Page 44 of The Vow

God, this was so dangerous.

“Showtime.” A single word, and I shoved aside all my feelings for Damon back into the Pandora’s box where they belonged.

It had to be my imagination, but a path seemed to magically appear in front of us, and at the end of it stood Bernard Belmont, the CEO of GrowTech and the man responsible for the death of my parents, their murder, and the cover-up.

I stiffened, caught off-guard even though Belmont was the reason we were here. I saw him on TV or from a distance, but never like this. Not this close in a long, long time, and so in his element, sucking up the wealth and prestige of those around him like a leech.

“Say the word, Robber, and I’ll kill him right now,” the dark voice rumbled again.

What?My head nodded toward Damon. He couldn’t be…hewas serious.There was no questioning the sincerity that oozed from my husband’s beautiful but lethal expression.He was really offering to kill Belmont.

“Right now? In front of all these people?” It went beyond illegal and stupid and straight on to ridiculous.

“For you,” he said with a cold arrogance, and I hated how it fanned the butterflies in my stomach. Lifted them higher. Fluttered them faster.

The idea that the world’s most dangerous criminal was at my disposal. My own personal weapon. Willing to do anything I asked…

I was tempted to say yes. Not because this was how or where I wanted Belmont’s end, but because I wanted to watch Damon follow through. I wanted to see him go to the lengths he promised for me.Maybe then it would be easier to stomach theurge I had to listen to him…to want to know this kernel of truth he taunted me with.

It was so, so tempting. But even more dangerous.

“You know death is too good for him,” I finally said and directed my gaze back to the man in question. I wanted Belmont to pay, and I wanted his whole empire to crumble.

“Then let’s go give him something worse,” he murmured, his hand bracketing my lower back as he led me across the room.

“Mr. Belmont.” Damon extended his hand. “A pleasure to see you.”

Belmont’s head cocked, taken aback by a face he didn’t recognize. No surprise. Very few people could say they had the privilege of recognizing Damon Remington.

“Yes, welcome.” Belmont recovered quickly and, for the sake of the crowd, took Damon’s hand.

“I’m sorry to hear about Wenner and Carson. Quite a hit in one year,” Damon pulled no punches with his next statement, taking even me by surprise with his blunt chastisement.

Lloyd Wenner was GrowTech’s longtime COO, one in the group involved in my parents’ deaths and cover-up. He’d died earlier this year as a result of my brothers’ efforts. And then there was Brock Carson. The elitist, unscrupulous businessman Belmont hired to replace Wenner; he’d also just been killed by one of my brothers’ teams.

The mention of both of them in the same sentence would’ve been inflammatory enough, but the way Damon saidit, his tone so banal yet laden with coldness, instantly put Belmont on edge.

“You’ll have to forgive me, but I don’t believe I know you,” he said with a voice that bordered on threatening.

His grip tightened, making Damon’s skin blanch as though the overweight older man had a chance of holding his own for even a second in a fight with someone as fit and trained as Damon.

“Yes, well, most don’t recognize me without my hat, but I’m sure you’ve heard of me. Everyone has,” Damon drawled with an easy smile, only closing his grip when Belmont tried to pull away.

A second later, Belmont’s security, stationed like statues around the perimeter of the room, lurched from their posts, ready to eject Damon from the house and possibly from this world entirely.

“Damon Remington, at your service.” He accompanied his debonair introduction with a short bow, something that should’ve been a show of deference, yet topped with his smirk, instead came across like a slap to the face.

The corners of my lips climbed higher as Belmont’s eyes widened in shock, realizing he faced the infamous criminal consultant who was partially responsible for his company’s recent tumult. My smile almost made it into full bloom, the thrill of finally confronting the evil from my past flooding me with a sense of power that seemed indestructible.

Until my husband went and destroyed it.

“And this is my beautiful wife, Robyn Remington,” he presented me like a trophy at his side with a burgeoning look of pride and a possessive hold on my lower back.

I’d felt pits in my stomach before. The stumble of my heart. The breathlessness in the face of utter desolation. But this was none of that.

This was the opening of a parachute to find it was made with a hole in the center. It was the launch of a plane to realize it only had one wing. It was the moment I realized the thing I believed would save me was mortally flawed.

I believed Damon Remington had brought me here to help me, and it wasn’t that I should’ve known better. Ididknow better, and still, I’d been fooled.

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