Chapter 8
CHAPTER EIGHT
GIA
O ur first morning as husband and wife is interrupted by my phone ringing at six am. I'm curled against Rosco's chest, warm and content and wearing nothing but his t-shirt from last night, when the shrill sound cuts through our post-wedding bliss.
"Ignore it," Rosco mumbles into my hair, his arm tightening around my waist.
But something about the early hour makes me uneasy. I reach for the phone, squinting at an unknown number as I answer on speakerphone.
"Hello?"
"Gia, sweetheart, congratulations on your wedding."
My blood turns to ice. Zack's voice, smooth and cultured and dripping with false warmth, fills our bedroom like poison.
Rosco goes rigid behind me, instantly alert. He sits up, his expression darkening as he recognizes the voice through the phone.
"How did you get this number?" I ask, though I already know it doesn't matter. Zack has resources I can't even imagine.
"I have my ways. More importantly, I saw the pictures. Beautiful ceremony. Very... rustic."
Pictures. He has pictures of our wedding. The violation of that makes my stomach clench with nausea.
"What do you want, Zack?"
"I want to offer my congratulations, of course. And to let you know that I'll be filing an updated custody petition this week. Now that you've married some mountain man, the courts will need to reassess your stability."
Rosco's hand settles on my back, warm and steadying, but I can feel the tension radiating from him.
"We're married now," I say, forcing my voice to stay level. "That should prove stability."
"To some trailer park local who probably doesn't even have a college degree? Gia, darling, you can do better."
"Rosco is worth ten of you."
"Maybe. But he's not the father of your child."
"Yes he is."
Zack's laugh is cold, calculated. "That's where you're wrong.
You see, I've been doing some research on your new husband.
Kane Construction has an interesting safety record.
Several violations, a few accidents. It would be terrible if something happened to disrupt his business right when you need stability most."
The threat is clear. He's not just coming after me anymore. He's targeting Rosco, threatening everything we've built together.
"You bastard."
"I'm practical. Just like our arrangement is going to be." His voice drops to that dangerous quiet I remember too well. "You have twenty-four hours to come home, Gia. Alone. Or your mountain man's business suffers some very unfortunate setbacks."
"I'm not going anywhere with you."
"Yes, you are. Because if you don't, I'll make sure Kane Construction never gets another permit in this province.
I'll have safety inspectors crawling over every site, insurance companies denying claims, clients canceling contracts.
How long do you think your marriage will last when you're the reason he loses everything? "
Panic floods my system. Zack has the connections to do exactly what he's threatening. Old money, political influence, the kind of power that can destroy a small business with a few phone calls.
"Twenty-four hours," he repeats. "I'll send a car."
The line goes dead, leaving me staring at my phone with shaking hands. Beside me, Rosco is already reaching for his clothes.
"Pack a bag," he says grimly.
"What?"
"We're leaving. Right now. If that psychotic fuck thinks he can threaten my family, he's got another thing coming."
"Rosco, no." I catch his arm as he starts to stand. "You don't understand. He has resources, connections. He can do exactly what he threatened."
"So do I." His eyes are deadly serious. "And I've got something he doesn't."
"What?"
"A family that doesn't abandon people." He sits back down, pulling me into his arms. "Gia, I need you to trust me. Can you do that?"
"Of course, but..."
"No buts. We're not running, and you're sure as hell not going back to him. We're going to end this, once and for all."
Twenty minutes later, we're dressed and driving toward Iron Vine Estate. I've tried arguing, explaining, begging Rosco to understand that Zack isn't just some local bully who can be intimidated. But he's not listening. His jaw is set in that stubborn line I'm learning means his mind is made up.
"This is insane," I say as we pull into the estate's driveway. "You're going to lose everything because of me."
"I'm going to keep everything that matters because of you." He parks the truck and turns to face me. "Gia, I meant what I said in our vows yesterday. You and our baby are my priority. Not my business, not my reputation, you."
"But if he destroys Kane Construction..."
"Then I'll build something else. But I'm not letting him terrorize you into submission."
