Page 29 of Shattered Vows

I begin the long trek to the kitchen. I’m only a few steps from my room when I hear something that sounds like metal clanking on metal. As I keep walking, I find that one of the doors ahead on my left is open.

The sound gets louder the closer I get, and when I finally reach the door, I peek inside.

I’m surprised to see a gym with mirrors lining the room. In juxtaposition to the age of the manor, the room is filled with state-of-the-art equipment, free weights, and cardio equipment. One side of the room is open with thick matting on the floor.

In the center of the room is shirtless Kol, skin beading with sweat. He holds big dumbbells as he squats. His lion tattoo is on display, along with another one on his pectoral. He looks up, making eye contact with me through the mirror, but he finishes his reps and sets down his weights before facing me.

I step farther into the room. “You’re back.”

He picks up a white towel from across a bench and wipes his face. “Just got back a couple hours ago. Didn’t want to wake you.”

Liar.

Why is he lying?

“How did everything go on your trip?”

“Fine. Got done what I needed to.” He tosses the towel back on to the bench and rests his hands on his hips. “Where are you off to?”

I thumb behind me. “I was just going to grab something to eat.”

“Marcel can do that for you.”

I nod. “I know. But I’m fine to do it on my own. Not like I have anything else to do.” It’s a dig, but I’m upset that he’s lying. Why is he keeping it a secret that he was home last night? Has he been home even longer than that and just been avoiding me? It wouldn’t be hard in a mansion this big.

Kol frowns. “I explained that I would be away.”

“You did. But that doesn’t explain why you’re lying about when you returned home. I know you were here last night, Kol. I saw you.”

His entire body freezes. “What do you mean you saw me?”

He arches an eyebrow and closes the distance between us. My breathing becomes labored the closer he gets. He stops close enough for me to touch, and despite my ire, I want so badly to let my finger trail over the ripples in his lower abdomen. I’ve never touched a man’s naked body, and I want to know what Kol would feel like under my fingertips.

“Where and when did you see me, Rapsody?” He leans in, and the male scent of him hits me like a bolt of lightning.

“I saw you by the door outside with Sid, with people wearing masks,” I say the words slowly, unsure how they’ll be received.

His head tilts. “Are you spying on me?”

I don’t tear my eyes from his gaze when I shake my head. “No. I went outside to paint because I couldn’t sleep and… and I saw some people leaving the manor. What were they doing here?”

His features go blank, as though someone has pulled the curtain over all his emotions. “It’s nothing you have to concern yourself with.” Then he walks back over to the weights he set on the floor.

I follow. “Just tell me what it is. Did you have a party or something and didn’t want to invite me? Is that why you lied about when you got back? Was I not of high enough social standing to attend?”

Is he embarrassed because I’m naïve and overzealous and would ask people tons of questions? I don’t ask though, because that would make me seem vulnerable to him, and I don’t want him using it against me.

He whips around to face me, his features a cold mask of fury. “It has nothing to do with you. Drop it.”

“Maybe I should just leave and go back to Seattle, or somewhere else and start over. You obviously didn’t want me to know you were back.” I turn and start toward the door, but Kol grabs my elbow and pulls me around to face him.

“You’ll do no such thing.”

I’m so sick of everyone telling me what to do. First my mom, then Alistair, now Kol. Everyone thinks I need protecting, but what I want more than anything is to be able to make decisions for myself, to not have people hide things from me because they think the truth might hurt.

“Contrary to what you might think, you don’t own me, Kol.”

His grip tightens, and the muscles in his jaw flex. “You’re right. I won’t make the mistake of owning you ever again.”

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