Chapter 37: Past (Gianna's POV) I closed the portfolio for the upcoming dresses and sighed, standing up and closing everything off. It's finally time for the lunch break. I know that Ace is waiting on that confirmation from his new client today, so instead of asking him to come to a restaurant or to my office, I thought I'd visit him today with some food. So, I stopped by a restaurant and got us some Italian food and then drove myself to Delirium. I parked the car, grabbed my purse and the bag from the restaurant, and headed inside. "Mrs. Allister," Owen smiled, getting the door for me. "Hi, Owen," I smiled back, thanking him for opening the door and then heading inside. I got to his office door and knocked. "Come in!" I pushed it open and strolled in and over to his desk. "Hi," I sang, putting the food on the table, taking out the boxes. "Hi," he sighed, spinning his chair away from the table, to the left while I walked around the table and to him. "You look more tired than me today, what happened?" I chuckled softly while he pulled me into his lap, his arms holding my waist tightly. "This client is taking very long to respond and it's annoying me now. I might just call it off." He mumbled while kissing my cheek. "And who is this client that is causing you so much trouble? I doubt I can help but I'd love to curse at them. Who is it?" "Tony Thorn. You know him?" My smile fell instantly and I felt chills erupting all over my body as my blood ran cold. "Gianna?" "Did you just say 'Tony Thorn?'" "Yeah," he said slowly. "Why?" I climbed off of his lap and stood in front of him. "Do you even know who he is, Ace?" He shrugged, "I know he's part of this business and I'm going to meet him today to strike a deal. That is if he calls back. Why? How do you know him?" "You're not meeting him." He frowned, "Why?" "You don't even know who he is." "Do you?" He lifted a brow at me. I sighed, staring at him. I have to tell him. If I want to convince him not to meet the man who I am most terrified of, I need to tell him how I know that man and why I'm really terrified of him in the first place. "He's a Russian mobster, don't you know that?" I huffed. "Yeah, so? He comes to Chicago once a year to strike deals with people and he goes to New York too. Why is that so important?" "Do you know his protocol?" I asked slowly. He shook his head, blinking at me. "If he doesn't like your deal, he kills you on the spot, Allister. He believes that you offered him such a bad deal because you think lowly of him and he loses his mind. He is insane, seriously." "Then I'll make sure he accepts my deal." I gritted my teeth. "That's even worse." "Why?" "Because not only will he go through with the deal, but he'll demand something else. A bonus. Usually a woman. And you just got married. To me! And everybody knows it." He blinked in realization, falling into thought. "I've heard rumors about him trafficking the women and I don't think they're just rumors. He could just kill the woman too. He is a psychopath, Ace. He kills people day and night and he does it for fun." He sighed in frustration and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I can't believe you were going to meet him without researching him. How the hell are you one of the most powerful and dangerous men in Chicago? You're incredibly stupid for that title." "I wasn't going to strike a deal today, I was just going to get familiar with him." "He doesn't meet the same person twice. He would have forced it out of you in one go." He narrowed his eyes at me. "How do you know all this?" I cleared my throat, brushing my sage green blazer dress off, dusting off the imaginary dust. "I'm hungry, I should eat." He grabbed my wrist and pulled me down until I stumbled and fell into his lap. "You-" "You've met him?" He lifted a brow at me. I shook my head. "Then how do you know so much about him? Has your father met him?" I nodded slowly. "A very long time ago. I was younger and…" "And what? Gianna?" "He… killed my mom." He took in a small breath, his lips parting as he processed my words. I looked away from him but didn't climb off his lap. I clenched and unclenched my jaw, grinding my teeth together while my hands fisted up, my nails digging into my palms again. "I didn't know that, I'm sorry." "It's fine," I said softly. I heard him sigh before he grabbed my hands, opening up my fist, tracing the crescent moon dents that were in my palm with the pad of his finger. "It's okay, Ace. You didn't know anything about my past. I didn't expect you to know about that. But do you understand why I'm asking you not to meet him?" I faced him again. "I hate this world that you and my father are a part of but I've never felt afraid because I have people looking out for me. But the one man I'm afraid of is Tony Thorn. He killed my mom right in front of us, Ace. In our house. That was the price my dad had to pay for striking a deal with him. And he couldn't even back out of it. That man knows who I am. He definitely knows that we're married. I really don't think you should be striking deals with him. He's not someone anybody should be dealing with." There was a knock on the door and I stood up while Ace sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose before calling