Page 79 of The Vow

“Some of them Mr. Shazad might even recognize as having escaped from the incompetence of the Triad,” Damon continued with a smirk, omitting that the Triad’s incompetence was a result of his intelligence. “And this network, these women, are my gift to you and him to do with whatever you please. I think you’ll find their much broader skill set more of a boon than the slaves Shazad was hoping to have before.”

My eyes lowered to my chest, searching for the tip of the knife punctured through my chest, the blade spinning with every sickening word.

Damon had given up my girls.My tribe. The women I’d saved and cared for and strengthened and promised to protect. The women I’d confessed to him as being like family to me. The women who’d saved me when he’d abandoned me the first time.

And in one fell swoop, he’d used my weakness as his weapon.Again.

“No.” My voice cracked, my body finally snapping out of the shock. “No,” I repeated, glaring at him. “You can’t give them to him. I won’t let you?—”

“I already did,” Damon said flatly, his voice and expression suddenly savage and void of all emotion, in his blank stare like vinegar on the wound.

With his free hand, he pulled out my cell phone—my original phone—from his pocket, set it on the table, and opened the screen.

My eyes couldn’t go any wider…and my heart couldn’t hurt any more.

It was my girls. The encrypted folder I kept with all of their information. Damon scrolled through the images, tapping briefly on a few to show there were more than pictures. Each one contained personal information, addresses, contact information. And he was trading it to Belmont. The man who would do the absolute worst with the knowledge.

Until this moment, I thought I would’ve done anything to bring Belmont to justice. But Damon had just found the onesingle thingI never would’ve sacrificed for my own revenge: hundreds of innocent lives for the chance to take down a guilty one.

“No. Stop!” I found my voice and tried to reach for my phone, but Damon was quicker, grabbing it out of my reach and he yanked me back painfully to his side.

“It’s too late,” Damon snarled and tapped a few times on the screen before shoving my cell into his jacket.

Belmont’s pleased smile was like a gavel on Damon’s verdict.Too late.

“Check your messages,” Damon instructed the other man.

No.My breath locked in my throat as Belmont reached forhis cell to confirm. There was a brief moment when Belmont looked confused that I had hope that this wasn’t real.That it wasn’t what it seemed.

“Where’s the rest of it?”

“That’s the first quarter of the list. You’ll get the rest when I’m part of this partnership,” Damon explained. Meanwhile, the only thing I heard was that I was wrong to hope, but there was still a chance to save the rest.

I’d kill Damon myself before I let him put anyone else in danger as a means to his end.

“Like hell you will,” I swore and swung my arm at him, but I was no match for his strength that harnessed me to him, my back to his chest.

“Enough.” Damon’s harsh order was punctuated by the soft click of a knife sliding open, nor the press of the flat of the blade against my side.

What? Was he afraid I’d impale myself on it if he used the tip?

I twisted and turned, trying to escape, and out of the corner of my eye I saw Belmont watching me with the most interest he’d ever shown in my direction…and the closest thing to a genuine smile on his face. The fucker was enjoying this. Enjoying the fact that Damon betrayed me for a fucking business deal. That he’d handed over something I cared about.That he’d humiliated and betrayed me.

“Stop struggling, sweetheart. I’d hate to make any more of a scene.” Damon angled his head and cooed softly in my ear. A show. It was all a show.

“Fuck you.”

Damon’s chuckle rolled along my back, and then, like I was a petulant child he’d deal with later, he turned back to Belmont. “Bernie, old sport, I hope our business arrangement can move forward now without any further, unnecessarydelays. I dislike…” He paused, scowled, and then finished. “Distractions.”

“Well, I do appreciate this show of dedication.” Belmont’s eyes leached down and then back up, savoring the sight of the ruthlessness of his new business partner. “And I’m sure the Shazads will, too.”

“Wonderful.” Damon smiled.

Belmont wiped the twisted enjoyment from his face, clearly recalling he had an appearance to maintain. “We’re meeting next week. You’ll receive the location tomorrow. I look forward to working with you, Remington.”

He made a point to look at me and then back to Damon, a silent “you better keep your bitch restrained”passing from his distasteful stare.

Damon didn’t say anything as Belmont walked around us, through the guarded stanchions, and back to the sea of people brimming with support.

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