Chapter 228: Chapter 12 Family First Always
Dominic’s POV
"Dominic, I need to leave the territory early tonight." Zoe’s voice cut through our afternoon discussion about smuggling routes as she grabbed her encrypted phone, her expression shifting from focused to tense.
"Already calling it quits? Here I thought my intelligence chief had more endurance than this." The teasing comment rolled off my tongue automatically, but something in her demeanor made me pause.
"Save the jokes for another day, Dominic. I really don’t have the bandwidth to deal with your smart mouth right now." Her hands moved quickly, collecting classified documents from my desk with an urgency that caught my attention.
The worry lines creasing her forehead weren’t something I was used to seeing on Zoe’s typically composed face. In our line of work, showing weakness could get you killed.
"Talk to me, Zoe. What’s going on?" My voice dropped the playful tone, genuine concern taking its place. In the Thorne family, we protected our own.
"Family situation. I just need to handle something at home." She exhaled heavily, shoving the last of her surveillance reports into her tactical bag with more force than necessary.
"You know I’m here if you need backup on anything, right? Whatever it is." The offer hung between us as she paused at my desk. In this business, backup meant armed intervention.
"I appreciate that, Dominic. Really. I’ll see you in the morning." Her smile was strained as she rushed toward the door of my office at Zenith Systems, our money laundering front.
After she left, I tried reaching Xavier, but my call went straight to voicemail. His text was brief and dismissive, promising to call back later. The rest of my evening felt oddly incomplete without knowing what had rattled Zoe so thoroughly. In our world, personal problems had a way of becoming family problems fast.
Xavier never did call, which gnawed at me more than I expected. The next morning, I made it to the office early, positioning myself by the elevators with a self-satisfied grin, ready to tease Zoe about beating her to work for once.
My smugness evaporated the moment I saw her face. Dark circles shadowed her eyes, and her usual professional polish was replaced by barely contained fury. When Zoe looked ready to kill someone, it usually meant someone was about to die.
"Zoe, what the hell happened?" The words tumbled out before she could even acknowledge me.
"Caleb happened, that’s what. And Xavier too. God help me, Dominic, you better not be involved in whatever power play they’re running." Her voice carried a dangerous edge as she stormed past me toward her office.
I caught her arm before she could disappear behind her desk, steering her into my office instead. My assistant appeared with coffee as if summoned by the tension radiating from both of us.
"Start talking," I said, settling into the chair across from her, my hand instinctively checking the gun holstered beneath my jacket.
"Your precious brothers haven’t filled you in yet?" The sarcasm dripped from every word. "How convenient."
"Nobody’s told me anything. Xavier’s been radio silent since yesterday. What did they do?"
What Zoe told me next made my blood pressure spike. Caleb had banished Ivy from Thorne territory without warning, accusing her of skimming from weapons shipments and leaking intelligence to rival families. The accusations came with a side of public humiliation that made my jaw clench.
"Look, I’ve known Caleb for years. This isn’t his usual style. He’s calculated, methodical. Something doesn’t add up here." I watched Zoe’s eyes flash with indignation. "But regardless of what’s going on with him, Ivy doesn’t deserve to be left defenseless on the streets. I want to bring her into my operation."
"You want to what?" Zoe’s eyebrows shot up.
"There’s an opening in Jenkins’s crew. You’ve met Jenkins, he runs that unit like it’s a vacation resort compared to the rest of this blood-soaked empire. It could be exactly what Ivy needs right now, a chance to rebuild under family protection."
"You’re serious about this?" Disbelief colored her voice.
"Why wouldn’t I be? Your father vouched for her personally when he recommended her to me initially. His judgment has never steered me wrong." I leaned forward, meeting her skeptical gaze. "Caleb might be my brother in arms, but he’s acting like an idiot right now. And apparently, he’s threatened to blacklist her from working anywhere in the territory."
"He said what?" Zoe’s voice went dangerously quiet.
"Which is exactly why I’m going to make sure Ivy lands on her feet. Tell her she starts tomorrow morning under my protection. Now, can we please get some work done? I’m already missing your usual efficiency in managing our networks."
"Getting spoiled by my information management skills?" A hint of her usual sass crept back into her tone.
"Absolutely. And I’m genuinely hurt that you didn’t even acknowledge my early arrival today. I was expecting at least some recognition for my effort."
