Page 3 of Misguided Vows

“I think she may already be drunk.” There’s that voice again.

Without thinking, I swing my head around to him and narrow my gaze.

“I am not. I was just mad,” I say matter-of-factly.

He lifts his glass to me and nods his head. “If you say so, milady.” I cringe at that word and then turn back to Maria.

“I’m going to go. I just wanted to stop in and see how everything was going.” I turn around, giving her friends and family my back as I look out at the sea of patrons celebrating.

“Oh. Okay.” Maria looks disappointed. “In that case, just wait here for a minute. I have something for you.”

She’s gone before I can say anything, so I watch the people on the dance floor instead, purposefully ignoring the direction of her brother. There’s a couple basically humping on the floor while two girls next to them are throwing their hands up in the air and dancing.

“So, you’re clever as well as pretty,” someone says from beside me.

“I’m not sleeping with you,” I reply, knowing without looking that it’s him. And to be honest, I don’t want to look his way for the sole fact I’m afraid those eyes will hypnotize me. Because maybe, just maybe, a small part of me is still a little tipsy.

“Damn, milady, that was an arrow straight to my bloody heart.” I roll my eyes. “At least show us your tits.” This gets my attention, and I face him. “There she is. I didn’t actually mean for you to show me, but if the offer is there.” His gaze falls to my cleavage before rising to my face again.

“I should slap you right now.”

“It might turn me on.” He winks as his tongue darts out and he licks his top teeth. How can someone so pretty, who looks like they just strutted off a runaway, entice my wildest fantasies yet also make me want to commit murder?

“Alina.” Maria walks back over and holds out a present. She eyes her brother first before looking at me. “Please excuse my brother; he has no filter. I swear they forgot it when he was born. I apologize for whatever he may have said when I wasn’t here.”

I smile and take the present.

“You didn’t have to get me anything,” I tell her, trying my best to ignore said brother. “You did pay me.”

“You should up your prices. Some people pay triple for the magic you performed and don’t even put in the same amount of work you do.”

“Thank you.” I look around the club one last time, satisfied. “I have to go, but I’ll open this and text you when I’m home. I’m so happy you love it.” I lean in and kiss her cheek. Looking to her brother, I’m as polite as possible, giving him a sharp smile and nod before walking off. Some might call me petty, but I consider myself more or less a calculated woman.

As I step out into the fresh air, the bouncer eyes me, I twist my lips into a smile and flash him his name badge I’d unclipped from his pocket earlier and hid in my bag.

I throw it on the ground beside him. “You dropped something, asshole,” I say, feeling rather smug as he accidently steps on it, looking confused as to how it got on the ground in the first place.

It puts a pep in my step as I leave. When I’m out of his sight line, I pull out the wallet I’d stolen from his pocket on the way in. He’d been so distracted by Maria that he hadn’t even noticed.

I flick through it, amused by the two hundred pounds in it. I don’t need the money, but it serves the asshole right.

Where some might have a moral compass, I don’t—at least when it comes to revenge. If you want to get in my way, I’ll make you regret it.

I round the corner, where a homeless woman is sitting with a cute puppy. I throw the bundled cash into her beanie, and her eyes grow wide.

I continue walking and toss the wallet into a trash can before waving down a cab.

Tonight was a good night indeed.

CHAPTER 2

Will

“You scared her off,” Maria scolds, hitting my shoulder. I watch Alina as she walks out, not even a stumble indicating how drunk she is. And I know she was at least tipsy because I could smell the alcohol on her, but it was mixed with an underlying vanilla scent.

“I did no such thing,” I reply.

She was… interesting. Pretty. Calculating. Very drunk.

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