Page 62 of Dragonfly

Is it bad that the dead Dragonfly didn’t even cross my mind? “That’s not it,” I begin.

“Well, I’m sure it’s not you being embarrassed about your husband’s attraction to you. Because you shouldn’t be. No matter what this… unconventional relationship of ours looks like, never doubt that there isn’t anything I won’t do… any man I want slaughter… just to have you smile at me. To know that pussy belongs to me and only me? I’d risk my life and more, and now my entire Family knows it.”

Damien pats my hand, smirking slightly at my continuously stunned reaction. “Your secrets are mine as much as your body is. If I can’t have your heart, I’ll at least earn your loyalty. And that starts tonight by showing you that you, Savannah Libellula, mean as much to me as Genevieve and Vincent do. And it’s about time I make that clear.”

I swallow roughly. Savannah Libellula… it’s got a nice ring to it. “To the rest of your gang?”

His smirk widens. “To you, wife. My wife.”

Oh.

TWENTY-ONE

REPRODUCTION

DAMIEN

Imade a personal wager with myself about how long it would take for Vin to bring up the events of my birthday dinner. Knowing him, he’s been wrestling with loyalty to me, to the Family because we lost one, and guilt since none of that would’ve happened if he hadn’t left Savannah at the table by herself because he had to take a shit.

I don’t blame him. Looking back on it, I think I would’ve rather had a public display so that all of the Dragonflies know that Savannah is off-limits—especially since it ended with the two of us finally consummating our marriage.

Still, I know Vin so I gave him upwards of a week.

By day five, he walks into my office in the Dragonfly building, closes the door, and gives me a look that says it’s time.

He couldn’t have picked a worse moment to go through this, but because it is Vin, I don’t snap at him to get out.

Instead, I cut him off at the pass.

“Ricky Ferris was an average soldier with a reputation of taking things from women that didn’t want to give it. I looked the other way because he made sure to offer them protection and make them his property first. He didn’t do that with my wife. He tried to take what he wanted from her, and back-slapped her when she tried to protect herself. Then he had the nerve to deny it as if I hadn’t seen it all happen.”

Seen it happen, and been too late to prevent it…

And there’s the truth. Ricky Ferris was dead for all of those reasons, but he was assassinated in front of the Family because I lost my cool and became judge, jury, and executioner the second I heard the slap, my wife fell, and I saw the red mark standing out against her cheek.

Vin can’t deny I had the right to do it. She’s my wife—but he’s also not wrong when he points out that, apart from a handful of Dragonflies (and anyone that big mouth Callahan told), no one else is aware of that.

“You can’t blame Ricky for not knowing she was your property.”

But that’s the thing. Savannah isn’t my property. Not the way that Vin means… and that’s all my fucking fault.

I let that happen.

See, I always wanted the Dragonflies to be a family. Despite being a full-blooded Italian American, when I created my syndicate, I had no ties to the actual mob. It became a crime Family—an organized crew of criminals, but with a level of dedication and loyalty that I insisted on—and, though it wasn’t my intent for it to be so misogynistic, it happened.

I wanted to protect my sister. In a way, I thought the other men would do the same for the women in their lives. It’s an old-fashioned mindset, but one I grew up with after seeing the way my dad tortured himself after losing my mom.

I wouldn’t let anything happen to Genevieve, and if I had to call her my property to get my rivals to understand that I’d go scorched fucking earth if anyone targeted her, that’s what I did. She was too young to understand, anyway, and it worked.

It also birthed a culture where my men just had to mark the women they wanted to claim to give them protection… unless you were a bad seed like Kieran Alfieri.

Women in our Family have to consent to being property. They have to choose. That’s why what Ricky did was so messed-up.

And that’s also why Savannah isn’t my property…

“She’s my wife,” is all I say after a moment’s pause. “And even if she doesn’t have my mark, the necklace should’ve been enough of a warning.”

“So you have her a dragonfly necklace. You get her a ring yet?” Vin jerks his chin at me. “Where’s yours?”

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