Dark Vow (Blackwoods College)

“Is this what it takes to get you in a church, Calvin? All I have to do is kidnap your wife’s mother?”

I grimaced and felt Robyn stiffen, but I touched her thigh to calm her. “Is she safe?”

Mother laughed lightly. “I’m not a killer.”

“No, you’re not, but my brothers are.”

“She’s safe. Having a very nice time, actually. That poor woman needed a vacation.”

Robyn leaned forward. “She’s not at some fucking spa, you rotting piece of—”

I held up a hand to silence her, and she bit down hard on her cheek.

Mother only smiled impassively. “Do you know why there wasn’t a struggle? It’s because I invited her to come stay with me. I didn’t have to force her anywhere. In fact, as far as she knows, she’s having a lovely time lounging around a five-star hotel and getting sober from all those wretched pills. When you get her back, she’ll be none the wiser, and in better shape than when you lost her.” Mom’s smile widened, and I hated her in that moment.

She thought she could manipulate her way into anything. Kidnap a woman, lie and bribe and cheat and steal, so long as it got what she wanted.

That was the world I was brought up in, and it was the world I rejected.

“Are you ready to negotiate?” I met my mother’s gaze and struggled to keep my rage from showing. I’d never been good at that.

“I’m here. I’m listening.”

“I want to end this. No more fighting. No more hurting innocent people. Taking Robyn’s mother was too far. She’s not a part of this.”

“Robyn made her a part of this when she refused to back down. I warned you, dear.”

“You’re a disgusting person. Do you know what my mother’s been through?” Robyn’s back was rod straight. I thought she might lash out and rip my mom’s eyes from her skull. And I might let it happen.

“You know I don’t care. I find your whole family history an utter bore. Now, I want to tour campus, and I’m not happy about having this discussion in a house of worship, so I’d like to end things as soon as we can.”

I grunted in response. I had a plan, but I hadn’t told Robyn what I wanted to offer. I knew she wouldn’t like it, and I’d tried to get her to stay home, but she insisted on coming.

I took a breath to steel myself.

“I’m offering to step away from the family.”

The words sang out over the chapel and mother’s eyebrows skyrocketed.

Robyn grabbed my arm. “Calvin,” she hissed. “What are you talking about? You can’t do that.”

“I’ll walk, Mother. I’ll tell Father I’m giving up my inheritance. I’ll pass it all up and leave the family.”

Robyn’s didn’t move. Mother didn’t react. Both of them stared at me like I was insane.

“All to get your wife’s mother back? You’ll back down that easily?” Mother didn’t believe it. I couldn’t blame her.

“I have some stipulations first.”

Her face composed itself. “I thought you might.”

“First, neither Noah nor Raymond will take my place.”

She laughed. “Out of the question. There’s nobody else, dear.”

“Neither of them will take over the company. I will not step away and allow them to take control. If I don’t win, they don’t either.”

Robyn’s fingers squeezed into my arm. I ignored her and kept my eyes on my mother. It was like staring down an angry gorilla—if I turned my head, it would show weakness.

“A Pyrrhic victory,” Mother said quietly, head tilted, lips pursed. “You lose, but so do your brothers.”

“Winning and losing are relative terms.” I leaned forward. “They will not inherit.”

“Then who? You can’t possibly think this is a realistic option. Without you and your brothers—”

“Matthias will take my position as the lead heir.”

Mother reared back as if struck.

Robyn let out a strangled sound of surprise.

I let the idea linger in the air.

I’d thought about this a lot. Nobody knew the Solar business like Matthias did—not even my father. Matthias had grown up with me at the Solar mansion, though he hadn’t been a part of the family. He knew all our secrets and had eaten at our table since we were little kids. My mother and father treated him like a cousin and a trusted employee.

It made perfect sense. Matthias was a much better fit for leadership than any of us. I was too angry and impulsive and uninterested in the work, and my brothers were both bloodthirsty, power-hungry fools. Matthias was clever and hard working. He’d take the Solar company to the next level.

Only I had to convince my parents first.

“That’s outrageous. He’s not family.” Mother sounded truly offended. I couldn’t blame her.

“He’s practically family. He grew up with me, minus all that fucked-up training.”

“That training made you smarter and faster. It made you stronger. It’s why you and your brothers can lead.”