Grayson's Vow

I don't want you.

I don't want you.

I don't want you.

I don't want you.

I don't want you at all.

"Grayson, please, you have no idea what you're talking about," she said, her voice cracking.

"Oh, I think I have every idea what I'm talking about." I moved in again and leaned toward her ear, saying softly, "Tell me, Kira, have you opted to be one of his whores, or a kept wife who turns a blind eye? If it's the latter, you do realize you'll have to divorce me first, right?"

I felt Kira startle at my words and draw in a sudden breath. Then Cooper was next to me, saying, "What the hell are you doing here?" and before he could try to get in the middle of Kira and me, I turned. My rage and pain—everything I had lost—bubbled to the surface, swirling in my chest in a tsunami of anguish. I grabbed his shirt and walked him backward to the wall and slammed him into it. Kira screamed and I heard several people gasp loudly from the floor of the restaurant next to the lobby where we were having our showdown.

Cooper's expression was pale, his eyes filled with fear as I pressed him against the wall. I expelled a loud whoosh of breath and let go of him. He almost fell forward, but caught himself as I stepped away. Dread crashed through me as quickly as the anger had. Oh God, what was I doing? I glared into Cooper's face, his expression simultaneously showing rage and some type of glee. He pointed his finger at me. "You're going back to prison, you fucking loser." He adjusted his shoulders and laughed, then turned to who I thought was probably the manager of the restaurant—standing there with a look of shock on his face—and said, "Get the names and numbers of everyone who witnessed that. My lawyer will be calling for it later. Then he looked at Kira with satisfaction. "Let's go."

Tears were streaming down Kira's face. "Let me talk to him for a minute," she said to Cooper, her voice cracking.

Cooper frowned. "I can't leave you alone with him. He's obviously dangerous."

I stepped toward him again, and Kira quickly moved in front of me, placing her hand on my chest. "We're in public," she said. "We're fine. He's my husband, Cooper."

"For now." Copper narrowed his eyes and looked back and forth between us for a moment and then nodded. "I have to get on the road anyway. I'll pick you up tonight." He leaned in and kissed her on her cheek, his beady eyes on me as he did it. More rage kicked up in my gut. I was tempted to hit him—what did it matter now? Instead, I stood there clenching my jaw over and over again, attempting to regain control of my emotions. Cooper pointed to me. "You'll be hearing from my lawyer."

I simply stared at him. I wouldn't give him the satisfaction of a reaction.

He walked briskly out the door without turning back, my eyes finally moving to Kira. Her face was ashen, her eyes wide. She obviously hadn't expected to see me while she was with her new/ex-boyfriend.

"Gray," she whispered. She took a step toward me and I whirled around, stalking out the door of the restaurant. There was nothing more to say to her. My heart felt like it was breaking open in my chest. I hadn't realized it could break any more than it already had.

"Grayson!" I heard her call behind me as I walked away from her down the street. Stopping and turning, I walked with purpose straight back to where she was standing on the sidewalk. There was a small alley right next to her, and I grabbed her wrist and pulled her into it, pressing her up against the brick wall. She let out a small gasp. "What are you doing?"

"Trying to remember what I ever saw in you." I put my mouth against hers, licking the seam of her lips. She mewled softly and opened for me, though her body was still tense against my own. I dipped my tongue into her mouth and then quickly withdrew, forcing a blank expression onto my face. "No, not nearly as good as I remember."

Her eyes widened and she blinked at me, confused. I leaned in and ran my lips down her throat. Her body stiffened and I pulled away. "Nope, nothing." Her lips turned down, and tears glistened in her eyes. I shook off the uncomfortable feeling of guilt flowing through my veins. She's a liar, I reminded myself.

"You know what I think? I think I must have been desperate and you were . . . what's the word? Convenient. Since you've been gone, I've come to the conclusion that I like more of a variety of women than marriage vows dictate. I've sampled quite a few recently. You were okay, but since you, I've had better."

She flinched, tears flowing down her cheeks freely now and although shame swirled in my gut, I showed no reaction. I wouldn't. If she was going to jump straight into Cooper's bed, then I could at least leave with a small modicum of pride. As we stood staring at each other, that small chin came up. Even now, she was going to rally. Damn her straight to hell!

I wanted to break her like she had broken me.

I wanted to fall to my knees and beg and plead with her to make it all okay somehow—to wrap her arms around me and tell me it was all a terrible nightmare—and I hated myself for it.

I hated myself for hoping.

That old familiar feeling of grasping for the love of someone who would never give it to me made a shudder run through my body. She stood there looking pale and stricken and heartbreakingly beautiful and she had no right! She had taken everything from me—even more than I ever realized I had to lose.

The torturous vision of Kira tangled in bed sheets with Cooper came unbidden to my mind, and I swallowed down the bile in my throat.