Page 37 of The Vipers' Vow

“Mom didn’t want you to do anything about it,” she says, “or she would have told you when she was alive.”

“No, she was protecting the girl. But now the girl isn’t alive either, so there’s nothing to stop me going after the bastard.”

Vani lifts her hand and places it on her father’s chest. She softens her voice. “There’s still a girl, Dad. There’s me.”

He stares at her for a beat. “If you didn’t want me to do anything, why the hell are you telling me all this?”

She draws a nervous breath. “Because I still need your help. One of my…friends…has been taken by Olsen’s men. They’re keeping him captive, and the only way we can get Olsen to talk to us is by giving him something he wants.”

“What is that?”

“The cross you wear around your neck.”

Jack-the-blood’s hand goes to his throat. He hooks a chain from around his beefy throat and pulls the crucifix from beneath his shirt.

“This cross?”

Vani nods. “Yes.”

“Why would he want it? Your mother gave this to me when we first met.”

“It first belonged to Jarl Olsen, and now he wants it back.”

His gaze darkens. “What the fuck, Ivani?” His face changes from pale to red. “You’re saying your mother gave me a necklace that belonged to that bastard and never told me? Why would she do that?”

“I wish she was here so we could ask her. The only reason I could think of was that it was her way of saying a big ‘fuck-you’ to Jarl. She took something that was important to him and gave it to the man she loved.”

“And now I’m supposed to give it back to that fucker? She gave me this because she wanted me to have it.” There is hurt in his voice as clear as day.

“I’m sorry,” she squeaks. “I wouldn’t have asked if I thought I had any choice.”

He brings his arms around her and pulls her in for a hug. “It’s okay,” he huffs against her head, but his jaw is clenching and unclenching, and I can tell he’s minutes away from losing his shit.

“Shall we give you some time to think about things?” Vani says as if she can sense her father’s inner turmoil, too. “I’d like to show Zane around.”

Her father’s gaze settles on me, over Vani’s head, and there’s a heavy warning in those hard eyes.Fuck with my daughter and you’re dead.“By all means, show him around. You’re staying tonight, right?” He steps back and looks at Vani. “You can’t ride back in one day. It’s not safe.”

“Yes, of course. I’d like to spend time with you too, Dad. It’s been too long.” Vani settles her head against his chest again, and she looks so vulnerable it makes my heart ache.

“I’ll get one of the cabins made up for your friend.”

Jack-the-blood puts heavy, heavy emphasis on the wordfriend, and once more those eyes find me, full of warning.

14

VANI

Ileave my father to think about all I’ve lain on him. I feel so bad, but he needed to know. Being back home, I’ve come to realize the secret would have eaten away at our relationship if I hadn’t told him and made things between us awkward as hell.

I turn to Zane. “Want to take a look around?”

He nods, and I let my pinkie finger brush against his hand for a brief second and then pull back. We walk away from the clubhouse, and I show him around the compound. My favorite area is where all the bikes are housed, and I show him that and the garage where the bikes are worked on.

He writes something and puts his phone under my nose.Cool bikes.

“Yeah, they are. I love them. I’ve missed it, I suppose.”

He writes something else and shows me, and I snort-giggle.

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