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CHAPTER EIGHT

I stumbled out of the room—dragged by Iset—my heart still racing from the confrontation between Vince and my father.

Before I could catch my breath, Fee grabbed my arm, and together, they pulled me into the room next to the one we’d just been in.

“Come on, Jemma. Let’s give them some space,” Fee urged, her voice a mix of concern and determination.

I glanced back, torn between staying to mediate and escaping the tension.

Mirabella—who was Isabella’s spitting image—fell into step behind us. Her face was mirroring my own conflicted emotions though she was probably even more confused.

As we moved farther away, the sounds of raised voices faded and turned muffled. My stomach churned with anxiety. What if they came to blows again? What if my father or Vince did something stupid ?

“Stop worrying,” Isabella said, reading my expression. “Vince can handle himself.”

“It’s not just Vince I’m worried about,” I muttered, thinking of my father’s temper and the combined potential firepower in that room.

Fee guided me to a cozy sitting arrangement, and Picca was jumping up and down as soon as she saw me. I smiled, but when someone from the other room closed the door, I snapped back around. The sudden silence was almost deafening.

“Sit,” Fee commanded, pointing to the plush sofa. “You look like you’re either on the verge of a panic attack or about to pass out.”

I sank into the cushions, Picca crawled onto my lap, and I burrowed my hands in her fur and closed my eyes. Fee was right. I’d ignored the clammy feeling before, but standing between Dad and Vince was stressful…and I’d had enough stress today, already without watching Dad and Vince at each other’s throats.

I relaxed, grateful for the moment to catch my breath. Then opened my eyes again and met Mirabella’s gaze who was perched next to me. Surprisingly enough, her presence was oddly comforting despite meeting her for the first time. Maybe it was the similarity to Isabella that made me feel instantly comfortable in her presence.

She reached out, and I shook her hand. “So, you’re Jemma,” she said.

I raised an eyebrow, which only made her cock her head and smile.

“Since Matt and Isa are singing your praises constantly, I already know we’ll be friends,” she said .

I nodded, then glanced sideways at Isabella. The two of them looked identical, though Mirabella didn’t have the same beauty spot under her eye that Isa had.

“So,” Isa said, settling into an armchair across from me. “Want to tell us what’s happened and why suddenly everyone is on high alert and scrambling?”

I took a deep breath and tried to gather my scattered thoughts. The events of the past few hours whirled through my mind like a chaotic storm. So much had happened in such a short time.

“I…I don’t even know where to begin,” I admitted and ran a hand through my short hair. My short green hair…no wig, no baseball cap…and my father hadn’t even blinked an eye. “Oh shit.”

Fee narrowed her eyes. “Oh shit, what?”

I pointed at my hair. “Dad knew about it.”

Fee cocked her head. “Did you really think you could fool Uncle Craig?”

That gave me pause. Since my father had never blinked an eye or mentioned it, I really thought he hadn’t noticed. “I did… Apparently, I was wrong.”

“Yes, you were,” Fee said, “now tell us what happened.”

I shook my head. “Everything’s happened so fast.”

Fee leaned forward, her eyes soft with concern. “Start with why you’re here with Vince. Last time we talked—which was yesterday morning—you two couldn’t stand each other. And now you’re marrying him instead of Matt? When the hell did all of this happen? ”

Mirabella gasped softly beside me. “You were supposed to marry Matt, and now you’re getting married to Vince?” She glared at Isa. “Why don’t I know about any of this?”

Isa sighed. “Because you were otherwise engaged”—Isa paused, and there was some kind of silent communication going on between the sisters”—and you told me absolutely not, and under no circumstances, to contact you if it’s not a life-or-death situation.”

“Ahhh,” was all Mirabella said and nodded.

“I didn’t think Vince falling in love counts as a life-or-death situation.”

Mirabella smirked. “The way he’s acted, though, I thought he might die of an allergic shock once he falls in love.”

“Nobody’s talking about love here,” Fee said. “This is still an arranged marriage, right?”

I nodded halfheartedly. Because, in all honesty, right now, my relationship with Vince felt like so much more.

“So, how? And when? And what happened,” Fee said, repeating her question.

“Well,” I said, the reality of our crazy timeline and the depth of my feelings for him still sinking in. “It’s all happened really fast. One minute, we’re at each other’s throats; the next…” I let out a humorless laugh. “Yeah, well, things change.” I paused, considering how much to reveal. These women were my family, or soon would be, but old habits died hard, and none of the three women knew the whole story. “Vince…he found out about some things I’ve been involved in. Things that caused some trouble…”

“So, Vince and her father arranged a marriage between Jemma and Matt,” Isa said .

Mirabella’s eyebrows shot up. “What the hell? That’s fucked up.”

I nodded. “Among other things. But instead of Matt, I ended up?—”

“In Vince’s bed?” Fee finished, a hint of amusement in her voice.