"Fine, you’ll get a gold star later," she laughed, the tension finally breaking.
When Xavier finally called during lunch, his explanation confirmed what I’d already suspected. Both he and Caleb were handling this situation like complete amateurs. The evidence against Ivy was circumstantial at best, and their investigation was sloppy by Thorne family standards.
"She’s starting with my crew tomorrow," I informed him bluntly. "And I won’t tolerate any interference from either of you."
Ivy’s first day went smoothly until I heard raised voices coming from Zoe’s office. Through the doorway, I could see Caleb getting the verbal lashing of his life from my intelligence chief.
"I’d love to hear your explanation for the mess you’ve created with Ivy," I announced from the doorway, making Caleb spin around. "Because from where I’m standing, you’ve destroyed a good soldier’s reputation based on hunches and paranoia."
The conversation that followed in my office revealed the depth of Caleb’s regret, but also his desperation. Zoe’s protective instincts were in full force, defending Ivy with the fierce loyalty I’d come to expect from her.
Eventually, I convinced Zoe to let them talk privately. Jenkins sent Ivy up from the lower floors, and Zoe and I retreated to the conference room to give them space.
Ivy emerged a short while later, tears streaming down her face. I offered what comfort I could and sent both women home early with armed escorts.
Caleb needed support too, despite his mistakes. That evening, Xavier joined us at my safehouse, and we worked through several bottles of whiskey trying to make sense of the situation.
The following morning arrived with Zoe’s disapproving glare greeting my disheveled appearance.
"You reek of alcohol, Dominic. I specifically told you I didn’t want to see you hungover while managing family business." Her tone could have frozen hell over.
"It was a mercy mission, Zoe. Caleb needed support, and he’s going through hell right now." My head felt like it was splitting in two.
"A hell of his own making," she shot back.
"But he’s genuinely sorry. Now help me reschedule today’s meetings. We need to fit in a presentation for the Thorne Syndicate account."
"What are you scheming now?" Her eyes narrowed suspiciously.
"Nothing underhanded. It’s legitimate front business with significant revenue potential." I’d promised Caleb I’d help him professionally, even if I couldn’t fix his personal disasters.
The meeting was a financial success for both operations, but watching Caleb and Ivy try to maintain professionalism while their personal wreckage lay between them was painful for everyone involved.
The next day brought another hangover after Caleb’s latest emergency drinking session. Zoe’s patience had officially expired.
"Should I ban you from seeing your brothers during active operations?" She handed me aspirin with the expression of a disappointed parent.
"Caleb called me, I couldn’t abandon him." I sprawled across the office couch, feeling like death warmed over.
"You’re taking the morning to recover, but you’re working this afternoon. No excuses."
The day crawled by unproductively. By evening, guilt over my wasted time prompted me to suggest weekend surveillance work.
"Want to put in some weekend hours? I’ll pay overtime," I offered.
"Not a chance. My boyfriend arrives tomorrow." Her face lit up with genuine happiness for the first time all week.
"Right, the mysterious prince. When do I get to meet this guy?"
"We’ll figure something out soon."
"How’s Ivy adjusting to the new position?"
"She loves it. Jenkins’s crew has been incredibly welcoming, and she’s already making connections. Her mood has improved dramatically." Zoe’s smile was warm with satisfaction. "You’ve earned serious points with me for this, Dominic. That means I’ll have your back when you need it most."
"Good to know I’ve got an ally."
"I’m leaving now, and Dominic? Show up sober next week or we’re going to have problems."
The next morning, I called my nephew to arrange our mall meeting. I’d promised him money for playing messenger all week, and I was desperate to see my goddess again.
I arrived early and decided to check if she was working. What I discovered made my pulse quicken. Through the store window, I spotted Zoe and Ivy browsing with my goddess helping them select outfits.
Perfect timing.
I slipped inside, positioning myself behind a display rack. My goddess and Zoe were focused on the fitting room, waiting for Ivy to emerge. When she did, wearing a dress that should have come with a warning label, I couldn’t resist moving closer.
The black fabric hugged every curve, and when Zoe asked Ivy to turn around, I stepped into view.
"Well, Ivy, now I understand why Caleb’s losing his mind trying to win you back. You look absolutely devastating in that dress," I announced, enjoying the way all three women turned to stare at me with varying degrees of surprise and embarrassment.
