Page 64 of Vow of Vengeance

I’m already dead—why not press my luck?

“Harrison,” I ask sweetly, “would you mind giving me a little privacy?”

“PRIVACY.” His brows fly sky-high. “Are you being serious right now?”

“I just need to take this call.” I offer a weak smile.

He throws his arms in the air. “Unbelievable.”

I wait for his answer with my heart in my throat. He’s either going to tear me off this bed and spank my ass or leave. He stares at me a beat, then says, “Fine,” and storms out of the room. He closes the door behind him.

I Can Not Believe that worked. I have a little more power here than I imagined. That, or the afterglow made him weak. Collapsing against the bed, I exhale into the phone. “Oh wow. He left.”

“DIO MIO! Ophelia the Miracle Worker!” Gian cries into the phone.

I laugh, hearing his voice. “Don’t call me that yet—let’s see if I can keep us alive first.”

He gives a belly laugh, which makes me feel warm and homey. I say hello properly: “Mr. Gian! Hi!” Then, I rudely pepper him with questions: “How are you? Where are you?”

“I’ll tell you where I’m not at.” He heaves a stressful sigh. “I hated to lie to you, but I’m not with my family.”

“Yeah, I heard something about that,” I say.

“I went on a little trip.” Emotion sweeps through his voice. “For you.”

“For me?” I squeak.

“For you,” he says. “I went to Scotland.”

“Scotland!”

“Scotland. I feel like there’s an echo on this call,” he laughs. “I had to go. Like Haze probably told you—I have no family. I’ll tell you more when we have time, but our conversation made my heart go out to you.” He takes a breath. “So here I am.”

I can’t believe this! “You’re there—now?”

“Yep!” I notice the echoey voices and music in the background as he says, “At a wee pub diving into some haggis right now.”

“Gah. Don’t eat that. Get the stew. That’s what my Grandma makes,” I say. “Wait—why are we talking about food? Tell me everything! What have you found out? I can’t believe you went all the way there for me?—”

The door flies open. I jump out of my skin. Haze has returned, still shirtless.

OH GOD HE’S BACK.

He storms over to me.

His thunderous voice booms through the room. “Hang up that phone. Right. Now.”

“Gian. Gotta go. I’ll call you back.” Grasping my only protection, my quilt-dress, I pop up from the bed like I’ve been struck by lightning.

“The hell you will.” He takes the phone from my hand and closes it with a flip. He tosses it over his shoulder, where it lands on the closet floor.

I gulp so hard I think I swallow a tonsil.

The man is l-i-v-i-d.

Must. Save. My. Ass.

Literally.

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