Page 13 of Reckless Promises

His jaw tenses because I’m sure he’s not the type of man people usually question. But I can’t help it.

Up until now, I’ve played my role. I’ve done my part to keep my sister safe from the wrath of my father, and I accepted that I needed to play along and marry Sascha to do it. But Cillian destroyed all that. And even if I shouldn’t snap at him, my patience has run thin.

I’d rather he make his intentions clear instead of dragging this out and leaving me wondering what to expect.

Cillian sets his phone in his lap, glancing over at me. “Thenyou’ll get some sleep before the wedding.”

“You’re actually going to marry me?” My mouth turns to sandpaper with my disbelief.

Regardless of the purpose of the auction, I didn’t expect him to take it that far. If he wanted revenge, he got it by winning the bid in the first place.

“Why wouldn’t I?” Cillian tilts his head. “It’s why I bought you.”

“Is it?” I challenge him, my irritation bubbling to the surface as he sinks back in his seat and smirks. “I figured you just wanted to piss off my father.”

“And you think me winning you at an auction was enough to accomplish that?”

I shrug. “He looked pretty angry to me.”

“Let me explain something to you, Clover.” Cillian leans closer, chilling me with his icy glare. “Your father tried to make an example of my family. He made us look weak, andhe thinks because I haven’t acted yet, he’s gotten away with it. But that’s why men like him never win when they go to war. They’re impulsive. And I’m patient. I’m going to ruin him, and I’ll make sure it hurts when I do. So yes, stealing you out from under him was a nice start, but I won’t be done until your father loses everything.”

I search Cillian’s face for any hint of remorse, for playfulness in his smirk. But his devilishly handsome features reveal nothing but the cold-hearted man he is. A man who bought me to prove a point and couldn’t care less that I’m an actual human being caught up in this.

Cillian’s face relaxes, but he doesn’t take his eyes off me. “Something wrong, Clover? You’re looking a little pale.”

“Why do you keep calling me Clover?” I ask, like that’s what I should be focusing on right now.

He tucks his phone in his pocket, smirking as he rakes his dark hair off his forehead. “I’ve been having a bit of a rough patch lately. But you…” He skims me head to toe before his eyes land once more on mine. “You might be my luck turning around.”

“I’m more trouble than I’m worth.”

It’s probably not the best idea to push his buttons, but I can’t seem to help myself. I don’t know what to make of Cillian’s arrogance. Or the fact that he seems inconvenienced to be seated next to me.

“I’m sure you are,” Cillian agrees, which just irritates me more. “But your father was stupid enough to parade you as an option. So if that’s what it takes to burn your family to the ground,so be it.”

My family.

Not just Dad, but Genevieve and my mom.

Just because they’re complicit in my father’s crusades, doesn’t mean they condone it. It doesn’t mean they play any part. My father is the one who betrayed Ronan Cross. But as Cillian grits his teeth and watches me, I’m not sure he’s capable of seeing any difference.

He’s like all the rest of the East Coast mafia heads. When it’s time to spill blood, there’s no such thing as innocence.

“You already have me. Leave them out of this.”

“Because you’re going to behave so well if I do?” Cillian leans in, that spicy cologne hitting me with the full force of his closeness. “I saw you up on that stage, Odette. I’m not blind, and I’m not stupid. You’ve still got some fire in you. But if you fight this, I’ll make you regret it. And I’ll start with them.”

He leans back in his seat, once more pulling out his phone and getting lost in whatever is on the screen. And I turn to the tinted window, barely able to make out the shadows of darkness.

I make ghosts of the trees as his words haunt me.

“I won’t be done until your father loses everything.”

If I’m going to save my sister, I need to figure out how before he gets the chance.

5

Odette

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