1. Joe
CHAPTER 1
Joe
THREE YEARS AGO
I'm trying to figure out what the fuck happened in my city almost two months ago. What the hell was Nikolai Vasilev thinking in trying to have Alessio Bianchi taken out on my streets? That asshole was in my city uninvited, not to mention he brought his men with him. He tried to kill a man that I had personally invited. I'm fucking grateful that Alessio is a ruthless and skilled fighter, the man is able to take care of himself, he's more than capable of it. He killed the three men that Nikolai sent his way.
There's a lot about that night that doesn't make sense. The doctor on my payroll called me to inform me that Alessio had been shot and stabbed, not to mention beaten to an inch of his life. But there was no mention of who the fuck helped him. Is there someone in my city that's helping the Italian Mafia? I'm going to find out, I need to know what the fuck is going on. I'm missing something.
“Joe,” Christina calls out breaking through my inner musings as I try to solve this fucking mess. “ That woman is here to see you,” she says, her voice filled with disdain, there's only one person that Christina uses that tone about.
My daughter. Gabriella. God, she’s so fucking sweet and pure. She's an angel compared to my darkness. She's the purest good that I could have ever imagined. It's taken a long fucking time for us to forge the relationship that we have now. She hated me when she was a teenager, and I couldn't blame her. I kept my distance as much as possible, sure I provided for her and her mom but that was it. I let my fucking wife get between my child and I and that's not fucking happening again. Not fucking ever. So, when shit was going down with Gabby's best friend and I knew that my daughter was mixed up in it, I brought her here to Denver, needing to keep her close and make sure that she's safe.
Since she's been here our fractured relationship has slowly, but surely, been repaired. She very rarely comes to my home, not wanting to be around my fucking wife. In the past twenty-odd years my hatred for Christina has grown to an all-time high, she's still the same selfish bitch that she's always been but at least she's not interfering with my relationship with Gabby.
I walk out of my office, knowing that if my daughter's here it's because of something serious. I give her a smile as I take her in, she looks pale, she doesn't look well, not to mention Christina is glaring at her. Christ, the woman doesn't fucking stop. I direct her to my office and she takes a seat, she's holding herself together, her arms wrapped around her stomach and she's breathing deeply.
What the fuck happened?
I close the door. I've had my office sound proofed, to ensure Christina can't overhear important information. When I'm in my office alone, I keep my door open, hence how I knew that Christina had called me.
“Hey, Gab, is everything okay?” I ask.
The second my words leave my mouth she begins to sob. Her body wracks with sobs as the tears tumble down her face.
“I messed up,” she breathes. “I made a huge mistake, Dad. I need your help.”
I'm instantly on my haunches as I frame her face with my hands. “Talk to me, sweetheart. What happened?”
She's still trembling, gasping for air, I give her a moment, letting her get her thoughts together. “I’m pregnant, Dad,” she whispers.
That wasn't something I had expected her to say, I inhale sharply, fuck. She's pregnant. My little girl is having a baby.
“I'm not gonna tell you who the father is. But I cannot stay in Denver anymore. I just don't want him to know about the baby.”
I get to my feet, expelling a deep breath. “Are you sure about this?” I ask, I know my daughter, she makes rash decisions when she's emotional but usually she does what's best for her.
“It's all I've thought about all morning. Dad, he's in the same world you are. I can't put my baby through what I went through with you. Being second best, hurts. Knowing that no matter what happens, I will never come first… I want my baby to have an amazing life. I want him or her to be happy and feel loved,” she says softly, she's still crying, her tears cascading down her face. “I don’t want them to feel the way I did. Unloved. So yes, I am sure.”
I narrow my eyes at her words. Christ, I fucked up. I've fucked up so fucking much. I've made her feel this way. There's nothing I can ever do to make up for all the wrongs that I've done. I should have been a better dad, I should have fucked Christina off a long time ago, had I done, maybe Gabby wouldn't feel like she has to run away.
“I need some way to build a life, Dad. I need to be able to live happily with my baby without having to worry about yours or my baby's father's enemies coming for me.” She gives me a soft wonky smile. “I know you've done a great job keeping me hidden from everyone, but that's only gonna last for so long. I need to be out of Denver.”
I nod instantly. “Whatever you want, Gabby. I'm here for you, no matter what. Find a place, tell me what you want, and we'll get it done.” She's my daughter, I'll do whatever the fuck it takes to make her feel safe and secure.
