Page 61 of Desperate Vows

“That’s if you get your hands on him.”

“Oh, I will.” Franklin took a step forward. “I’ll make sure he sees you in chains before I do. That’ll be the last thing he sees. Perhaps I will give Marco one last rendezvous with you. A show for Lucas before I cut his eyes from their sockets, especially since I know it’s his family that’s causing me all sorts of problems.”

Well, he’d just confirmed what I suspected to be true. I also knew Lucas was much smarter than Franklin gave him credit. Honestly, that could be said for just about everyone. “You really do think you’re the smartest person in every room you walk into, don’t you?”

“Because I am.”

“No. You’re not. You’re sad and pathetic and stupid. You walk around with this arrogance like you own the world, but you’ve been begging for the world’s approval since I was a child. That’s why you have all those parties. Throw money around at various causes and charities. Because that’s the only way people can stand to be around you.”

His nostrils flared. “I’m beginning to think maybe I don’t need that money as bad as I thought.”

I tilted my head. First, I needed to keep him angry and thereby distracted. I found the frying pans this morning. They weren’t far from me. This knife was great, but I was compact and not Thea. I needed something with a handle that I could swing.

Second, if I couldn’t knock him out, I needed to make him so angry he’d kill me in a fit of rage. That was my only other option if I couldn’t knock him out or flee this situation because I’d be damned if he took me alive. I knew what that would mean, and I’d rather die.

“My mom took pity on you, didn’t she? Yeah, you had money, but she had zero interest in you, and you had to go all out to even get a first date. How much did you pay for the first kiss? Necklace? Ring?” I gasped. “I know, bracelet, right?”

I could almost see the steam pouring from his ears. I’d never seen him that red-faced. He was so furious I wondered if his brain was melting. I’d hit a nerve. Just how correct was I?

Laughing, I sighed. “Yeah, you had to work for my mom.” My eyes widened as it hit me. “She was dating my dad. That’s what happened. That’s what made you so mad. She left him for you, but not before my dad had a piece of your pie. She didn’t know, though. I know she didn’t because if she had, she wouldn’t have left him for you because there isn’t enough money in the world to make a woman want you.”

He stalked toward me, and I kept my eyes on him as I reached for one of the pans. I tossed the knife into the cabinet. It might not have been my smartest move, but I didn’t want it handy for him.

I started retreating, making my way towards the living room and the doo that was wide open. I held the pan like a bat as I did. One wrong move, and he’d pounce on me.

“I’m going to kill you. There isn’t enough money printed to make me want to keep you alive. I don’t want it drawn out, either. I just want you dead.”

“Feeling’s mutual, Franklin.” I enunciated his name. He hated me calling him that.

He flew at me. As I swung, he caught my hand bending my wrist back to the point of blinding pain. I yelped, dropped the pan, and tried to wrench my hand out of his hold. He yanked me back and then forward, shaking me like a doll before pinning me against the wall with his hand around my throat.

“This is going to be so satisfying.”

“Lucas is going to kill you.” I rasped.

He put his face in mine. “Lucas is dead, and you’re going to join him.”

“You should put her down.” Lucas’s silky voice filled the room.

Franklin squeezed tighter and never took his eyes off me. “How about I let her crumple to the ground with a broken neck?”

Spots danced in my vision.

I had to get out of this. I wasn’t even twenty-one. I hadn’t told Lucas I loved him. He hadn’t made love to me. I hadn’t made love to him.

Franklin adjusted his hold just enough that I sucked in a lungful of air and slammed my knee into his groin as hard as I possibly could.

It wasn’t enough to drop him, but it was enough for me to clamp my mouth down on his hand until he screamed, and I tasted blood.

There was a pop, a yelp—probably me, and I flung myself into Lucas’s open arms circling my own around his neck, holding on like I was drowning.

“I’ve got you.” One arm was secured around my waist while the other crossed over my back, cupping my head. “I’ve got you.”

Franklin moaned, and I knew the gun was fired. I could smell it.

Thea smiled and holstered her gun.

Thea, Ari, Dimitris, and Alexander walked in and took determined strides to Franklin. He whined again. As I looked over my shoulder, Dimitris popped him in the head, and he went silent.

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