Chapter 285: Chapter 69 Letters of Threat

Gemma’s POV

I thought this nightmare had finally ended, but I was wrong. Nick still hadn’t forgotten about me from behind prison bars. When my mother handed me the letter in front of Dominic at her apartment, I saw recognition flash across his face. He noticed my nervousness immediately, those sharp green eyes that had learned to read danger in the streets now focused entirely on me. As soon as we arrived at my apartment in the secured building Dominic had moved me to, he asked what was wrong. It was time to come clean about everything.

After ensuring Vincenzo and Carmen were comfortably settled in the guest room and already asleep, I took a quick shower. When I emerged from the bathroom, Dominic was sitting on the edge of the bed waiting for me, his muscular frame tense with barely contained energy. I retrieved the new letter from my purse and collected the previous ones from the dresser drawer before joining him on the bed.

Opening the latest letter with trembling hands, I began shaking uncontrollably as tears streamed down my face. The words were more vicious than before, and this time Nick was threatening Dominic too. Dominic pulled me against his chest, his powerful arms wrapping around me protectively while his hands moved soothingly up and down my back, trying to calm me the same way he did after violent family meetings.

"Let me see that letter, beautiful," he said quietly, his voice carrying that dangerous edge I’d heard him use with his enemies. I nodded, and he placed a gentle kiss on the top of my head before taking the paper. He read it aloud, his voice growing tighter and more lethal with each word: "Miss me, my dark beauty? You better stop playing house with that Thorne dog. You’re mine, Gemma. And when I get out, which won’t take long now that I’ve got friends on the outside, I’m coming for what’s mine. You’ll be crawling back to me after I put bullets in that bitch mother of yours, that rich boy pretending to be a gangster, and that interfering whore Lila."

Each word he read intensified the cold fear growing inside me. I knew what kind of friends a street thug like Nick could make in prison - rival families, enemy crews who’d love nothing more than to hurt Thorne family interests. The previous letters hadn’t been this specific or threatening. I handed the other letters to Dominic, who read them silently while continuing to hold me, his jaw clenched so tight I could see the muscle jumping.

"Gemma, how long have you been receiving these threats?" Dominic asked, clearly struggling to control the violent anger I could feel radiating from him.

"It’s been going on for some time. I spoke with the family lawyer who informed the judge, and Nick was transferred to maximum security, which stopped the letters temporarily. But now they’ve started again," I explained, my voice still shaky.

"And why the hell didn’t you tell me?" Dominic’s hands were clenched into tight fists, the same fists I’d seen break bones and end lives.

"Because they started arriving right when Marcus showed up and caused all that chaos with the family, and you already had so much blood on your hands. I didn’t want to be another target you had to worry about. Then everything else happened with the territory wars and—" I tried explaining, but I understood his fury.

"Gemma, even if every rival family in the city were gunning for us, if something threatens you, I want to know. You can’t hide things like this from me! I’m a Capo - protecting what’s mine is what I do!" Dominic’s voice rose slightly, carrying that commanding tone he used when giving orders to his crew.

"Dominic, look—" I began, but he cut me off.

"No ’Dominic’ nothing, Gemma! Damn it! I have an army to protect you. More importantly, we’re bound together now - we need to share these things. A psychopath is threatening you from inside a prison cell, and you keep it to yourself?" His frustration was escalating, but I could only respond with a bitter laugh.

Later, Dominic found me in the kitchen and wrapped his arms around me from behind, his broad chest pressing against my back.

"Little nightingale, I was wrong," he admitted softly, his breath warm against my ear. "I should have come to you immediately when Marcus started his games. But I didn’t tell you either about the family politics, and look at the mess it created. Now you’re saying we don’t belong together, and I’m the one begging for forgiveness." He kissed my cheek tenderly.

"Look, Dominic, we had such a wonderful weekend. Today was perfect with the kids. I just want to sleep," I said, turning in his arms to face him.

"Our day was incredible! I want thousands of days just like this with you!" He smiled while holding me close, but his eyes remained alert, already planning. "But for that to happen, we need to talk about all the dangerous things and threats. Let’s promise not to hide anything from each other anymore, no matter how deadly it might be."

