Page 16 of The Vipers' Vow

There’s a long beat of silence. “Vani. This is unexpected.”

I don’t have him on speaker, as that would be obvious, but I have the volume turned up and the phone held a little way from my ear.

Zane and Saint are crowding me, listening to the conversation. I shiver at their proximity. The heat of Zane’s big body. The gorgeous scent of Saint. I shake all those ideas from my mind. I have a job to do, and I can’t let these men distract me.

“I needed to talk to you.” I pause, and instead of leading with asking about Lex, I say something else entirely. “I think I recall the necklace you were talking about.”

Saint shoots me daggers, but I stare back at him, trying to convey the message to trust me and give me time, with my eyes alone.

“Well, how interesting. What jogged this miraculous recovery of memory?”

I want to tell him to go fuck himself, but that won’t bring Lex back. Instead, I force a smile onto my face, hoping it will reflect in my voice. “I was thinking about my mother, and I remembered something. I used to play dress up with her clothes and jewelry, like all little girls do. One day, I opened a drawer, and she had a box in the back. I took it out and put it on the bed, and there was this necklace in it. Like the one you showed me. There were other things in there, too. Anyway, Mom came into the room, and she was upset. Grabbed it all off me, put it back in the box, and put it away. Mom never minded me playing with her things, so it was strange. I guess I’d forgotten about it, the way a person forgets the bad things when we lose someone close.”

I can tell I’ve got him on the hook when he says, “Do you think that box will still be there, so many years later and with her dead?”

The way he says dead, so cold, so final, makes my heart ache, but I swallow down my sudden sadness. “Dad couldn’t bring himself to get rid of all her stuff. Her dressing table is still there, with a lot of her things in it.”

That bit isn’t a lie.

“I can get you the necklace back. I’m sure of it.”

I hold my breath, and there’s nothing but silence. The longer Jarl doesn’t answer, the harsher Saint’s features grow.

There’s a sigh down the line. “I expect you want something in return?”

“I want to know that Lex is okay. To hear him speak, and for you to promise not to hurt him.”

He laughs softly. “Why do you care?”

I wonder how much Jarl knows about my connection with Lex—about my connection with each of the Vipers. Jarl is a man who can get whatever information he wants, so it wouldn’t surprise me if he knows exactly what’s been going on between us all.

“I just do. Please, can I speak with him?” My heart is pounding, my breath coming in short, choppy little inhales and exhales.

Jarl sounds hesitant. “You’ll go and fetch me the chain and cross?”

“Yes, I swear it. I wouldn’t risk you hurting Lex … he’s, er, he’s a good friend.”

“Vani, I know you’re screwing with him and those other two boys.” His words are dripping in disdain.

I wasn’t wrong, then. “You do?”

He laughs. “I’m not an idiot. I have eyes and ears in that college.”

I wonder who is feeding him information. It must be Angelica. Who else? I don’t want to believe that she’d do that, but after her need to speak to Saint alone, I can’t help but wonder what other things she’s hiding. She clearly hates the Vipers, so I think she would. The sting of betrayal is sharp. Still, she’s always been the one out of the three girls I’m the least comfortable with. Faith is the one I like the most, and the one I feel the most relaxed around. I wish it had been her we’d needed to ask for the number.

Angelica, Zane clearly mouths to Saint. Saint doesn’t react at all, which is weird.

“Either way, those are my terms,” I state, trying to sound strong.

“You want to hear your little bitch boyfriend talk?” He laughs darkly. “Fine, but I don’t think the necklace is enough for me to let him go. It will keep him alive. How about that?”

My heart sinks. Saint tries to grab the phone, but I hold it up and back away from him, and Zane steps in to block him from snatching the cell.

“You can’t keep Lex a prisoner forever.” Where the hell is he going with this?

“There’s something else I want,” he says.

“What? Name it.”

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