Page 19 of Dangerous Devotion

I tightened my grip on his hand, offering what little comfort I could. To my surprise, I felt him relax slightly, some of the tension easing from his body. Maybe we could become a team.

Share some of the burdens.

Hawk finished the last stitch, his hands steady and sure. He glanced up at Vince, a mischievous glint in his eye. “The untouchable Vince Salvini, not as bulletproof as legend says,” Hawk teased, his voice gruff but tinged with affection. “What would your enemies say if they could see you now?”

Vince’s lips twitched, fighting a smile. “They’d probably say I look damn good for a man who just survived a helicopter attack.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle at their banter. It struck me then how easily they played off each other, like two sides of the same coin.

Hawk, with his rugged exterior and no-nonsense attitude, and Vince, all polished danger and calculated control. Yet beneath the surface, they were cut from the same cloth.

Both men exuded an air of quiet confidence and a sense of unwavering strength. They moved with the same fluid grace of predators, always aware of their surroundings. And in their eyes, the same sharp intelligence, the same ability to assess a situation in seconds and run through scenarios, ten steps ahead of everyone else.

Even their differences seemed to complement each other. Where Hawk was all rough edges and blunt honesty, Vince was slick, dangerous, and charming…except when it came to me.

Hawk’s years of experience showed in the lines on his face and the salt-and-pepper hair. But he had this air of being exactly where he wanted to be in life while Vince’s edge of restless energy still showed the hunger and drive to get where he wanted to go.

The top of his family. The capo of the Salvini famiglia.

As I watched them, I realized that despite their different backgrounds and ages; despite their different paths and lives, these two men were more alike than I’d noticed before. They were both protectors at heart, fiercely loyal to those they cared about. And right now, whether I liked it or not, I was one of those people—for both of them.

The thought sent a shiver down my spine, a mix of comfort and unease. To be under the protection of men like this was both reassuring and terrifying.

I wasn’t sure if I was ready for what that might mean—that my chances to disappear—if I came to the conclusion that was what I needed to do—were slim to none.

Hawk packed up his medical supplies, his movements efficient and practiced. I watched as he snapped the first aid kit shut, the sound echoing in the now-quiet room.

“All done,” he announced, got up, and turned to us. “Try to rest that arm for a while. No heavy lifting, no strenuous”—he paused, and his eyes flicked to me for a brief moment—“activity.”

Heat rushed to my cheeks as I caught his meaning.

Vince nodded, his face impassive. “Understood.”

As Hawk made his way to the door, he paused, looking back at us. His gaze lingered on me, and I squirmed under the intensity of it.

I wanted to crawl under the bed and die of embarrassment. It was bad enough that Hawk had walked in on us half-dressed, but now he was basically giving us the ‘birds and bees’ talk?—or in this case the ‘no birds and bees’ talk.

Could anything be more humiliating? I couldn’t decide if I wanted to laugh or cry. Oh my God, did he know I was bare-ass naked underneath my shirt?

Vince, seemingly oblivious to my internal meltdown, nodded at Hawk and remained silent.

Hawk left, and when the door closed behind him, I let out the breath I’d been holding. “Well,” I said, trying to break the silence, “that was…”

“Interesting?” Vince supplied, a smirk playing at the corner of his lips. “I haven’t been advised not to have sex in…ever.”

I rolled my eyes. “I was going to say mortifying, but sure, let’s go with interesting. And also…” I turned and locked eyes with him. “You have no intention of following his advice, do you?”

Vince chuckled, wincing slightly as the movement jostled his injured arm. “Come on, Little One. Let’s get some rest.” He waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

I shook my head and rolled my eyes. “I don’t think so.” I jumped off his lap and watched him get rid of his pants, and then settle on the bed.

“Why don’t I show you what I have in mind?” he said and beckoned me with his finger to follow. “And then you make up your mind.”

I shook my head, then crawled onto the bed, careful of his newly stitched wound, covered under the white bandages, but before I could settle down next to him, he pulled me on top.

“Vince,” I warned, my gaze darting to his wounded arm.

But he just grinned up at me, a devilish glint in his eyes. “I’m not made of glass, Little One,” he said, then ran his free hand up my back and under his shirt.

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