Chapter 28 Antonio

Bash and I sit in the corner of a quiet restaurant on Pier 39 waiting for Steve to show up. My mind constantly drifts to Gemma and a part of me wants to be with her, but I need to see this through. I need to see that asshole pay for what he’s done to her.

“Good afternoon, gentlemen. Can I get you started with appetizers and drinks?” The server says in a voice too familiar to me, causing me to turn and look at him. The asshole works here.

“Barry, this is my section, man,” another server interjects before I can react. It’s clear that Steve’s coworkers have no idea who this asshole is.

Bash grips my forearm because I don’t notice the knife in my hand. I drop the utensil and excuse myself. I can hear Bash saying something to the other server, but my mind is on the ex who is terrorizing my fiancé.

His teasing smile taunts me into following him outside. Of course there are dozens of people around, but a part of me doesn’t care. As long as Gemma is safe from him, she’ll be free to live her life without me. I’m not afraid to go back to prison. I’m a different man than the sixteen-year-old boy the system put there all those years ago.

Steve’s laughter cuts through the air. “You know I was surprised when you showed up with Sebastien. I was expecting some low-ranking soldiers, but look ... I finally got the attention of Tre Fratelli , Don Sebastien Marzano. And my girl’s new fuck toy. I guess you’re a bonus, too, being a doctor and all.”

I take a step closer to him, willing to beat him into the wooden planks under our feet until he’s less than a speck of blood on the wooden boards.

He holds a finger up. “Now, wait a minute. You gave me a good beating once already. I think that’s close enough.”

“What do you want?” Bash asks as he approaches from behind me. The way he moves forces us to take our conversation further away from the people simply enjoying their day.

“I wanted to see Gemma. I was all torn up after her accident,” he chuckles and places a hand over his heart. “Oh wait, no, that was her, wasn’t it? I’m surprised she hasn’t tried to kill you yet. She has this thing where she likes to kill her boyfriends, all Black Widow, you know?”

I move away from Bash and Bash steps forward. We’re cornering Steve and he has no idea what’s coming. Every step we take pushes him into an alley that leads to an area behind the restaurants, so he never believes he’s trapped.

“Where’s my little Gem?” Steve asks as his eyes dart back and forth between me and Bash. Steve pulls out his phone to wave it in my face. “Let me see. You know I never meant for her to crash into the water. I wanted her to crash, but she was supposed to come out of it with my help. I was looking forward to our little reunion.”

Casper clears his throat behind Steve, causing him to look over his shoulder. Casper’s not close enough to do anything, but it’s distracting enough for Steve to step closer to me. Bash makes a sudden movement toward his brother, and I grip Steve by the shoulder. I spin him around and with a move I perfected inside, stab him several times in the side of his lower abdomen.

Each blow is stunted and quick, leaving Steve in disbelief at how fast his life can come to an end. I let him fall to the sidewalk where he’ll likely bleed out. As he grips his wound, Bash kneels beside him.

“Steve, Barry, whoever the fuck you are, your plan worked, and you have my undivided attention. Is there anything you’d like to say now?” Bash asks him.

Steve gurgles a bit before reaching for his phone, but barely has the energy to speak. “Where’s my Gem?”

Casper’s already in clean up mode with soldiers posing as police officers to seal off the area. No one pays attention much as a crew of people in toxic cleanup gear approach with a steel drum bearing a toxic symbol on it. They pick Steve up and shove him inside, but I grab his phone before they take it.

There’s a dot moving along a map on the screen and it’s easy to see that Steve has Gemma’s location at any given time. Anger surges through me and I wish I could kill him again. Instead, I pay attention to where the dot’s moving. It’s not at the hospital.

I call Gemma just to put my mind at ease. I’d much rather her curse me out for not giving her the space she needs, but my worst fears come to life when the voice of Detective Morningside answers the phone.

“Hey, honey,” Morningside taunts. “I was just thinking about you. You see, I told you—”

With him on speakerphone, we hurry to the nearest car and listen as the corrupt detective gives me instructions.

“I have your girl, doc. You and that Ronan asshole need to come to the address we’ll send you. Bring Frankie too, since we know you stashed him. Tell Frankie to make sure he as every dollar he stole from Verducci. That’s all.”

The call ends, and I put my phone in my pocket, looking to Bash.

Bash huddles close to me as we both stare at the screen. “One of the pins stopped moving, but this one is heading toward Trips. Let’s go get Gem, kill some more assholes, and then we’ll have Casper do a sweep of Gemma’s stuff to make sure no more of these tags are hanging around.”

With that, we make our way to Trips without waiting for a text to come through from Morningside. We have the element of surprise because they likely believe that ditching Gemma’s phone has stopped us from being able to track them. We’re able to park the car, grab some weapons, and scope the place out.

“We should stop them before they take Gemma inside,” Bash says.

That makes me laugh.

“What’s so funny?” he asks.

“Gemma says there are bullet holes in one of the walls inside. I don’t think adding a few more will take away from its value.”

“Shut up,” Bash laughs.

“But, you’re right,” I tell him, “We should stop them before they get inside. How do you feel about taking down some corrupt cops?”

He shrugs. “Whatever happens to them is on them. They shouldn’t play in this game if they’re not willing to win one of its prizes. Prison or an early grave, that’s the only place fucking with the mob gets anyone.”

I nod solemnly, but our conversation is cut short as we see a black car pull up. It’s only the two of them with Gemma giving them hell every step of the way. The last thing I want is for them to turn on her the way they turned on me.

“I’ll circle around behind their car and cause a distraction. When I do that, you take them out and I’ll grab Gem," I tell Bash.

He nods as I set our plan into motion. My heart’s racing as Gemma berates them while trying to pry herself out of Detective Oliver’s grasp. That boulder of a human looks even bigger standing behind Gemma.

“GEMMA, DROP!” I shout, causing the two detectives to turn around. Once they do, Bash takes a shot at Morningside. He shoots a bullet in Morningside’s knee, and then another in the detective’s hand. As Gemma drops to the ground, I run around the back of the car.

“Come this way,” I shout to her.

As Detective Oliver moves to grab her, Bash puts a bullet in his shoulder, his knee, and then his hand. With the two officers out of commission, Gemma’s safe in my arms. I let out a sigh of relief as she sobs into my chest.

“Did they hurt you?” I ask her.

She sniffs and shakes her head, “I’m fine. We’re fine.”

I pull her away from me to look into her eyes. I’m confused. “We?”

Gemma pushes onto her tiptoes to kiss me and says, “Nine weeks and counting.”

I can’t think of the implications of those words as I pull her closer. “Thank God you’re safe.”

Morningside squirms in pain as he shouts at us. “You two think you’re going to get away with this? Wait until Verducci—”

Bash cuts him off, “I think Verducci has bigger problems. You see, the FBI got a tip from Don Vito Dacosta. He gave them Verducci’s sources in law enforcement and I have a feeling your names are somewhere at the top of that list. Good luck boys.”

Once we’re safely away from Trips, Bash drives me and Gemma to my place. We agree to meet up later, but for now, he leaves us to head upstairs alone. Inside the condo, Gemma smiles when she steps inside.

“You have a living room again.” She grins.

“I have you again, and I never want to let you go. But I know this has been a lot for you, for us and I’m willing to take as much time as you need. If you want our relationship to end, I understand.”

“And our baby?” she asks.

“I’ll support whatever decision you make, but if you choose us,” I take her hands into mine, locking eyes with her so she can’t deny my sincerity. I let one hand drop to rub her belly as I say, “If you choose us, I’ll choose you, and you, every single day.”