Page 86 of A Bossy Proposal

My phone buzzes again. This time it’s a call from my father. I swipe to answer, my blood boiling.

“Westley,” he starts, but I cut him off.

“Shut the hell up. You’ve already done enough damage.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about Amelia! Do you even know who you’re messing with? Giovanni Vincenzo is not just some name on a list; he’s a fucking don! And thanks to your meddling, she’s in danger!”

Silence hangs heavily on the line. I can almost picture him recoiling, shocked by my outburst.

“A don…” His voice whispers. “Who the fuck is she?”

“Someone hiding from danger. Why else do you think she told you she had no family?”

His deep swallow is audible in my earpiece.

“I’m sorry. I wanted her to have her family at the engagement party,” he replies, sounding genuinely bewildered. “She told you she didn’t have any family for a reason—”

“Exactly!” I shout, cutting him off again. “She doesn’t want anyone to know who she is! She ran from that life! And now you’re bringing it right back to her doorstep.”

“Sorry, I never believed her, West,” he insists, sounding genuine. “I truly am sorry. I wanted to surprise her. I never thought of that being the reason. I promise you.”

“That’s your trouble. You never listen,” I say firmly. “He’s already threatened Felix Featherstone. Why did you mention Felix? What did you say?”

“I just thought someone would’ve known she was the girl who was in a relationship with Felix before you and—"

“Because you thought she was lying.”

“She’s going to be part of this family, West. I wanted to help her.”

“No. She’s part of my life, and you better understand that if anything happens to her, you’ll regret it.”

“Regret? What do you mean by that?”

My pulse quickens. “You keep poking your nose where it doesn’t belong, and I’ll make sure you see just how deep this goes.”

Before he can respond, my mother picks up the call.

“Westley!” Her voice cuts through the tension like a knife. “What’s happening?”

“Your husband has put Amelia in danger,” I snap.

“He likes the girl,” she says softly, trying to calm me down. “He’s happy for you.”

But it’s too late; the anger surges back up.

“She deserves better than this family! She deserves better than what we’ve given her!” My words hang heavy between us.

“We wanted what was best for everyone involved,” she says gently. “Please…just take a moment and think about what you’re saying.”

I breathe heavily into the phone as an unsettling realization sinks in. I’m in so deep with Amelia that losing her isn’t an option, despite what that may mean.

After speaking to my father for the second time, I’m in a battle against time.

Give him his due. He acted quickly. He called me back with information less than an hour after his first call. And that makes me wonder how much he really knows about Amelia. But I’ll think about that another time because I have to process the information that he gave me.

Giovanni Vincenzo, the Italian don, landed at JFK this morning with five of his men. Which means they are here, in my city, and ready to take what is mine.

---