Page 32 of Misguided Vows

“What do I want?” she asks, flabbergasted “What did you do?” she screams. “I warned you to not fuck up my relationships with my friends. Why are you even hanging around Alina? I thought you went to New York for work.”

“She’s a paid contractor working for my friend. We run into one another from time to time.”

“And she ismyfriend,” she warns. “I’ll tell Mom. Is that what you want? Me to go and tell her you’re trying to sleep with my friends?”

“I did that once.”

Shit, maybe more than once.

But who’s counting?

The juvenile threat of dobbing on me to my mother shouldn’t be as effective as it is. But the truth was we both adored our parents, and no one could be more relentless than my mother. It’d only cause more of a headache as she theatrically claimed she raised a brute of a son.

“And are they still my friends?” she asks pointedly.

“I don’t know, Maria.” I sigh. “But do not go to our mother.” The last thing I want is her badgering me as well. My mother looks at me differently these days. Like she pities me. I don’t need to add ammunition to cause her to worry about me more, or worse, to try to convince me to come back to London; she has tried that already.

“Well, stay away from Alina.”

I’m surprised when my phone beeps to indicate another call. I check the screen and see Alek’s name. It’s not too often he calls.

“I haven’t slept with her anyway. I have to go, work and all. Don’t worry, I’ll make it up to Alina.”

“No, you stay away from her, Will,” she demands.

“Love you too,” I say, hanging up and answering Alek’s call.

“Aren’t I Mr. Popular today? It’s not like you to call me. You must’ve really missed me,” I tease as I bring up the tracker I put on Alina’s phone. I’d be the furthest thing from a gentleman if I didn’t make sure she got back to the hotel safely.

“Do you answer your phone like that all the time?” Alek asks, irritated.

“You’re special to me,” I say, and I can just imagine his jaw ticking.

“I need you to find someone for me,” he states.

My eyebrows perk in surprise. It’s not often Alek calls upon my services. For the most part he’s efficient enough on his own.

“I’m kind of between jobs at the moment and staying in New York for a bit,” I tell him.

“Between jobs?” He sounds shocked. I suppose that makes two of us considering I’ve never taken a break. “I’ll pay you double. It’s local, but I need the person found within a day.”

A challenge. I do like challenges. And local… it’s tempting.

“Why can’t you find him yourself?” I ask, curious now.

Alek is silent for a moment. Without his body language to read, I simply wait until he’s a big boy and uses his words. “I haven’t found him yet. But it’s Lena’s birthday in two days and I want this guy dead.”

“Ah.” I click my tongue. “Can’t be late for wifey’s birthday.” I laugh, knowing how much it pisses him off. But the truth is, as I say it, it brings up something uncomfortable in my own chest.

It reminds me of my previous life, of things that were precious to me before they were taken away. Suddenly, nothing seems funny anymore.

And I’m left with the dire realization that I seriously fucked up with Alina.

“Send me the details. I’ll find him for you.”

I watch the pinpoint of Alina’s tracker. I can’t dispute her accusation that I’m an asshole. And perhaps I should give it a little bit of time before I grovel.

Grovel? Me?

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