Page 91 of Dangerous Devotion

“Dad, Vince, stop—both of you.” She sighed. “I decide about my life, not you, and right now, I’m staying with Vince. This is where I belong, Dad.”

I felt a surge of pride and warmth wash over me. Without taking my eyes off Craig, I reached back and took Jemma’s hand in mine. We were united, a team against whatever the world threw at us.

Craig’s anger seemed to deflate, replaced by a look of resignation. He glanced between us, then at our joined hands. “Is this really what you want, Button? After what happened?”

I turned around and caught Jemma’s nod.

“Staying by his side means being in constant danger,” Donnelly said.

Jemma smiled. “I know, but we’re a team now. In good times and in bad times.”

“I need to make a few calls,” Donnelly said and glared at me, then turned and left without another word.

I turned and watched him leave. He probably needed to call off whatever he’d planned to bring Jemma home. I’d expected more of a fight, but maybe the conviction in her voice and her eyes was enough to make him realize there was no chance she was coming with him.

As the door closed behind him, I turned back to face Jemma. Our eyes met, and in that moment of quiet understanding, I knew we could face anything together.

As a team.

“Did you talk to Zotov?” she asked.

I clenched my jaw and shook my head. I didn’t want to make this call, but I knew I had no choice. With a heavy sigh, I pulled out the metal business card and my phone and dialed Zotov’s number.

The line rang once, twice, before he answered with his annoyingly smooth voice. “I was expecting your call a lot sooner.”

I gritted my teeth, swallowing my pride. “Cut the bullshit, Zotov. What do you want?”

“Straight to business, I see. Very well?—”

Suddenly, a shrill alarm pierced the air, cutting through our conversation. The fire alarm. What the hell?

I turned around just as the line went dead. He’d hung up. What the fuck?

Confusion and frustration warred within me as Jemma jumped out of her bed, and my heart nearly stopped. “Wait, you shouldn’t?—”

But to my surprise, and with her eyes blazing with a fierceintensity, she grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the door and out of the room.

And into utter chaos.

Nurses were ushering patients into the hallway, and the acrid smell of smoke was starting to fill the air—so this wasn’t a drill?

Jemma grasped my hand firmly. “Let’s go. Let’s get out of here,” she said, her voice steady despite the chaos erupting around us as she pulled me to the staircase.

In that instant, Dom’s words about true love echoed in my mind. I’d laughed at his explanation. But looking at Jemma now, her strength and resolve shining through even in this dire situation, her hand squeezing mine, I felt something shift inside me.

“True love is when there’s a fire alarm, and instead of rescuing themselves, they grab your hand and pull you along with them.”

A profound sense of certainty washed over me. Jemma wasn’t just my wife on paper—she was my perfect match, the love of my life, my equal in every way that mattered. She had my back—always. And I had hers.

“How about a piggyback ride?” I asked, squatted down in front of her, and she jumped onto my back without hesitation.

We moved down the stairs together and navigated the panicked staff and patients with an ease and synchronicity that surprised me, given the short time we’d known each other. We didn’t even need words—as if we’d been doing this dance for years, not mere days.

Together, we were unstoppable.

With Jemma by my side—or on my back, I could face any challenge that came our way. Zotov, the threats, the betrayals, the constant danger of our world—none of it seemed insurmountable anymore.

As we burst through the hospital doors into the cool night air, I felt Jemma’s arms tighten around my neck. The chaos of the evacuation swirled around us, but at that moment, all I could focus on was her warm breath against my skin and the solid weight of her body against mine.

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