Cruel Vows

I don’t let him finish his sentence, grabbing him by the front of his jacket and growling. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing here?” I glance around the room. “And with a gang?”

His eyes widen as he holds his hands up in defense. “I’m here to speak with you. There’s no foul play, I assure you.”

Axel King is the lowest of the low in the crime world. His MC is scum, and we’d never invite them to a party like this. Not to mention, the last time I saw him, our meeting didn’t exactly end well when he told me to stick my cocaine up my ass because he wasn’t paying what I wanted. He’s a greedy pig who wants quality product for nothing.

“Considering how we left things, I’m surprised to hear you want to speak with me.” I cross my arms over my chest. “What do you want?”

“I want to reopen negotiations.” He shrugs. “I’m getting desperate for product, and only you have come up with a decent offer.”

I raise a brow. “Decent offer? You told me you’d pay the price I wanted when pigs fly and that I should shove my deal up my ass if I remember rightly.” I run a hand through my hair. “The offer doesn’t stand.”

His smile drops and his brow furrows. “Surely we can renegotiate?”

I can’t understand why my attention moves back to the mystery girl at the back of the room at that very moment. A different man from the club is crowding her, and she looks irritated as she appears to argue with him. Her poise is suddenly different, uncomfortable, and it makes me wish I could go over there and deck the creep for making her feel like that.

An odd sense of possession overwhelming me as I watch her try, and fail, to move away from him.

“Massimo,” Axel says, drawing my attention back to him.

“Perhaps we can come to an agreement,” I murmur, a thought entering my mind. “What are you suggesting?” I ask, moving my attention back to Axel.

“Meet me at the bar and we’ll discuss terms.” He holds his hand out.

I glare at his outstretched hand, knowing this guy is more trouble than he’s worth. My attention moves back briefly to the intoxicating mystery girl. I take his hand and shake. “Fine, I’m pretty busy this week, but I’ll swing by Saturday night.” I run a hand through my hair. “Since you’re here, you may as well have a drink or two.”

I have an ulterior motive for wanting to keep Axel and his gang of bikers here. Once they leave, so does she.

Axel’s cocky smirk returns. “Perfect. See you Saturday, and I might grab one drink.”

“Enjoy,” I say, moving away from him in search of the girl, who is no longer standing with those two men.

I scan the room, but there is no sign of her by the bar or on the dancefloor. My jaw clenches as I wonder if she’s left, and then I notice a flash of fiery red hair disappearing down the corridor to the bathroom.

The desire to chase her takes hold of me as I head toward the corridor, my heart pounding hard in my chest. She slips into the ladies’ bathroom before I make it there and I’m so determined to speak to her I follow.

Thankfully, she’s the only one in there. Her eyes, which are a deep emerald green, widen when she sees me. “Shit, am I in the wrong restroom?” A crease forms between her brows as if she’s trying to remember what sign was on the door.

“No,” I say, moving toward her.

She sets her hands on her hips, drawing my attention to her beautiful, curvy shape. “Then what the fuck are you doing in the ladies’ bathroom?”

I smirk at that, as she’s clearly not too shy to call me out. “Following you.”

Her bravado falters as she swallows hard, taking a step back. “I don’t want any trouble.”

Instead of acknowledging her statement, I move closer to her, backing her all the way to the far wall. “What’s your name, princess?”

The flush of her cheeks deepens as she swallows hard. “Why do you want to know?”

I set my hands on either side of her, caging her against the wall. “Indulge me.”

“Paisley,” she says, wringing her hands together between us.

“Paisley,” I repeat her name and enjoy how it sounds.

Her nostrils flare and her cheeks turn an even deeper red. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to crash the party. Are you one of the Morrone family?”

“Perhaps.” I raise a brow. “And how can you not mean to crash a party?”

A muscle in her jaw flexes as she clenches it. “My boss forced me to come.”

“Is that right?” I lift her chin with my finger, gazing into her stunning green eyes. “And who is your boss?”

She licks her bottom lip. “I’ll get in trouble if I say.”

The chemistry sparking between us is unlike anything I’ve experienced before. Paisley is nothing like any woman I’ve ever met before. She’s different in so many ways. My agreement to renegotiate terms with Axel King had an ulterior motive. I desire to get closer to this girl, even more so now I’ve actually spoken to her.

Paisley should run as far as way from me as possible, but she’s trapped in my snare and I’ll be damned if I let her out.