Page 14 of Sacred Vow

She has no idea how much danger lurks in the shadows of the world. Her brother did everything he could to keep her from that darkness, and now it’s my turn to keep her safe. These men that have heard of her return aren’t going to take her relocation to Chicago well. They’re also not going to be patient.

The idea of her being found by those men makes my stomach roll. They won’t be kind or even civil. She has no clue what she’s stepped in, and I’m making it my job to keep her from finding out.

“And if I don’t go with you?” She folds her arms over her chest, sticks out her chin.

The girl actually thinks she has a fighting chance to stay here unprotected, unsupervised.

I step up to her, letting the tips of my shoes press down on the tops of her white canvas sneakers. Her skin is warm when I brush my fingertips across her cheek to push a stray hair behind her ear.

“Then I’ll stay here.” I rest my hand on her shoulder, squeezing gently so she understands I mean what I say.

“You’re just gonna stay here? I don’t think so.” She laughs, but it’s forced and full of uncertainty.

“You’ll leave Chicago then?” I ask, already knowing she’s digging in her heels.

“No.” She shoves my arm, pushing my hand from her shoulder. I smile at the stubbornness. She’s always had it, and now I’m going to rid her of it.

“Fine then. If I’m staying over, we should get on with your punishment.” I straighten to my full height. She barely reaches my chin and has to tilt her head back to look up at me.

“What?”

Now I have her full attention.

What was I thinking, sending her away, when there was more fun to be had keeping her? Now that she was all grown up, she’d become the focus of my fantasies, and I’d given myself plenty of time stop thinking about her with my hand wrapped around my cock. But now, here she’s refusing to leave?

Why would I give up such a gift?

“Your punishment. You made me chase you. And now, I caught you.”

“Andrei, whatever you’re thinking to do, you can’t.” I keep my tone as even as I can, given the fact I’m ready to scratch his face off with my nails.

“I can and I’m going to.” His eyes are steadfast on me as he takes a menacing step back toward me. I’m still cornered in my bedroom. Even if I tried to jump on the bed and make a run for it, he’d have me before I reached the front door.

“I’ll be generous and give you an out. Will you agree to stop with this little game you’re playing?”

I know there’s a right answer to this question, but I’m not willing to give it. There’s nothing for me back in Nebraska. The last four years were torture, a tiny ass town, not one single friend. My brief attempt at school was a complete failure.

Watching my mother wither away beneath the weight of chemo and radiation treatments that did nothing but steal her strength and joy.

Nebraska was never happening.

“It’s not a game,” I argue.

Amusement twinkles in his eyes.

“I know you’re angry.” He traces my jawline with his fingertip.

“Of course I’m angry.” The lightness of his touch is too much, so I pull back. “You have no authority in my life. I’m not your responsibility.” And for some reason that fact brings an ache I thought I’d gotten over long ago back to life.

“That’s not true. That changed last night when you stepped into my club, and it’s even more true if you’re staying.”

“Just leave.” I exhale my exhaustion. He’s a boulder sitting in the middle of the road that I can’t get to move and can’t get around.

“That’s not going to happen.” He drops his hand from my cheek and steps away again, this time to the other side of the bed. “Let’s get this over with.”

“Get over with what?” I wish I had something in this room that I could throw at his damn head.

“Like I said, your punishment.” He shucks out of the black blazer he’s wearing over the soft blue button-down shirt, folds it then tosses it on the foot of the bed.

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