! She’s completely exposed. This whole situation is spiraling out of control. She can’t be without protection in this business," I ran my hands over my face in frustration, feeling the weight of leadership and love colliding catastrophically.

"We’re keeping distant watch. Roman’s crew has been quiet lately," Daniel tried to offer reassurance.

"Daniel, Roman’s organization is the least of my concerns regarding Gemma’s safety. Besides that piece of garbage Marcus, who’s capable of truly heinous acts, there are also escalating threats from her psychotic ex-boyfriend," I explained.

"What threats from her ex-boyfriend?" Daniel asked, suddenly alert with the focused intensity of a man trained to hunt predators. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

I revealed the entire situation, including the last threatening letter I’d seen containing direct death threats against me, Gemma’s mother, and Lila. That’s when Daniel’s professional composure completely shattered.

"What the hell, Dominic? Some unhinged civilian is threatening my little girl and you’re only telling me now? Merda!" Daniel exploded with the fury of a man whose protective instincts had been activated.

"Daniel, there was chaos everywhere, and I assumed you knew because Gemma certainly told Lila," I tried to calm him, but it only intensified his rage.

"My little one knows about death threats and didn’t tell me?" Daniel was livid with the righteous anger of a made man whose family had been threatened. "I’m going to have a very serious conversation with her."

"Apparently none of you will ever discover who Zander actually is. Does anyone have any intelligence on this Zander character?" I huffed, sulking like a teenager despite my position in the hierarchy.

"Who?" everyone asked simultaneously, proving my point about their investigative capabilities.

After explaining what little intelligence I had on Zander, I still had to endure my brothers’ relentless teasing about how I’d returned from my self-imposed exile solely out of jealousy over another man. Was it true? Absolutely. But I didn’t appreciate being the target of their amusement when my woman was in danger.

We had just finished our meal when Beatrix nearly strangled me, approaching from behind like a viper.

"Darling, I’ve missed you terribly!" She wrapped her arms around my neck with possessive desperation.

"Let go, Beatrix," I demanded without any trace of humor.

"I can’t, sweetie. I missed you too much," Beatrix whined in that irritating voice that grated against my nerves.

"Damn it, Beatrix! I said release me!" I forcefully removed her arms and stood up abruptly. "I’m finished here, guys. I’m leaving."

"I’m right behind you," Xavier stood as he spotted Elza entering the restaurant.

Little did I know the damage was already done, and the wheels of destruction were already in motion.