6. Gemma

CHAPTER 6

Gemma

T he first place I should go is to the police. As angry as I am at Knox, I'm even angrier with Paulie for siccing this guy on us. Pop has a role to play in this for hiring someone like Paulie too.

I have no idea where I am as I wander the streets of some random neighborhood. It doesn't take long for me to power on my phone. Thankfully, it still has a decent charge. After restoring the data deleted from my phone, I immediately go to the images and videos.

"Fuck," I huff, scrolling through the last files. The only thing I have is the pictures of Paulie and the robber along with the clipped version of our video. The crazy thing about the video is I can't be identified. A part of Knox's hand can be seen and the audio of us talking is gone.

I can't help but look around, wondering if Knox is free from his restraints. Instead of focusing on him, I call my father to come get me, and to say he's relieved is an understatement. It takes him a little over an hour to get to my location.

As soon as he pulls the car to a stop, he jumps out, taking me into his arms. "Gem, I'm so sorry. Did he hurt you? Did he touch you? We'll go to the police. Did you call them already?"

"Can you just bring me home? I don't want to talk about anything right now. Besides, I drugged him so we should have enough time to get out of here."

Pop stares at me like I have nine heads as he puts me in the car. "Why? How? Is he dead?"

"No, which means we're still on the hook for the money Paulie stole from him. We need to find Paulie. Did you have any luck scraping together the money?" I ask him, already knowing the answer.

Pop rarely proves me wrong, and this time is no different. "Sorry, Gem. I thought I had a few leads on some people who owe me money, but everyone's tapped out. How about you? Were you able to see how much you can get together?"

"As soon as I get home, I'll check. You know I've been a bit busy being held hostage by an irate customer." I shake my head as flashes of Knox slamming his cock in and out of me resurface.

Pop nods. "It's a shame he took you. He should have taken me. We should go back to where he was holding you and call the police."

"Pop, again, I drugged him and left him tied up. It looks like I assaulted and robbed him. He also has a police report saying he got robbed while one of our drivers chauffeured him around the grittiest parts of Queens. Let's leave the police out of this for now. Whatever happened to me is the least of our worries. Just take me home, please."

The rest of the ride is silent, and it's not until I see the signs of the expressway that I realize we're all the way in Yonkers. I must have been out cold for a few hours last night. Exhaustion washes over me, but I know that I need to figure things out before I rest.

Once I get home, Pop offers to hang around for my protection, but somehow I doubt that he'll be able to stop someone like Knox from getting what he wants. The money we'll need to pay Knox off should be our focus. Pop promises to do what he can. I know that he won't be able to come up with twenty grand. Unfortunately, I know it will have to come from my savings.

Everything in my life seems so insignificant. All the long days and late nights running a taxi business, scrimping and saving for all of it to go down the drain. While it's not the entirety of my savings, I know it's going to take me another few years to get it all back. I might as well not prolong this even further. I know Knox will come for his money.

My body is at war with logic and my heart is growing cold for the man who raised me. It's amazing that I want Pop out of my hair more than Knox. I'm actually looking forward to what he'll do once he gets free. I'm not sure if that will be the end of whatever this was between us. How fucked up is it that I don't want it to be?

To get my mind off my abductor, I put in a call to the bank to make an appointment. It's always a hassle taking out large sums of money, but it has to be done. As irritating as my father is in this situation, I don't want him hurt. I saw what those guys did to Paulie, and he was in on it.

Paulie, that scumbag needs to be found. The more I think about it, the more I scroll through memories of those late nights at Gold Royale. There was a girl who liked to meet up with Paulie, but I hadn't seen her in a while.

A hot shower, a decent meal, and some much-needed sleep take over my need to figure everything out. By the time I wake up, it's nearly two in the afternoon and I have to get to the bank. The sun's shining like the past twenty-four hours haven't been tumultuous, and I'm in and out of the bank without any difficulty.

Of course, there aren't any issues withdrawing money to bail my father out of a jam. The banker doesn't ask many questions at all. A part of me wishes they did have some sort of reason to deny my transaction. It would force my father to actually answer for his poor choices, but clearly, this is a sign, right?

It makes me sick to my stomach as I head into the office. Pop's eyes are wide when he sees me walk through the door. It's mildly entertaining to see him at my desk with the stress of dealing with customers, drivers, and mechanics over the phone. All of them pulling him in different directions.

"Oh no, Gem. What are you doing here?" he asks.

"What else?" I sigh and pull the envelope from my bag. I wag it at him, placing it on the desk. "I thought that twenty thousand dollars would be thicker. It feels flimsy."

Pop gets out of his chair to wrap his arms around me. "My sweet, Gemma, I swear I'll pay you back every penny."

"It's fine. We're family. I don't want you to stress about this. I'm just happy we have the money to be done with this mess. I'm going to take the next few days off. When I come back, we'll discuss the future of Gold Royale."

"Oh, Gem, don't quit. I'm so sorry you went through this. I'll make it right, I swear. Knox won't come near you ever again."

"I'm not quitting, but you might have to, Pop. I love you, but the way you run this place is the reason for all of this, on top of the other assholes who put me in this situation. If I'm being honest, Knox is the person I'm least upset about. He doesn't owe me anything, but you? Paulie? You two caused this. So until I figure out how I want to do business here, I'll be out of the office. Has Paulie even called? Have the police tracked him down?"

Pop shakes his head. "No. I haven't spoken to the police, and I don't plan on it. I told you, Gemma. This isn't a situation that looks good for any of us."

I nod. "Exactly. Good luck with Mr. Sanders and Paulie, if we ever see him again."

I walk out of the office and away from Pop, uncertain if I actually want to return.