Page 37 of Dangerous Devotion

I needed to get my priorities straight, ASAP.

And Jemma was the #1 distraction.

The heavy oak door closed behind us with a soft click. I moved behind my desk, bracing my hands on its polished surface as I faced the men I trusted most in this world, then at Hawk. Gabe told me I could trust him, and until now, nothing suggested otherwise.

“Alright,” I said, my voice tight with tension. “Let’s figure out what the hell we’re going to do about this mess.”

I sat down and leaned back in my chair, surveying their faces. The weight of the situation hung heavy in the air, but Icould see the determination in their eyes. We were in this together.

Hawk spoke first, his voice steady. “If you can get enough of the high-ups on your side, you could take over Salvini Global Enterprises. Your father would have no choice but to step down.”

I nodded, considering his words. Of course, Hawk would suggest a clean version of how this could go. “He would need to step down, but he wouldn’t back down. Losing is not in his vocabulary. And he’s not really…mentally stable.”

Hawk sighed.

His expression was probably the same as mine. My father wouldn’t back down, no matter what, but if I could strip him of his influence and power, that would at least help. “But it’s a good first step,” I said, acknowledging his plan. “I need you to find out more about those other two teams my father hired. And keep digging into who’s behind this ongoing hack. Do you have enough people to cover all that?”

Hawk nodded. “We’ll manage.”

Dante leaned forward, his brow furrowed. “It’d be easier to talk to the higher-ups in the organization face to face. Get a read on where their loyalties lie.”

“Too dangerous,” Dom interjected, shaking his head. “Going back to the city now would be suicide.” My gaze met Dom’s. Of course, he was the one I could count on to have my well-being in mind. Our banter might be flirty, and he might be all soft at times, but he was an iron fist in a velvet glove.

Matt’s eyes lit up. “So we bring them here. Our turf, our security, our rules.”

I drummed my fingers on the desk. “We’d need a damn good reason to gather everyone on such short notice. Especially in times like this and without raising too much suspicion.”

Alex grinned, a mischievous glint in his eye. “Your wedding would be an excellent reason.”

The room fell silent as all eyes turned to me. I mulled over the idea, feeling a mix of anticipation and dread settle in my gut.

I hesitated, my fingers drumming on the desk. The idea of using our wedding as a cover left a bitter taste in my mouth. I should keep Jemma as far away from me as possible, not make her an even bigger target.

Not only that but I didn’t mean for our wedding to be a spectacle, a means to an end. Somehow, as crazy as it sounded, I wanted it to be about Jemma and me, an intimate celebration of our commitment to each other. A coming together of the Salvinis and the Donnellys, with only closest friends and family in attendance. Or would she have wanted to make it a big thing?

I’d never really thought about it, and of course, we hadn’t talked about it. There was so much we hadn’t yet talked about. But she, for sure, wouldn’t have wanted it to be this—some elaborate scheme in this war.

But as I looked around at the expectant faces of the men in the room, I knew they were right. This was our best shot at gathering everyone, on quick notice, without raising suspicion. And it would be as safe as possible. It was usually seen as bad form to bring weapons to a wedding. So, it wouldn’t attract attention if we enforced this unwritten rule.

And if it meant protecting Jemma and keeping my family safe in the future, I’d do whatever it took.

I let out a heavy sigh. “Alright. Let’s do it.”

The tension in the room eased slightly, but I could still feel the unspoken concerns of what we were about to undertake.

It would be a big thing. A lot of exposure…and not at all what my father would expect.

I reached for the house phone, my mind already racing with plans and contingencies. I caught Dante’s eye. “Start making calls. We need to move fast on this. Three days?”

He nodded, already pulling out his cell phone.

“Matt, help Michele coordinate security. We need a bulletproof concept and emphasize the ‘leave your weapons at home if you don’t want to start a war’ rule.”

The line connected. “Bring Jemma to my office. Now,” I said, my tone of voice unnecessarily terse.

I needed to tell Marianna, as well. It wouldn’t be easy to plan an event like this on such short notice. “Matt, can you brief Marianna?” I said, and Matt nodded and left.

I hung up and leaned back in my chair, waiting. My stomach tensed at the thought of seeing her, of telling her our plans. How would she react? Would she understand the necessity of what we were about to do? Or would she get all sarcastic on me and tell me to fuck off?

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