Page 71 of Cruel Vows

“It’s time that you start telling me if you’re striking out with your own intentions instead of upholding the deal with the Lyndes. If this all goes to shit, I’m the one who’s going to pay for it and you know it.”

He scoffs, eyes narrowing. “You think just because you married that little whore you now get to call the shots around here?”

“What did you just say about my wife?” I ask, getting in his face.

Normally, I would back down. Dad is still my father and my boss.

In this moment, though, he’s the man standing here, insulting my wife, and that’s not an offense I’m going to take lightly.

Not after everything else that’s happened to her.

I stand taller, looking down at him. “You’re going to keep your mouth shut when it comes to Ellie, and if you have your own interests, you better put them to bed right now.”

“You would be a fool not to have your own interests.” Dad smirks, pulling his hands from his pockets. “I would suggest you take a step back.”

“And I would suggest you start telling me the truth.”

“I have my own interests. I have meetings with people who could be more beneficial to the family, and if I decide to change direction, you will be expected to support that decision.”

“I won’t.”

He sighs, though the look in his eyes is predatory. “Then you are a failure of an heir and a husband. You’re putting your wife in more danger.”

“From you?”

The corner of his mouth twitches. “Maybe.”

20

SEAN

I grabhim by the collar and slam him back into the dark-blue wall. “If you’re a threat to my wife, I’m going to kill you right here and now.”

He laughs, shaking his head. “I only told you that I could be a threat to her, not that I was. You should learn to care a little less about what happens to her. You get too attached to your wife, and it’s nothing but a liability.”

As I let go of him, it feels like my entire body is vibrating with anger. “You would rather I be like you, then. You would want me to keep everyone I should care about at a distance. Maybe make it clear that I would be fine if they died.”

“Don’t pretend that you care about that woman.”

My hands ball into fists, knuckles turning white and tiny crescents pressing into my palms with the bite of my nails. “I care about her. Ellie is my wife. She’s a good person.”

“And that’s all it takes to make a marriage, is it?” Dad snorts and spins on his heel, walking out of the office and into the kitchen. “You’re going to be fucked when Noah comes for her. I’m doing my best to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

“Don’t pretend this is about you. You don’t give a shit whether I live or die. You’ve made that clear plenty of times.All you care about is how you can use your family to your advantage.”

He opens the fridge and pulls out a beer, cracking off the top. “You’re the heir to the Andino empire. I care.”

“Only about what happens to the empire.” I scoff and glare at him, wondering how the hell I’ve put up with this for so long. “Whatever you’re doing is only going to get us into more trouble. You realize that, right? You’ve never been able to deal with Noah on your own, and now that Aiden is willing to help us, we might stand a chance.”

“You wouldn’t have given a shit about saving the family if Aiden hadn’t come to you in the first place.” His neck bobs as he sips the beer, a dribble appearing at the corner of his mouth and rolling down his chin.

“I didn’t think it was on me to save the family since I’m not the head.” I sneer as I throw his words back at him.

He can’t claim control and blame me for everything going wrong at the same time.

Dad slams the can of beer down on the counter, fizz foaming over the top and sloshing over his hand. “You’ve been too comfortable sitting back and letting me do the dirty work. You’re a grown man and you should have taken your place in this family a long time ago, but instead, you sit back and watch.”

“I’ve done everything you’ve ever asked of me!” I rip the can from his hand and toss it in the sink. “I got married to a woman I couldn’t fucking stand because you told me to. I killed people because you told me to.”

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