Chapter 272: Chapter 56 Recruiting Family Allies

Dominic’s POV

I desperately needed allies in my war to win Gemma back from the catastrophic damage Marcus’s schemes had inflicted on us. My options in the Thorne family hierarchy were limited, but when I spotted Vincenzo deep in conversation with Zoe in the family’s command center, inspiration struck like a lightning bolt. My nephew was my best asset for this delicate operation. The kid possessed natural charisma that could disarm even the most hardened soldiers, and his ability to extract information rivaled our best interrogators. All I had to do was leverage his loyalty and let his relentless curiosity work in my favor.

"Vincenzo, want to grab lunch with me?" I approached my nephew with the most casual tone I could manage, given the stakes.

His face brightened instantly, the same way it had when he was younger and I’d teach him how to handle firearms. "Absolutely, Uncle Dominic."

"Perfect. Let’s get out of this fortress." I headed toward the reinforced exit of our family compound.

"This afternoon sharp for the territory sweep, Dominic. Don’t even think about being late!" Zoe’s authoritative voice followed us out, reminding me of my duties as Capo.

"Got it, boss," I muttered under my breath, feeling like a scolded foot soldier as I left our operations center.

I knew exactly where to take him. Vincenzo had developed an obsession with perfectly grilled steaks and crispy fries during our family dinners at the safe houses, so I drove us to the most exclusive steakhouse in Port Serenity, the kind of place where Thorne family money guaranteed both privacy and the finest cuts.

"Uncle Dominic, you’re seriously the best! This place is incredible," Vincenzo’s eyes practically sparkled as we walked past the armed doorman who nodded respectfully at my arrival.

"I know what my favorite nephew likes," I said, genuinely pleased by his excitement despite the weight of my mission.

"Hold up. Am I your favorite nephew, or do you need a favor?" Vincenzo wasn’t just charming, he was sharp as the switchblade I’d given him for his birthday years ago.

"Mostly the second, but definitely some of the first," I admitted. No point in playing games with someone who’d grown up watching family negotiations since childhood.

"In that case, I’m going all out." When our private server appeared, Vincenzo ordered the restaurant’s most expensive ribeye with an enormous portion of truffle fries. "And don’t even look at my fries, Uncle."

"You little extortionist! Where did this attitude come from? Your mother’s practically a saint and your father’s got more class than half our associates."

"I learned from my player uncle who runs the family’s most profitable operations," he shot back without missing a beat, making me burst out laughing despite my inner turmoil.

"Are you still furious with me about what happened with Gemma?" I asked, remembering how livid he’d been when news of our breakup spread through the family network.

"It’s not anger, Uncle Dominic. But what you did to Gemma was unforgivable. You don’t treat any woman that way, especially not her. And you’re the one who taught me never to let family paranoia destroy something precious." His words cut deeper than any enemy’s blade.

"You’re absolutely right. I acted like a complete animal. But Marcus has this way of making me lose every bit of strategic thinking I have."

"That man isn’t family anymore, and you give his psychological warfare way too much power over your decisions. Mom does the same thing with family ghosts."

"Sometimes I think you’re actually decades older trapped in a teenager’s body, with the wisdom of a seasoned consigliere." His maturity constantly caught me off guard in our dangerous world.

"I watch everything in this family, Uncle. I watch and I learn from every mistake, every victory, every betrayal." He cut into his steak with surgical precision. "So what’s your master plan to get her to forgive you for choosing Beatrix’s lies over her loyalty?"

"I’ve got some strategies brewing, but I’ll need backup from someone she trusts. Can I count on your support?"

"That’s exactly why I tracked you down today. I’m not letting some civilian steal Aunt Gemma away from our family empire!"

I held up my hand and he slapped it enthusiastically. This kid was going to be either my salvation or my downfall. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

"First, I need to know what intelligence I’m missing."

"What do you already know from your surveillance network?"

"That she went out with that outsider Hunter yesterday and they’re hitting the movies today."

"Here’s the reality check, Uncle. Hunter’s not some street punk you can intimidate. The guy’s actually gorgeous, comes from legitimate money, and he’s genuinely decent. He’s not some player who bounces between women like certain family members. He’s the type girls bring home to meet their parents, the complete opposite of dangerous men like us." Vincenzo’s intel was disturbingly thorough and painfully accurate.

"You know him personally?"

