Page 29 of Poison Vows

“Seeing as we have already bled and signed, there’s no going back now,” she says in a smoky tone that makes me want to shift beneath her.

She has me firmly in her control.

“I—”

“Let’s discuss the logistics later,” she says, gingerly bounding up and away from me before I can respond to her demand. “I’m still a virgin. That can be a gift for my soon-to-be husband. Then after, you can give me what I want.”

Anger like a thick, red fog immediately descends down on me.

“What did you just say?” I slowly get up, my fists clenched tightly as an attempt to control myself.

“Oh, don’t get it twisted,” she says with a chilling gaze that freezes my heart. “It’s your DNA that’s impressive, and I want it! Along, of course, with those rare, fine features of yours.”

I don’t miss the cold, calculating way she says that, as if she’s discussing the weather nonchalantly.

“God willing, my baby will get your intellect and ability to gain impressive advantages from people and businesses. I neverwant my baby to live like me or think like me. Evidently, it’s a one-way ticket to suffering, but you, on the other hand, your ruthlessness, cunning, and lethal ability is what he or she will need to survive this cruel world, so it’ll have to be you.”

“You must be joking.”

“Look me in the eye and reassess my seriousness,” she snaps.

We stare at each other, with the weight of an impending explosion heavy between us.

Angel and I have never been so at odds with each, so angry, so…

“You’re asking for trouble,” I warn in a short, clipped tone.

Control, I need control right fucking now!

“Oh, but there’s no asking here,” she says with a cold smirk, then points at the piece of paper still lying across my desk. “This is an exchange with no saving graces, no quits, no outs! You made sure of that.”

She throws my terms in my face with a shrug, like what she’s demanding is simple.

“I guess we both get what we want, after all.”

“And this is what you want me to be? Your baby-making machine?” I seethe. How can she not see the disaster of that? And why the hell is she treating me like I’m nothing?

“Well, yes,” she says simply. “Are you worth anything else?”

That stings,badly,and she knows it.

“Falling for you was never an option,” she states in a tone so foreign, I’m practically looking at a stranger. “But picking myself up out of the misery that is you ismychoice, and for that, I should thank you!”

“What?” I reel back.

“Thank you, Emmett, for finally waking me up and opening my eyes. It’s sad that it took such an extreme measure like offering me up like a prized calf to your enemy for me to realizejust how rotten to the core you are!”How the hell could she think I’d ever…

“But regardless, thank you for this opportunity to take back the shreds of my dignity!”

Unable to take it, I stride over to her. She watches me coming, visibly bristling, but I need her to never know just how much over the edge she’s pushing me.

“Sorry to burst your little bubble of misplaced hope, Angel,” I say, slowly leaning closer to her. “It’s already too late.”

She visibly shudders, a chill going through her.

“That was then! This is now!” she bites out angrily. “I’ll never give an unrepentant asshole like you an inch of my soul! And it’s Ivy, you jerk!”

“Well,Angel.” I make sure to grind out the nickname I gave her. “You say you’ll never give me an inch of your soul, but guess what? Your soul is already mine! With or without that damn contract!”

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