Page 18 of Reckless Promises

Adam lets out a long breath, sitting in the silence for a moment before responding. “Just be careful, Cillian. That’s all I’m saying. No matter how you feel about her, and whether you like it or not, another person’s involved now. And emotion and business don’t mix.”

“I’m aware.”

It was only a little over a year ago I watched Adam nearly lose Lakeyn because of that.

“I hope you know what you’re doing then.”

“I do.”

Adam’s worried I’ll let this get to me, but I won’t. I can’t. It’s how I’ve managed to keep my family safe after my father’s death threatened to tear everything apart.

Just like sex satisfies a need, Odette simply serves a purpose. I’ll dangle her over her father’s head until itdrives him insane. And while he’s too busy focusing on how I stole her away, I’ll tear his empire apart, brick by brick.

She isn’t a distraction to me, but she will be to him. Which will make it that much easier when I take my revenge.

“So, when’s the wedding?” Adam asks, pulling me out of my thoughts.

“Tomorrow.”

“Fuck, you’re fast.” He pauses for a beat. “I can’t make it on that short notice, but we’ll meet up soon. I’m sure Lakeyn would love to meet her.”

“Tell her not to get too attached.”

Adam hums. He’s being a smug asshole, and he knows it. But he can believe what he wants.

“Well, congratulations.” He doesn’t sound the least bit thrilled. “I’ll talk to you soon.”

He hangs up, and I pause for a moment at the silence on the other end of the line. I’m sure I should care about the death sentence I’ve issued to the girl up in my room. I should feel guilty that she’s only twenty-one and I’m going to use her to slowly ruin her family.

But her father made this choice for her when he placed her on the auction block.

This isn’t going to end pretty, and she’s going to help me make sure of it. Even if she fights and begs me not to.

7

Odette

Every creak, every sound,every tick of the clock makes it impossible to sleep.

Rolling over, I look at the clock for the twentieth time this hour and see only a few more minutes have passed. It doesn’t matter if these are the softest sheets I’ve ever slept in, or that this mattress might as well be a cloud. I’m not naïve. This manor isn’t heaven. It’s hell.

Sitting up, I run my fingers through my tangled hair.

I should have showered the hairspray out of it before going to bed, but my nerves have me on edge and this large room is unsettling. The high ceilings, the dark corners, the too-open bathroom.

Even the windows feel open without any coverings. There might be a tint on them that I get the impression hides me from anyone outside, but something about thesnow-covered forest stretching for miles in view has me more exposed than ever.

I’m trapped in this fortress, far away from anything familiar, and there’s no running.

Tugging at a knot in my hair, I jump when the bedroom door clicks open and Cillian walks in.

“What are you doing in here?” I pull the sheet up to my chest.

Cillian pauses just inside the door, his eyebrows pinching as I scoot back on the bed to pull further away from him. But he only stops for a second before shaking his head and continuing into the room.

“I’m going to bed.”

“In here?”

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