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10 YEARS LATER.
Gabrielle pulled on a white shirt, watching her reflection in the mirror. Faded scars littered her back, a bullet wound at the side of her hip. A deeper scar from a butcher knife graced her stomach like an eerie reminder of how close she had gotten to death at the hands of her own family. She smiled as she remembered the scream of her eldest uncle as she chopped off his toes and fingers. She had wanted to end him, but he was family and Genovese hadn't given her permission.
She grimaced at the memory. Even if she was the Capomandamento, her grandfather was still- what the weaklings that thought knew their family- referred to as Capo dei Capri, the boss of all bosses. A grin tugged on her lips. It was a suitable name when she thought about it. He wielded all control, choosing only to give pieces of the crumbs to those he felt were worthy. He was a snake. He'd lied to her and he was still lying.
Gabrielle tugged on her three-piece suit, ruffled her short silver hair that highlighted her gray eyes, gave more manliness to her lithe frame, and turned away from the mirror.
Gabrielle's face was what most people described as a work of art because it was perfectly flawless and she'd have had a lot of suitors asking for her hand but for the fact that her eyes were always afire and her jaw set with a stubborn edge that seemed to warn people off. She also never bothered with accessories. She preferred weapons.
Gabrielle did things on her terms when or how it suited her. Those who challenged her authority never lived to tell the tale.
Picking up her wristwatch, she took a last glance at the mirror, turned, and stepped out of her room. The two bodyguards guarding the door acknowledged her with a short bow. They were her most trusted Soldata. They also treated her as an equal, considering how many times she'd come close to killing them in the heat of the moment when they had fight training.
She regarded the two men, looking thoughtful. "Words on the street is that the press thinks I've been skipping work because I want to take over the Genovese cartel. Isn't that the most ludicrous thing you've ever heard?" She fixed her wristwatch, her eyebrow furrowed. "I already own the cartel" she got out, meeting the unwavering gaze of her bodyguards. They both said nothing, their mouth set in a thin line. She smiled. They learned fast. They knew not to answer her when she spoke out loud and didn't direct her speech to either of them.
The two men positioned themselves by her side, as they approached her car. Gabrielle kept her eyes trained for any vulnerable spot. Her rival clan had seemed to be growing more balls as the month rolled by with her quietude. She made a mental note to change the status quo and nip the uprising in the bud. You lay low too much, and children start coming out to play. She shook her head, yanked open the door, and got inside. The guard shut the door and she watched him as he relayed orders to the other undercover guards.
The ride to their only legal enterprise- that was what her grandfather thought- gave her time to make calls to her most trusted Capo Bastone- Luciano Capone. He'd offered to work with her as soon as she became second in command and Gabrielle didn't regret hiring him. He was competent, money flowed from his enterprise daily, and he was also efficient when it came to tying up loose ends.
It was everything she needed from her workers and more. She assigned him new orders, reminding him of the task she had given him an hour back. She knew such reminders always made him scared shitless but that made him more efficient. There were a lot of ways she used to get people's loyalty. At the moment she wielded violence- both physical and psychological. She also surrounded herself with men. They were easier to work with. They knew what she represented, and they respected It.
The ride to the company was uneventful. Once they arrived, she stepped out of the car and for once let the bodyguard do their jobs, making sure the paparazzi came nowhere near her. The paparazzi- whom she had come to regard as hungry vultures- always wanted to get her image since she was the richest woman at present.
Their company was the main exporter of the country's precious stones and jewelry. They had their private mine where they employed labor, helping out the unemployed youths, and acting like they were the good guy. No one knew the shady parts of their life- they had their suspicions, but no one dared to question the Genovese.
Gabrielle also made sure she looked innocent and normal enough. To them, she was just the cartel princess who had everything served on a silver platter. Everyone wanted a piece of the Genovese corporation. They also wanted to unravel the rich heiress that seemed to wield all the powers, the girl who was left in charge of the business despite all the male counterpart Genovese could have had in her place, and whose business ideas brought more wealth to the Genovese empire.
Gabrielle got into the elevator, ignoring the flanks of workers on the lower level who bowed to her in greeting. The ride was noiseless and She stood with her hands in her pants, her thoughts firing off in different directions.
Gabrielle took her cover business seriously, employing only suitable candidates for each position. The business fetched her a lot of money, which in turn helped in facilitating her other enterprises. It was a satisfactory investment. Her consigliere had been the one to plant the idea in her head, and after nights of deliberations, she'd realized that the pros were more than the cons, so she'd plunged everything she could into it. The idea had developed and the pros, as she had predicted outweighed the cons.
