Dark Vow (Blackwoods College)

Her eyes hardened. “You don’t know a thing about what it’s like to be our family.”

“You’re right, I don’t. But I do know that Calvin’s a decent man, even if he’s flawed and broken and dealing with a childhood of trauma. You think you can come to my house, speak to my mother and still get your way, but I have no interest in giving you what you want, Diana. So I’d appreciate it if you’d stand and leave. I have to show my mother my engagement ring.” I held it up for Calvin’s mom to see.

She stared, looking extremely unhappy. “I’m going to make you an offer,” she said. “I will pay for your school. I will give you five million dollars. I will give you whatever you want, so long as you divorce Calvin and walk away from this game.”

I sucked on my teeth. “I can’t be bought.”

“Oh, but you can. I don’t know what Calvin offered, but I’ll match it, and I’ll double whatever he’s paying. You don’t need to go through this hell with him to get what you want. If you’re doing this for money, or for favors, or something else, I will pay you, and I will give you what you need. Forget about Calvin. Stay away from our family.”

It was tempting. I had to admit, it was very tempting. I looked at the ring on my finger and thought about accepting.

It would make my life easier. She could have my father killed—I didn’t doubt she could do it and would if it meant getting Calvin out of the way peacefully—and she’d give me more money than I had any hope of making on my own. She could change my life and make things so much easier.

And all I had to do was betray Calvin.

Calvin, my stalker, that psycho, that bastard. Calvin, the man who had kidnapped me and flew me halfway across the world for his own amusement. Calvin the monster, the beast.

Calvin, my husband.

Stab him in the back, and this could all be over.

Or I stay. Keep going with my deal. Remain married to the only person in this world I could say with certainty was obsessed with me. I could let him consume me, let him bury me in his misery, his darkness. His brothers would try to hurt me, and his mother would do everything in her power to destroy me.

I could make things easy, or I could make them hard.

“I asked you to leave, and I’ll ask you again. Please get out of here.”

Her jaw worked. “You’re making a mistake.”

“Yeah, maybe, but it’s my mistake to make.”

She pushed the chair back and stood. She held herself so prim and proper, like a queen on parade, and I hated her for it. I followed her to the door, if only to make sure she really left.

She paused on the porch and looked back, all of her dignity and self-importance wrapped around her like a cloak.

“If you change your mind, come talk to me. I’m always listening.”

“If you hadn’t been such a judgmental bitch the first time we met, this conversation might’ve gone differently. Too bad you messed that up.”

I slammed the door in her face before she could reply and locked it.

I leaned against the frame, breathing hard. My hands were shaking. My knees felt weak.

Mom stood at the top of the stairs, staring down.

“Are you okay?” She walked slowly, leaning on the banister. Some of the shine was gone. I guessed she took another pill.

“I’m fine.”

“You got married.”

“Yeah, I did. For business reasons.”

“Business,” she echoed. I was losing her again. “What kind of business?”

“The kind I should stay far away from. But at least he’s rich, right?”

She smiled and drifted toward the living room. “Who was that woman here? She seemed nice. Very put together. What was her name again?”

“Diana,” I said and let her go. I leaned my head back and closed my eyes. “Her name was Diana.”

I heard the TV turn on and I tried to keep the tears from spilling down my cheeks. I choked and dug my fingers into my thighs as the tears dripped along my cheeks and onto my shirt.

Those bastards. I hated them so much. Noah, Raymond, Diana—even Calvin’s father. I hated them, and I wished they’d never come into my life at all.

But I hated myself even more.

Hated myself for being so weak. My mother needed someone strong right now, and I was letting her down by getting involved with Calvin all for my own petty revenge.

They’d keep coming. They’d hurt me, and they’d hurt my mother, and they wouldn’t stop until Calvin was destroyed or I was dead and couldn’t help him anymore.

There was no happy ending for me.

I’d break, no matter what.

My fist thumped against the door. It didn’t matter. Mom wouldn’t notice.