Page 80 of The Vow

“We’re leaving, and we’re leaving quietly,” he ordered under his breath, clearly not trusting me to obey because his knife stayed poised at my back, obscured by the train of my dress as well as his body.

“I hate you,” I spat over my shoulder, letting him guide me through the crowd while my mind toiled.

“Oranges, Robber.”

Fuck oranges. This had nothing to do with his damn oranges, and the only thing that wasn’t as it seemed was him.

I saw the information he’d shown Belmont. It was real, and he’d sent it to Belmont. There was no way Belmont wouldn’t confirm that information. No way he’d taken Damon on his word that these women were ripe for the taking. Even if Damon’s plan was only to give up part of my contact list, he was still sacrificing people I cared about.

He still acted as though any meansjustified the end. As though all could be forgiven once Belmont and Shazad were gone forever.

I’d never forgive him for this.

“How could you?” I choked out, the strength of my own idiocy like a hand around my throat, and my eyes started to blur with furious, bitter tears.

Anything to protect me.What a fucking lie.

I had to get out of here. I had to warn them. Maybe if I contacted my brothers. Got them the information. They could get them all to safety before Belmont or Shazad or something happened. God, I was such a fool.

“Not here, Robber,” he said, his voice sharp and low.

No. I wasn’t going to play his game or abide by his rules anymore. I did everything he said—everything he asked. I gave him a sliver of my broken trust to help me bring down Belmont, and he’d taken that sliver, sharpened it into a shiv, and then drove it right back through my heart.

I didn’t want to hear any more explanations of how betraying me was necessary to protect me.

A bright-green top hat caught my eye, and without thinking, I grabbed the man’s arm, catching him by surprise.

“Miss, would you like to make a donation to the foundation?” he inquired warmly, extending his hand with the box. “I will also take your photo to share with the event.” He indicated to the screens on the stage.

“Robyn,” Damon growled behind me.

I gave the green man a smile so big, I swore I did permanent damage to my cheeks. “I would absolutely love to donate to such a worthwhile cause. Don’t you agree,darling?” Acid dripped from my voice as I angled my body, turning my face toward Damon and slowly angling away from his knife.

Not even ten minutes ago, I would’ve sworn Damon would never harm me physically. That was before he’d sold my friends—innocent, strong women—and my life’s work to the man I hated second-most.

So, I used the green man as a buffer.

“Yes, we’d love to make a donation.” I clapped my hands together and batted my eyes at the top-hatted attendant.

Damon didn’t want a scene; he’d promised Belmont to not make a scene. At the most basic level, I had to assume that included not stabbing his disobedient wife in front of a witness with a camera.

“If you’d like to put your donation in the box, I’ll take your photo…” the man prompted.

Shit.

I hadn’t gotten much past this part in my plan. I’d needed something to allow me to pull away from Damon and force him to put away his blade, but now what? I needed to get away from him.

Maybe I could ask him to take me to the coat closet. Say I left it in my purse.But Damon would still follow us.Or I could pretend to faint.No. Damon would probably figure out some way to persuade everyone he was a doctor.

“Actually,darling,we really have to go.”

I clasped my hands tighter in front of my chest, and then I felt it. The answer was digging into my fingers that were unused to the metal shackle around them.

“Oh, this will only take a minute.” I extended a cold smile to Damon.

Heartbeats spilled into my veins, messy and uncontrolled, as I grabbed my wedding band and worked it off my finger, watching understanding, then disbelief, and then fury stain his perfect face. If there was any hurt, I refused to see it. Refused to acknowledge it.

“Robyn…” Damon warned, and there it was again, that low growl that tumbled like thunder through the space.

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