Page 136 of Poison Vows

Ripley appears with yet another silver bowl, and Emmett moves over to wash his hands in that bowl, until his hands are clean, without a single spot of blood is left.

While this seemingly systematic ritual is being done, no one utters a word, let alone dare to breathe.

A white towel is handed to him by Ty, and Emmett proceeds to slowly dry his hands.

How many times has Emmett done this? They even have a routine!

“What are you doing?” I finally ask, my voice groggy.

“Making sure none of this filthy, infested shit touches you,” Emmett says, leaving me stunned.

He turns to look at me then. I notice the blood splatters that were on his face have been wiped away, revealing his hauntingly sexy face.

When he’s done, he tosses the towel at the still crying Senator Hughes.

It lands directly on his face, humiliating and tormenting him even further.

Unconcerned, Emmett reaches into his pocket and pulls out a pill bottle and shows it to me.

Like a puppet whose strings have been pulled, I stare at the bottle incredulously, only to see my name and the type of pills these are.

“Your errand was filling my migraine prescription?” I say in a shrill voice, shocked.

Emmett smirks, twists the cap open, then he reaches for my hand and shakes out two migraine relievers into my palm.

Ty comes back with a glass bottle of water and offers it to me.

But all I can do… is blink.

“You look like you’re about to drop dead, Angel. Take the damn meds,” Emmett demands.

Stunned by this turn of events, I automatically open my mouth to take the pills, then I accept the water from Ty to chase them down… in front of everyone’s shocked gazes.

After I’m done, Emmett suddenly lifts his hand and tilts my face with his fingers, looking at my cheek that’s still throbbing with pain.

Emmett’s eyes flash with something that makes my entire body tremble with unease.

“I’m okay,” I rush to tell him, not knowing why.

Emmett’s eyes harden even further at my words.

“You’re bleeding,” he counters in a voice so cold, it makes me tremble.

Confused, I reach up to touch my face to see where I’m bleeding from the hard slap Senator Hughes gave me, but I find nothing.

Emmett’s eyes narrow at me, then with his thumb, he gently strokes my bottom lip.

When I gasp, my lips fall slightly open and Emmett’s thumb darts into my mouth,in front of everyone!

With his thumb he presses against my gums, and I wince. When he retracts his thumb, it’s a bit bloody, even though I just drank some water.

Emmett stares at the drops of blood on his thumb for a very long time.

“Emmett, I’m really okay!” I rush to say, sensing a brutal storm emanating from Emmett’s silence. “It doesn’t hurt.”

“And yet he still made you bleed,” is all he says as he turns away from me and looks at the gagged Senator Hughes.

“Tonight, I kindly advised everyone herenotto forget their places,” Emmett starts, calmly standing in front of me, easily towering above everyone due to his stature, height and massive aura of power.

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