Chapter 42 Gabriel
Anna is still asleep next to me. I look at her for a moment and think to myself how beautiful she is. Everything I've done or would do for her — I'd burn cities if anyone so much as caused her pain.
I sit up and grab my phone. I'd set up everything perfectly for last night's blue warehouse hit, so the FBI raid should have gone down without an issue.
I see a few missed texts from Enzo, so I open them to read.
It's important.
Shit, 15 minutes.
I stand up and stretch.
Anna pops up, "Gabriel, Gabriel, where are… oh," she says, looking at me and smiling.
"I'm here," I say and lean in to kiss her. She kisses me back and rubs her face.
"I've been tossing and turning all night. Did it work?"
"I'm not sure yet. I just got up."
"God, I hope so. I just want to talk about our trip, and maybe, well…"
"What?" I ask.
"You know, you said I had to marry you, so…"
"Ah," I say and laugh, "we will. And yes, you do. No options on that," I say with a smile.
I put on my shirt as Anna rolls out of bed.
"Enzo wants to speak with me. He'll be here in 15."
Her eyes widen, "Enzo? Why?"
I laugh, "Relax, it's all part of the plan. I'm sure it's about last night."
"Speaking of that," Anna says and turns on the TV.
The news has a picture of Ivan on the screen. We both move in closer to listen.
"Last night, FBI officials made one of the largest busts in history. They captured Ivan 'The Siberian' Morozkin, head of the Russian Morozkin crime family, a ruthless man who terrorized the residents of Chicago. Our very own Evelyn Adams is live with Special Agent Tim Greens."
"You know him?" I ask.
"Yes, he's an asshole," Anna says, still looking at the screen.
"It was a major effort over many months with some of our top agents to get this done.
We all worked really hard on this. In addition to capturing Ivan, we've seized $22 million in drugs and another $42 million in illegal arms. We also captured Ivan's second-in-command.
It's a big day for Chicago, and our team of FBI agents here.
I'm very proud of them. The city can rest safe today knowing one of the big crime families in our area has been destroyed. "
Anna turns off the TV and turns to me.
"Looks like your plan worked."
"I told you. They won't worry about you leaving. Look at what you gave them."
She smiles at me.
"Now, when Enzo gets here, I'm going to bring him into my office," I say.
She nods, "Got it."
We head downstairs, and the doorbell rings. Lydia walks past to go open the door.
"Lydia, actually, could you take Anna into the kitchen for coffee? I'll get it."
She pauses for a moment, "Oh, okay. Yes, come on, dear," she says and ushers Anna away.
I open the door, and Enzo greets me with a hug.
"Fucking crazy last night, huh?" he asks, coming inside.
"Yes, I don't know how that happened," I say, shutting the door.
Enzo waves his hand, "Ah, you're alive, Russians are destroyed. It's fine," he says and starts walking but stops and turns, "But Sammy, poor Sammy," he says.
"Yes, I—"
"Let's talk in your office," Enzo says and starts walking.
When we're inside the room, he quickly takes a seat.
"You want something? I can have Lydia—"
"No, no, please sit."
I sit down, and I'm filled with hesitation. He has a look on his face I can't quite make out.
"About last night," I say.
"I'm not here for that. I know what happened, and it's worked in our favor, so I'm happy. Who would have thought the feds would rid us of the Russians?"
I shake my head in pretended disbelief.
Enzo looks at me for a second and then speaks.
"Gabriel, how long have we known each other?"
I pause, thinking back. "A long time."
He nods, a small smile showing on his face. "Remember when you first joined us? You were just a kid, 18, right?"
"Yes, how could I forget?" I smirk. "You took me under your wing when I had nothing."
Enzo laughs. "You were a scrappy little shit, but I saw potential in you. Remember that first job I sent you on?"
I lean forward, grinning. "The protection racket down on 18th Street? Christ, I was so nervous I could barely speak when I walked into that deli."
"But you got the job done," Enzo says. "You always did."
We share a laugh, and I feel the unspoken tension dissipating.
"Oh, and what about that time we had to move those shipments through the docks?" I ask. "Back when your grandfather was still running things?"
Enzo nods, his expression growing serious. "That was a close call. If it wasn't for your quick thinking, we would've lost everything."
"We were younger then," I say with fondness. "Took more risks."
We fall into a comfortable silence, thinking over our past. The illegal activities, the close calls, and all the victories.
Enzo shifts in his chair.
"Gabriel, there's something else we need to discuss," he says. "I'm going to be straight with you, I know you killed Luca."
My heart stops at his words.
I feel the blood drain from my face as panic floods my system. I struggle to maintain my composure, but I can feel my hands starting to tremble. My mind races, desperately searching for a way out of this, an explanation, anything.
How the fuck did he find out?
I open my mouth to speak, but he holds up a hand, silencing me.
"That day I came here unexpectedly, after that mishap you and Luca were supposed to handle."
I nod slowly, unable to form words with my mouth dry. I can feel beads of sweat forming on my forehead, but I force myself to stay calm, to think clearly.
"I noticed things, Gabriel. Things that didn't add up," Enzo continues, his eyes never leaving mine. "The missing rug here in your office, for one. The smell of cleaning supplies, the smell was so goddamn strong, like someone had just finished scrubbing the place down."
How could I have been so careless?
"And then there were the specks of blood on the floor," Enzo says. "Small, easy to miss if cleaning in a hurry."
I want to speak. To say something, anything, but I can't find the words.
