Gemma’s POV

As the day at the office concluded, Dominic informed me through our encrypted line that he’d be arriving home late due to accumulated family business paperwork, arranging for one of his trusted soldiers to escort me home instead. After the lunch incident with his volatile ex-girlfriend, my mind was already primed to wander down dangerous paths of speculation about his whereabouts in our blood-soaked world.

For a long while, I tortured myself with uncertainty, eventually texting Zoe through our secure channel to confirm Dominic was actually at headquarters. I felt compelled to explain my concerns to her, hating the paranoia creeping into our relationship - a toxic side effect of loving a man whose enemies would kill to hurt him through me.

Upon arriving at our heavily fortified safe house, I was struck by the unusual silence. The kids had returned to the main family compound, and I already found myself missing their energy and laughter that briefly made our dangerous world feel normal. My solitude didn’t last long, as Amber bounded into view, welcoming me with his customary exuberance. Since joining our household, the German Shepherd puppy had established his domain in the kitchen, where our housekeeper Maia lavished him with endless attention and treats. His bed now resided there permanently, though he never failed to race through the reinforced corridors whenever someone breached our security perimeter.

"Hey there, Amber! How was your day guarding the fortress, little soldier?" I knelt to scratch behind his ears, his tail wagging furiously in response. "Mine was pretty uneventful, thankfully."

After showering and eating dinner alone in our dining room overlooking the harbor - Dominic’s late return hanging over me like a storm cloud - my mind began its dangerous wandering. Nancy’s venomous words echoed in my thoughts, and doubts about Dominic’s whereabouts crept in despite my best efforts to suppress them. In our world, late meetings could mean anything from legitimate family business to deadly territorial disputes.

It was late in the evening when I finally heard the reinforced front door’s multiple locks disengaging. Amber, who had been dozing at the foot of our bed with one ear always alert for intruders, immediately perked up, his entire body vibrating with excitement as he prepared to greet his favorite human and protector.

"Stay down, Amber," I whispered, pressing a finger to my lips. "We’re giving him the cold shoulder tonight. He abandoned us for family business, remember? Pretend you’re asleep." The dog settled briefly, earning a quiet "Good boy" from me.

I closed my swollen, tear-stained eyes just as our bedroom door’s security lock clicked open. My canine conspirator promptly betrayed me, leaping up with a joyful bark to greet Dominic, who was undoubtedly still carrying the scent of gunpowder and danger from whatever family matter had kept him away.

"Traitor!" I accused, sitting upright in bed.

Dominic flipped on the dim lighting system, his initial smile evaporating when he saw my face. Even in the low light, his trained eye immediately catalogued my distress.

"Songbird, what’s wrong? Why have you been crying?" Concern etched his battle-hardened features as he approached, Amber trotting loyally behind him, sensing the tension.

"You were gone forever," I complained, knowing it sounded childish even as I said it, especially considering the deadly responsibilities that came with his position in the family hierarchy.

"I know, longer than I intended. The financial reports from recent territory expansions piled up more than I realized," he explained apologetically, setting his concealed weapons on the nightstand with practiced efficiency. "I’m sorry for leaving you alone all evening in lockdown. I didn’t think it would upset you this much - I just wanted to clear my desk before tomorrow’s family meeting."

"I shouldn’t be this upset, but..." I averted my eyes, embarrassment coloring my admission of weakness in a world where showing vulnerability could prove fatal.

"But what? Is something wrong? Are you and the baby okay?" His brow creased with the kind of worry that had sent men to early graves when they threatened his family.

"I ran into Nancy today," I blurted, deciding directness was best when dealing with a man whose world operated on brutal honesty.

Dominic’s expression hardened immediately, his jaw tightening with barely controlled rage. "That poisonous bitch sought you out deliberately?"

"I was having lunch with Jude and Lila at the restaurant when she appeared," I explained, still studying my hands rather than meeting those dangerous emerald eyes that could shift from tender to lethal in seconds.

I recounted the entire encounter - her calculated appearance, her razor-sharp insinuations designed to draw blood, the coldness in her eyes as she delivered her barbs about their recent encounter at the underground establishment where family business was conducted.

Dominic listened intently, his expression increasingly murderous as I spoke. I could practically feel the violence radiating from him as his protective instincts flared.

"Dominic, did you see her recently?" I needed confirmation straight from the man whose word was bond in our dangerous world.

