Page 7 of The Vow

I went to laugh, but the sound crashed inside my throat when he pulled his hand from his jacket and held it in front of me, a diamond ring pinned between his fingers.

My eyes narrowed on him. “Considering the last ring you gave me was a lie, I can’t imagine why you think this one would inspire my trust.”

Even as I spoke, my wedding band felt like a hot brand against my chest. The ring hung suspended from a long chain around my neck, always concealed by whatever shirt I was wearing.

When I made no move to take his offering, he placed it on the table and sat back.

“Because this one has a microdot inside the fake gem with all of my information. Accounts. Properties. Associates. Aliases. Everything that belongs to my empire—everything your friends at the FBI will need to put me in cuffs. It’s all there,” he said, and as soon as he caught a whiff of my disbelief, he instructed, “Check your program, Robber. I’m not lying.”

I looked at the laptop. All his biometrics were reading as truth.

“So you hid your kompromat in a diamond ring?”

“I wanted to give you an engagement ring, but I figured this was far more valuable to you than any trinket I could buy.”

Trinketwas a very diminutive term for the kind of jewelry he could afford, at least if the rumors about his estimated wealth were to be believed.

“It’s yours, Robber. My whole empire,” he said, though the look in his eyes promised it was even more than that.

The absurdity of this—the incredulity was debilitating. To have Damon sitting in front of me after fifteen years, offering his help to bring my parents’ murderer to justice, and giving me thekeys to his criminal kingdom…it was too much. Too unbelievable.Too risky.

Just like the last time he’d offered me everything, there would be a price to pay. I didn’t know what it was, but I knew it existed, and for now that would have to be enough.

“I’m sure the authorities will appreciate the clarity.” I swiped the ring and shoved it in my jacket pocket, ignoring all allusions to our former relationship and avoiding any mention of how I felt about it.

Damon’s jaw fired once, hard, contorting his expression with something akin to anger before it cleared. “Robber?—”

“So, if I agree to your deal, what happens next?” I interrupted, looking at him with what I hoped was a blank stare and not the turmoil that clouded my mind.

Damon sat silent for a minute, his gaze boring over me like he couldn’t decide whether to press forward or retreat, and when he responded, I wasn’t sure which route he’d actually taken.

“Not here.” He pulled the cap off his head.

My eyes narrowed to slits. “Where?”

Plucking the sensors off his fingers, he linked his hands on the table, appearing every inch the businessman about to strike a bargain.

“You seem to forget, Robber, that I have what you want. I’m the one with the means. The plan. The opportunity to take down the man who killed your parents. And while I’m more than happy to sit here and let you test me through and through to assure yourself of something you already know”—asshole—“if you want my help, you play by my rules.”

The urge to fight him was like an itch I desperately wanted to scratch. But I couldn’t. Not if I wanted to get to Belmont. Not if I wanted the both of them to end behind bars.

“Of course.” I smiled, the cold, superficial expressionI used in the face of dozens of arrogant pricks before him. “I know your help never comes at face value.”

The barb landed. His mouth tightened, but he didn’t acknowledge the thinly veiled insult.

“I don’t need to remind you how dangerous Belmont is. How dangerous his associates are or how enraged he is that you’ve knocked so many players off his chess board.”

I bit into the side of my tongue. Belmont had a small army of associates who’d helped him over the years, many of whom my brother and I had either killed or handed to the authorities.

“So, first, I will give you information when it’s pertinent for you to know it. For your safety.” He paused when I let out a loud snort of disbelief. Swallowing, I motioned for him to continue. “Second, when we are around Belmont, you do exactly what I say when I say it, and you do not question me.”

“Fine.” I fumed but didn’t protest.

“Give me your phone.”

“No,” I scoffed.

“Do you want your brothers to track you? Because that is exactly what they’ll do, and this won’t work if they’re in the picture.”

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