ACCIDENTALLY MARRIED TO THE BILLIONAIRE SINGLE DAD (Gabrielle and Damon) novel Chapter 159

DAMON’S POV

Anger was the first emotion that hit the next morning.

Actually, no.

For the past few days, anger had been the only thing I could feel most of the time.

I hid it well from Gabrielle because being in her presence gave me a sense of calm. With her, there was only peace, love, and warmth.

But the moment I was away from her, the anger crept back in–stronger every day.

It was becoming increasingly difficult to control after spending the last fifteen years feeling almost nothing at all.

Now, it was like something inside me had finally woken up.

And it was furious.

I saw Father in my sleep every night, laughing and drinking with Rocco while they tore me apart piece by piece.

Over and over again, the memories from my past played like a broken record.

Oh, there were so many ways to kill Rocco.

And I intended to enjoy every single one of them.

I exhaled deeply and tried to clear my mind as I got out of bed.

Gabrielle was still asleep when I finished getting ready for work.

She was curled up on her side, her hair falling across her face and one hand tucked awkwardly under her chin.

I couldn’t risk touching her, despite how badly I wanted to.

She would wake up, say one word, and I’d end up staying in bed with her all day.

I couldn’t afford that luxury right now, so I wrote a note and left it on the bedside table before leaving the room.

It took me only a few minutes to get to Rhys’s house.

He hadn’t been responding to my messages or picking up my calls since our conversation in that hospital room.

“I haven’t seen him in over a week now,” Vani said to me. “He has never gone this long without informing me.”

The concern on his face looked genuine. Which meant he was probably telling the truth.

That left only one possibility.

My reckless brother had gone back to Spain to take Diego’s seat.

Rhys was a grown man, and I knew it wasn’t in my place to stop him, but something about that didn’t sit right with me.

A text came in on my phone as I walked back to the car.

It was from Zane Carter.

“Just landed. Your hotel.”

Perfect timing.

CHAPTER 159

I slipped the phone back into my pocket and started the engine.

If Rhys had really gone to Spain, then things were about to get complicated.

+25 Bonus

“I need you to hack into their servers or whatever it is that you do,” I said, rejecting Zane’s drink offer. “I’m willing to pay any

amount.”

Zane’s expression fell at my rejection, but he kept the bottle and the glass down.

“It’s a lovely hotel you’ve got here, Gravari,” he said casually, as if we came here for sightseeing. “Perfect interior, good service, and well–mannered staff.”

“Look, now is not the time to mess around, Zane,” I said, forcing myself to remain calm. “Are you going to work with me? Yes or no.”

For the past ten minutes, Zane had been talking about anything but what we really came here for.

He was the deal I’d been trying to close.

I needed something to keep the other Dons from fighting back when I take out Rocco, their leader.

And he was the only person into tech I could trust.

“You’re not understanding my point,” he finally addressed the topic. “I don’t need any money from you. I like to believe we are friends.”

Then why are you wasting my time?” I asked. “You know you’re the only one I can trust. And I know you want out too for the

future bride.”

at me for a couple of seconds, then leaned forward and poured himself a drink.

the Don of Dons, Gravari,” he said, pausing to take a sip from the glass. “All the other dons report to him. He’s in all businesses.”

He drank everything and poured another round.

“You’re asking me to dig into the most powerful men in Europe,” he continued. “That’s not just risky. That’s suicide. And it’s not something one can just do, even for a friend.”

“I’m aware of the risks,” I said.

He leaned back in his chair. “Let me guess,” he said. “This isn’t about money or power. It’s about revenge.”

My jaw tightened. “That obvious?”

“Only to someone who knows you,” he replied calmly. “But you’re usually more patient than this.”

Patient.

For fifteen years I had been nothing but patient. “I’m done waiting.”

Zane watched me for another moment before exhaling slowly.

“Alright,” he said. “Let’s say I agree to help you. What exactly are you looking for?”

“Everything,” I answered without hesitation. “I want to kill Rocco, take his place, and use my position to bring everyone down.”

His eyebrows lifted slightly. “That’s too crazy. Even for you.”

“Well,” I said, “I don’t have a choice. Rocco has something on me. And until you dig into their systems and get me dirt on all of

CHAPTER 159

+25 Bonus

them, I can’t kill him.”

Curiosity swirled in his eyes.

I ignored it. “I need you to hack into their shit and give me something to blackmail them into compliance with.”

Zane was quiet for a moment.

He turned the glass slowly in his hand, the ice clinking softly against the sides.

