The scene: Carmen was trying to warn Danny that Michelle would hurt him. Danny didn't want to hear this negative talk about his wife. Carmen told him that he is "too emotional". She explained, "It's my fault. I spoiled you. Even as a child, I knew that you were the special one, that you would be the one to go to college, that you would be the head of this family. But you are too easily ruled by your heart."

In my opinion, Carmen very much favored Danny over Mick. Mick was the black sheep of the Santos family, but his death had to be avenged, in accordance with the family code. It would appear that the character of Mick, as orginally conceived, was a sleazy thug from the streets. The arrival of brother Danny, however, inspired TPTB to tweak Mick's history; he became the eldest son of a mob family. At this juncture in the storyline, the character of Pilar had yet to be added to the canvas. Danny seems to be Carmen's favorite son, Mick was the slimy son that only a mother could love, and Pilar, was the only child she loved enough to protect her from the evils associated with living in a mob family.

Did he marry her, not only to keep her safe, but to give his mother the ultimate middle finger for throwing herself at Mick's feet all these years, while he was in the shadows?

I agree that Danny initially married Michelle "to keep her safe." He also felt that he had no other viable alternative to offer her; and, he was beginning to have feelings for her. The dark prince got tangled up in the role of white knight, saving the damsel from evil Queen Mama, without thinking about the dire consequences of marrying a woman who didn't care for him. I really don't think he consciously married Michelle to spite his mother; by the time they declared their vows in a Catholic ceremony, Danny's feelings for Michelle had intensified, and, as he said of his vows, "I meant every word." At the wedding, Danny was the picture of a happy groom who was in love with his confused bride.

As for Danny thinking that he "was in the shadows" of his brother, Carmen has mentioned, on at least a couple of occasions, that Danny is "smart" and "intelligent," and that he was the one who went to college. Mick, on the other hand, chose to enter the University of Low-lifes, and double-majored in gambling and drugs, with a minor in abusing women. I don't think younger brother Danny would have been overly impressed by bad-boy to-the-core, Mick. As for savvy Carmen, she must have been aware, on some level at least, that her first born son wouldn't become someone she could be proud of.

Marie