"Now, I didn't act immediately because I wasn't 100% sure," he says, his eyes still locked on mine. "And frankly, we had bigger issues to deal with. The Russians were breathing down our necks."
He takes a pause before continuing.
"You see, at first, I thought maybe I was overthinking things," Enzo continues. "But then Luca disappeared. No calls, no messages. It wasn't like him. And then," he says, his voice growing harder, "I started hearing whispers. Rumors about you and Luca's girl. The one you're with now."
I can feel the muscle in my jaw twitching.
"People talk, Gabriel," Enzo says. "And I listen. I heard about the tension between you two. How you both seemed interested in the same woman."
I swallow hard, trying to find my voice.
Enzo leans forward. "I didn’t know how to feel about it all, but I knew I was going to have to do something about it."
My blood runs cold. I know exactly what Enzo means.
"But then," he continues, "something happened that changed everything. Delaney came to me with those videos of Isabella, and we learn she was talking to the feds. Still can't believe it. Luca's own wife, a fucking rat."
It did come as a shock to me at the time, too.
"At first, I was furious," Enzo says. "But then I started thinking. How the fuck wouldn't Luca know she's meeting with the feds all those times? It's not a stretch to think he was a fucking rat, too. I mean, the guy had a big mouth. I've had to clean up his shit on more than one occasion."
He leans back, his stern face breaks into a smile. "And that's when I realized something, Gabriel. It was a sign from God."
I raise an eyebrow, not quite following. "A sign?"
Enzo shakes his head. "Yes, a sign. You whack the man whose wife was leaking intel to the FBI. It's like divine justice. Like God himself was looking out for our family."
Enzo isn't just letting me off the hook; he's justifying my actions.
"So you see, Gabriel, when I realized all this, I knew I couldn't go through with my original plan. You didn't just kill Luca. You saved our family from a traitor."
I nod slowly, still processing everything, but making sure not to be a fool and take what he's offering. "Enzo, I—I don't know what to say."
He smiles, a genuine warmth in his eyes. "You don't need to say anything, Gabriel. You did what needed to be done, even if you had different motives, the universe had you protect this family, just like you always have."
I'm so confused about what's happening, but I don't question it. I'm not dead, and I have Anna — that's the only thing I care about right now.
Enzo's eyes shift to the framed photograph on my desk.
"How's Livia? Talk with her recently?" Enzo asks, his tone casual but loaded with meaning.
I'm caught off guard by the abrupt change in subject. I turn to look at the photo. "No, I've been busy. But if I don't hear from her, then it usually means she's good. Like I told you, she'll be visiting soon," I say and turn back to Enzo.
Enzo nods, a smile spreading across his face. "You know, Gabriel, you're like a brother to me. Always have been."
I raise an eyebrow, unsure where he's going with this.
"I want to bring you fully into the family, Gabriel. And what better way than through marriage?" He gestures to Livia's photo. "Your sister, she'd make a perfect wife. Think about it. It would cement your position, protect everyone you care about."
The words hit me like a punch to the gut. I struggle to keep my face neutral.
I force a smile. "That's quite an offer, Enzo. I'll need some time to think it over. To figure out how to approach Livia with this request."
Enzo laughs. "Well, Gabriel, it’s not as much of a request as you might want to believe.
I’ve given this a lot of thought, and it’s what needs to happen in order for us to move on and for you to show your loyalty once and for all.
So," he says and leans over, "I’m sure you’ll make her understand.
It's what's best for the family, and for you personally. "
"And what exactly would this mean for me?" I ask.
Enzo smiles. "I'm glad you asked, Gabe. With this union, you'd take Luca's role."
"A captain? That's quite a promotion," I say.
"It is," Enzo nods. "Because I trust you. I know you'll do what's right. And with Livia as my wife, I know you'll be even more invested in protecting our interests. Protecting her."
I stand and walk around the desk. "I'm taking Anna to Europe for a few weeks to get away. I need the time. Livia will be here in four weeks. We'll return then, and you'll have what you want."
Enzo gets up and pats me on the shoulder. "I knew you'd understand. Enjoy your time, and I expect you in a month's time. Take care, Gabe."
He walks out and shuts the door. I wait for a few moments and then pick up the small table that rests between my two office chairs and throw it against the wall.
Motherfucker.
After I calm down, I go to find Anna. She's in the kitchen, nervously sipping coffee. When she sees me, her eyes widen with concern.
"Gabriel, what happened? Is everything okay?"
"Things have worked out even better than we planned. Enzo knows about Luca, but he thinks I did him a service because he feels Luca may have been a snitch like Isabella."
"That's good, right? Why do you have a look like it’s not good?" Anna asks, studying my face.
"Yeah, because there's something else. He wants me to marry my sister. And the way he said it," I clench my fists, "if it doesn't happen, we may all be in trouble."
Anna sets down her coffee cup, her hand trembling slightly. "What are you going to do?"
I walk over to her, pulling her into my arms. "The only thing I can do. We're going to Europe to enjoy our time together and celebrate the next chapter in our lives, and when we come back," I pause, hating the words even as I say them, "I'll convince Livia to marry him."
"Gabriel…" Anna starts, but I cut her off with a kiss.
"Let's not worry about it now. We'll find a way through this, together."
I hold her tightly, trying to push away the gnawing fear in my gut.
"Pack your bags, Bella. We're leaving tonight."
As we walk upstairs to pack, I can't shake the image of Livia's photo on my desk. My brilliant little sister with her Ph.D. dreams and her quiet life away from all this violence. I'm about to drag her straight into hell.
But at least we'll all be alive.
For now.