Gabby is my greatest accomplishment in life. She's everything that I could have ever wished for and so fucking much more. Being her dad is my greatest pride. I'm fucking lucky to have her in my life and I know that I have a lot to make up for. I've put my empire before her, I've made her feel as though she doesn't matter due to the mistakes that I've made. I want her to be happy and I want my grandchild to feel the same.
We spend the next hour or so going through the plan of what's going to happen when she leaves. Her resolve is clear to hear, this is what she wants and I'm not going to argue with her. It fucking guts me when she chooses to go to Indianapolis. I've been away from her for the majority of her life, she's lived in the UK and then Spain. I finally have her with me and she's leaving again. I don't want to have a part-time relationship with her anymore. I'm in for the long haul, she's alone in this country, her mom still lives in Spain as does her best friend. Right now, she's only got me and I'm not going to lose her. No fucking way.
I've spoken to a realtor in Indianapolis after browsing the houses online. Gabby's eyes lit up when she found the one she liked. Right now, my offer has been accepted and within minutes it was off the market. My daughter has a home and I know she'll be happy there. I just wish it weren't so fucking far away.
"Are you okay?" I ask, watching her carefully, thankfully she's no longer pale nor is she shaking.
“I know my existence hasn’t been easy for you. It's caused you a lot of heartache, especially with your wife, and it's caused you a lot of fear that one day your enemies would uncover our relationship," she says softly, giving me one of her sweet smiles. “We started off rocky, Dad, we really did, but we’ve worked through everything, and I can honestly say you are the best man I know.”
Christ, what the fuck did I do right in this world to deserve someone so fucking pure as Gabby?
“I love you, Dad, and I’m so thankful you’re here with me. I couldn't ask for a better person to help.”
I pull her into my embrace, and she begins to cry once again. I've made so many fucking mistakes. I've let her down time and time again. Not anymore. I'm not going to do it again. I'm going to be with her every fucking step of the way, just as I should have been from the moment she was born.
“No matter what, Gabby, I'm always gonna be here for you,” I promise her, giving her a bright smile.
I want her to know that she's not alone. Not anymore.
“You're gonna be a grandpa,” she breathes, her eyes bright with happiness.
Christ, that's right. It's not just Gabby that I need to be here for but my grandchild too. “Oh, my God. I'm going to be a granddad,” I say with pride. “I promise you now, Gabby, I’m going straight.”
She freezes in my arms, but I continue to speak.
“I may not have been the best father to you. I'm going to try, and I'm gonna be the best grandfather there is. Just as I should have been the best man I could be for you.”
She stares up at me, the disbelief clear in her eyes. She doesn't believe me, and I'm not angry that she doesn't. I've never given her a reason to trust that I'd ever change. I've always put my business ahead of her. I know my actions haven't always been the best, but shit changed when she came to Denver, I realized just how badly I fucked up and I need to finally do something for my child.
We talk for a bit longer; she's closed off now and I know that's because I've made a vow that she doesn't believe. That's okay, it's going to take time to let these changes come to fruition and I'm not going to stop until I have set out to do exactly as I wanted, too.
"Boss, is everything okay?" Donavan asks as he enters my office that evening. "Is Gabriella okay?"
"Close the door," I instruct him, knowing that Christina has a proclivity for eavesdropping. "Gabby is pregnant and she's moving to Indianapolis," I tell him.
His expression doesn't change, but he's watching me intently. "I've lost so many years of her life; I'm not going to miss anymore. I'm going straight."
His brows practically hit his hairline. "Straight?"
I nod. "I'm keeping the business and it'll be up to you if you'd like to take over until my grandchild is of age, then I'd be honored. If not, there's other men that would relish at the chance. You'll always be my right-hand man."
He grins. "I'm getting too old for this shit," he grunts. "Going straight sounds fucking good. What businesses are you looking to branch into?"
I smirk. Fuck yeah, I should have known that he'd want to be at my side. "I've been thinking about a distillery. You know how much I've wanted to delve into that."
His laughter is deep and heavy. "You and whiskey go hand in hand. I think that's doable; you've got hotel chains as it is, not to mention bars and clubs. It'll take some time, but it's doable."
Yes, it definitely is. "I want you to go to Kentucky, scope out some office properties and homes for the two of us, with Gabby moving to indianapolis, being two hours away will be good for us both."