"Gemma, you know I went to meet Xavier at the private club for family business. She showed up unannounced like the parasite she is, but I swear I barely acknowledged her existence," he stated firmly, his voice carrying the weight of a blood oath. "You have my word as a made man."

"Why didn’t you tell me about it?"

"The kids were visiting, and we were having such a wonderful week of peace that I genuinely forgot to mention such an insignificant encounter. It wasn’t intentional secrecy - it simply slipped my mind. I’m sorry, baby."

"What do you still feel for her?" The question burned my throat as I asked it, knowing that in his world, past attachments could become deadly liabilities.

"Once, I felt tremendous anger, but now? Nothing but disgust. She was my first taste of what passes for love in our world, and like any young soldier, I mistook obsession for devotion. Those feelings died long ago when I learned what real love looks like." His eyes locked with mine, earnest and unwavering. "Can you trust me on this?"

"I trust you," I affirmed, meaning every word despite the dangerous world we inhabited.

He gathered me into his powerful arms, holding me close against his chest where I could feel his heartbeat and the reassuring weight of his strength. We remained entangled in that protective embrace for several quiet minutes.

"There’s something else I need to tell you," I said, remembering the ominous flowers. If I expected transparency from him, I needed to offer the same, especially when our enemies used every weakness against us. "Something that happened today."

"Something good, I hope?" His voice was weary with the exhaustion of a man who carried deadly responsibilities.

"No, unfortunately not." I felt him sigh heavily, his body tensing for whatever new threat I was about to reveal. "I received flowers."

"Damn that Marcus!" Dominic growled, his voice carrying the promise of violence. "What did the card say?"

"They weren’t from your father. They were from Nick." His body went rigid against mine, every muscle coiling like a predator preparing to strike. "The card said I should remember that I belong to him."

"What a fucking day," he muttered, frustration and fury warring in his voice. "Did you keep the card? I need to call Daniel immediately."

"Yes, I saved it. I already contacted Daniel through secure channels - he’s investigating with the flower shop and checking street surveillance. I handled it properly, but I wanted you to know before the family meeting."

"Thank you for telling me. We need to identify whoever’s helping that psychotic bastard immediately. I’ll follow up with Daniel tomorrow to check his progress and discuss permanent solutions."

His expression softened as he studied my face, though his eyes retained their lethal edge. "You should rest. Have you eaten?"

"Not yet," he admitted.

"I’ll go downstairs and make you something." I moved to rise, but he caught my wrist with gentle firmness.

"I need to shower first," he said with a meaningful smile that temporarily banished the darkness from his features. "Join me?"

"I’ve already showered," I teased, recognizing the intent behind his invitation and the way danger always seemed to heighten his need for physical connection.

"But I love your company," he responded with that mischievous grin that always weakened my resolve, making me forget momentarily that this man had blood on his hands.

We showered together - his desire for more than companionship impossible to ignore as he worshipped my body with the desperate intensity of a man who knew how quickly everything could be taken away. Afterward, I accompanied him to our fortified kitchen while he ate, then we retreated to bed where exhaustion quickly pulled me into slumber.

I jolted awake to my encrypted phone’s insistent ringing, the room still shrouded in darkness. Dominic stirred beside me, instantly alert as his hand moved instinctively toward his bedside weapon before reaching to switch on the lamp. My heart accelerated - late-night calls in our world rarely brought anything but blood and bullets, and my thoughts immediately flew to my mother and grandmother’s safety.

"Hello?" I answered breathlessly, noting Dominic’s protective positioning. Only silence greeted me. "Hello? Is anyone there?" Heavy, deliberate breathing sounded from the other end, calculated and menacing. "Who is this?" The screen displayed an untraceable number. "Hello? Say something."

The call disconnected abruptly. Ice-cold fear knotted in my stomach as I considered what new threat might be stalking our household. Dominic took the phone and attempted to return the call, but it went straight to a disconnected line.

Panic rising, I called my mother through our secure family line, waking her. She assured me everything was fine - she had spoken with both my grandmother and her armed caretaker before retiring to their safe room. "It’s probably just psychological warfare," she soothed, though her voice carried the strain of a woman who’d learned to live with constant danger.

I ended the call somewhat reassured, but uneasiness lingered like smoke in the air. The mysterious late-night caller had left me unsettled and on high alert. In our world, such calls were rarely innocent - they were usually the prelude to violence, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was watching, waiting, and preparing to strike at the heart of everything Dominic and I had built together.