"You’re right," I sighed, knowing he was thinking like the soldier he’d always been.

"Good, because I’d like to know why that crew of women you run with didn’t tell me anything about this," Dominic said, grabbing two mugs from the cabinet. He added honey to each and filled them with hot tea, his movements efficient despite the tension.

"Crew?" I asked, amused by his description.

"Yes, you’re a crew - well-organized and ready to take over the city. And you have all of us soldiers wrapped around your fingers." He placed the mugs on the table and pulled me onto his lap. I was still laughing when he asked his next question. "When were you planning to tell me that Marcus has been sniffing around you?"

I released a long sigh. This conversation would be lengthy, but it was better to remove all the bandages at once.

"He sent flowers and called. Jude’s security team confronted him, and he backed off," I explained, staring at the floor. "The girls didn’t tell you because they only found out about the threats and Marcus’s games recently. Only Lila knew everything from the beginning. And by the way, my mother doesn’t know anything about the family business - she doesn’t even know we had problems."

"I never walked away from you! Correct yourself, because we didn’t break up. We had enemies trying to destroy us that we’re dealing with, but we never broke up," Dominic insisted firmly, his possessiveness showing.

"Dominic, you disappeared and betrayed my trust. So yes, we did break up," I countered. He huffed in frustration, his territorial nature flaring.

"Anyway, we’re together now!" he declared. I shook my head tiredly; he was stubborn as any mob boss. "But I can’t believe you were dealing with this alone when you have me, your crew, your mother, and Ryder’s protection."

"Dominic, Ivy and Caleb were having territory issues, and my mother had just moved in with Ryder," I explained, exhausted.

"And you think they wouldn’t have called in favors to protect you? I’m surprised Zoe didn’t give you one of her legendary lectures and assign you a bodyguard."

"Who says she didn’t?" I rolled my eyes. "Look, I’m not hiding anything anymore. Tomorrow I’ll take this letter to the family lawyer, and we’ll see what moves he can make."

"I’ll go with you. But I don’t understand how these letters are getting out of maximum security."

"The lawyer said someone who visits him smuggles the letters out. We don’t know who - the envelope only shows the address of the post office where they’re mailed from," I explained.

"Can I take photos of these letters? I’ll have my intelligence team investigate what they can find. Zoe’s network reaches everywhere."

"That would be great!"

"See, if you had told me when this started, we could have eliminated this problem together already!" Dominic emphasized the word ’together.’ After finishing our tea, he washed the mugs and took my hand. "Let’s go to bed, nightingale."

I slept in the arms of this man who had betrayed me and deeply wounded my heart, but who now makes promises of blood loyalty. He takes me to heaven with his touch, wraps me in dangerous protection, and makes me want everything with him. Yet he also took me to hell once, and my heart still fears being betrayed again.

The next morning, we woke early, prepared breakfast, and ate with Vincenzo and Carmen in a cheerful atmosphere. After sending the kids to their secure school, I messaged the family lawyer and arranged to meet him during lunch. Dominic remained adamant about accompanying me, which he did. The lawyer said he would request that the judge open an investigation and thought it was beneficial that Dominic was conducting his own inquiry through family channels.

"Songbird, I’ll pick you up tonight. I heard the security system was installed and my crew already moved my things to the safe house. I want you to see it," Dominic said when he stopped his armored car in front of the legitimate business office where I worked.

"Look how efficient! But I can’t tonight," I replied, watching his smile fade.

"Why not?"

"Because today there’s an emergency crew meeting. Lila has problems."

"And is her problem named Daniel Martinez?"

"The very one!" Dominic smiled at my confirmation, knowing Daniel was Caleb’s enforcer.

"I can pick you up afterward."

"Better not, I’m exhausted. We’ll talk tomorrow."

"Stop punishing me, nightingale!" Dominic said sweetly, resting his head against the headrest. His pleading was endearing. "Can I ask you something?"

"Anything you want."

"Why don’t you call me ’my handsome’ anymore?"

"Because we’re starting over, and I told you you’re my nightingale."

"But I also like being your handsome." I gave him a quick kiss and exited the car, leaving him behind with an ear-to-ear smile and the promise of violence in his eyes for anyone who threatened what was his.