Page 141 of Tangled Kisses
I try to pull my arm free, but he doesn’t let go. Instead, his voice drops to a whisper, as sharp as a scalpel.
“Pearl wouldn’t put up much of a fight. Not with that injury of hers. Makes her an easy target, don’t you think? Griffin would be absolutely gutted by the news. By the knowledge that he couldn’t keep her safe. Because I’d make sure to start with her. And he’d hate you for it, Reese. Despise you for the rest of your days—because you brought it on them.”
Thoughts of Griffin flood my mind—the way he loves me, the way he loveseveryone. The way he tries so damn hard to protect me. And now everything could be taken from him. His sister. His home. His life. All because of me. All because of my psychopathic ex.
I love him too much to let that happen. I’d burn the world down before I let him suffer. And Vander knows it. Hell, he’s counting on it.
My stomach lurches at his list of threats. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”
“Shut your mouth. Don’t forget who you’re talking to.”
I press back into the seat, heart hammering.
“I have eyes and ears everywhere,” he says, voice rising just enough to unnerve. “You’ve embarrassed me. And for that, you will pay.”
“I’ve already paid.”
He straightens his jacket, smoothing out an invisible wrinkle. “Hardly. Now, you can do this the easy way, or the hard way. It’s your choice. I’m being magnanimous in offering you these options.”
“Your easy way is my leaving Griffin.” I bite out the words, the thought a cancer in my heart.
He clicks his tongue against his teeth. “As if a simple breakup would satisfy me. No, you will go into this fundraiser and destroy your little whore. You will let him know you are leaving, never to return, and that he is nothing to you.”
Tears slip down my cheeks. “Please don’t make me do that.”
He doesn’t blink as he examines his manicured hands. “Then you’ll be attending a few funerals before the week is out.”
My lungs squeeze so tight I can’t breathe. I knew Vander had a temper. Iknew. But I stupidly believed he also had a heart. Seems I was wrong on that part.
“And once I’m done with them,” he says, “I’ll move on to your family. Your mother. That flaky sister of yours. Maybe I’ll start with the damn cat. Something dramatic to really get your attention.”
I stare at him, trembling. “You’re sick.”
“I’m powerful.” He twists his lips, a mocking semblance of a smile. “I have bottomless pockets and a very long line of people who owe me favors. And right now, you’re at the top of my hit list.”
The limo slows, lights glittering through the tinted glass.
We’ve arrived. It’s showtime.
Vander smooths his lapel and turns to me with a predator’s smile. “Mark my words, they will meet a terrible end if you don’t play by my rules.”
I have one card to play in this twisted game of chance—compliance.
“If I do as you ask, you leave them alone.” Now it’s my turn to throw down the gauntlet. “Allof them.”
Vander shrugs, already bored of this discussion. “Are we clear?”
I choke out a single word. “Crystal.”
The fundraiser iselegant in that showy, over-the-top way—every corner a reminder of wealth and power. Vander’s playground. The glittering chandeliers and champagne fountains only make me feel smaller, more out of place. He knows how to move in these waters, smooth and effortless, like he was born for it.
I wasn’t. Every step I take feels heavy, unnatural. He strides in as if he’s fresh from a day at the spa, while I want to claw my way out of this dress and bolt for the door.
Vander’s hand presses against the small of my back, guiding me forward with an unspoken command.
He leans in, his lips brushing my ear. “Remember, I always make good on my threats. Now go and pay off your little whore with that envelope you’re clutching like a lifeline. What a fool you are, Reese, cashing out your life savings for a fuck. And now, it’s cost you everything.”
No, the only foolish thing I’ve done is believe Vander had a speck of humanity. That was my mistake.
