Page 7 of Devoted

I bristled at the idea that I needed saving. “You’re the future Don of the entire Dynasty.” I shot Gabriel a pointed look. “You’re not sacrificing yourself to save Rocco Demente.”

“Are you saying my father’s not worth saving?” Valeria challenged, glaring at me across the table.

My lip curled up, another surge of jealousy rising like a poisoned tide. “Well, you said it, not me. Your father chose his path. I fail to see why we should all die saving him from his own bad choices.”

For a long moment, neither of us looked away, and some vicious part of me was tempted to leap over the table, smudge up that perfect fucking makeup and hair.

“I am not your enemy, you know,” she finally said coldly. “I was never your enemy. I was only trying to survive the only way I knew how.”

“Your idea of surviving and mine are very different, then,” I snapped, before Dante’s hand closed around my arm and eased me back. Only then did I realize how hard I was breathing, my fingernails digging grooves into the top of the mahogany table.

Like I wanted to dig them into her face.

The stare Dante leveled at Valeria thawed some of the ice around my heart.

“You might not be her enemy, Valeria, but your father sold Emberline out to Giovanni and Brunor—your own brother—nearly tortured her to death. We’ll keep to your terms, but none of us have to like them. Not when you’ve backed us into a corner.”

His tone turned darker. “And you know what happens when you back vampires into a corner.”

He defended me so quickly, some of the tension in my chest loosened.

“Your father is a monster, but…” Dante’s fingers tenderly caressed my arm before his hand dropped away. “He’s still your father, and Gabriel gave you his word. Nico and I will bring Rocco back. Alive, as requested.”

“I love how cavalierly you always volunteer me for these shit missions, asshole.” Nico grumbled beneath his breath, “Next time, I’d better get a vote.”

“And my wife is right.” I might be petty, but Dante calling me his wife—to Valeria—was a big old checkmark in my win box.

Hah. Take that, with your perfect hair and nails.

“Our timeline has just moved up, and my brother is the future Don. Which means Nico and I will be going on this rescue mission, whether Rocco deserves it or not. But don’t make us regret this, Valeria,” my husband warned in a low tone.

“You might have us boxed in now, but after what your father did to Emberline, I’m inclined to kill him myself, instead of letting the executioner have his day. It’s no more than what he deserves.”

“I know.” Her shoulders sagged. “I know he’s done terrible things, but I just… I can’t sit by and do nothing.”

“You and Nico aren’t enough to handle all potential threats,” I argued. “You need someone to watch your back. We’re doing this together.” I pointed down to the drawings and plans. “Especially if there are as many Ashbound there as there were the last time, and…”

“Wait. What are Ashbound?” Valeria’s eyes went wide.

“Resurrected vampires who died by burning,” Luca cheerfully answered before any of us could stop him. “Their skin is smooth like porcelain and broken with cracks that leak out fire. They’re practically unkillable, except for Dante, who can...”

“That’s enough,” I cut my brother off. “Think of them as an extra layer of supernatural protection, in addition to my uncle’s hired mercenaries and Blackwood’s guards. Which is why it will take all of us to get Rocco out, especially if something goes wrong.”

“When something goes wrong, don’t you mean?” Nico muttered darkly.

“Fine. Why don’t we all walk into a trap, then?” Gabriel muttered, throwing up his hands. “I’m just the future Don. Who am I to be the voice of reason?” He shot his brother a sour look. “Here you go. This is your chance to talk her out of this; let’s see if you have better luck.”

I rolled my eyes. “Gods, the two of you are impossible. Save your breath. We’re all going, as long as Luca stays out of the fighting.”

“Well, that’s bullshit. Your husband was supposed to put in a good word for me.” My brother elbowed Dante in the side, who all of a sudden wouldn’t meet my eyes. “Go on. Tell her how well I did against the Ashbound last time. You said you would.”

“You fought those things before? When the fuck was this?” I looked between them until my husband’s sheepish expression gave him away. “Where did this happen?”

Luca puffed out his chest, looking over at Valeria. “On our island, in front of the mausoleum, when we were retrieving the…”

My gods, he was a loose cannon, and with the interested way Valeria was looking at Luca…

“No need to rehash the past,” Gabriel interrupted, and I breathed a sigh of relief. The last thing we needed was Valeria knowing we possessed the real Basin. Gods knew she’d leverage that nugget of information against us.