The Widow Maker (Dark Vows Duet 2)

At this, Xavier’s expression darkens and I know I’ve hit the nail on the head.

“I didn’t know you had a brother.”

“I don’t,” he spits out. “He’s dead. Long fucking gone.”

“I don’t think he is.” I shake my head. “I know what I saw.”

“Fuck.” Xavier stumbles back as if this information has really taken a toll on him. Judging by his crestfallen expression, it has. “I can’t believe it.”

“Why would your fucking brother want to take Rain from me?”

“He hates me.”

“So? How would he know who she is? He attacked me, not you.”

“Maybe he doesn’t know who she is,” Xavier muses. “I hope she was smart enough not to tell him, because...”

His sentence drifts off into nothing, making my heart pound.

“Because fucking what?”

“Because if she did, she’s as good as dead.”

“So your brother hates you that much,” I snarl. “What did you do to him? It can’t have been worse than what you did to me.”

He remains quiet, which makes me wonder whether I’m wrong. Perhaps he did something even worse to his own kin. Xavier is a monster, after all...

Phoenix’s strangled groan from the ground reminds me he’s been shot. I kneel next to him, muttering for him to stay with me.

“He needs help,” I bark at Xavier. “And we need to work together until we find Rain.”

I know we’re both reluctant as fuck to join forces, but judging by Xavier’s stony expression, he’s just realized the same thing. We’ll have to help one another, but the actual battle will begin when we get Rain back.

“Fine,” he spits out. “We’ll get what’s left of your men some help.”

He clicks his fingers, and the guards leave the room. Now we’re alone. I could kill him if I wanted to. My fingers itch to fire a bullet into his head for everything he’s done to me. I force myself to stop thinking that way. I can’t murder Xavier, not yet. Not until he fills in the blanks and helps me find Rain.

My thoughts are consumed by her again and I find myself even more worried than I was before. Xavier’s brother seems like a vindictive piece of shit. But why the fuck would he attack me? I have nothing to do with the vendetta he has going on with his brother. But none of it matters. The only thing of importance right now is ensuring Rain’s safe return. Once that’s done, I can focus on the one thing Rain’s kidnapper and I have in common—the desperate need to fucking kill Xavier.

The man in question is pacing the room. Several guards lift Phoenix and carry him to another room while a doctor scurries down the hallway to ensure he’s okay.

The night is making me weary. We lost so many men, and for what?

Liberato’s going to fucking kill me.

And I’m still itching for another hit, but now my pockets are empty. I tell myself I need to keep a straight head to find Rain, but I’m still desperate as fuck for some powder or the poison I love to inject into my veins.

Xavier seems preoccupied to notice my dilemma, though, and guilt surges through me as I realize he’s probably thinking about Rain.

Rain.

The one innocent person in all this, who is being forced to pay for all our mistakes.

I need to help her. I need to find her. And then I need to kill my uncle for everything he did to her in my absence. I’ll take great pleasure in killing Xavier. But for now, I need to keep a clear head and work with the bastard.

Judging by his hateful expression, my uncle has arrived at the same conclusion.

“After this,” Xavier starts, giving me a cool glare. “You’re dead fucking meat.”

“Speak for yourself. I’m killing you the moment we get Rain back.”

“But until then, we have to work together,” Xavier mutters with a tone of disgust. “We have to find her.”

“I agree,” I grunt.

“Seems like the only thing we’re going to agree on. We need to work fast. Xander is a bad motherfucker and he won’t hesitate to hurt her if he finds out she’s my wife.”

“What the fuck did you do to him to make you hate you this much?” I hiss.

Xavier looks me right in the eyes and mutters, “I stole his fucking life.”

Chapter two

Chapter 7

“I hope you’ve learned your lesson from your little punishment. Or have I gone too easy on you, Adelina?”

I shake my head to get Xander’s filthy hands off me, but he merely smirks before gripping my cheeks even tighter with his cool grip.

“Don’t fight this, Adelina. And don’t make me punish you again for being so disobedient. Now, you’ve been a good girl so far. I want you to have a little reward. Tonight you’ll be allowed to attend a dinner with me and some of my closest friends.”