Chapter 369: Chapter 153 Surrounded by Love
Gemma’s POV
Darkness enveloped me as consciousness slowly returned. The silence felt strange considering how rested I felt, as if I’d been sleeping for hours under heavy sedation. Part of me wanted to stay buried in sleep for days, hoping to wake and find that yesterday’s nightmare had been nothing more than a fevered dream. But the brutal reality remained – Marcus’s vicious assault had actually happened.
Every time I closed my eyes, I could still feel that monster’s disgusting hands on my skin. The terror that had clenched around my throat when Dominic’s banished father attacked me in that abandoned warehouse hadn’t completely faded. Though I tried not to dwell on the details, I knew exactly what would have happened if Dominic hadn’t tracked me down when he did. I had no idea how he’d found Marcus’s hideout or how he’d known to look there, but he’d arrived just in time to prevent the unthinkable – my capo had saved me from his own flesh and blood.
I curled deeper into the silk sheets, noticing the empty space where Dominic should have been. Pulling his pillow against my chest, I inhaled his familiar scent of expensive cologne and gunpowder. Where was he? After witnessing his father’s sick attempt to violate me, had Dominic decided he couldn’t stand to look at me anymore? Even though Marcus hadn’t succeeded in his assault, was the mere thought of what almost happened too much for Dominic’s possessive nature to handle?
A crushing wave of despair rolled over me, powerful and suffocating. The trauma of being overpowered and nearly destroyed left me nauseous and barely holding on. The thought that Dominic might abandon me now was a pain beyond what I could endure. Why wasn’t he here when I needed his protection most? I craved his iron embrace, his deadly reassurance. Even Amber was missing from his usual spot at the foot of the bed. The feeling of abandonment was crushing my already fractured spirit.
Tears streamed down my face unchecked. My entire being ached – body, soul, and mind consumed by the aftermath of violence. Suddenly, a small warm hand touched my cheek with surprising gentleness. I slowly opened my swollen eyes to find the master bedroom now flooded with morning light. Four pairs of worried eyes were studying me with obvious concern. Without hesitation, I opened my arms wide.
"I need hugs right now!" I declared desperately, immediately finding myself wrapped in a protective bundle of loving arms.
"Songbird, why are you crying?" Dominic asked softly, positioning himself behind me like a human shield and enveloping me in his muscular embrace.
"Because I thought you’d left me after what your father tried to do," I sniffled as Carmen’s tiny hand gently brushed my tears away with the care of a little nurse.
"My mom says crying gives you premature wrinkles and makes you look weak in front of enemies," Carmen stated with such deadly seriousness that I couldn’t help but laugh softly despite everything.
"I’m so grateful you’re all here with me!" I pulled Carmen and Vincenzo closer, feeling Amber’s cold nose nudging my bare foot. "You too, Amber." The massive guard dog settled down protectively, resting his heavy head across my feet like a furry fortress.
"Listen carefully, because I’ll say this every day for the rest of our lives: I will never abandon you," Dominic promised fiercely, pressing a possessive kiss against my neck. "And neither will these two little soldiers – they’re officially under our protection now."
"Are you being serious?" I asked, wondering if this was just comfort talk.
"Completely serious. Gerard gave his word," Dominic chuckled darkly, and Vincenzo responded with an approving click of his tongue.
"As if they could survive without us anyway," Vincenzo declared with cocky confidence.
"Now they can manage. They have Caviar and Popcorn keeping them entertained," Carmen confirmed smugly. "Port’t you noticed mom secretly feeds them gourmet treats and dad plays tactical games with them in the fortified garden?"
"That sneaky deceiver!" Vincenzo exclaimed, looking genuinely betrayed by this revelation.
"Deceiver? Is that your vocabulary word for this week?" Carmen turned to her brother with sharp curiosity.
"Yes it is! Pretty sophisticated, right?" Vincenzo seemed pleased with his linguistic choice.
"Mine is still superior," Carmen replied dismissively, like a tiny queen addressing a peasant.
"You always claim that," Vincenzo protested with brotherly frustration.
"And I’m consistently correct in my assessment," Carmen responded with the unshakeable confidence of a future mafia princess.
"Wait, what’s this vocabulary competition about exactly?" I asked, genuinely intrigued by their sibling rivalry.
"My mom forces us to master a new word every week, and we have to demonstrate proper usage regularly. We research unfamiliar words in the dictionary and practice incorporating them into conversation all week," Vincenzo explained with the patience of someone who’d given this explanation before.
"And you do this intellectual labor without receiving any compensation?" Dominic teased, raising one dark eyebrow skeptically.
"Uncle, naturally we receive compensation – the immense pleasure of expanding our verbal arsenal," Carmen explained with an air of sophisticated maturity.
"You think I’m falling for that act, you little mercenary?" Dominic poked Carmen playfully in the ribs, making me laugh despite my emotional state.
"Mom provides fifty dollars to whoever learns and properly uses the assigned word," Vincenzo confessed, unable to maintain the pretense any longer.
"Blabbermouth traitor!" Carmen complained indignantly. "And Dad gives another fifty to whoever tackles the most challenging word. And I consistently emerge victorious." Her smile blazed with triumphant pride.
"’Consistently’ is a bold claim, squirt. You win frequently, but only because Dad shows obvious favoritism toward his little princess," Vincenzo grumbled with obvious jealousy.
"And what’s your word this week, Carmen?" I asked with genuine curiosity, feeling my spirits lifting significantly.
"My word, aunt, will ensure that I receive the ultimate requital for my intellectual victory with tremendous satisfaction this week," Carmen announced regally, sitting cross-legged on the bed with a look of absolute triumph directed at her defeated brother.
"Damn! The mini blackmailer conquered again!" Vincenzo looked utterly devastated, triggering genuine laughter from all of us gathered on the bed.
"I didn’t even recognize that word, Vincenzo," I said consolingly. "What does ’requital’ actually mean?"
"It means reward, recompense, recognition, retribution, or compensation," Carmen rattled off with obvious delight at her intellectual superiority.
"I’ll have to ask Nadia for some parenting strategies; she has some brilliant child-rearing techniques," I commented thoughtfully.
"Already planning to torture our little cousin with vocabulary drills," Vincenzo complained dramatically.
"Sleepyhead, how about joining us for breakfast by the secured pool?" Dominic suggested tenderly, giving me a gentle kiss on my temple.
"The room was so dark I assumed it was still nighttime. What time is it exactly?" I asked, my mind finally clearing from the medication fog.
"It’s late morning," Vincenzo informed me efficiently. "You need to hurry, because my little cousin and I are absolutely starving." He hopped off the bed energetically, making me realize I was famished too.
"Wow, I completely overslept," I said, surprised by how late I’d slept.
"Take your time recovering, Songbird. Andrew gave you some serious sedatives yesterday to help you process the trauma, that’s why you slept so deeply," Dominic explained gently, kissing my cheek and helping me stand on unsteady legs. Vincenzo, Carmen, and Amber were already heading toward the reinforced door.
"Are we really going to keep them under our protection?" I looked at Dominic with hopeful eyes.
"Even if I have to force Gerard to honor his promise at gunpoint," he replied with dark humor. We shared a knowing laugh, but deep down, I truly cherished having those two fearless children around as our family.