"Brenda’s older sister dated him for months. When Zoe mentioned Aunt Gemma’s date, I got the full background check from Brenda. Nothing but sterling reviews. Complete opposite of your reputation."

"That’s not what I wanted to hear." I reached for his fries and he smacked my hand away playfully. "Are you seriously going to eat all of those?"

"I warned you fair and square!" He popped another piece of steak in his mouth, savoring every bite like he was celebrating my misery.

"Do you know which theater they’re going to?"

"Great minds think alike!" His grin was pure calculated mischief. "Already figured that out through my network. Brenda and I are going to show up there and accidentally bump into them. Maybe I’ll even invite Brenda’s sister along to completely destroy the romantic atmosphere." He made air quotes around "accidentally."

"Kid, you’re the most valuable intelligence asset in our entire operation," I said, genuinely impressed by his strategic thinking.

"Obviously. And you’re buying me dinner here regularly from now on as payment for my services."

"Whatever you want, just name your price."

"But you can’t show up at the theater today, or she’ll know we orchestrated this whole surveillance operation."

"Understood completely. How did you extract all this information?"

"Zoe told me everything. She was hoping I’d report to you so you’d crash their date and make yourself look even more possessive and dangerous. But that’s not happening under my watch."

"You’re getting dangerously smart for family operations. Too bad you can’t keep your mouth shut to save your life," I teased, and he gave me an exaggerated fake smile.

"There’s more intelligence. I volunteered to help with their apartment move, which keeps me embedded in the inner circle. And Wednesday night, Aunt Gemma and I have established plans."

"What kind of plans?" My interest was definitely piqued by this development.

"We’re checking out this new retro diner with the classic car theme. Tomorrow’s the women’s gathering at the Social Union, which presents perfect cover for your casual appearance."

"You’ve mapped out my entire week like a military campaign." This kid’s strategic thinking was honestly both impressive and frightening. His innocent face made people treat him like an adorable pet, which gave him incredible access to sensitive information. "What’s our next tactical move?"

"I was thinking we could use the anonymous message strategy again, like at the shopping district. But instead of pickup lines, we go with heartfelt apology messages," I suggested, building on our previous successful operations.

"Yeah, that approach could work to break through her defenses. But it needs more sophisticated execution," Vincenzo considered thoughtfully. "What if you send one card every day with a carefully chosen gift? Nothing flashy that screams mob money, just things she’d genuinely appreciate. Maybe her favorite imported chocolate, a quality pen, a ceramic coffee mug. Skip the dozen roses and go with one single flower each day."

"I love that strategy. But you have to be my courier for this operation."

"Oh hell no. Why me?" Vincenzo dropped his fork dramatically and rolled his eyes.

"Because it carries meaning. You were the one delivering messages before, and she trusts you." He sat quietly, processing the tactical implications.

"No, Uncle. I’ve got something way more effective!" His eyes lit up with inspiration. "For pickup lines, you needed someone charming and smooth like me. But for apologies, you need someone gentle, sweet, innocent, and completely irresistible. Someone who demonstrates your intentions are pure and your apology comes straight from the heart with zero ulterior motives."

"And who exactly fits that description in our family, genius?"

"How many nieces and nephews do you have in this organization, moron?"

"Watch the language, smart mouth," I warned, but he just stared at me expectantly. "You and Carmen. So what’s your point?"

"Which one of us is gentle, sweet, innocent, and completely irresistible to civilians? Okay, I’m irresistible too, obviously."

"Your ego is completely out of control!" I couldn’t help grinning at his audacity. "But that idea is pure tactical brilliance, especially if she wears that pink tutu from ballet class. She looks like a tiny angel in that outfit, nothing threatening about it."

"Easy operation. She has class every single afternoon at the same time."

"But how do we recruit Carmen without raising suspicions?"

"Same way you win over any female in this family. Gifts and shameless spoiling until they’re completely loyal!"

"You’re exceeding all my expectations for this mission, kid!"

"Just be ready to convince Carmen without telling Mom about the real operation. Because if she finds out we’re manipulating family dynamics, I’m throwing you completely under the bus."

"Leave Carmen to me. What time does ballet end?"

"Late afternoon." Vincenzo flagged down our server and ordered the most elaborate ice cream sundae on the menu.

"You still have room for that monster after that steak?" I asked in disbelief.

"I’m a growing teenager who needs fuel for intelligence operations!" he declared matter-of-factly, making me realize that despite everything, having family like this made even the darkest moments bearable.