Bitter Vows (Crimson Falls 1)

“I’ll ensure she behaves.”

He nods before leaving me to think about my plans for tonight. I pick up my mobile and hit dial on another number, one I haven’t called in a very long time. I wait for the rings, counting them when they sound.

Once.

Two.

Three.

“Mr. Shaw,” comes the voice that sends anger scouring through every vein in my body.

“Grace Bardot,” I utter her name, hoping the contempt is clear to her. “Your granddaughter is quite the spitfire,” I tell her. She knows where Scarlett is. She knew the moment I brought her into the house. Horatio would have told Grace about the contract because his mommy always fixes his fuck ups, but this time, she has no way of remedying her son’s mistake.

“She will never marry you. Not because I forbid it, but my granddaughter is not stupid to fall for the likes of you.” Venom laces every word she spews. She’s trying to come across as formidable, but she’s nothing more than a wounded animal trying to throw me off the scent.

“Like you did with my father?” I challenge easily, earning me a gasp in response. I knew she’d tell me I’m bad news, even though she knows I’ve never denied it. The woman is a viper, one that can easily strike, but she has nothing on me. Whereas I know what kind of man her son is, and I can take him down without blinking.

“The past is in the past,” she warns. “But the curse still lies in wait. For years we’ve fought it, and when Conall died, I thought it would die with him.”

“A curse is a way for the elders attempting to stop us from ever loving, but you have no reason to fear. I’m not capable of love.” And it’s true. I may find Scarlett attractive, alluring even, but my heart has been solidified, and nothing will ever change that.

“Don’t ever discount the strength of a family curse.”

Anger takes over as her words ring in my ears. I’ve always wanted the truth, wanted her to admit what she did. But she never has. In all our altercations in New York, she’s never once allowed me the freedom from pain by revealing the truth. But now that I have her on the phone, just us, I ask, “Is that what you told my father when you had him killed?”

The silence on the other end of the line is deafening. There’s no denying it, and there’s no admitting it. But one day, and one day soon, I’ll find out the truth.

“Make no mistake, Grace, I will marry your granddaughter. She’ll take my name, and once that’s done, the Bardot line will be nothing more than a distant memory.”

“Scarlett will attend the gala, as planned.” The hint of pain in her voice is unmistakable. If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the years, it’s that someone like Grace Bardot, who comes from old money, is filled with far too much pride to ever allow anything to get to her. To break her down. But she knows I’m a formidable match. And I’ll happily step into the ring and fight her to the death.

Not mine.

But hers.

“She will.” I nod to myself. “But if you even think of saying anything about our agreement, there will be consequences. And trust me when I say I always get what I want.”

“You’re just like him, you know,” she tells me, her voice lowering to nothing more than a whisper. “Charming. Handsome. And yet, you’re still trying to prove yourself.”

My chest tightens at her words. The reminder that I lost my father is a steel blade in my chest. I know what was taken from me because I was old enough to know the man who raised me, who taught me everything I know, and then the Bardots took that.

“Don’t ever speak of him,” I sneer, my free hand tightening into a fist at the thought of finding my father’s body, lifeless, blood dripping from fatal wounds. “You have no reason to even think about him. If I could remove him from your mind, I would.”

This time, she offers a sigh before speaking. “I’m sure you’re capable of it, but you wouldn’t hurt the family of the woman you’re about to marry.”

“Is that a challenge, Grace?” I can’t help but chuckle. She knows I won’t back down. And she knows I’m capable of far worse than her mind can even ponder.

“She won’t forgive you.” This is true. There’s no doubt in my mind.

“And I’ll never forgive you.”

16

Scarlett

When a knock comes on my bedroom door at six in the evening, I pad to it and pull it open before I have time to rethink it. On the threshold is Lycan in a pair of dark jeans and a light-blue button-up. The cuffs have been rolled up to his elbows while the top three buttons are undone, offering me a glimpse of smooth, tanned skin.