Page 176 of By His Vow

“The ring on her finger would suggest otherwise,” I happily point out.

His nostrils flare, and if I were to look down, I suspect I’d see his fists curled, ready to throw a punch or two in my face.

“Just go, please,” Tatum says, her voice quiet and broken.

Looking over the guy’s shoulder, I find her standing behind him with her arms wrapped around her waist and tears filling her eyes.

“Baby,” I breathe.

“No,” she spits, her voice much stronger than she looks.

The air crackles between us as our silent battle of wills continues.

“W-what’s going on?” I ask, confused.

She shakes her head, a bitter smile pulling at her lips.

“The photographs, Kingston.” She laughs again, but there is no amusement in it, only pain. “I-I thought—” She cuts herself off. “It doesn’t matter. We’re done here.”

“No, Tatum. We’re not done here. This isn’t?—”

“Leave, please.” The fight has gone from her voice. I hate it.

“Okay,” I concede, willing to give her some space. “But this isn’t over, Tatum. This is so not fucking over.”

I hold her eyes for a few seconds before looking back at her “friend.”

“You hurt a single fucking hair on her head, and I’ll make sure you regret it for the rest of your life.”

His mouth opens to respond, but I’ve no interest in his answer.

Instead, I spin around and storm out of Tatum’s office, leaving her behind.

Every single set of eyes still on this floor turns to me and watches every second of my lonely retreat to the elevator.

It isn’t very often I don’t get what I want, and I don’t fucking like it.

When the elevator doors open, they reveal a handful of Warner employees. A couple I vaguely recognize, but the rest are strangers.

One, a member of senior management, I believe, looks as if he’s about to say something, but one hard glare in his direction and he shrinks back as if he’s attempting to vanish into thin air.

Holding my head high and keeping my shoulders square, I draw in deep, calming breaths as the elevator descends through the building and releases me on the ground floor.

Again, the attention of almost everyone down here turns my way, but I don’t return any of their stares. My focus is on my car loitering at the curb.

Lewis steps out the second he notices me, but I’m faster and reach for the door handle before he can.

“Wait, you’ve got?—”

My eyes land on the woman sitting in the back seat, and I’m granted a moment of relief from the irritation of the past thirty minutes.

“Well, if it isn’t Mr. Callahan,” my visitor taunts. “Good day at the office, sweetie?”

“Fuck’s sake,” I mutter lightly, although I can’t fight the smile that pulls at my lips.

“Get the fuck in, asshole. I think it’s time we caught up, don’t you?”

I glance at Lewis, who is also smirking, before climbing into the car.

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