Page 39 of Vengeful Vows

My eyes snap to Riley so fast they burn. “That isn’t what I meant. I’ve never said that. I havenevercompared you to him.”

Pain and anger flood her impressive eyes—hiseyes. “Words aren’t the only way to express yourself, Arkadiy. You display that better than anyone.” After shaking her head, announcing her disgust without words, she reveals the reason for her interruption. “Mother called. She saw this…” She dumps the photograph of Mara, Tillie, and me onto my desk before she heads back for the door. “I told her you were busy, but you know what Mother is like. If she asks you to jump, you ask her how high.”

She isn’t generalizing her parody. She used “you” on purpose because she knows I can’t deny the actuality of her scorn.

My mother rules the roost in our family, and I’ve yet to cut ties because I’m too scared of the backlash it could cause.

What once seemed unachievable is nowhere near as daunting with the taste of Mara’s pussy still stimulating my tastebuds.

Three short words slow Riley’s brisk exit. “She’s like us.”

Her back remains facing me for several long seconds before she eventually turns around. I don’t know what she is seeking when her eyes bounce between mine, but she must find something, because her tone is completely different than it was minutes ago when she whispers, “Us?”

I could force her to elaborate on her reply, but I won’t. For the first time in her life, I refuse to let her carry the sole burden of our childhood.

It isourburden, not hers.

Air whizzes between her quivering lips when I dip my chin.

Then her tears fall freely.

16

MARA

The coolness of the winds that forever batter this part of the country reduces when I stuff my hands under my arms. I hug myself tight while continuing down an isolated street, seeking a bus service that runs at this time of night.

After being jumped at gunpoint, I should be scared to take public transport at this hour, but my embarrassment is too high to let something as insignificant as fear in.

I can’t believe I almost cried while climaxing.

Who does that?

Who freaks out during a sexual activity that’s meant to make you feel your weight in gold?

I’m horrified Arkadiy was subjected to my near blubbering, so my emotions blew over when I discovered he wasn’t the sole witness of the farce.

At least Riley interrupted us and not Rafael or I may never recover. It will take more than a forty-minute walk to let gratitude seep in, though.

On top of my shame, I also feel guilty. I didn’t mean to barge past Riley, but with my emotions scrambled and the exitblocked, I went for the bolt-now-answer-questions-later coping mechanism I designed after I found out I was pregnant with Tillie.

Riley balked when I accidentally touched her as much as Ark did the first time I fled from him. It caused a million questions to flood my head and has me so confused it takes longer than I care to admit to notice that I am being followed.

I move to the far shoulder of the road, giving the driver plenty of room to maneuver past me.

He doesn’t. He follows me down a side street before flashing his headlights. Their brightness is as blinding as the flashes of the paparazzi cameras when they mistook me during my exit of the main entry door of the Chrysler building as someone of importance.

I crank my neck back, preparing to serve the driver some of the anger bubbling in my veins. My words entomb in my throat when the car’s internal light flicks on, and I spot the desolate face of the man seated in the back passenger seat.

Ark looks as tormented as I feel.

Heartsick, I slowly approach the idling car and slip into the back seat.

I’ve barely latched my belt when Ark snaps out, “Term one of your contract was that you were not to use public transport, so what the fuck are you doing walking to a bus stop at this time of night?”

His anger momentarily shocks me. Then, as I work his words through my head, I realize it isn’t anger they’re projecting. It’s panic.

“I am s-safe on these streets.”

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