Page 55 of Merciless Attraction

The two boxes holding everything that was in my car snag my attention and I make myself comfortable to go through them. Shoes, a blanket, changes of clothes for both me and Natalie. I’m going to miss sharing a car with her.

There’s a small box sitting inside that triggers the memory right before the crash. I was driving to an international delivery service to get rid of it. I pull it out and curiosity gets the better of me. I’m certain that if this was from Natalie’s parents, she would have said as much to Antonio.

When I open the box, there’s a broken angel figurine. One from my mother’s collection and my heart sinks. There’s a business card for a restaurant with a date and time that I’m eight weeks late for.

Chapter 26: Antonio

Gemma’s thoughts are clearly elsewhere as we eat dinner. Aside from a few smiles of gratitude, her quiet demeanor is new. It makes me wonder if this is a result of her injuries or if it’s just life weighing on her.

When we settle into bed later, Gemma snuggles in close to me. We each release a collective sigh of relief. The warmth of our bodies together is something we’ve both missed. Gemma lets me know as much the way her hand snakes a trail down my chest and into the waistband of my boxers.

I groan as pleasure overtakes my restraint. Turning to face her, Gemma licks her lips before moving closer to kiss me. It starts slow but turns aggressively erotic within seconds. Her nails rake across my scalp as she pulls me on top of her and my cock out of my shorts.

The moment she places me at her entrance, I feel her wetness waiting for me. I slip easily inside. Every thrust comes faster than the last and I know I’ll be finished soon. We fall into a familiar rhythm. Our kisses pull us deeper into a place where only we exist. The palpable tension of what’s waiting for us, and the thankfulness that we are together again.

Once our sexual bliss comes to an end, we fall asleep in each other’s arms. It’s another night where I sleep all the way through. However, when I wake up, Gemma’s staring at a box on the kitchen counter as she sips coffee.

“Good morning,” I give her a kiss before grabbing a mug to pour myself a cup of the heavenly smelling brew. “What’s that?”

“It’s the box I was trying to get rid of when everything went to shit. I thought it was from Natalie’s parents; some sort of tracker to harass her.”

“Who are her parents?” I ask.

“Madelyn and Joel Bersani. They’re like the Kennedys and Vanderbilts, old money, but with global ties to all kinds of dangerous people. Natalie’s got history with them she just wants some space to deal with, but they won’t let her. Anyway, I thought this box was something from them and I refuse to play those kinds of games with my best friend.”

“What’s inside?”

Gemma picks up a business card and slides it across the counter. “I think I was supposed to meet up with whoever sent me the pictures. I missed the appointment.”

“Well, nothing came here for you, and from what Natalie’s said, nothing’s come to the apartment for you either. Maybe they knew you were in the hospital. I have something to tell you, Gem.”

When she looks at me with those gorgeous gray eyes, my heart can barely take it.

“What is it?”

I take a deep breath, and say, “The day of the crash, I got a card that showed me your brake line was cut. It was left for me at the security desk downstairs. I turned it in to the police, but I’m sure the peeping tom asshole is the guy who sabotaged your car. He said as much on that card saying that since I couldn’t keep my hands to myself, this would teach me to stop and think.”

“This might be retaliation from Verducci. Maybe a piece of Frankie washed ashore.”

“No one’s said anything as of yet. We should take this to Bash and Casper.” I tell her. “It’s a long shot, but maybe the information they’ve been looking into will connect the dots.”

After breakfast, we head over to Bash’s house outside of the city. He doesn’t like the city of San Francisco much, but I’m sure once he has the power of the Marzano family back to what it was, it will get better for him.

Bash and Casper take turns embracing Gemma as we head inside. There are mob foot soldiers leaving as we come inside. They eye me with questioning glares, but Bash tips his head telling them they’re fine to go.

We had our disputes over Gemma’s safety and came to blows after the accident happened. Families fight, and they’ve made it abundantly clear that I’m family, but I failed in my task to protect Gemma. No one feels that more than me, but they don’t have to worry about us rehashing that fight. What’s done is done.

Gemma doesn’t waste time throwing herself back into the fray. I can’t blame her because it sucks to wake up from a coma, only to find we’re still on the brink of war with a rival family.

“Were you able to get anything from the security cameras at the house?” Gemma asks Bash.

“I called in a lot of favors and finally got some answers.” Bash moves through his vast living room to a desk in the corner and pulls out a folder. He puts it on the coffee table in front of Gemma.

She flips it open to see the pictures that were sent to her along with others pulled off the old security cameras from her parents’ home in Staten Island. Then comes pictures of the trunk she and Natalie tossed in a river. One of the last pictures she sees is that of a bandaged man.

“Steve’s still alive,” Bash says, and pulls out his phone to show us both. “This is what he looks like now.”

Gemma’s eyes redden with tears as she shakes her head in disbelief. “It’s impossible. I shot him. I killed him. I buried him.”

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