Chapter 26 Antonio

Gemma’s thoughts are clearly elsewhere as we eat dinner. Aside from a few smiles of gratitude, her quiet demeanor is new. It makes me wonder if this is a result of her injuries or if it’s just life weighing on her.

When we settle into bed later, Gemma snuggles in close to me. We each release a collective sigh of relief. The warmth of our bodies together is something we’ve both missed. Gemma lets me know as much the way her hand snakes a trail down my chest and into the waistband of my boxers.

I groan as pleasure overtakes my restraint. Turning to face her, Gemma licks her lips before moving closer to kiss me. It starts slow but turns aggressively erotic within seconds. Her nails rake across my scalp as she pulls me on top of her and my cock out of my shorts.

The moment she places me at her entrance, I feel her wetness waiting for me. I slip easily inside. Every thrust comes faster than the last and I know I’ll be finished soon. We fall into a familiar rhythm. Our kisses pull us deeper into a place where only we exist. The palpable tension of what’s waiting for us, and the thankfulness that we are together again.

Once our sexual bliss comes to an end, we fall asleep in each other’s arms. It’s another night where I sleep all the way through. However, when I wake up, Gemma’s staring at a box on the kitchen counter as she sips coffee.

“Good morning,” I give her a kiss before grabbing a mug to pour myself a cup of the heavenly smelling brew. “What’s that?”

“It’s the box I was trying to get rid of when everything went to shit. I thought it was from Natalie’s parents; some sort of tracker to harass her.”

“Who are her parents?” I ask.

“Madelyn and Joel Bersani. They’re like the Kennedys and Vanderbilts, old money, but with global ties to all kinds of dangerous people. Natalie’s got history with them she just wants some space to deal with, but they won’t let her. Anyway, I thought this box was something from them and I refuse to play those kinds of games with my best friend.”

“What’s inside?”

Gemma picks up a business card and slides it across the counter. “I think I was supposed to meet up with whoever sent me the pictures. I missed the appointment.”

“Well, nothing came here for you, and from what Natalie’s said, nothing’s come to the apartment for you either. Maybe they knew you were in the hospital. I have something to tell you, Gem.”

When she looks at me with those gorgeous gray eyes, my heart can barely take it.

“What is it?”

I take a deep breath, and say, “The day of the crash, I got a card that showed me your brake line was cut. It was left for me at the security desk downstairs. I turned it in to the police, but I’m sure the peeping tom asshole is the guy who sabotaged your car. He said as much on that card saying that since I couldn’t keep my hands to myself, this would teach me to stop and think.”

“This might be retaliation from Verducci. Maybe a piece of Frankie washed ashore.”

“No one’s said anything as of yet. We should take this to Bash and Casper.” I tell her. “It’s a long shot, but maybe the information they’ve been looking into will connect the dots.”

After breakfast, we head over to Bash’s house outside of the city. He doesn’t like the city of San Francisco much, but I’m sure once he has the power of the Marzano family back to what it was, it will get better for him.

Bash and Casper take turns embracing Gemma as we head inside. There are mob foot soldiers leaving as we come inside. They eye me with questioning glares, but Bash tips his head telling them they’re fine to go.

We had our disputes over Gemma’s safety and came to blows after the accident happened. Families fight, and they’ve made it abundantly clear that I’m family, but I failed in my task to protect Gemma. No one feels that more than me, but they don’t have to worry about us rehashing that fight. What’s done is done.

Gemma doesn’t waste time throwing herself back into the fray. I can’t blame her because it sucks to wake up from a coma, only to find we’re still on the brink of war with a rival family.

“Were you able to get anything from the security cameras at the house?” Gemma asks Bash.

“I called in a lot of favors and finally got some answers.” Bash moves through his vast living room to a desk in the corner and pulls out a folder. He puts it on the coffee table in front of Gemma.

She flips it open to see the pictures that were sent to her along with others pulled off the old security cameras from her parents’ home in Staten Island. Then comes pictures of the trunk she and Natalie tossed in a river. One of the last pictures she sees is that of a bandaged man.

“Steve’s still alive,” Bash says, and pulls out his phone to show us both. “This is what he looks like now.”

Gemma’s eyes redden with tears as she shakes her head in disbelief. “It’s impossible. I shot him. I killed him. I buried him.”

Casper stands in the distance while I sit beside Gemma to console her, saying, “I can’t believe that asshole with scar is your ex. How the hell did he even find you?”

“He had one of those tracker tags in your car.” Casper volunteers. “After you were fished out of the bay, we got our hands on it, but didn’t have much time before the police confiscated it. I think it’s still in their evidence lot.”

“He spoke to me at Booked and Boozy. It didn’t even sound like him,” she says.

Bash chuckles. “You shot him in the face. There’s no telling what damage that bullet did to him.”

Gemma rests her forehead against her fingertips. “Why would he try to kill me to get back at you, Antonio? And after he gave me that stupid business card to meet him at the restaurant? He can’t get money for blackmailing me if I’m dead.”

“Maybe his plan was always to kill you. An eye for an eye?” Casper suggests.

“What card to what restaurant?” Bash’s anger flashes in his eyes.

I pull it out of my pocket to give to him. “It was in a box in the car when Gemma crashed. I have an idea.”

Bash stares at the card before handing it back to me. I call the number and wait for someone to answer. After a few minutes I get off the phone.

“I told the restaurant to call the person who originally made that reservation and tell them the reservation’s been rescheduled. Steve may not show up to the new reservation, but he should at least be in the area to see who is coming.”

“I’ll make sure he’s fucking dead this time,” Gemma mumbles angrily. Her anger subsides as she pushes herself to her feet and dashes off down the hall. She disappears behind the bathroom door and leaves me alone with Bash and Casper.

“How is she doing?” Bash asks.

“Ready to pick up where we left off. What are we going to do guys? It’s definitive that the scar-faced asshole is her ex back from the dead. Do we have any updates about Verducci and this Frankie situation? I didn’t hear from any of his goons while Gemma was in the hospital.”

Bash grunts and folds his arms across his chest. “I heard from Don Vito. He sold Trips to me to sabotage Verducci. Vito doesn’t like how his second in command is trying to take his place, and said that if I agree to a truce, he’ll remove his backing, financial, police, and otherwise from Verducci.”

“That’s good news. What about those cops who were looking for Frankie and willing to rearrange my body to find him?” I ask.

Bash’s voice is low as he speaks, “Frankie’s death would count as a casualty of stopping this war before it starts. Also, I may have let Vito believe that Verducci sabotaged Gemma’s car after Verducci’s people couldn’t find Frankie. We’re even.”

“Does Verducci know Frankie’s dead?” I ask him and turn to Casper.

They both shrug, but Bash sighs. “It doesn’t matter if he does. He no longer has the endless resources of Vito Dacosta to rely on. We can take him out and end this shit so you and Gemma can end this charade. You guys can go back to your regular lives.”

“Gemma is my life, Bash. It’s not fake for me. If all is well and the war is over, I want to marry her for real.”

Bash pinches the bridge of his nose. “That’s up to her, but you two have my blessing so long as you stay away from this mob shit, Antonio. No more partying at mob fronted nightclubs or patching up new mob bosses.”

“That’s something I have no problem agreeing to.” I tip my head in thanks before he comes over to me with his hand extended. I shake it but he pulls me into an embrace. We’ve always been brothers in a way, but if Gemma will have me, it will be in more ways than one.

Gemma emerges from the bathroom looking paler than I like, but she’s not slowing down. “When do we get to kill Steve before he tries to kill me again?”