Page 28 of Dangerous Devotion

“Absolutely not.”

I clenched my jaw, feeling the tension radiate through my body. Craig Donnelly’s refusal wasn’t unexpected, but it still stung. I’d negotiated with rival Mafia bosses and corrupt politicians and faced ruthless killers without anything they’d ever said or done impacting me. I’d endured my father’s disapproval for years, yet somehow, this Irish mobster’s disapproval felt like a punch to the gut.

“With all due respect, Donnelly,” I began, fighting to keep my voice steady and my ego under control, “Jemma is an adult. She can make her own decisions.”

Craig’s eyes flashed dangerously. “An adult? She’s barely out of her teens, Salvini. And you’re, what? Pushing forty? I’ll never agree to that.”

Jemma stiffened beside me. “Dad,” she said, and her hand found mine, squeezing it tightly.

The gesture gave me strength, reminding me why I was fighting this battle.

“I’m 31, but age is irrelevant,” I countered. “What matters is that I can protect her, provide for her?—”

“Like you protected her when you kidnapped her?” Craig interrupted, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

I took a deep breath, tamping down my rising anger. “That was…a misunderstanding. One that won’t happen again.”

“And what about that attack on the roof? You put my daughter in danger. You failed to protect her, Salvini. My answer is no.”

Craig turned to Jemma, his expression softening slightly. “Button, you were right. Forcing you into an arranged marriage was unwarranted. I only agreed to that marriage with Matt Salvini because of your uncle and also,” he hesitated, “because you were spiraling out of control, and I thought you needed something to jolt you out of your…” He pointed at her hair, then looked away. “But we’ll find another solution.” He glared at me. “There’s no need for you to be tied to…him.”

I ignored Donnelly, turned, and watched her face, my heart pounding. This was her moment to speak up, to tell her father and me what she truly wanted. To pick her side. The silence stretched on, agonizing and tense.

Finally, she spoke. “Dad, I…I’m okay. I will marry him.”

Craig’s face fell, a mixture of disappointment and disbelief etching across his features. “No,” he said firmly. “I won’t allow it. This marriage will not happen.”

“Yes, it will. This is our arrangement,” I said.

“I’m not throwing my daughter to the wolves,” Donnelly countered and glared at me as if I was the biggest piece of scum he’d ever encountered.

We went back and forth, trading barbs and accusations. I could feel the situation spiraling, our voices getting louder with each exchange. But I would not back down.

Not with this. No fucking chance.

Suddenly, Jemma jumped up, and her voice cut through our argument like a knife. “Both of you, shut it!”

We both turned to look at her, startled by her outburst. Jemma stood there, hands on her hips, eyes blazing with a fire I’d never seen before.

“I’m not some prize to be fought over,” she continued, her voice trembling with barely contained fury. “And none of you own me. I can make my own choices. Dad, I love you, but you need to back off. And Vince, stop trying to control everything. We’re in this together, remember?”

As I watched her stand tall and defiant, something clicked into place. This was exactly the kind of woman I needed by my side—someone who wasn’t afraid to stand up to me or call me out when I forged ahead like a bull who could only see the red flag. Exactly the woman necessary to hold her own in my dangerous world.

Holy shit, I’d hit the jackpot. I nodded, raised my hand, and waited until she laid hers into mine. Somehow, that little contact was exactly what I needed.

“So, now that that’s settled, how about we ask Hawk if he will stitch you up again since, thanks to you, Dad”—she narrowed her eyes and glared at her father—“he’s bleeding again.” With that, she pulled her hand from mine, turned around, stomped across the room, and flung the door open. “Is someone willing to stitch that idiot up again?”

Idiot? I turned around, and our eyes met across the room. She stared at me defiantly.

We should talk about this…later, possibly naked, with me turning her ass a beautiful shade of red, preferably.

My brothers and Alex entered first. All four of them had various degrees of amusement etched on their faces.

Assholes.

Behind them, my twin sisters entered, and alongside Fee, they immediately pulled Jemma across the room and to the connecting door. She looked back at me, shrugged once, and then let them drag her into the next room.

Apparently, this time, she wouldn’t hold my hand and help me through my pain.

---