Page 15 of Venomous Vows

“Sounds like that’d be more for your benefit. And I’m already doing you a favor.”

Elena straightens her spine and leans back in the chair, impatiently waiting for me to drop the atomic bomb that is going to make her explode.

“All right,” she states before crossing her arms. “What’s the catch?”

“There’s two.”

“You’re only giving me one.”

Piccola diavola.

I was spot-on when I started calling herlittle devilwhen we were kids. Elena doesn’t miss a beat and she knows what to do to make sure she’s not taken advantage of.

“Then I’ll let you pick the second.”

Elena perks a surprised brow. “Really?” I give her a curt nod before bringing my drink to my lips because I feel as though it’s going to be my last drink for a while because I’m going to be arguing with her in the next sixty seconds. “I’m all ears, Bernardi. What’s your two favors?”

“I’m the heir of the Bernardi Band,” I quip so that we’re perfectly clear on who I am, what I’ve become, and what she’d begetting herself into. “That means I need to carry on my legacy. It is my responsibility and mine alone. Which means?—”

“No,” Elena cuts in, rising from her chair and shaking her head as if she shut the whole idea down completely. “You must be out of yourmind, Adrian. How many of those drinks did you have?”

“First one,” I reply calmly. “And sit down.”

“Adrian—”

“Sitdown,piccola diavola.I’m not done speaking and you have no idea what I’m about to ask of you.”

Her nostrils flare before her ass hits the leather cushion. “I’m not going to marry you. So try again.”

“If you want Marcella back, you will,” I toss back. “And then you’ll give me two children. If you want a divorce by the end of five years, then I’ll financially support you and the children. But they will stay with me.”

“You’d expect me to leave my children with you?” Her jaw ticks as her cheeks heat with sheer rage at my proposal. “I think I’ll try my luck somewhere else.”

She could, but she’d get her sister killed.

And there is no other organization around here that would have the resources and power that I do because they’ve all been chased out. The only reason why The Disciples exist is because I haven’t constructed a way to ship them out.

However, now that they are causing a ruckus with the law, I’ll do the sheriff’s department a favor and clean them out myself.

“That’s your right, Elena,” I conclude, running the pad of my index finger around the edge of my glass. “You approached my brother. And I make the rules here.”

She averts her blue gaze off me and I immediately want it back.

Elena is a woman of fire and passion.

Not for me, but for other things in life that she likes. I recall her obsession with Harry Potter for a while, but the only fire she wanted to hand over to me was burning me at the stake with it.

“How about Zane?” Elena asks and I’m surprised the glass in my hand doesn’t shatter into a million and one fucking pieces that she’d have the sheer audacity to ask for my brother when I just gave hermyhand.

“You’re more than welcome to ask,” I practically sneer through my teeth. “Would you like me to call him in?”

Elena slices those bright blues right back to me. “Yes.”

Clenching my teeth, I procure my cell and bring up my brother’s number. Hitting the call button, I put him on speakerphone before tossing the device on top of my desk.

It rings twice before Zane’s voice comes filtering through the line.

“Miss me already?”

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