Page 15 of Shattered Vows

Kol reaches into the pocket of his jeans and pulls out a small black phone, tossing it on the table. A burner phone, if I had to guess. It’s not as though I’ve ever seen one in real life, but I’ve watched enough TV. I’ve never even had my own cell phone. Didn’t need one. There was no one to call, and I barely left the house.

“Make it believable. If I catch you trying to use code words or slip her a message, you aren’t going to like what happens.”

My hands tremble picking up the phone. “What if I can’t do it? What if she doesn’t believe me?”

“Figure it out.”

Anger rises in my belly until I’m almost choking. “It’s not that easy. She’s going to be upset.”

He tsks and tilts his head, a cruel smile tilting his full lips. “We both know you have no problem lying, no problem hurting someone you profess to care about. Do it.”

I press my lips together to stop them from trembling and swallow hard, then I open the phone and dial my mother’s number. Tears build in my eyes as I bring the phone to my ear.

It rings only once before she picks it up.

“Hello?” Her voice sounds worried and stressed. She’s always been an anxious person. I assumed her anxiety came from what happened to her.

“Mom, it’s me.” My voice comes out garbled, and I swallow back my tears.

“Rapsody! Oh, thank God. Where are you? Are you okay?”

“I…I can’t tell you where I am. But I’m fine.” The words rush out of my mouth before I’m inclined to let the truth spill from my lips.

“What do you mean you can’t tell me? You disappeared from your own wedding! I’ve been worried sick. Now tell me where you are.” Her tone turns more rigid and demanding.

“I’m not going to tell you. I had to get away for a bit. I…I didn’t want to marry Alistair.” I squeeze my eyes shut. “I didn’t know what to do, so I took off. I just need to be on my own for a while.” A single tear slips down my cheek.

“Rapsody, you can’t be out there in the world on your own! It’s dangerous!”

I glance at Kol. She has no idea the danger I’m in, and truthfully, neither do I. “I’ll be okay.”

“No, you won’t. Now stop with this right now, and tell me where you are so I can come get you.”

I shake my head, though she can’t see me. “No, Mom. I can’t.”

She pauses, and my anxiety ramps up with her angry on the phone and Kol angry right in front of me. “Can’t or won’t?”

I look away from Kol. “Won’t. I’m tired of being controlled and being sheltered by you. I want to live my own life, one of my own choosing. And if I make mistakes, then so be it, but they’ll be my mistakes, and I’ll own them. I’m sorry I couldn’t find another way to tell you before making a mess of things, but this is how it has to be for now. Please tell Alistair I’m sorry for dragging him into all of this. I didn’t mean to hurt him.”

The words spill from my lips so easily, and it’s as if someone lifted fifty pounds off my shoulders. My words are all truths that I’ve been holding inside me, pushing down for years—practically most of my life—but I’ve never been brave enough to say them until Kol forced my hand.

“I’ve only ever loved you. You’re my daughter, my everything!” Her words come out strangled on a cry.

“I just need some space. I’ll be in touch soon.” I don’t know whether that’s true or not, but I flip the phone closed and set it on the table, staring at it.

I think she believed me. She sounded like she did. Whether Alistair will believe her when she relays my message is another question, but I don’t think either of them will be calling the police to report me missing. Maybe that was a given since it hadn’t been done already.

There’s only silence in the room for a moment.

“Good.” Kol holds his palm out in front of me. “Now give me your engagement ring. You don’t need it.”

I raise my head and meet Kol’s stare head-on. I never would’ve guessed that the man I met and fell for could be this cruel of a bastard. But it’s obvious he enjoys inflicting emotional turmoil on me.

I slide my ring off my finger and push it into his waiting hand. He looks at it with disgust before shoving it in his pocket.

“I’ll be back with your lunch later.”

He leaves, and I’m alone again, as always. You’d think I’d be comfortable by myself by now.

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