Page 22 of Tarnished Vow

She’s okay. “Alright, stop walking. I’ll tell them to get you.”

Letting the bastard go, calling her security team. “Pick her up, take her home. Stay at her door until I get there. Don’t let that fucker from earlier near her for the rest of the night.”

Ending the call. Great. I’ve strangled him. Moving his head. That or I broke his neck. Fuck, this day was never going to end.

“Clean this up, pick up his wanker of a partner. And..” I looked at the soldiers, trying to think of his name. “The other one that works the counter.” Typing a message to our pilot. “Put them in the basement in separate rooms at the cellar. I’ll deal with them when I get back. If I’m longer than two days, bread, water, nothing else. Understand?”

They nodded. So much for this being an early night.

“Anyone she saw tonight rest them for two months, then change them to Cecilia’s security team.” Finishing a message to Nikolai. I looked at the man that was still in my way.

He almost looked like he wanted to say something before stepping to the side. Smart move. Because my tolerance was at zero.

Opening her front door, then closing it.

I walked down the hall, running my hands over my face. Trying to wake myself up.

The lack of sleep was starting to add up.

Sofia was sitting on the couch, glaring at her phone. No surprise she wasn’t asleep. Just like when she was a kid, she couldn’t sleep when she was upset.

“I find throwing it helps.” Leaning against the doorframe. “Sometimes smashing it too.”

She looked up.

It was a nice change to not see fear in someone’s eyes when they looked at me.

“You didn’t have to come.”

I shrugged, sitting across from her. “So big night?” I patted my pants, looking for my cigarettes.

Her bottom lip started trembling. “I’ve failed everything, Vin, everything. I’m just a stupid girl. I can’t even pass a class.”

Something else was wrong. I tapped my lighter on my cigarette packet. “You’re not here to pass classes.”

“It is college, Vin. It’s the point.” She pulled at her sleeves.

“Not for you.”

Biting her bottom lip, she stared at the floor.

“All we want is for you to experience life, not survive it, like us.” I lit a cigarette, “Pass, fail, party on yachts like Cecilia.” Nudging her knee, so she would look up. “All you’re here to do is have fun. Fuck it. If you aren’t enjoying it, come home, or travel overseas. Whatever you want, pea. Nik and I don’t care about grades.”

And she knows that. If she doesn’t, we might have bigger problems.

“You’re the best brother, you know that.”

My chest tightened. No. I was the reason she didn’t have a father.

She finally looked at me. “I failed my driver’s license.”

“Well, take it again.”

“I did. I’ve failed four times.Fourtimes.”

So, this is what the real problem was. Parenting was a mind game.

“Well, you won’t fail a fifth.”

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