Vow to Protect (Vow To Protect 1)

When I get control over myself, I give Andrea a nod. “I’m okay, I think.”

“Okay. I have to go do surveillance. Kai is close by, so if you need anything, just look at him.”

“Go. I’m fine.” I nudge her away and face the room with my chin up. Nothing about my insides feels confident, and I wish Adrian were here with me, but it won’t be for long, and then we can go.

Another flash of Rose, her eyes, as they were that night, hit me full force, and a wave of nausea threatens my calm act.

I skirt the edge of the ballroom and head to the ladies’ room. A hand catches me by the elbow before I can push inside. It’s Kai, his eyes asking if I’m okay.

“I’ll be out in a moment. I just need a second to collect myself.”

The lounge area is made up of seating and mirrors with the restrooms and sinks set back into another area around a corner. I don’t bother going all the way through but sink onto a plush navy-blue settee and breathe.

Everything looks the same as the last time I came here when Rose and I were together. I can practically hear her talking to me from the stalls as she pees, like she doesn’t have a care in the world. When we both knew that to be a lie. She was good at acting too.

Oh. It’s not Rose. Someone is talking to me. I stare up a pair of tan, toned legs to a very short red dress and farther still to long silky white-blond hair. “Are you even listening?”

I blink. “I’m so sorry. I’m in my own little world. Can I help you?”

She narrows her eyes, and the face I thought beautiful only a moment ago turns cold and calculating. “You’re pathetic. I don’t understand why he would choose you over me.” Her Slavic accent is heavy, but the girl is pissed about something.

I stand, mostly because I don’t like being towered over, and straighten my dress. “I’m not sure what you’re talking about, but excuse me.”

She grabs my upper arm hard, her long red fingernails digging into my skin. It would hurt if I hadn’t been dished out pain every day of my life. I stare down at her hand and then back up at her face, and something wakes inside me. Something that’s slept for far too long.

“Take your fucking hands off me before I break your fingers.”

She releases me, but only for a second, as she snatches my left hand in her own. “This ring should be mine. I earned it.”

I twist out of her grip, and I want to grab her back, push her as much as she is trying to push me, but I can’t. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, but leave me alone before I call security.”

Her face takes on a mottled shade of red, and she steps toward me, leaning down to get right in my face. “You’re not worthy, bitch. He’s mine. I put up with his bullshit for a long time. He said he would marry me.”

“And you are?” I keep myself calm because it’s what Adrian would do. I keep my voice level because it’s what Rose would do. And I step right up to meet her because I’m tired of assholes pushing me around because they think I’m soft.

She narrows her eyes. “You know who I am. Surely you’ve heard of me.”

I shrug, unconcerned. And I am. Any minute, one of the guards will be in here to check on me, so it doesn’t matter if she gets in my face. If she keeps it up and Adrian finds her here, she might not have one afterward, though.

“I have no idea who you are. Now back up before my security details sees you in my face. Obviously, if Adrian wanted to marry you, he would have. But looking at you, I can already tell you’re not his type.”

Some kind of emotion chases across her features: hurt, denial, a truth she’s tried to lie to herself about. Yeah. I bet I’m not the first woman in Adrian’s life who’s met this woman.

A heartbeat passes, and she resumes her ice queen persona, even giving me a cocky little grin. “Whatever. You’ll get what you deserve.” She leaves, and I stare at the closing door like I’ve missed something.

The lock snicks a second later, and I rush over to test the handle. Oh yeah, definitely locked.

An arm snakes around my middle, and a hand curls around my neck. It’s a position I’ve been in multiple times, and the scent of him hits me first. So hard I almost puke up what little alcohol I drank.

“Did you miss me, baby?” Sal hisses in my ear.

I should scream. Now would be a good time to scream, but I can’t make any part of my body move at the moment. I can’t yell. I can’t fight. I can barely breathe.