out, "Come in!" Owen stuck his head in with an uncomfortable look on his face, his lips pulled together in a straight line. "You have visitors." "Who is it, Owen? It's lunchtime right now." Owen glanced at me. "It's Tony Thorn." Not many people know what happened to my mother. And the people who know, pretend they don't. That's how afraid people are of Tony Thorn. Nobody deals with him unless they're crazy with nothing to lose. And my husband is neither one of those. I doubt Owen knows, but he could. Maybe Chase told him. Or maybe he heard it from someone else. "Why is he here?" I asked Ace. I don't think Ace called him. "I thought striking deals are better in person." I closed my eyes and sighed, lowering my head when I heard the voice I haven't heard in years, my nightmares aside. Fuck's sake. Why is this happening to me? Why do I out of all people have to face him again? Why me? I looked up as he pushed past Owen with one man trailing behind him. His right hand, I suppose. "You can't be in here until you're permitted," Owen said sternly. "Are you going to show us out then?" The man with Tony asked. Tony Thorn is about my dad's age. He looks like any other man that age would. And he actually looks like a sweet man. I even thought that as a kid when I first saw him. That he was like an uncle. "I think you should leave," Ace said softly to me. I think so too. I moved to walk around the table and grab my purse but when I reached the other side, I halted when the guy, who on a closer look only appeared to be a few years older than me, stood in my way. "Have we met?" I didn't answer and moved to walk around him but he blocked my way again. "You seem to know my father." Oh, great. He's the son. "Move out of her way," Ace said calmly. "Oh, she's the wife, I see. My bad." He moved away. I grabbed my purse, not having an appetite anymore. "It looks like we interrupted the couple's lunch. Sorry about that," Tony said. "Hello, Gianna." I stopped on my way to the door, my feet getting nailed to the ground. "You know her, dad?" I turned back around, facing them but I looked solely at Ace, who glanced at the door, then back at me, telling me to leave. "Very well. I know her parents a little better though. Don't I?" He smiled at me cruelly. I grabbed the handle, ready to leave. "Are you sure you'd like to leave your husband alone with us?" I stopped, my breath getting caught in my throat. "I'm sure I'll be fine," Ace replied. "You think so, sweetheart?" Tony asked me. "Don't call me that," I said, glad that my voice didn't waver or shake. My dad thought they were friends. That doing business with him would be great. That's why he never hid my mom, Chase, or me from him. We treated this man like family. And I even met his son once. And then we saw who he really was. "It's good to hear your voice again. The last time I saw you, all I heard were your screams and cries. Join us for the meeting. I'm sure you'll have a lot to say." "My wife doesn't need to be here, Gianna, you can go." I instantly threw his son's hand off of me as he grabbed my arm. "I can stand still on my own, do not touch me," I said through gritted teeth. He chuckled, "All right. If you say so. I'm Zion, by the way." "I don't care," I shook my head, walking back to Ace and standing beside him. He sighed, looking up at me. "You shouldn't be here." "Neither should they. And since they are, I can't leave now. Get it over with, please," I mumbled. Tony and his son took a seat across from us in the two chairs. "I must say, Gianna, I'm disappointed I wasn't invited to the wedding. Your father and I were close." I rolled my eyes, looking through the window. "What happened?" Zion asked, watching me with amusement. "Nothing much," Tony sighed. "I just killed her mother." "Really? How?" "I kept it simple but you know I can't aim. She suffered a little more than I intended for her to. I only-" "You can leave, Tony. I'm not interested in striking any deals with you," Ace said, cutting him off. "That's not what you said earlier," Tony said, glaring at Ace. "Well, I changed my mind. Show yourself out of my office and club." "Let's leave the past in the past, Ace. I have problems with her, not you." "Her problems are mine too. You seem to be the biggest one. Get out," Ace said sternly. "I won't ask for her, don't worry. You two don't even have children yet. If you did, the story would be different," he smirked, glancing at me. Ace sighed, "I'm sure you don't have weapons on you. They aren't allowed here." "Of course. We abide by the rules." "Hmm," Ace nodded. "But I don't." I saw him reaching under the desk and pulling out a gun. Isn't that the gun he won at the auction? He cocked it, so clearly, it's loaded, and pulled it on them. He pointed it toward the door and then back at Tony, aiming right between his eyes. "You might have a horrible aim, but I don't." Ace smiled. "I said I'm not interested in doing business with you. If you deny deals, then so do I. And you don't run Chicago because you don't belong to our circle. I admit I should have done my research on you, my mistake. I should have known there was a reason nobody in our circle strikes deals with you anymore. But I know now. So get the fuck out. Before I pull the trigger." . . . . . Chapter 37