Dark Vow (Blackwoods College)

Now, though, he’d softened. He was still angry, but he didn’t look at the world like it was out to get him anymore. Cora helped tame the darkness. He didn’t lust after pain as much these days.

Jarrod came out from the back room, rubbing his wet hair with a towel. He grunted at me, which was his way of saying hello, and poured two mugs of tea. He gave me one and sat on the couch to my left, his big body sprawling out. We sat in a short silence as he looked down at his phone and I fidgeted.

“I saw Calvin today,” I said finally, unable to hold it in.

“Yeah, I did too,” he said, not looking up. “And Des and Addler.”

“I mean, he came to talk to me.”

Jarrod put down his phone. “And?”

I rubbed my face. I hadn’t told him about the offer yet. Indecision churned in my gut, but I knew I couldn’t hold it back. Cora knew, and I’d made her swear not to tell Jarrod, but it wasn’t fair to keep him in the dark.

“He made me an offer a week ago.”

He went very still. “What sort of offer?”

“He wants to marry me. And in exchange, he’ll make sure that Dad never leaves prison.”

Jarrod’s jaw tightened. He gripped his mug in both hands like he wanted to crush it. I bet he could, if he tried.

“You’re not going to do it.” A statement, not a question.

“Of course not. I mean, he can’t be serious, right? We’re twenty years old. We haven’t even graduated yet.”

Jarrod’s face twitched. “It’s Calvin. If he said it, he meant it.”

“Marry me, though? He barely knows me. In all the years he’s been coming around, I’ve spoken to him like ten times.”

“Doesn’t seem to matter to him.”

“What do I do?”

“Tell him no.”

“And if that doesn’t work?”

Jarrod grunted and shook his head. “I don’t know what you want from me here.”

“I want you to say you’ll keep your best friend from forcing your cousin into marriage.”

“If that’s what you want.”

I glared at him. “I don’t feel reassured.”

He went quiet for a moment, then said, “What if you did it?”

“Jarrod!”

“You want your dad to stay in prison, right? Marrying Calvin wouldn’t be so bad.”

“I don’t love him. I don’t even like him.”

“Good. Then don’t do it. But imagine if you did.”

I stood up, pissed off that he was even entertaining this. I paced away, head reeling, then turned back to him, hands on my hips. “What do you know about Calvin’s business?”

He seemed uncertain. “Not a lot. They deal weapons. Defense contractors. Lots of money in that shit.”

“Is it all legal?”

“Probably. Mostly. He doesn’t talk about it much.”

“But you know something.”

He waved a hand in the air. “He’s going to take over one day. He says he doesn’t like it, but that’s the way things are.”

“That’s what he needs me for.” I looked down at my hands. My fingers tugged at the hem of my sweatshirt. “He needs a wife and a kid before his dad will name him the heir to the company.”

“Huh,” Jarrod said, leaning back and crossing his legs. “I guess that makes sense. Ensures some longevity. And he does have brothers.”

“Calvin has brothers?”

“Two younger ones. He doesn’t talk much about them, either.”

“Does he talk about anything?”

Jarrod laughed and ran a hand through his hair. “What do you want from me? You’ve met Calvin. You know what he’s like.”

I did know. Quiet, calm, intense. Totally self-assured, like he could never make a mistake and knew it. I envied that kind of confidence.

“You’re his best friend. I need to know what I’m getting myself into.”

He sighed and met my gaze with a steady smirk. As much as I hated him sometimes, Jarrod had saved my life more than once. When we’d gotten older and Jarrod had gotten bigger and able to fight Dad off, he’d always make sure to redirect Dad’s anger away from me and onto him—since he’d known Dad wouldn’t try to hit him, not once Jarrod turned sixteen and hit a growth spurt and put on like six inches and fifty pounds of muscle.

“I think you’re getting yourself into a serious relationship. That’s what I think.”

“God, you’re useless.” I sipped my tea and cursed. It was still hot. The water burned my tongue. I put it down on the counter and wanted to scream. “I need to get some air.”

“Go ahead. Door’s right there.”

“Why are you being such a dick?”

“Because I don’t think this is as serious as you’re pretending it is.”

“Calvin wants to marry me. He’s scary as hell. You know that.”

“Tell him you don’t want it and he’ll stop.” Jarrod shrugged and picked up his phone again, done with this conversation. “I’ll talk to him for you if you want, but I don’t think it’ll help. Might just make it worse.”