The elevator pinged open and She strode out, her gaze fixed on the door to her office, but then she noticed that her assistant spot was empty. Elena quickly ran towards her before she could turn to ask why.
Gabrielle hated incompetence. It grated on her nerves, making her finger itch to do something.
Elena's voice was a quivering mess when she spoke. "The replacement would be here shortly Sir. you had fired Martin without my knowledge that I only found out about it this morning Sir."
Gabrielle glanced at her. "Is that the excuse you wish to use? Because that would show how ineffective you are," she arched a perfect eyebrow and watched as the woman twiddled her thumbs together and visibly squirmed.
"Let this never repeat itself. Also make sure the next assistant you bring to me knows what he's doing".
Elena nodded, her head almost snapping."Yes Sir. And I am so sorry for my incompetence, this will never happen again. I'll work hard on becoming better" " She rushed out, bowing her head.
"Good," she proceeded to her office, Simone getting the door behind her. The two men took a position at each end of the glass door.
Elena rushed back to her seat, her hands trembling and her heart racing like she had run a marathon. The other five workers cast furtive glances at the other but remained silent.
People who worked on the top floor got paid more, but the fear that went with working with the ice-cold rumored killer didn't help them relax. They all knew Genovese was no ordinary man. He was a Mafioso, and Gabrielle being his successor and also a woman was intriguing. It could only mean she was exactly like him or more evil. It was all speculation but they knew deep down, she was more brutal than all the rumors they had heard about her.
Making up rules and finding faults were her trademarks. She made sure everything was done to perfection. She handled negotiations like a pro, always getting the best deals out of them, and those who tried to double-cross her ended up in the news, on the obituary section. Freak accident. Happened all the time.
The elevator pinged open, a man stepping through, and distracting them from their reminisce. Their gasps of surprise were the only sound that permeated the otherwise silent room. They watched in a trance as he walked towards Elena.
The man was fucking gorgeous. He had dark hair, and they were wavy in a sort of mused-up way. His eyes were an Intense blue, that managed to look warm and harsh at the same time. They were such a deep blue, it was hard to look away from. His lips were full, and a sharp jaw completed his flawless striking look.
It was a face that was meant to be gazed at in craving. He was also tall and was almost as built as the bodyguards that stood guarding the door. He looked like he would make a cool Mafia don, especially with the way he carried himself. Elena was almost speechless by the time he got to her and sat down.
"Hi, I am Angelo Andriacchi. You told me to come in today and start immediately" he brought out his file, his voice a low rumble, accompanied by an easy smile.
Elena cleared her throat, licked her suddenly dry lips, and tried her best not to flirt.
"Yes, but you are late and the boss is already inside. But please, can you try not to get fired on your first day of work? Your resumé looks promising, and I really can't afford to look for another replacement for you. Just listen to everything he tells you and try to do it to perfection. You'll be getting paid triple what we do. Try to last by his side for a month at the most"
His brow furrowed in confusion." I don't understand. I thought the boss was a woman... You keep referring to her as he" he pointed out.
Elena arched an eyebrow, a habit she had picked up from Gabrielle.
"Well, I think you will do well here since you're already making such an observation. Just adhere to it. You'll last longer here with such a mindset. Now, go. You've already kept him waiting for too long, and trust me when I say, he doesn't like to be kept waiting" she got out gravely.
Angelo twisted to get a better look at the formidable glass door, noticing the men that stood at either side. He collected his working material, discreetly taking note of all the security details put in place. Everything was top-notch. A small smile played on the corner of his lips. Time to enter the lion's den.
