Page 57 of Vow of Vengeance
The bandage on my hand is enough of that.
Declan worked on getting me discharged overnight so that when I woke up, we were ready to go home. All the tests they ran came back fine, which served to prove the fall was brought on by nothing more than my own clumsiness. We’ve been taking it easy; he spent hours bent over his laptop today, and I finally hadto beg him to come watch a movie with me because the boredom has been stifling.
When I emerge into the living room, I see Declan allowed our guests inside, finally.
"Are you hungry?" Violet asks when she spots me, as if she's not the guest here. I should probably have asked that.
"Umm, a little. Are... you hungry?"
"A little." She shrugs. "I'm going to make lasagna. Sound good?"
"Lasagna?" I chance a glance at Declan, confused and a little overwhelmed as Violet struts into the kitchen and sweeps her hair into a ponytail. He only shrugs, like he's just as mystified as I am.
"Violet's good in the kitchen.” Wes grins proudly. “Better in bed."
My cheeks heat at the forwardness of the claim and I turn my back to hide them, following his wife into the kitchen instead.
I was a shitty cook even when I was a housewife, and I haven't tried to pick it up since moving in with Declan. He's been content to pay people to cook for us and to clean, too. They're like ninjas, coming in and moving silently about so that half the time I don't even know they were here.
Roxy squirms in my hold as Violet moves about the kitchen, opening cupboards and drawers as she assembles everything she needs. I'm amazed Declan just has all the ingredients to make a proper meal already in his kitchen. I assume that's another thing the staff takes care of. He really needs to pay them better. I don't know what he offers them, but it could be higher, I'm sure.
Declan and Violet's husband move into the kitchen with us, and Declan takes the opportunity to introduce us, properly.
"Soren, this is my friend Wes and his wife, Violet. Wes, this is my wife Soren."
I freeze at the pronoun he used to introduce me, my eyes darting toward him seeking an explanation. "It's close enough, Ren." He assures me.
I've refused to let him call me his fiancé, refused to accept a ring or give him a definitive answer. I know it's silly, but I simply can't wrap my brain around the idea of doing any of that when I can't tell Marissa about it. But hearing him call me his wife? Yeah, that does something to me.
"It's lovely to meet you," Violet says softly, fixing me with a smile.
It's the first time I've had a chance to look at her dead-on, and my heart falters when I realize what I hadn't before.
The scars on her face.
They're faint, and they do nothing to detract from her beauty. But they're there, and they indicate something... cruel.
I don't have a chance to ruminate on them because she turns and Wes fixes me with his attention.
"This is the reason you bought a newspaper in a digital age?" Wes smirks. "Well, now I get it. She's cuteandshe's ballsy enough to call you out in print?" He shakes his head, not trying to deny the smirk on his lips when he leans in a little closer. "Badass bitch you are, Soren Palmer."
I laugh, because I don't feel like a badass bitch. But I appreciate the compliment all the same.
"Take two steps away from my wife before I shoot you." Declan says coolly, drawing my attention back to him, where he's still standing with the gun in hand.
"Oh my god, Declan. Put that thing away!"
Wes only laughs, taking a step away from me and raising his hands like he's trying to show he has no intention of touching me.
"Sorry for intruding, by the way." Wes says, apparently to me. "I needed some help, and Dec here has been dodging my calls."
I can't even begin to unpack everything in that sentence. "You needhishelp?"
I thought Wes said Declan needed his help. But maybe that's just the lingering effects of the exhaustion I can't seem to shake.
"Yeah, business stuff." Wes shrugs. "Important enough it couldn't wait. And I thought it would be nice for you to meet Violet. She's mad at me, so I couldn't exactly leave her home alone. You get that, right?"
"Sure?" I laugh, because they're strangely overwhelming. And also, strangely charming.
