Page 97 of Dangerous Devotion

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

Istared at my phone, scrutinizing Gabe’s cryptic message for the hundredth time. Was he mocking me with this vagueness? Frustration gnawed at my gut, mixing with the constant worry for my sisters.

I sighed and leaned back in the plush leather seat of the private jet, the low hum of the engines a constant backdrop to my racing thoughts.

The cabin was dimly lit, creating an intimate atmosphere that did little to calm my nerves. Outside the small oval window, it was slowly dawning while, for most of our flight, the darkness had been broken only by the regular pinprick of light from our position lights.

The muted beep of the intercom broke the white noise created by the engines. “Mr. Salvini, we’ll be beginning our descent in approximately an hour,” the pilot’s voice crackled through the speaker.

I nodded though he couldn’t see me and pressed the acknowledgment button. The soft click seemed to echo in the quiet cabin.

Matt leaned over the middle aisle, his brow furrowed. “Are you still brooding over Gabe’s message?”

I exhaled, ran a hand through my hair, and read the message again.

“I’ve already been informed. Took you long enough, though.”

What the hell was that supposed to mean? And why didn’t he pick up?

“When I talked to Gabe this morning, he didn’t mention anything about this, either,” Alex said, joining the conversation from his seat across from me.

The implications of that statement hung heavy in the air. I looked up and exchanged a glance with Alex, seeing my own unease reflected in his eyes.

Not cool.

Dom’s voice cut through the tension. “You don’t think Gabe could be…you know, in bed with Zotov or something?”

I clenched my jaw, considering the possibility.

It felt wrong.

Gabe had been my oldest childhood friend. We’d both bonded over hiding from our annoying little brothers. We’d spent every summer growing up in Italy, stayed in contact ever since he went back to Italy, back to take over the family.

But I couldn’t afford to dismiss anything at this point. Couldn’t afford to trust. “I don’t know,” I admitted. “We need to be prepared for anything.”

My gaze drifted toward the back of the jet where Jemma andFee sat huddled together, their heads bent in quiet conversation.

Jemma’s presence both calmed and unsettled me. I was relieved to have her by my side, but the thought of putting her in danger again, and of the possible impact going back to Italy would have on her, made my stomach churn.

I looked over at Fee. It had been a surprise when Matt told me the three of them would join us, but once she appeared on the airplane, my worries were blown away.

She looked fit and appeared surprisingly healthy for someone who had just been poisoned. Thank God the dose was so small.

“Fee’s surprisingly resilient,” Alex said. Apparently, he’d followed my gaze and recognized my interest had shifted to his wife. “All the Donnelly girls are.”

I nodded. “She’s tough, that’s for sure. But I still can’t help but feel responsible for what happened. Under my roof, under my protection.”

Alex waved off my apology. “Believe me, if I’ve learned one lesson, it’s that we’re not responsible for our father’s actions.”

I met his gaze. I didn’t know a lot about Alex’s struggles, but from the little Gabe had told me, Alex had been in a bit of an existential crisis after learning he was a Moretti, not a Falcone. And Connor Donnelly, head of the Irish mob in Dublin—Fee’s father had started it all. Without his attack on Matt, I wouldn’t have gotten the opportunity to get my hands on Jemma—at least not without starting a war with her father.

“We got lucky this time,” Alex continued, “but you know how it is with the Donnelly women—never a dull moment, right?”

I couldn’t help but chuckle and appreciate the fact that, despite nearly losing his woman, he could still joke about our situation. “You’re not wrong there. I can’t wait to see if Gabe’s struggling to keep Sophie in check as much as we do our women.”

Alex grinned. “I bet he is, especially with her pregnancy. He’s probably bending backward to keep the peace.”

To keep the peace. How much I would give for ‘keeping the peace at home’ to be my biggest concern. Especially right now, with my father gone, the whole family in an uproar, putting the business in a precarious position.

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