PRESENT. BLAKE MORENO POV. Gabrielle Genovese was standing at my door- and she was real... the fire in her gray eyes was all too familiar and my heart nosedived. The woman I would have given up everything for was standing right in front of me. With a gun aimed in my face. My head spun even tho I tried to come off unaffected- but my throbbing heart was still racing and my breathing had accelerated so it was a wasted effort. The memories that I had tried to bury slammed into my head with an intensity that made me aware of every part of her. Her scent assaulted my senses, and every inch of her skin that I'd explored called to me fiercely until It was overwhelming. Her hold on the gun didn't waver and it looked as if she was contemplating just letting loose a spray of bullets in my direction. But despite the threat she represented, all I wanted to do was relive every moment I had spent with her. I wanted to touch her, wrap her in my arms, and run away with her to the ends of the
GABRIELLE POV.Everyone gathered to hear me dole out the new terms to my rule, and anyone who opposed was shot dead immediately, their body burnt into ashes and tossed into the sea, not that most of them had anything to say while they stared at the head of Genovese at my feet. I wanted to shame him, even in death. He didn't deserve a proper burial. I was going to feed his head to the dogs he kept. The people in the room grumbled when I raised their returns to sixty percent but an arch of my eyebrow shut them up. They should be happy I didn't take them all out. Death was what they deserved, so they should be fucking grateful that I was letting them live. Simone stood beside me, his mouth clenched shut all through the process, but even his presence irritated me... Everyone that reminded me of Blake irritated me. The family dispersed and I appointed spies to keep an eye on them and report back to me about any misconduct, or any act of rebellion. If anyone broke any of the laws I'd lai
GABRIELLE POV.I stared at Micheal, then at the gun that he aimed at me, waiting patiently for him to pull the trigger but he didn't. I waited until my fingers trembled. "If you're going to shoot an enemy, you should never hesitate"."You killed my father" he screamed, his hold tightening around the gun, his aim getting steadier. Yes, Micheal. Get mad, and put an end to all of this pain and suffering. "Yes I did, and I'll probably kill you too, so you better pull that trigger now that you have the chance," I said, meaning every word as I stared at him. His hands wavered, and then he lowered the gun as tears escaped an eye. I groaned inside, clenching my fist as we both stood in silence, his eyes fixed on mine. "Why didn't you let that guard kill me? Why did you save me? I don't want to be indebted to you for anything. Why did you do it?" He asked, meeting my gaze fiercely and I lost it. "I didn't do it for you! I killed him because that is only what I am good at. These hands only
GABRIELLE POV TWO WEEKS EARLIER.Footsteps approached my room and I braced myself for whoever was going to step in through the door. The door flung open and two people stumbled in as they were shoved viciously. They dropped to their knees right in front of me and I jumped back, my gaze darting to those of the culprit. Burn stepped in behind them with a sick smile on his lips, the two guns he held pointed at the back of their head. "I brought some audience for our little show".I stared at Keenan who couldn't meet my gaze then at Micheal whose little body shook in tremors as he looked up at me to deliver him. But he was wrong, I didn't save people, I only destroyed them, just as I had done to Blake.I met Burns's amused expression. "There will be no show," I told, my voice so quiet, it sounded eerie even in my ears.Burn quirked an eyebrow. "Is that a no, Pet, because I get trigger happy every time someone says no to me and I really don't want to have to blast Keenan's head off or th
BLAKE POV.The raw pain in her voice carried through the room, the agony of it rending through my heart like sharp-edged darts as I listened to it, then the call ended and April glanced in my direction. My grip on the chair handle I sat on tightened as I struggled to keep my emotions in check. "It's done. She thinks you're dead now. Do we proceed with our plans. Do you want her behind bars... We can have her arrested with the evidence we have on her"."I don't know" I got out, my voice hoarse as my eyes lingered on the phone, willing it to ring again just so I could hear her voice. I was crazy. Crazy and bloody stupid, but I couldn't stop myself from longing for her, especially after listening to her. What if, no, it wasn't speculation at this point, she'd shot me not to kill me but to save my life? If she'd really meant to kill me, I would be dead. But then I remembered her voice, the way her gaze had brightened as she conversed with Burn on how she'd lost interest in me, how it w
GABRIELLE POV.Stepping into the house I swore I would burn to the ground once I took over made me feel like a failure but I was not going to be so easily defeated, especially now that I might have nothing left. The pain of the unknown was terrible and my head hurt- the misery making my vision blurry, as I thought back to the bridge. What if I had miscalculated the angle of the shot as I aimed for Blake... maybe I'd hit one of his organs and he'd bled to death, and if that didn't happen, maybe April hadn't been able to save him, maybe she hadn't even been able to find his body.My heart constricted, the realization that Blake might really be gone from my life hitting me hard until it felt like I would collapse. I don't. Instead, I forged on, forcing my legs to move even tho all I wanted to do was crash against the floor and just cry for all the injustice I'd been dealt with. But those scenarios were all what-ifs. I had to believe that he was still alive.Blake was tough, and I hadn'