LONELY HEARTS (COMPLETE)

Chapter 17: The New and Improved

It was the next day and Gemma had taken the past few days off. Welsh obviously let her take the time off most likely because he didn't want the heat coming his way. She was at a crossroads. Gemma needed a job, but she couldn't bear to work with Welsh ever again. She was deep in thought until she was interrupted.

"Here", Matteo walks in holding some pills and a glass of water. "The doctor prescribed you some pain meds, they should help a little". Gemma takes the pills without a fight. "I'm sorry I have to work today, things are crazy right now and they need me. Are you sure you're going to be okay while I'm gone"?

"Yes, don't worry about me, I'm okay now. I'm just going to be sleeping the whole day 'cause the painkillers make me sleepy, so you'd be here for nothing", she smiles.

"Alright", Matteo says regretfully. "I'll be back as fast as I can". He gives her a quick peck on the cheek and heads out the door. Lorenzo is already behind the wheel as two associates follow behind Matteo into the car. The clouds were gray and it had started raining now as he looks out the window.

"Where?"

"Drake's, client meeting, parking garage 2nd floor, silver Lexus", Lorenzo answers.

They pull into the parking garage behind the described car and as if on cue, Welsh was walking up the steps. Too focused on his phone, he didn't notice what was coming. In one swift motion, the two associates ambush him and hold him down, dropping him to his knees. Matteo throws one punch after another, causing Welsh to double over and fall on his side. Matteo takes this opportunity to kick him in the ribs for good measure. Bruised and beaten, the associates pick Welsh back up off the ground. He's limp in their arms, his head hung to one side. Matteo pulls out his knife and carefully presses it against his neck.

"You ever fucking touch her again, I'll kill you", he said with an eerie calmness. Welsh knew what he meant and nodded in agreement. The two associates let him go and climb into the car, leaving Welsh to contemplate his choices.

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The next day, Gemma was sitting on the bed, half dressed. She had no motivation or reason really to get ready. She knew she had to show up for work, it had been almost a week and she couldn't keep avoiding the inevitable. Gemma was still hung up on a decision, she wasn't even sure she wanted to do this anymore.

Gemma blankly stared at the wall in front of her, she thought about all the reasons not to go to work. The more she thought about Welsh, she realized he wasn't the real reason for her absence. She felt strange, she almost thought she was crazy. Gemma didn't want to go to work not because of Welsh, she didn't want to go because her views of the law and people were skewed. In a short amount of time, she laid witness to the two faces of ordinary people around her like Sage and Welsh, she realized not all monsters are what they seemed, that the worst people aren't the ones that hid in the shadows, but the ones that were out in plain sight. She thought about Matteo and how he's done and still does terrible things, but what about Sage and Welsh? These men were in law, they had promised to uphold the law and help others, but were too blinded by greed to do just that. Matteo's weren't great either, for lack of a better word, but he was honest. He wasn't ashamed of who he was and he was honest about it. His actions weren't fueled by greed or pride, it was his survival story.

Something changed inside Gemma just then.

"You sure you want to go"?, Matteo asked, walking into the bedroom.

"Honestly, I don't really know... I'm feeling a little out of place right now...", she answers.

"What do you mean"?

Gemma let's out a deep sigh and scoots behind Matteo, now sitting on the bed. She rests her head down on his back and wraps her arms around his waist. "I don't know... So much has happened in the last couple months and I'm starting to feel... different... like I'm just living outside of my body". Matteo thought about her words, but didn't understand what she was trying to say. He just sat there and let her talk. "No matter what's happened in my life, I've always been so sure of who I was. But ever since I met you and after all of this, I don't know anymore".