Before I can argue further, the front door of the main house opens and Noah appears, followed by Talia, Silas, and what looks like half the Kane family. They're all dressed like they're heading to a business meeting with serious expressions and determined bearing.
"What's going on?" I ask as we approach the house.
"Family meeting," Noah says grimly. "Jake's already inside with his tech team."
"Tech team?"
"The kind that can make rich assholes like Zack Whitmore very uncomfortable," Talia explains, ushering me into the house.
The main living room has been transformed into a war room. Laptops, documents, and what appears to be surveillance equipment cover every surface. Jake, the family’s security consultant, stands at the center of it all, directing operations like a general preparing for battle.
"Gia," he says as we enter. "Good, you're here. We need to move fast."
"Move fast on what?"
"Stopping Zack Whitmore from ever threatening you again." Jake's smile is cold, predatory. "Turns out your ex has been very sloppy about covering his tracks."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean he's been using his family's resources for personal vendettas, bribing officials, and probably committing several federal crimes in the process. My people have been digging into his activities since the night we rescued you from his penthouse."
"You've been investigating him?"
"The moment he threatened one of ours, he became our problem." Noah's expression is granite hard. "The Kane family protects all Kanes."
"But I wasn't a Kane then..."
"You were the moment you walked through Rosco's door," Silas says firmly. "And now you're officially family. Which means this ends today."
Jake turns his laptop screen toward us, showing what appears to be financial records, email communications, and legal documents.
"Zack Whitmore has been using his father's construction company to intimidate competitors, including bribing building inspectors to cite violations on rival businesses. He's also been using private investigators to stalk and harass multiple women, not just you."
"Other women?"
"Three that we've found so far. All followed similar patterns: isolation, control, threats when they tried to leave." Jake's voice is grim. "This isn't about you or your baby, Gia. This is about a pattern of predatory behavior that he's been getting away with for years."
"So what do we do?"
"We give all this evidence to the authorities and let them handle it." Silas holds up a thick folder. "I've already been in contact with the RCMP and Vancouver PD. They're very interested in Mr. Whitmore's activities."
"And in the meantime?" Rosco asks.
"In the meantime, he gets a taste of his own medicine." Jake's smile turns savage. "My security team is already in Vancouver. If he wants to play games with threats and intimidation, he picked the wrong family to mess with."
My phone rings again. The same unknown number.
"Answer it," Jake says, gesturing to the recording equipment. "Let's see what else he's willing to incriminate himself with."
With shaking hands, I accept the call and put it on speaker.
"Hello, Zack."
"Gia. I hope you've had time to think about my offer."
"I've had time to think about a lot of things."
"Good. The car will be there in two hours."
"I'm not getting in any car." My voice is steadier than I feel. "And I'm not leaving my husband."
"Your husband?" Zack's voice hardens. "That construction worker who can barely afford to keep his business running? Gia, be reasonable."
"I am being reasonable. I'm choosing love over control, respect over possession, and a real man over a pathetic bully."
The silence on the other end is deafening. When Zack speaks again, his voice is deadly quiet.
"You're making a mistake."
"The only mistake I made was wasting two years of my life with you."
"You think your mountain man can protect you? You think his little construction company matters against what I can do?"
"I think you're about to find out what happens when you threaten a Kane."
"Is that supposed to scare me?"
"It should." Jake steps closer to the phone. "This is Jake Winters, Mr. Whitmore. I believe we have some mutual acquaintances in the tech industry."
Another silence, longer this time.
"Who the hell are you?"
"Someone with a lot more resources than you have, and a lot less patience for men who threaten pregnant women.
" Jake's voice is silk wrapped around steel.
"By now, your accountants have probably noticed some irregularities in your family's business accounts.
Your building permits are being reviewed for compliance issues.
And I believe the RCMP has some questions about your private investigation activities. "
"You can't prove anything."
"Actually, we can prove everything. We have emails, financial transfers, and recorded conversations with the officials you've been bribing. It's all very thoroughly documented."
"You're bluffing."
