Page 110 of Vows In Corruption

I grind my teeth. This asshole, Josiah, will get the money, but I know people like him. Once they have their hands in something, they won’t stop until they get more. The fucker is going to take a the money and in a few weeks or months, blow in god knows what and is going to threaten Ella once again. It’s going to become a cycle for him. I have to stop it before it goes any further.

“Send me the bank information and I will take care of it.”

Ella bows her head, and see the tears running down her face hit her lap. I tuck a finger under her chin and bring her face up so that I can see into her beautiful tear filled eyes.

“What’s wrong?”

“I told you all of this because I wanted your help and now that you are giving it, it feels wrong. Like I’m using you. Using you money to benefit me.” A sob escapes her and this time when I bring her closer to me, she lets me.

As she sobs into my chest, I speak into her hair. “Did you forget?”

“What?”

“That you can ask for anything and I will give it to you. For the rest of this marriage, use me. Use my money. I don’t give a shit.”

She pushes me off her and stands from the couch. “You should give a shit. I could be filled with all the damn sob stories in the world just so that you would give me money.”

“You’re not.” I say from my place on the couch.

“How do you know that?”

“Because if you were, you would have not only asked for money when we were discussing this arrangement, and you would been asking for more money ever since. You asking for money now isn’t you using me. It’s you coming for help and giving it to you.”

“You shouldn’t. Josiah is just going to keep coming back and asking for money. That should be my burden to bare not yours.”

I stand up from the couch and go over to her. I leave no space between us as I take her face between my hands.

“For as long as you have my last name, any burden of yours in mine. I don’t give a shit what it is, I will take care of it.”

Her lower lips wobbles. “But you don’t need to.”

“But I want to. You and Charlie are family. You’re Lanes. And for as long as this marriage is intact, it will stay that way. Both of you will be taken care of. Nobody is going to separate you, I’ll make sure of it.”

“How?”

By burning the man alive and not leaving until his screams stopped.

“I don’t know yet, but I will handle it. I promise.”

She gives me a small smile, one that doesn’t have a whole lot of reach, before reaching up and placing a kiss on my lips.

“Thank you.”

“Always.

28

BENNETT

It’s well after midnight when I reach for my phone and dial the one person that can help me with this plan that I have.

It’s been a few hours since Ella opened up to me about Charlie’s past and how her father is now asking for more money. After she calmed down a bit, we had dinner and watched a movie before she feel asleep on the couch. I brought her to bed about twenty minutes ago and stayed next to her until she was sound asleep.

As soon as I heard the little snores, I started setting a plan in motion.

Now I just need my call to be picked up.

“I know that we are friends and everything, but I’ve heard from you more in the last four months than I have in the two years before.” Dante’s voices sounds out as I make it to the home office I have here at the penthouse.

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