Page 12 of The Forever Vow

I didn’t answer her. If I told her that Bryce had stuffed me onto his private plane, threatened to tape my mouth shut, then dragged me to his private, guarded estate, she’d call the local police. The last thing Bryce needed right now was more bad press.

Olivia Jensen’s messages were next. The curvy, fiery redhead was Gene Windsor’s public relations person, and she was not my favorite.Please send pics from this weekend,she wrote.We need them for Bryce’s launch week. And I need to meet with you one-on-one when you guys get back.

Ugh, Olivia was apparently still working furiously to control the public image of the Windsor family. I hadn’t spoken with her since my meltdown at the wedding. She was probably very unhappy with me.

Will do,I texted back. Great, now Bryce and I needed to take selfies!

I opened the last text from the unknown number. It was probably junk, but I was a big believer in cleaning out my notifications.Dear Mrs. Windsor, it read.This firm represents Gene Windsor. Attached is a secure link to a private message.

My stomach sank. Gene Windsor had been arrested, but apparently, it didn’t matter: he would never leave me the hell alone. I looked outside. Bryce was stalking the pool deck, phone glued to his ear. I took a deep, shuddery breath and clicked the link.

Gene Windsor appeared on the screen, wearing the same white dress shirt he’d been arrested in. It was a video; he was smiling his usual smug smile. “Chloe, how nice of you to open this. I trust by now, the news of my arrest has been broadcast. I understand my son planned on bringing you to Exuma—he’s never been one to listen to common sense. If this message was sent, it means you’re directly violating our agreement.”

I gripped the edge of the counter.Oh my God, oh my god—

“Lucky for you,” Gene continued, “because of my impending incarceration, I’ve had a…change of heart, I suppose you’d call it. I can’t ignore the timing of all this. I didn’t know I’d be arrested and incarcerated as soon as today. But because that’s the case, I need something from you.”

I held my breath.

“These are your new instructions, and they are non-negotiable. I need you to go back home with Bryce. Stay there with him and pretend to be the perfect, loving wife. No more drunken scandals, no more fighting. But from this moment forward, you need to understand something: you work for me now.”

He smiled at the camera, and an icy chill needled my back.

“You will do what I say when I say it. If you want to keep your brother away from your drunken, low-life parents—and don’t bother asking them to back off, they’re already on my payroll—you will follow my instructions to the letter. My firm will send you messages. Say nothing to Bryce, or you will beverysorry. Good day.”

The screen went blank, and so did my mind. I stared at the phone.

You work for me now.

If you want to keep your brother…you will do what I say.

I couldn’t believe that Gene had changed his mind so abruptly. Part of me was relieved that he’d instructed me to stay with Bryce, but I knew better than to trust that feeling. Gene Windsor was bad news. He hated me, and my brother was nothing more than a pawn to him, a way to control me.

I’d been in trouble before, but this was different. Noah and I had been away from the island, away from the family. If I’d thrown my stupid cell phone out, maybe they never would’ve been able to find me. Even if they’d brought a lawsuit, we could’ve hidden. We could be safe right now.

But we weren’t. We were a long way from safe.

Gene Windsor might be in jail, but he was sending me back into his territory—enemy territory.

And now the enemy was my master.

SIX

primary

CHLOE

“Who was that?”Bryce was suddenly behind me.

“It was nothing—I was just watching a news clip.” I forced myself to sound casual as I turned off my phone.

His gaze flicked over me. “I’m going to sit by the pool for a while. Come with me.” It was a command, not a question. But I’d one-hundred-bajillion times rather follow Bryce’s orders than his father’s.

It didn’t seem I had much of a choice about that.

I couldn’t process what the old man had said to me—that he’d put my father and Lydia on his payroll, that he’d take Noah away from me, that if I said anything to Bryce, I would bevery sorry. I stared at my husband’s back as I followed him outside. I yearned to tell him about the position I was in, but I was too afraid. Gene Windsor was scary as shit.

At least I was with Bryce. At least I could stay with him…for now.

---