Page 43 of Secret Betrayals
The woman, Gabriella.
GabriellaBarone.
The same girl Talon was wrapped up in right after he patched in. The only one besides Heather who ever stuck. She was quiet back then. Sweet. Soft. Honestly, I figured she’d never make it in this life. Thought she was too delicate, tooout of place.
Now I know I was wrong.
She’s Barone blood. Sam’s sister. Elijah’s daughter.
And suddenly, all the gaps fill in.
My once-best friend—Elijah Barone—never said a damn word about a daughter. Always talked about his son. That was it. No mention of anyone else. His wife, Rebecca, vanished years ago. One day she was there, the next—gone. No warning. No explanation. I didn’t push. Maybe I should’ve.
Vera and Rebecca were as close as Eli and I were. Then suddenly… nothing. No calls. No visits. Just silence. It didn’t sit right back then, but I let it go. Figured maybe shit got complicated. Hell, it always does in this life.
I let out a breath, thinking about it now.
Gabriella never told us her last name. Never mentioned her parents. And back then, I didn’t ask too many damn questions about the girls the boys were into. But she was different. She was around more than the rest—kept showing up, sticking around. Now I know why.
And Rebecca? She knew. If we’d seen her—if Vera had looked her in the eye—we would’ve known who Gabriella really was. Elijah made sure that didn’t happen. He kept them both hidden.
He was protecting his daughter.
Even from me.
And I won’t lie—that stings more than I want to admit.
We used to break bread together, talk shop, while we built our legacy side by side. And all this time, he was keeping his daughter a secret. Now she’s here, and my son is in the hospital. I don’t know where this road is headed. But I know one thing for sure.
This shit is just beginning. I can feel it in my bones.
I didn’t see the strain back then—the one that slowly bled our friendship dry—until a few months after Talon made Heather his ol’ lady. That’s when Elijah started pulling back. Calls went unanswered unless it was about business. No more dinners. No more get-togethers. The man who used to break bread with me like a brother started treating me like a fucking client. Just as I did with Rebecca, I never pushed for an explanation. Thought maybe it was just one of those things. But now? Now I’m thinking maybe I should’ve.
Because not pushing? It cost me.
It meant I missed seventeen years of watching my grandsons grow up. It meant I wasn’t there to help my son fix whatever the fuck broke between him and Gabriella. And maybe—just maybe—it meant losing a friendship that once meant something. Elijah was never subtle about his dislike for Talon. Their relationship shifted after Talon claimed Heather. I chalked it up to the usual old-school shit—ego, expectations. But now I know better. Elijah had his reasons. Deep ones. The kind of reasons a man buries behind silence and cold stares.
Years later, there were whispers—Barones wanting to cut ties. Back then, I didn’t have the full picture. I figured it was business politics. So I called a meeting, tried to patch things up. Elijah never showed. Sent his son instead.
Samuel Barone walked in like it was a formality. A box to check. He said Elijah was tied up, gave the usual runaround. Told me the partnership would remain intact. Said another party—never named—wanted to make sure we kept things strong. He slipped in some bullshit about ensuring our club remained under “honest leadership,” like that wasn’t a loaded fucking comment.
Looking back, I see it now.
It wasn’t just about business. It was her. Gabriella.
She was the one keeping us connected. I didn’t see it then, but I sure as hell do now. I’ve heard the whispers over the years—clubs lining up to test us, families itching to take a bite out of our territory. Then… backing off. Every time. Like someone bigger than all of us made a quiet phone call. Like someone was pulling strings in the background, keeping the wolves off our backs.
And it washer.
Hot damn.
Gabriella wasn’t just watching us—she wasprotectingus. Watching over the very people who threw her to the side. Watching overhim.
Meanwhile, Axel’s still in my ear, fuming, saying she came back for blood. Says she’s a vindictive bitch, here to make Talon pay. But from what I saw today… from what I’ve pieced together? She’s the reason we’re still breathing. If she wanted this club gone, we’d be nothing but ash and stories.
She had every reason to burn this place to the ground.
If she were my daughter, and someone did to her what Talon did? I’d scorch the goddamn earth. I wouldn’taskfor revenge. I’dtakeit. And Elijah? That man could’ve ended us in a blink. He’s not just feared—he’slegendary. I’ve heard the stories. The night he decapitated all the Capos of a rival cartel.Simultaneously.Didn’t wait for them to gather. One by one, Eli and his crew flew across South America and took their heads in their homes, in front of their families. All because one of them mouthed off about his wife.
