Page 40 of Hostile Vows
I’m a good few steps behind them, glancing over my shoulder every now and again to check for an incoming, hot-tempered gunman. Thinking he’s occupied for the time being, I pull out my phone again to send another text message.
One minute I’m looking at the screen and in the next a huge hand covers my mouth as a possessive arm snakes around my midriff. I’m trapped against a hard mass of muscle, my arms thrashing as I struggle against my captor, who effortlessly walks me backward, away from the two men.
A door whooshes open, kicked by a boot to keep it from closing on us. Once we’re both inside, whiskered lips drop to the shell of my ear. “Scream and I’ll kill them both. Understood?”
Under his hand, I smell alcohol, leather, and vetiver. Confidence epitomized in my husband's aroma. The heavy door automatically shuts us inside a huge windowless room, where a massive screen hangs on an oak-clad wall with rows of tables and chairs set out for a conference. It smells brand new, from a fawn patterned carpet underfoot to glitzy chandeliers that ping to life as motion sensors detect our movements.
“You’re a psycho, André,” I snarl when he removes his hand to release my waist, allowing me time to whirl around on the spot to face him. “You can’t kill them.”
He paces before me, his inked muscles rigid, each step reminding me of a caged lion in a zoo. “I can and I will. You should have thought about the consequences before you tested me.”
“The consequences of talking to someone? You have no reason to kill either of them. Lennon is a decent guy,” I hiss. “He’s in a normal relationship with his soon-to-be fiancée. Unlike us, he’s happy and wants to marry the love of his life.”
“Happy?” He sneers, his hair messily falling over his brow. “You want to feel happiness, Sin? We all know that fades. Wouldn’t you rather I offered pleasure and agreed to let you come harder than you’ve ever done before?”
“That’s a bit presumptuous,” I counter.
His eyes flash and I instantly regret saying it. I’m not given the chance to take it back when he prowls closer, clamps my shoulders, and backs me into the wall.
“Luckily for him, he didn’t lay a finger on you. Otherwise, I would have thrown the asshole out the window. He wouldn’t be so happy then, would he?” His chest visibly rises. “Have I made myself clear?”
I refuse to answer, doing my best to push him off me. He won’t budge.
“You. Are. Mine,” he grits out through clenched teeth. “Mine to touch. Mine to admire. Mine to take home. Mine forever. Even when the lights go out on this attraction, you’ll still belong to me. If any man dares to think you could be his, then all bets are off. I’ll cut him up and bury his remains in the foundations of the next Souza tower. Do you understand?”
“You’re a maniac.”
“Maybe I am.” He tips in closer. “But those are my rules. If you don’t want a trail of dead bodies behind you, then you’ll pay attention or face the consequences.”
“And what shouldIdo when a woman like Janel makes a move on my husband? Take a knife to her throat? Things could get messy around here if I start slicing up all your whores while you’re hacking up innocent guys.”
He stares at me, his expression darkening, not from violence but delight. “You’re jealous of her too?”
“No…” I say breathlessly, inwardly batting away the lie. “I just think it’s hypocritical how you can act like a caveman when I’m only trying to make friends. I’m here because of you. In a city where the only person I know is my good-looking husband who gets bored quickly. Do you expect me to shrivel into the background and watch while you disrespectme?”
Both of his eyebrows drift up. “That’s the second time you’ve called me husband and referred to me as good-looking. I’m starting to think you have a crush on me, Wifey.”
His killer mood starts to unravel, the levels unwinding until it’s less fury-stricken and more wicked. A subtle dimple dents his cheek. Under his anger, there’s a glint of humanity.
“You know you could have any woman on the planet, yet you forced a stranger to marry you. I just don’t get it.”
“You know what I saw when I looked into your eyes on that yacht?” I shake my head. “… The same miserable girl who needed an escape. Who wished for a way out. Who craved an adventure. You’re not a stranger to me, Sin. Which is why you’re my wife.” He takes a sharp breath as if he’s said too much. “If it's not your new friend who should be taught an important lesson, then it must be you?”
“In case you haven't noticed, there aren’t any windows in this room to push me out of.” My voice wobbles, unsure why the floor beneath my feet feels like jelly.
“How about I make you a promise?”
“I’m listening.”
“I’ll never kill you. No matter what happens in the future. As long as you never betray me.”
“And despite my loyalty, you’ll continue to control who I speak to and what I do.”
“Correct.”
I groan out my dissatisfaction. “You’re impossible.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. Everything I’m capable of is very possible.” Brawny shoulders pull back as he straightens, his hands still pinning me to the wall. “Are you prepared to take responsibility for your actions and accept the punishment? Or will I arrange for Reno to pick up yournewfriendlater and take him on a one-way trip?”