I felt my cheeks heat up. “It’s not like that. Well, not entirely.” I sighed, frustrated with my inability to explain. “He’s a little commanding, and it’s complicated.”

“With Vince, it always is,” Isa said with a sigh and an eye roll.

“That’s Vince. He’s always bossing everyone around. It’s how he shows his love,” Mirabella said.

“He never told me he loves me, though,” I snapped before I could shut myself up.

And now all three of them stared at me.

Shit. Mirabella didn’t say he loved me; she just mentioned the way Vince showed his love. And just because he didn’t say it, didn’t mean he didn’t love me, right? He’d told me repeatedly I was the perfect woman for him; didn’t that mean he loved me? And could you even talk about love if you’d only known each other for less than a week? “He’s just very protective,” I murmured…which… Oh, just shut it, Jemma Donnelly.

Mirabella and Isa exchanged a look that made me squirm.

“Sure he is,” Fee said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “Just be careful, okay?” She squeezed my arm while her eyes conveyed what she really wanted to say. Which was probably “Girl, run, he’s a walking red flag. ”

And she wouldn’t be entirely wrong, either. I nodded, feeling the weight of the meaning behind her words. The gravity of what I’d gotten myself into was starting to sink in.

This was likely very unhealthy behavior.

The door swung open, and I was almost glad for the interruption of our conversation.

A woman I didn’t recognize strode in, followed by one whose face I would never forget.

“Birdie,” I whispered. She was with Hawk when they brought us home from Italy.

“Ladies,” Birdie said, her voice crisp and authoritative. “I’m Birdie, and this is Milli. We’re part of Hawk’s team.”

My stomach clenched when our eyes met, and I raised my hand.

Birdie looked at Fee and me, crossed the room, reached out, and squeezed each of our hands.

She wasn’t much older than Fee and me, but that’s where the similarities between us ended.

Birdie couldn’t have been more different from me. Where I was just me, everything in Birdie screamed trained, silent, very deadly professional.

Milli, who was the shorter of the two, with kind eyes that belied her serious expression, looked directly at me. “Jemma, right? Hawk briefed us about the…situation. If there’s anything we can do for you…”

The room fell silent. I could feel everyone’s eyes on me, burning with curiosity. The way she hesitated before the word situation… Did that mean they knew about my involvement in the hacking ?

My heart raced as I fought to keep my expression neutral. I desperately wanted to look at Isa to gauge her reaction, but I knew that would give her away, and as far as I knew, nobody had discovered her—Iset’s—involvement yet.

Because if anyone had, and they’d told Vince about it, he would’ve bitten her head off by now. Instead, I kept my gaze steady on Milli.

“Thank you,” I managed to say, my voice sounding strained even to my own ears.

Fee leaned forward, her brow furrowed. “Okay, can you finally fill us in on what exactly ‘the situation’ is?”

I opened my mouth, but no words came out. How could I explain what had happened on that roof when I still didn’t know how it all was connected?

I hesitated, unsure how much to reveal, but Birdie stepped in, saving me from the awkward silence.

“There was an attack,” she said, her voice steady and professional. “A helicopter with a group of armed men approached the rooftop where Jemma and Vince were about to board the company helicopter.”

The room fell silent as everyone processed this information. I could see the shock on Fee’s face, the concern in Mirabella’s eyes, and the grim understanding in Isa’s expression.

Birdie continued, “Vince, Hero, and Peaches stayed behind to hold them off while Hawk, Dante, Jemma, and Goofy escaped in the company helicopter. They managed to commandeer the attackers’ chopper and followed them here.”

My heart raced as I relived those terrifying moments. The sound of the helicopter blades, the wind whipping around us, the sickening lurch as our helicopter dove off the platform. I shuddered involuntarily.

“Were you hurt?” Fee asked, her eyes scanning me for injuries.

I shook my head. “No, I’m fine. Vince…they all…protected me.” The words felt strange on my tongue admitting that everybody on that roof had risked their life for me.

“Do we know who was behind the attack?” Isa asked, her voice tight with concern.

Birdie shook her head. “Not yet. We’re working on identifying the attackers. For now, we’re treating this location as a safe house until we can determine the extent and direction of the threat.”

Mirabella looked between all of us, clearly lost. “Is this for real? It sounds like a scene right out of some kind of action movie. Maybe it was all for show?”

I shrugged.

Birdie cleared her throat. “Perhaps we should wait until we have more details. We’re just here to introduce ourselves and let you know we’re your personal protective detail. We’re fully briefed, and if you need to talk about anything”—she paused—“we’re here.”

I nodded gratefully. “That’s great. Thank you.”

I caught Iset’s eye, and she narrowed her eyes and shook her head in an almost indistinguishable movement. With the slightest nod—a silent understanding passing between us—I agreed to keep my mouth shut—at least for now.

