****Burn smiled, staring at his phone like it held all the keys to his salvation. Who was this anonymous caller? The person had sounded very nervous, but he knew the information was correct, hence why he was already preparing the soldier to invade the location where his little fierce cat was hiding- she wasn't hiding of course, because he knew Gabrielle wasn't one to run and Genovese was underestimating her.He didn't mind, so long as he was already in charge of the business. Genovese had been great in his prime, but he was old now and just didn't have as much control as he used to. Gabrielle had pushed him too far against the wall until there was nothing for him to grasp onto except him. Capturing Gabrielle was going to be the bonus for all his trouble, and he was going to get her no matter what.The man who ratted her out was probably one of her estranged lovers seeking revenge... Burn didn't care- once he had Gabrielle, he was going to kill the rest of her lovers, including whoev

GABRIELLE POV.Blake coughed, grunting beneath me and I released a whoosh of air I hadn't realized I'd been holding. Simone pulled me up and helped Blake to his feet and we ran down the corridors. I kicked the door open to the garage to meet some of the soldiers waiting there for us."Let's go. And once we're within a safe distance, hit the self-destruct buttons, got it" I yelled over the roar of the car as I turned the key on the ignition... The other cars followed suit as the rebels rushed the entrance firing rounds at us but the bullets just bounced off our bulletproof van as we sped off Into the night, the house turning into balls of flames behind us as my soldiers carried out my instructions. I smiled as I watched the house burn, sure that no one had been able to get out alive. I turned to face Blake who was already staring at me, a smile on his lips. I reached with one hand for his shirt and yanked him to me as I rediscovered his taste once more, kissing him like the air I need

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'

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

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