Die Or 26

Posted by Adminh, ? Views, Released on February 19, 2025

Chapter 26.

Courtney POV.

I have avoided Kaden for the past four days. Not out of anger, but out of embarrassment. Embarrassment because I let my hormones take over. I know I can’t use them as an excuse for how I reacted, so I won’t. I have to woman the hell up and accept responsibility for my feelings and how I acted.

But still when you look at it. I was not being unreasonable, wasn’t I? Ok, maybe I was, but this

is taking some getting used to. Grandpa has been in his office with some of his members.

Kaden has been with his and they are all working hard on trying to find Chloe and the Brothers

Of Mayhem.

Even Storm is busy helping everyone else. That is only because I told him I wanted to be left

alone. So I could, in fact, sulk. Yes, I sulked, and I sulked hard into a big tub of ice cream and

family sized pizza.

I will admit I do like to eat when I’m stressed and right now I’m stressed. Dad is doing fine,

even though I said I wanted to be left alone. Strom has been giving me updates on my dad.

He is stable, surrounded by guards, and will be here in a few days. I cried again when I heard

he was awake and asking for me. See being pregnant is making me more emotional, irrational

even.

Fabio tried to have Chloe tracked, but unfortunately she had changed her number, which even

shocked me that she would think to do that. But in the same breath, Chloe is not that smart

because the whispers about the mansion is that Chloe is still updating her social media

accounts on the daily without a care in the world.

We all know it’s a trap. She is baiting us to come out to get her, but we are waiting for her to actually slip up. Grandpa said it would be best if we let Mayhem believe we aren’t interested in

them and they will soon come out of hiding and into the light.

The problem with that plan is we don’t have time to wait. I want them caught before my daughter is born. But we don’t always get what we want in this life. I learnt that lesson the

hard way.

I’m walking around the hallways of the mansion, looking at the pictures and artwork that hang

on the walls here. When I come across a picture in particular.

My momma is with another little girl. They are both wearing the same style of clothing, like

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Chapter 26.

school uniforms. My momma is smiling brightly at the camera with her arm slung over the shoulder of a little girl. The little girl must have been momma’s friend. They both look cute in their matching charcoal grey pinafores, white short sleeve shirts, black patent leather shoes. Momma’s red curls are in a bun and her friend has long blonde hair which is two French

braids.

“Michelle.” I look to the side and see my grandpa standing not far from me. He is looking at

the picture behind me.

“Sorry grandpa, who?” I ask when he sighs and walks towards me and points to the little

blonde–haired girl.

“Her name is Michelle. Not long after this picture was taken, Michelle and her family moved away. Your momma was gutted back then. She cried for weeks.” He says to me sadly and I look from him to the picture.

“Did she ever find them?” I ask him because momma once again didn’t mention anything from her childhood. So having this insight into her life before she met my dad is something I will always cherish.

“No, Michelle, and her family died many years ago. We never told your momma. It would have hurt her more to learn that the little girl who was her best friend had died with her family.” He tells me sadly and I nod, knowing it would have.

“How did they die?” I ask, but I’m scared of the answer.

“Michelle’s father was an ally of ours and they were moving to a different state to be closer to their larger family. They didn’t make it to them. We found the cars on the side of the road, all occupants were dead. It was another families doing. Caused a war. Both families wiped each other out. Sad really, Michelle’s family were good, loyal people. Such tragedy all for …”

“Power.” I finish for him and he nods his head sadly. Of course, it was for power. Everything that has been happening is for more power. But power is an illusion. Those who crave it will go after it, only to find in the end that the power they crave is hollow. Causing them to become hollow, lonely people.

With power comes fakeness. People who pretend to be your friends to try to gain the upper hand. Dog eat dog if you believe in such things.

Momma knew this, that is why we kept to ourselves, that and the fact we were being hunted down like rabid dogs. But still in the end, when I think about it. Momma could have come back here and claimed the power of the family, stepped into who she was born to be, but instead she kept running.

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Chapter 26.

Running from the power and its corruption. To save us. I sigh, shaking my head. There is no

point in shoulda, woulda, coulda’s. What is done is done. What will be will be.

What matters is I am here and I will do what I can to keep her memory alive. To step up to the plate and become who she didn’t. The leader of the Gambino family. With help from grandpa

of course.

“Prez, they are here.” I turn my head and see Fabio standing looking nervous as he tells my grandpa that people are here.

“Take them to the conference room. I will be there shortly.” Grandpa says to Fabio, who then

bows and walks away. I look at my grandpa and he sighs heavily. This is all taking a toll on

him.

“Who is here? Maybe I can help.” I say to him as I place my hand on his arm. He looks at me

and smiles softly at me.

“The heads of the other families are here and the presidents of the clubs who are directly

under me. You are in no condition to be dealing with all of this right now. You still need to rest

and keep growing that little girl. Don’t stress about this. Let me handle it. Once the threat has

been eliminated, then you can take your place, but not before.” He tells me. This is utter

bullshit!

How am I meant to know how to deal with these men if I don’t interact with them? I’m about to

give him my best convincing speech when he looks at me and raises an eyebrow.

“Don’t even think about it. I know what you are thinking and I will not have you being stressed

out more than what you already are. I promise you when I think you are ready, then you will

take over. You have a lot to learn bambina. Right now, you need to learn a very valuable

lesson. A lesson every president and Don needs to learn.” He tells me and I just look at him,

confused.

“What lesson is that, grandpa? Tell me, so I start it right away. I need something to do

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because I’m bored. Please grandpa, tell me already.” I say to him and he chuckles as he pulls

me into his arms into a hug before he kisses my head.

“Patience.” He says and I look at him gobsmacked.

“What? Come on grandpa, tell me.” I say again and he laughs. It sounds rich, warm and

familiar. He takes my hand in his and walks with me down the hallway towards the living

room.

“I did tell you, the first thing every president and Don must learn is patience. You, Courtney,

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Chapter 26.

don’t have that. So until you learn that, you, my darling bambina, are not ready.” He says and I stand there looking at him like a dead fish. Mouth open and eyes nearly popping out of my head.