Our shared secret—our involvement in the hacking—we would talk about it later. Isa didn’t know Birdie, and until I had the chance to tell her we could trust her, I would remain silent.

The tension in the room was suddenly thick enough to cut with a knife. Everyone seemed to be waiting for someone else to break the silence.

Fee leaned forward, her eyes narrowed as she looked between Isa and me. “Okay, what’s going on with you two? You’re doing that weird silent communication thing. When did you get to know each other so well?”

I forced a laugh, hoping it didn’t sound as nervous as I felt. “What? No, we’re not. It’s just…we met yesterday and this morning, and it’s a lot to process, you know?”

Isabella jumped in, her voice smooth and confident. “Exactly. We’re all trying to wrap our heads around what’s happening. It’s not every day you’re involved in a helicopter chase and end up in a safe house.”

I nodded, grateful for her quick thinking. “Right. It’s just…surreal.”

Mirabella looked skeptical, but before she could press further, a commotion from the other room caught our attention.

“What are you doing here, Zotov?” Vince said, and I could hear the anger in his voice.

I stopped short. Zotov?

Zotov was here?

I got up, drawn by Vince’s raised voice, and moved across the room toward the open door.

I stopped short right after stepping through the door and stared at Ivan Zotov .

He was sitting next to my father and across from Vince as if he’d been invited to afternoon tea.

My father’s face was a mix of concern and calculation.

“He’s convinced you all are plotting against him. The second team he’s hired…they’re not just after you. They’re targeting everyone close to you—your brothers, your sisters…Jemma.”

My heart stopped for a moment, then started racing. Who were they talking about? I watched Vince’s face, searched for any reaction, but he remained stoic, his jaw clenched tight.

His brothers, however, couldn’t hide their shock and anger nearly as good as him.

“How do you know all this?” Vince asked.

Zotov continued, his voice calm despite the bomb he’d just dropped. “I have my sources. Let’s just say your father isn’t as discreet as he thinks he is. And I kept an eye on him after he approached me to hire me for his little coup. He thought I’d jump at the chance to cause some chaos.”

His father? Were they talking about Vince’s father? I felt a hand on my arm, turned, and met Fee’s gaze; her face was pale but determined. I looked over and focused on Isabella. She looked as shocked and angry as I was feeling.

Birdie, behind her, gave me a small nod, a silent promise of support. At least we weren’t alone.

“And you didn’t?” Vince asked, and I focused back on the men.

The room fell silent, the weight of those words hanging heavy in the air.

Zotov grinned. “Contrary to what you might think of me, I do have some principles. Betraying family isn’t my style. Besides,” he added, his tone turning serious, “your father’s plan is shortsighted and dangerous. It would destabilize the entire East Coast underworld. That’s not beneficial for anyone.”

Vince looked like he didn’t believe a word out of Zotov’s mouth.

Hawk moved out of the room, Peaches and Goofy hot on his heels.

I moved closer to Vince, drawn by an inexplicable need to be by his side, to hold his hand.

The room felt too small, too crowded with tension and unspoken fears. As I approached, Vince’s eyes met mine, a flicker of concern breaking through his stoic expression, but then he went back to the cold, distanced man he was when we first met.

For a moment, I hovered, unsure if I should put some distance between us or stay. I wanted him to reach out, to pull me to his side, to wrap his arm around my waist, strong and secure.

He did none of these things, and yet, I settled next to him and stayed by his side.

This was just not the moment for him to show any weakness, not in front of Zotov.

Zotov. I focused on him, my mind racing with the implications of his words. Vince’s father, the man I’d met once—and felt repulsed by—was targeting, not just Vince but everyone close to him, including me. The thought should have terrified me, should have sent me running for the hills.

But as I sat there, longing to feel the warmth of Vince’s body next to mine, I realized something that shocked me to my core.

I wasn’t going anywhere.

No matter what dangers lay ahead, no matter what threats we faced, I was staying right here, by his side.

It wasn’t just about protection or safety. It was about us—this unexpected and intense connection that had formed between us. Everything we’d been through in such a short time—the fights, the passion, the moments of vulnerability. Somewhere on the way, I’d decided he was the one for me.

I looked up at Vince. His jaw was set, his shoulders tense. Without thinking, I reached up and placed my hand on his chest, right over his heart. I felt it beating strong and steady beneath my palm.

Vince glanced at me, surprise softening his features for a split second.

I gave him a small nod, trying to convey everything I was feeling without words.

I’m here. I’m not leaving. We’re in this together. A team.

And then he took my hand and removed it from his chest, and I suddenly felt cold to my core.

He flinched when Hawk’s guy started the first stitch.

Vince might appear bigger than life. Invincible. But he was just as human as the rest of us.