Page 111 of Ravaged By a Devil

I smile politely at the waiter, hoping it’ll make him feel at least a little better considering how awfully he’s been treated. Though I doubt he’ll feel better until he finishes tonight’s party and gets far, far away from the Moretti estate.

I can’t help but feel a little jealous.

“I can make him disappear in five minutes,” Nolan whispers into my ear, sending a shiver down my spine. Then he pulls away just a little to look at my face, but his hand never leaves my back. “But I won’t. Us Devlins don’t use our power like that.”

“Right,” I push his hand away, pretending to be interested in the snack bar a few feet from us. Nolan follows me, still talking about how great the Devlins are and what he can do for my father. I tune him off somewhere around the port talk.

“Watch yourself,” Nolan says, his tone smooth but sharp with irritation.

I turn to find one of the waitresses on the ground, an empty silver tray clattering beside her. She’s pale and trembling as she manages to say a weak: “I’m sorry.”

“What happened?” I ask quietly, reaching out to help her up.

Nolan doesn’t look at the girl, casually brushing a speck of dusk off his sleeve. “Careless,” he says, his voice dripping with condescension. “A mistake like that in front of the guests reflects poorly on your father’s house, Jade.”

“She tripped, Nolan,” I give the waitress a calm, reassuring nod as she gets to her feet. “The estate will survive.”

I don’t apologize for her, nor do I waste energy arguing with a man who mistakes cruelty for refinement. The waitress nods with a small smile on her face, and quickly hurries inside.

“Jade,” A familiar, cold voice cuts through the noise. “Inside, now.”

I know it’s pointless to argue with Papà when his temper flares, so I follow him into the kitchen. The loud music and the chatter outside fade behind the heavy glass doors, leaving us in the tense, isolated quiet of the dark kitchen.

“You need to stop that,” Papà says, turning to face me.

“Stop what?” I keep my tone level, trying to avoid provoking him. “I handled a scene before it escalated.”

“You did everything in your power to undermine Nolan in front of the guests,” he points a sharp finger at me as he speaks.

“Nolan undermines himself by acting so arrogantly,” I reply calmly, looking him dead in the eye. “He lacks the composure required to lead, Papà.”

“Enough!” Papà’s voice snaps, but I don’t flinch or look away.

“I’m not going to marry him, Papà.”

“We need him, Jade,” Papà says, forcing his voice into a lower, heavier register. “We need a strong alliance right now.”

“No,” I shake my head. “He’s the one who needs us and he’s going to use our firepower and territory in his war with the Kavanaghs.”

“He knows the Morettis don’t want to get involved in his war.”

“Well, whether we want to or not, if you force me to marry him, he won’t care. We will become involved whether you want it or not.”

Papà stays silent, taking my words in as his sharp eyes study my face. I continue. “He’s using our leverage to survive his own blood feud. And offering me up as the collateral.”

“I won’t force you to marry him,” Papà says, knowing the risk of pushing me. But I know better than to start jumping up and down and celebrate. I know there must be a trap hidden in his generosity.

“But?”

“If you refuse to marry Nolan, you need to bring me an alternative alliance that carries equal weight.”

“And if I don’t?” I ask even though I already know the answer.

“If you don’t, the decision is taken out of your hands.”

With that, Papà turns around, leaving me alone to process his words. I follow him outside but make a turn, heading to the bar instead of returning to Nolan or looking for my cousin.

My family has a way of making me feel like I’m gasping for air in a room full of oxygen. A lot like being underwater without knowing how to swim.