“You want dirt on every don who reports to Rocco,” he said eventually. “Enough to make them turn on him… or at least stay quiet while you remove him.”

“Exactly.”

“And you think they’ll just fall in line because you threaten them?”

“They will if the alternative is exposing their secrets, death… or worse.”

Zane studied me like he was trying to decide whether I had lost my mind.

“Do you even hear yourself right now?” he asked. “You’re talking about dismantling the entire power structure of the European underworld.”

Rage suddenly surged through me.

“The underworld tortured me longer than it didn’t,” I gritted out. “It took my childhood, my mother, my sister. And even my half–brother is fucked up too.”

He stared at me, obviously lost for words.

“It took a lot from you too,” I added. “You know it did. And it will take from our children and their children if we do not end it.”

He shook his head slowly. “Damon-

“What will you tell her politician father when Rocco cuts off her head for a mistake you made?” I cut him off.

He didn’t respond.

I knew he couldn’t.

“If you think they’ll just let you go after everything, think again,” I continued. “These people won’t let us go because they need the resources we have. So we have to burn them all to the ground.”

Another silence settled between us.

Finally, he finished his drink in one swallow before setting the glass down with a quiet thud.

“Alright,” he said. “I’ll help you.”

The words were barely out of his mouth before he raised a finger.

“But there’s a condition.”

I narrowed my eyes slightly. “Name it.”

Zane leaned back in his chair. “I want insurance.”

“What kind of insurance?”

“The kind that keeps me alive if this blows up in our faces,” he said calmly.

My attention sharpened.

CHAPTER 190

+25 Bonus

His gaze locked onto mine. “I already know there’s nothing incriminating about you in their database. Give me leverage on you.”

I let out a breath. “Smart. But no.”

Zane’s expression didn’t change. “I’m serious, Damon.”

“So am 1,” I returned. “If you can’t trust me, how can I trust you?”

I reached into my jacket and pulled out my phone, sliding it across the table toward him.

“You want insurance?” I asked. “Start digging then.”

Zane frowned slightly but he didn’t move to pick up my phone.

Slowly, his expression faded into something friendlier. “Of course, I trust you. And now that you’ve shown me you trust me, we have a deal.”

Relief surged through me instantly.

I reached for the pen and file on the table. “Sign this.”

He eyed the file. “We just talked about trust, Gravari.”

“I know, Carter,” I said. “But I’m a businessman.”

A smirk played on his lips as he took the file and signed. “You’ll hear back from in a few hours. Just make sure I remain in one piece for my bride.”

I signed after him and put my phone back in my pocket.

Then I stood and adjusted my jacket. “It’s a pleasure doing business with you.”

He stood up too, and stretched his hand out. “As always.”

I took his hand, but instead of shaking it, I pulled him forward.

My fist connected with his jaw before he even realized what was happening.

The crack echoed sharply through the room.

Zane stumbled back a step, grabbing the edge of the table to steady himself.

“What the-” he started, his voice rough.

I calmly adjusted the cuff of my jacket.

“That,” I said evenly, “was for the night you kissed my wife’s hand and flirted with her.”

Zane blinked at me, one hand still holding his jaw.

For a second he looked like he was considering fighting back, and I was ready for it.

Then he let out a short, disbelieving laugh. “You held onto that this whole time?”

“Yes.”

He straightened slowly, rolling his jaw as if checking whether it was still intact. “Jesus, Gravari.”

“You’re lucky that’s all you got,” I replied calmly. “Anyone else would have left this room on a stretcher.”

Zane rubbed his jaw again before chuckling under his breath. “Good to know the emotional range you’ve been developing lately includes jealousy.”

CHAPTER 159

I walked toward the door.

*25 Bonus

“It’s not jealousy,” I said without looking back. I paused briefly before adding, “She’s mine, Carter. Don’t forget that again.”

Behind me, he was still laughing. “Remind me never to compliment Mrs. Gravari again.”

“That would be wise,” I said as I opened the door.

And then I left him there.

A call came in on my phone from an unsaved contact.

I picked it up. “Gravari speaking.”

“Hello, dearest brother,” Rhys’s voice came through the phone. “I heard you’ve been looking for me.”

“Where the fuck are you?”

“I arrived in Italy last night,” he answered. “Decided to pay an old family friend a visit.”

Oh, shit!

Rhys was unpredictable and reckless, which meant there was no doubt he had already done something he shouldn’t have.

My footsteps slowed. “Wha

are you talking about?”

He hummed briefly, then said, “You should probably come see it for yourself, brother.”

D

Comments