"Am I? Check your phone, Mr. Whitmore. I think you'll find some interesting news alerts about Whitmore Development facing federal corruption charges."
I hear the sound of typing, then a sharp intake of breath.
"How did you..."
"I told you. I have resources. And right now, those resources are focused on making sure you never bother Gia or her family again."
"This isn't over."
"Yes, it is." Rosco steps forward, his voice carrying absolute authority. "You come near my wife, my child, or my business again, and you'll be dealing with more than just legal troubles. You'll be dealing with me."
"Are you threatening me?"
"I'm making you a promise. Stay away from my family, or learn what happens when you fuck with a Kane."
The line goes dead. In the silence that follows, I realize I'm shaking. Not with fear, but with relief so intense it makes me dizzy.
"Is it really over?" I ask.
"It's really over," Silas confirms, showing me his phone. "Whitmore Development is being raided by federal agents as we speak. Zack is going to be far too busy with his own legal troubles to bother you anymore."
"But what if he posts bail? What if he..."
"Then he violates the restraining order I filed this morning and goes back to jail." Silas's smile is sharp. "Either way, he's not your problem anymore."
I sink into the nearest chair, overwhelmed by the sudden absence of the fear that's been my constant companion for months. "I can't believe it's actually over."
"Believe it," Talia says, sitting beside me. "You're safe now. You and the baby and any other children you and Rosco decide to have."
"We did this together," Noah adds. "All of us. Because that's what family does."
"Thank you." The words feel inadequate for what they've done, what they've given me. "All of you. I don't know how to repay..."
"You don't repay family," Rosco says, pulling me to my feet and into his arms. "You just show up for each other when it matters."
"Speaking of showing up," Jake says, packing up his equipment, "I believe you two have a honeymoon to get to."
"Honeymoon?"
"The cabin on the lake," Talia explains. "It's all arranged. Three days of complete privacy while the rest of us handle any loose ends with the authorities."
"But what if..."
"No what-ifs," Rosco says firmly. "Just us, a quiet cabin, and the rest of our lives to figure out."
As we drive away from Iron Vine Estate an hour later, headed toward a lake cabin I didn't even know existed, I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop. For Zack to call, for new threats to emerge, for something to go wrong.
But my phone stays silent. The mountain air is clean and crisp, the scenery is breathtaking, and my husband's hand is warm and steady in mine.
"You okay?" Rosco asks as we wind through forest roads that seem to lead nowhere.
"I keep waiting for it to not be real. For Zack to show up, for the fear to come back."
"The fear might come back sometimes. Trauma doesn't just disappear overnight." He squeezes my hand. "But Zack won't. That part is over for good."
"How can you be so sure?"
"Because Jake Winters doesn't make empty threats. And because my family doesn't leave loose ends."
The cabin, when we finally reach it, is perfect. Small but cozy, with a stone fireplace, a deck overlooking the water, and complete privacy. No cell service, no internet, just us and the sound of lapping waves.
"Jake arranged this?" I ask, setting down my bag in the bedroom.
"Jake arranged a lot of things. Turns out having a billionaire tech mogul in the family has its advantages.” He wraps his arms around me from behind, his hands settling on my belly. "And we have a loud, crazy, overprotective family who would move mountains for the people they love."
"And they love me?"
"They love you. Almost as much as I do."
I lean back against his chest, finally allowing myself to truly relax for the first time in months. "So what do we do now?"
"Now we start our married life. We make plans for the baby, figure out how to expand the cabin for a growing family, and drive each other crazy in all the best ways."
"That sounds perfect."
"It is perfect. You're perfect." He turns me in his arms, his eyes serious. "I love you, Gia Kane. More than I ever thought it was possible to love someone."
"I love you too. Completely, permanently, forever."
"Forever," he agrees, leaning down to kiss me. "Starting right now."
As the sun sets over the lake and my husband carries me to our bed, I realize this is what happiness feels like. Not the absence of problems or fear, but the presence of someone worth fighting for.
Someone worth choosing, every single day, for the rest of my life.
And I plan to choose Rosco Kane every single day until the day I die.