Vow to Protect (Vow To Protect 1)

I take a moment to meet both their eyes. “Most importantly, Val doesn’t know a thing about any of this. Do you understand? I’ll tell her I’m going to a business meeting, and she will be content with that. I don’t want her worrying while I’m gone, especially if nothing comes of it.”

They both nod in agreement, and I stare at the currently blank screen on the wall. Just my fuzzy reflection stares back. “Maybe bring in a couple of girls we know. They can flirt and loosen things up.”

I haven’t thought of a single other woman since I met Val, and I don’t plan to start, but that doesn’t mean some of the single men will pass up the opportunity. “Make sure they are paid well and know they can leave at any time. But anyone who sticks it out will get more.”

“Anything else, boss?” Kai asks.

I glare at him and look at Vincent. “Make sure everything is perfect. Kai can run back up to you if you need any additional help. Andrea too. She’s good at these sorts of things.”

“I had another idea in mind,” Kai says, knowing he is playing with the nitrogen vapors of my patience right now. Fucking ballsy bastard.

He continues without prompting because if I speak to him one more time, I might deck him. As much as I want to let things go, I can’t stop seeing the jagged cut of her dress and the bruises on her skin, and my rage returns.

“I might have a guy in the old man’s security. It’s an angle I’ve been working at for a while, and it seems, with all the changes lately, payments have been slipping, and some of his staff is unhappy. After seeing what happened to Valentina, a large chunk of them are.”

I grip the chair again, digging my nails into the leather to ground me. “They saw her like that, and they didn’t do shit to help her? Stop it? Stop him from hurting her so brutally?”

Kai realizes he took a misstep in bringing it up. He tries to backtrack. “The security contact was with him in New York, so he was unaware of what was happening at the house.”

I shake my head and walk out of the room. Not for one damn second do I believe the security at the house and the security with Val’s father didn’t stay in constant contact. They chose to look the other way, and for that, they’d all die when I finally wrap my hands around that old skeleton’s neck and squeeze the life out of him.

30

Valentina

I watch him get on the elevator to go to his business meeting, and it hurts to see him leave. Rationally, I know he is coming back, but I miss him, and I am trying to rectify that with everything that has happened to me recently.

When the numbers on the elevator reach the ground floor, I’m tempted to go to bed and wait. Instead, I head to the kitchen to grab something to eat. He plans to be gone through dinner, which means I’m on my own.

Maybe that’s the hard part. I’ve never been on my own. I always had Rose by my side when I needed company. A wave of grief hits me hard as I walk to the kitchen. Sometimes, I think I’m okay until I remember all over that she’s gone. It weighs me down and makes it hard to think beyond it.

The only person in the room is the cook, who is bustling around prepping meals for tomorrow. Which I find strange since there aren’t a ton of people in the penthouse regularly. Adrian’s five are usually out doing whatever business they get assigned. Maybe she just likes to stay busy.

I plop on a stool, lay my hands on the countertop, and rest my face against them. “Did you make anything for dinner? Or should I make something for myself?”

For such a short, round woman, she sure moves fast. I watch her flutter some more, and then she huffs loud enough I can hear her. But she always makes those noises around me, as if my existence taxes her. “Of course I made something, and I don’t want you messing up my workspace.”

I sit quietly and watch her work, content not to be alone for a little while. She sets a bowl of fresh ramen in front of me and then turns to start typing on her cell phone. I dive into my noodles while she works on cleaning more perfectly immaculate stainless steel.

I take a bite and groan. “This is delicious, thank you.”

As usual, she gives me a grunt of acknowledgment and goes about her work again.

I scarf down the delicious noodles and head to the sink to wash up my dishes. She waves me away, and I sit at the counter again. “Are you sure I can’t help?”