Yeah, she sure isn’t. When Vale asked her about it, she was clueless.
Gemma’s been protecting her and Vale all this time by keeping this secret to herself. She’s been carrying the burden of her father’s anger and violence. There was nothing her sisters could have done when they were younger, but why not say something to Vale in Ibiza? Why not ask for help?
I stop at a red light and glance at her. “Why didn’t you say anything to me? Or Vale?”
“If I’d told Vale, she would have done everything she could to get me out of here, and Papà wouldn’t give me up easily. That’s a fact. I didn’t want to be responsible for more violence. Especially with my family on both sides of the fight. Plus, he stopped when you arrived. I thought maybe it was over, but then I fucked up. I told him what I thought of him for the first time. I didn’t hold anything back.” Her voice wavers. “It was stupid. I provoked him.”
The fact that she thinks this is somehow her fault lights a fire inside of me. “Gemma, you did nothing to deserve this.” I take her hand, pulling her attention to me. “Do you hear me?”
Her eyes are filled with tears. It takes all my willpower not to drag her over the center console and press her against my chest.
“Yes,” she whispers.
We drive for another ten minutes before we get to the emergency clinic.
Inside, it smells like antiseptic and something medicinal. My arm is wrapped securely around Gemma’s waist, and she’s holding my handkerchief to her lip as we approach the counter.
“We need to see a doctor right away,” I bark at the male receptionist sitting behind the counter.
He slides a clipboard over to us without looking up. “Please fill this out.”
I’m about to tell him to fuck off with the damn form when Gemma nudges me. “I need to list my medications and previous health issues, just in case.”
I grab a nearby pen and lead her to a chair. It’s not too busy. There are just a few other people waiting around. A security guard wanders in, says something to a nurse, and then walks out the front door. I see him light up a smoke.
Once Gemma finishes filling out the form, I bring it back to the receptionist.
“Please wait over there.” He tips his head in the direction of the waiting area.
“We’re not waiting.”
The receptionist looks up. When he registers the murderous look on my face, he swallows. “All of the doctors are busy.”
“I just saw a patient walk out of room six.”
“That doctor is about to go on his lunch break.”
I lean over the counter and snatch him by the neck of his shirt. His pupils widen with fear as he appears to finally realize I’m not someone he wants to argue with.
“Listen to me carefully,” I bite out. “Take that fucking chart, get your ass out of that chair, and tell the doctor to get the examination room ready. My girl needs help. She’s going to get it. Right fucking now. If the doctor as much as utters a protest, ask him what he prefers—to take his lunch a little late or eat it with a few missing teeth.” I twist the shirt for good measure and then let go, dropping him back into his seat.
He grabs the form Gemma filled out and jumps out of the chair, putting a few meters between us. “Okay,” he squeezes out, rubbing his neck. “I’m going.”
“We’ll be there in one minute.”
Gemma’s eyes are closed when I get back to her. The mark on her cheek is brighter now, looking painful and slightly swollen.
I should have trusted my gut when it told me Garzolo was hitting Gemma, then maybe I could have prevented all of this. I failed her.
I reach for her hand, and she blinks her eyes open, focusing her gaze on me. “Ras, you can’t go back home with me. Papà will kill you.”
“Don’t worry about that now. We need to make sure you’re okay first.”
She adjusts her position and winces a bit. “My ribs are sore, but I think they’d hurt a lot more if he broke one. You should leave. Papà might come here any minute with his men.”
“He won’t. Not unless he wants his relationship with Dem to go up in flames. Garzolo will have to get approval from him before he does anything to me.”
“You’re assuming he’s thinking rationally at the moment.”
“Your father’s been in the game for a long time. He’s not going to risk everything just to get payback.”
Gemma looks skeptical, but our discussion ends when the doctor appears. “Gemma Garzolo?”
“Right here.”
I help her up and lead her toward the man. He gives us an uneasy look, noting the split lip. I know what this looks like, especially after I just threatened the receptionist.
“Would you like to come in alone?” the doctor asks.
Gemma glances at me. “Um.”
“Go ahead,” I tell her, nudging her forward. The last thing we need is the doctor calling the cops because he thinks I was the one who hurt Gemma. “I need to make some calls anyway.” I move my attention to the doctor. “Doc, check everything there is to check. Then check it again.”
He nods and walks Gemma into the examination room.
I run my fingers through my hair. Fuck, I have to call Damiano and bring him up to speed.
When my phone buzzes, my first thought is that it’s him. Maybe Garzolo already called Dem and gave his version of what happened.
But it’s Orrin’s name on the screen.
I pick up.
“What?”
“You won’t believe what just happened,” he says, sounding out of breath.
“Don’t make me guess.”
“I just got a call from my contact at the local police department.”
I take a seat. “And?”
“They’re moving in on Garzolo right now. He’s fucked. They had an informant deep inside his org who gave them everything they needed.”
My blood slows inside my veins. It’s happening.
“I tried to see if your name came up, but I couldn’t find out.”
I don’t care about that. The chances of the Feds building a case on Dem and I are low. We operate outside of their jurisdiction.
“How much time does he have until they have him?” I ask.
“I don’t know. They’re already on their way. Why?”
“Trying to figure out if there’s enough time for me to go back to his house and take care of him first.”
“What happened?”
“He’s…” I drag my palm over my mouth. What do I tell him? I might need his help once I figure out what my plan is. “Fuck, never mind. We better talk in person. I might need to swing by the shop in the next hour or so. Will you be around?”
“Are you in trouble?”
“I’m not sure.”
“You should probably be on the next flight out.”
“It’s more complicated than that.”
“All right. I’ll be at the shop.”
“See you then.”
The door to the clinic opens, and a few more people come in. I can’t talk to Damiano in here.
I send a text to Gemma to let her know I’m just going to be outside in the car and leave the waiting area.