Page 94 of Dangerous Devotion

I braced myself for the storm that was about to break.

“Do you still not trust me?”

I stared at him, my heart pounding. His question hung in the air between us, heavy with hurt and disappointment.

“Of course, I trust you,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “It’s not about that.”

He took a step closer, his imposing frame looming over me. I instinctively backed up until I felt the bookshelf behind me. This situation felt eerily familiar—like that first confrontation in my father’s library.

But so much had changed since then.

“Then what is it about?” he demanded, his voice low and intense. “Because from where I’m standing, it looks like you’re still keeping secrets.”

I swallowed hard, fighting the urge to look away from his piercing gaze. “I was scared,” I admitted. “Scared of what you’d think. And I didn’t want to rat Isa out. If I’d known she was in danger… I thought I was protecting her by keeping quiet.”

His eyes softened slightly, but he didn’t back away. Instead, he touched my temple, then let his finger glide down my face and the side of my neck. “Who would’ve thought you and I were so similar?”

I narrowed my eyes.

“Starting right now, protecting everyone is our job. Together.”

I felt tears prick at the corners of my eyes. “I know that now. I’m sorry. I should have told you everything from the start.”

He sighed, some of the tension leaving his shoulders. “Everything?” There was a teasing undertone in his voice. “Then would we be where we are if you confessed from the start?”

I cocked my head.

“I wouldn’t have even looked at you twice, and then I would’ve never fallen in love with you.”

Now, it was my turn to smile. “So, to sum it up, you’re secretly glad I hacked you, stole money from you, lied to you, and challenged you?”

He hesitated. “I wouldn’t go that far. But I can partly understand why you did what you did.” He reached out and gently cupped my face in his hands. “But from now on, there’s no more secrets, okay? Not between us. We’re stronger together but only if we’re honest with each other.”

I nodded and leaned into his touch. “No more secrets,” I agreed. “I promise.”

The intensity in his eyes faded, replaced by a warmth that made my heart skip. “Good,” he murmured, leaned in, and pressed his forehead against mine. “Because I can’t lose you, Jemma. Not now, not ever.”

I wrapped my arms around his waist, feeling the solid strength of his body against mine. “You won’t,” I whispered. “We’re in this together, remember?”

Vince pulled back slightly, a small smile tugging at his lips. “Together,” he repeated, sealing the promise with a gentle kiss.

But before he could deepen the kiss, his phone rang.

He pulled his phone out and glanced at the screen, and his brow furrowed.

“Unknown caller,” he said, his voice tight. He put the call on speaker.

“Salvini,” Zotov’s voice crackled through the speaker, sounding irritated. “Your sisters are absolute pains in the ass, you know that?”

Vince and I exchanged bewildered looks. What was going on?

“And how do you even tell those two apart?” Zotov continued, his tone a mix of exasperation and genuine curiosity. “They’re driving me crazy.”

I watched Vince’s face, admiring how he kept his expression neutral despite the obvious fury and concern for his sisters. His jaw clenched, but he remained silent, refusing to give Zotov any information. “If they’re so annoying, you can just send them back to me. I’ve been dealing with them their whole lives.”

“No can do,” Zotov said, and it almost sounded like he regretted it.

Served him right. I hoped Iset and Mira gave him as much shit as possible.

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