Page 52 of Forbidden Dark Vows

“Why don’t you ask him?”

There’s unmistakable animosity in her tone as she stares at my dad’s back, and it feels as if we’re voodoo dolls having needles stuck in us from all angles.

“Dad?”

He turns around slowly, and he doesn’t need to speak for me to understand that it is true. “That’s business, son. Shit happens. If you can’t handle the stress, you should get yourself a regular nine-to-five job that you can leave behind on a Friday evening.”

Ruby shakes her head, her eyes growing huge with tears. “It wasn’t just a case of shit happens though, was it? You sold him out, got him involved in a contract that you knew would ruin him, and then you stepped in and bought up the shares of his business for a fraction of what they were worth.”

“Hang on a minute,” Dad says, his eyes narrowed. “How dare you come in here and accuse me of something of which you have no knowledge. You should get your facts straight before you start throwing accusations around?—”

“Whoa, Dad!” I raise my hands in mock surrender, one aimed at him and the other at Ruby like I’m the referee in a boxing ring. “I’m not going to stand here and listen to you speaking to my fiancée this way.”

“Your fiancée!” A sardonic grin twists his mouth into an unpleasant grimace. “Of all the women in the city you could’ve had your pick of, and you chose a Jackson.”

“Okay, Dad.” I move closer to Ruby, choosing my side. “I don’t know what happened back then—perhaps you’ll explain it to me later when you’ve had a chance to calm down?—”

“Calm fucking down? Don’t tell me to calm down, son, whenshecame in here all guns blazing, trying to stir the pot.”

I ignore him and turn to Ruby who still hasn’t moved. “Ruby, I don’t know what’s going on, or how you heard about this, but can we talk about it later? Please?”

I want to get her away from my dad. I want to go back to when it was just the two of us in our cozy Scottish bubble, walking along the shore with the gulls circling overhead. When we had a fur blanket to snuggle under at night and no one trying to tell us that we were crazy to think that we were in love.

“I don’t know, Harry.”

She spins the engagement ring round her finger, and I think that if she takes it off right now and hands it back to me, I’ll never forgive my father for destroying the best thing that has ever happened to me.

“I need some time…”

My pulse quickens. “You believe me though, don’t you? You believe I knew nothing about this until you mentioned it.”

“I-I don’t know what to believe.” She deliberately refuses to look at my father. “I don’t know if this is such a good idea. The ring. The wedding. Us.”

“Don’t say that.” I take her hand in mine, my fingers trapping hers, so that the diamond is digging into my flesh. “We’re not our parents, Ruby. Their mistakes don’t have to be ours.”

“Let her go,” Dad barks. “Save yourself the hassle and let her go before you’re in too deep.”

I ignore him. I’m already in too deep.

“Ruby, please. I’ll come home with you now. We’ll go back to Chicago if that’s what you want. Right now. Me and you. We’ll walk away from here and have a fresh start. We’ll go back to Edinburgh if you tell me that’s where you want to be. I’ll go anywhere in the world with you, you must believe me.”

My dad scoffs from the doorway, and it’s the fingertip that pushes me over the edge of the precipice.

“Stay the fuck out of this, Dad. This is between me and Ruby.”

“If that’s the way you want it. You can walk out of here with her right now, but don’t expect me to keep your company running. In fact, you can kiss goodbye to any help from me ever again.”

“I don’t need your help, Dad. Not if it’s going to cost me the woman I love.”

“Love!” His face grows dark with rage. “You think you can run a fucking business on love. Oh boy, have you got a lot to learn. Love is what will fucking destroy you and everything we’ve worked so hard for.”

I turn on him. “You’re a fucking coldhearted bastard, Dad, do you know that? You’re not content with pushing Mel away, you want to lose me too.”

His expression crumples, but it’s too late. I have no sympathy for him. All these years since Mom died, listening to him complain about the injustice of life and how hard he had it when he first came to the States, like he’s the only person in the world with problems. I’ve finally realized that he wants to ruin my life the way he ruined my sister Melanie’s because he doesn’t know how to be happy.

“Yeah, well, good luck with trying to keep this business afloat without my connections.”

“I don’t want your connections, and I don’t want your help,” I say, surprised at the coldness in my tone. “I want you to leave. Now.”

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