His lips curl into a snarl. "What about Christina?"
"She can stay here," I say pointedly. "I don't give a fuck."
He chuckles once more. "She won’t be happy."
That may be so, but for once I'm doing what I should have done years ago. I'm putting my child first, not the bitch who's made my life a fucking nightmare.
"Alright, boss, I'll get this sorted. I'll fly into Kentucky tomorrow and start the search."
I take a deep breath. I feel at ease with the decision. I've worked hard for over thirty fucking years to be right where I am now and while I've enjoyed it, I'm good at it, it's time to slow down. I'm not stepping away from this business completely, I'm just focusing my attention elsewhere.
Eight and a half months later
"Dad," Gabby cries. "I'm tired," she breathes. "Why is it taking so long?"
She's been in labor for a long fucking time. My kid is a fucking trooper, I don't know how women manage this, but Gabriella is a fucking champion. She's powering through it all.
"I don't know," I say as I glance at Raylee, she's Gabby's best friend and has been through labor a few times now. Something passes through her eyes and instantly tense up. What the fuck is going on?
"I'll get the doctor," Raylee says, plastering on a fake smile. "Just to see if you've progressed."
She's fucking lying, and I hate this shit. Why? Why is she lying?
The doctor walks in with three other nurses, all of them with that fucking fake ass smile while full of praise for my daughter. "Let's take a look and see how you're progressing," she says.
I watch as they all share glances at one another as they check her out and see how dilated she is, one is reading the heart rate of my grandson while the other checks out Gabby's own heart rate and blood pressure.
"Ms. Sanchez," the doctor begins, and my heart starts to pound. "You're not dilating enough and your baby's in distress. I know that we spoke at length about going through labor without any intervention, but I'm urging you to reconsider as you and your baby are in danger. Your sats are dropping?—"
"What does she need?" I bark, I'm worried. I can tell by the doctor's face that this isn't good.
"I'm urging Gabby to consent to an emergency Cesarean."
"Gabby honey," I say as I frame her face, she's sweaty and tired. "I know this isn't what you wanted, but it's best for you and the baby."
"I'm tired," she whimpers.
"I know," I reply. "You've done an amazing job so far, I'm proud of you, Gabby. Now let the doctor's do their jobs."
She nods and the moment she does chaos ensues. The doctor starts to bark orders, it's utter fucking chaos and I feel utterly fucking helpless.
"She's going to be okay," Raylee assures me. "It'll be fine, the doctors are great at what they do."
It takes over an hour before the doors to the operating theaters open and the doctor exits. "Gabby and baby are doing well. Both of their sats are improving and you'll be able to see them both soon."
Relief washes over me and for the first time in an hour I'm able to breathe properly. "Gabby was hemorrhaging, it took a while before we were able to stop the bleeding. She's lost a lot of blood, thankfully, we were able to get it under control before we had to take drastic measures."
"Thank you, doc," I say thickly. "Where is my daughter?"
She grins. "You'll be able to see her in just a few minutes. She's going to be sore and exhausted, but she's recovering."
She's alive, they both are and that's all that I fucking care about. I thank the doctor once again and turn to Raylee who's sobbing softly. "She's alive, Ray."
She gives me a watery smile. "I know, these are relieved tears."
I get it, fuck, I fucking get it. "Shall we go and find them?" I'm not willing to wait around any longer.
Her laughter is soft, but she nods.
Christ, I'm a grandfather.
"Congratulations, Gabriella," I hear Christina say as I enter the house. I hadn't expected her to be here, Gabby's just been released from the hospital with Anthony. My grandson is fighting fit and my daughter is still tender and sore, but she's fucking amazing and so happy.
"Thanks, Christina," Gabby replies softly.
"Must be nice to have taken the lazy way out," Christina sneers. "Having a Cesarean section is just so lazy."
I start to move toward the sitting room, ready to drag that bitch from my daughter's house. How fucking dare she say that shit to Gabby? I'm going to kill her. Fuck her father, I'll gladly kill them both.
"My son is okay," Gabby responds, her voice tight. "And that’s all that mattered. Giving birth—no matter how you do it—is an amazing experience, and no one should be shamed for it."
I walk into the room and Christina plasters on a fake smile. God, she's a fucking bitch.
Soon, I won't have to deal with Christina, I know that with certainty. I can't put up with her bullshit any longer. I'm too fucking old for this shit.