Page 28 of Fragile Twisted Vows

“So, what, you’re going to kill me if I try to move outside of the boundary lines in the contract? One failed step and I-”

“Could die. Yes,” he says after he drops his hand to his side, the other hand still holding mine above my head.

“You’d really kill me so easily?” I whisper as I blink up at him.

He stares at me for a long, long while. His eyes are hard and dark as we breathe each other in.

“What don’t you get? It’s not me that you have to worry about, Lucille,” he sneers, and I can’t help but scoff at him.

“Why would I get it? You haven’t explained shit to me, Damien-”

“Because it’s for your own good,” he barks, and I quieten immediately.

He doesn’t scare me. Not at all. Okay well, maybe a little.

I don’t quieten because of fear.

I quieten because I’m hoping my little act of submission, of silent obedience and yield, might make him open up.

He sighs then and tilts his head back, eyes now aimed at the ceiling.

“Look, when some situations arise, when we meet at certain places with certain people, I will fill you in as I see fit. Enough to keep you aware, enough you keep you protected, but you have to keep yourself in line, understood? There’s people out there…people who would… do unspeakable things to you if you so much as look at them,” he says and I tilt my head at him.

“And you work for these people?” I ask.

His head drops then, those dark eyes darting to mine and penetrating them with the most lethal stare I’ve ever seen.

It’s unnerving.

“I own these people,” he growls, and I swallow tightly.

“But they’re impulsive. Greedy. And they could do anything at any given moment, which I’m prepared for. But that’s because my team and I are on the same page. Precautions are taken at every measure. Which is why you need to abide by this, by me. It’s for your own-”

“Safety, yes. I’ve gathered that.” I sigh.

I search his eyes then, for what I don’t know. Maybe compassion. Maybe empathy. Maybe for a single ounce of humanity.

But instead, I find nothing.

I’m left with nothing.

“What is it that you really do, Damien? Who are you?” I ask, even though I know the answer deep down, I just refuse to admit it.

And he doesn’t say anything, because he knows this too.

His actions, his money, his dominance, he’s made it all clear.

So, I don’t know why, even with this terrifying knowledge, I am now going to my toes, lifting myself so my mouth can line up with his. I don’t know why I practically moan as my nipples slide up his chest through our clothes, why my heart quickens as I breathe in his bourbon and expensive cologne.

And I definitely don’t have an excuse for why my mouth locks with his, why I trap him in a kiss that I’ve dreamed about for so long, despite the fact that he’s my sister’s ex-husband.

Despite the fact that he’s a monster.

And I don’t know why he lets me, but he does.

He lets my lips brush over his, once, twice and then he lets my tongue slowly sneak inside.

But he stops it there.

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