Page 81 of The Vow

I turned with a burst of fury and shoved my wedding ring into the donation box.Fuck you, Damon.

Mr. Green Hat gaped, his eyes moving wildly between Damon and me. I doubted anyone else had put jewelry into the box, let alone their wedding ring with their husband standing right there.

“Oh, did you want to get a photo?” I asked sweetly.

“I—I don’t know—I’m not sure—” The man couldn’t even stammer through a complete sentence.

“It’s all right. I don’t like photos, but you could take one of my husband. He could use a new one.” I didn’t bother to wait for him to take the bait. I grabbed his camera and angled it at Damon’s face.

“Robyn—” Damon swore and lifted his hand but not fast enough to beat the fire of the flash.

“Oh, that is a perfect shot.” I shoved the camera back to the poor man who looked like a deer trapped between the headlights of two hunters; prey either way. “The donation is from Damon Remington. Be sure to put that on there. Thank you!”

I darted around the man in the suit and rushed for the door, knowing Damon couldn’t follow me. Not unless he wanted his name and face broadcast to a group of thousands.

The exit door caught on the billowing cape of my dress, stopping my heart for a moment thinking that he’d caught me. Furiously, I ripped the tender fabric from its binds and left it to stain the ground.

As much as I wanted to head for the front, there were no cars out there. Not any taxis or Ubers—they were directed to the lower-level entrance in the garage where Pat had dropped us off.

My lungs were burning by the time I pushed through the door to the garage, crashing right into the familiar brawn of the towering Irishman.

No.A sob tangled in my chest.

“Let me go,” I demanded and tried to pull away.

“Can’t do that.”

“Please,” I begged. I wasn’t above begging now. Anything to get away from Damon. “You don’t know what happened—what he did.”

“No, Robbie,” Pat insisted with a harsh brogue. “Youdon’t know what he’s done. All these years?—”

“Pat.”

All my fight drained in an instant, hearing the steady tenor of his voice.Caught.The briefest glimmer of apology flitted through the bodyguard’s eyes.More like a sorry, not sorry,if you asked me.

My body thrummed like a hive that had been shaken. My blood buzzed like a swarm of bees, ready to fight to defend their queen.And my protected kingdom.

I curled and uncurled my fist, feeling my anger rush to the tip of my tongue. I hated him for this, and I’d been a fool to think, even for the most minuscule fraction of a second, that Damon Remington was anything other than what he’d always shown himself to be:a callous, egotistical criminal.

“Please, trust me, Robber.”

I spun so fast, my hand flying from my side with such force, it wasn’t until the reverberation through the garage of my palm cracking across his cheek that I realized my arm had even moved.

The second seemed to stretch with the slow and steady exhale that pushed through his lips, drawing out time until even my heavy-handed heartbeats started to lag.

How could he ask me to trust him? How could he even think there was a possibility?

The words I’d felt chambered in my chest seemed unnecessarynow.I will never trust you. I will never believe you.I’d said everything I’d needed without opening my mouth.

Taking a cautious step forward, Pat rumbled, “Damon…”

Damon held his hand up, giving his man soundless instruction through his gaze, and then turning that gaze on me.

“Hit me again.”

I blanched. “What?”

He moved like lightning, lashing my wrist in his hold and dragging my hand back to his reddened cheek. I was too stunned to move or protest as he placed my palm to his skin that felt even hotter because of my efforts.

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