Page 39 of Vow of Vengeance
"Soren Palmer," I say coldly, reverting back to her maiden name, the way I referred to her when we first met. Before she simply becamemine. "You're late."
Soren straightens, managing to look a little scared as she looks from Tony to me. "I... got tied up."
"Evers." Tony grunts, looking at me in surprise. "What are you doing here?"
"Collecting what's mine." I don't bother mincing my words. "Miss Palmer is my contracted employee. I need her to meet my demands without being distracted. Are you keeping her from work?"
"It's fine." Soren says, straightening and pushing past Tony. "We were just catching up."
She's nearly past him when Tony puts his hands on her, grabbing her by the arms so that she has to stop to face him.
I swear to God my vision goes red, rage coloring the inside of the bar. I flex my knuckles, reigning in my sense of self-control, but when he tries to shove her behind him, any sense of composure I have is lost. I'm in his face in an instant; I'd have him on the ground already bleeding if I weren't worried about what seeing a murder would do to her fragile mental health. The only thing that saves him is my love for her.
Soren takes advantage of Tony's attention being on me to shake out from under his grip and walk around him, placing a hand on my chest to try and guide me away before any violence can ensue.
"It's fine." She says, though I don't know if she's assuring me, or Tony, or herself.
"I told you. Soren ismine. If you lay a hand on her again, I'll cut it off."
Despite visibly shrinking before me, Tony only laughs, trying to come across unbothered. "You're awfully stupid to threaten me, kid. Do you know the things I'm capable of?"
"Do you know whatI'mcapable of?" I challenge, matching his laugh. "No, you don't. If you did, you wouldn't dare breathe the same air as her again."
I watch his lip curl in amusement before his eyes flicker to her. "Whatever he's paying you, it ain't worth it to be his whore, princess. Walk away."
I don't see her response to that because she grabs me by the shoulder in an attempt to tug me away. It only takes one look at her to see the fear in her eyes, the unease written in the tension of her body.
"Declan..." She doesn't have to say anything more.
I catch Khan's eye briefly before I turn to go, wrapping my arm around her to bring her in close.
"You're better off dead than with him, Soren. Remember that." His voice follows us to the exit, full of venom. "Vin must be rollin' in his grave that his wife's fucking his killer."
I squeeze her tighter against me, feeling the way she trembles ever so slightly.
"Ignore him, Ren." I mutter, kicking the door open so that we can get to the car. Tony follows us as far as the exit, and I grip her arm when she tries to break off to get her car. "We'll have to come back for that later."
When she takes in the way she was boxed out of opening her driver's side door, I see her swallow back her objections. She manages to keep them at bay until we're safely inside my car, the doors locked behind us.
My hand is on the button to start the ignition when she lunges for it, stopping me short.
When I turn to her, seeking an explanation, she's pale, her lips parted like the words died before they made it to her tongue. She looks like she's seen a ghost, and her hand clutches mine tightly.
"Wait. We can't leave."
"The hell we can't." I snort, turning the car on. "We're going to get as far from that piece of shit as we can manage and then you need a shower so that I can wash his filthy touch off of you."
"Dec-" She swallows, shaking her head. "There's a hidden room in the bar. It was behind the stock shelves, like no one wanted it to be found."
"A hidden room?" I appraise her face, waiting for more. "And you just... happened to find it?"
"I never spend long in the backroom, but I was getting cleaning supplies, and I noticed it. I slid the shelf out of the way and opened it, but it was just... dark. And then Tony came and..."
I nod, understanding the direction her thoughts are headed. "Marissa?"
"What if they're hiding her in there?"
I don't tell her that seems ridiculous. I don't say anything that could crush her, all the progress she's made over these last few weeks.
