Bitter Vows: A Twisted Arranged Marriage Romance (Crimson Falls Duet Book 1)

by Dani René

  “Where is he?” The words are gritted through my clenched teeth. I knew he’d come back to haunt me, but I didn’t think he would be so close by.

  “Uh… he’s working for Mrs. Bardot. She hired him to do the garden, set the fox traps.” Gray looks up at me, and I can tell he’s more fearful of my wrath than my brother’s stupidity. He was around when my brother decided to fuck over the family to join a fucking motorcycle gang. He took the word of murderers instead of his own flesh and blood.

  He became someone different. Someone I didn’t know, and the more time he spent with his new family, the more he’d forgotten about his lineage. I never forgot, though, and if he thinks he’s going to steal my payment, he has another thing coming.

  “Make sure the girl is safe and stays indoors,” I tell Gray. “And if my brother goes near her, I’ll kill him myself.” I have a feeling my sweet little red isn’t someone who’ll obey the order to stay indoors. Only, she doesn’t know just how feral the predators on the outside are.

  “Yes, sir.” Gray turns to leave, and I face the mirror once more. I know Darius will do something. I have a feeling the asshole is here to fuck with me. But what he doesn’t know is I have ways and means to ensure he can’t go near her.

  My phone buzzes in my pocket, and when I pull it out to find an unknown number, I’m sure it’s my brother. Swiping the screen, I press the device to my ear.

  “You know, she’s quite the looker,” he tells me, the familiar voice ringing in my ears. As much as I hate him, I love him. There’s a fine line between the two emotions, a very fragile line.

  “She’s mine, Darius,” I inform him, attempting to keep myself calm but failing when my fingers tighten around the cell phone. I only earn myself a chuckle in response.

  “And you think the Bardots are just going to let you take her? She’s quite curious, isn’t she?” He’s testing me to see what I’ll do, what I’ll say. The thing about it is, my brother no longer knows who I am, but I know exactly who he is. I’ve seen him over the years, had people watching him, and I saw him turn into a monster. My intel has been wrong. He must’ve known I had eyes on him. The moment I’m done here, I’ll have my team fired for fucking this up. They should have known he was in Crimson Falls.

  “Darius.” His name is a threat on my lips, the tone of my voice giving away just what I’m feeling right this second—pure rage. “I’m not your little brother anymore. I’ve welcomed the violence that you told me I couldn’t find within myself. And as a Shaw, I don’t give a shit about family anymore. I will kill you if you go near her.”

  “From the garden, I can see into her bedroom,” he informs me coolly, as if he’s telling me about the fucking weather, which certainly doesn’t help my anger. My feet carry me out of her room into the hallway. I’m already pulling the gun from my shoulder holster when I reach the ground floor of my house. “She looks so beautiful in her little tank top.” His taunts continue with amusement tainting every mumble. My blood boils with every word he utters. “I wonder just how she’d feel squirming under me.”

  “You’ll never find out,” I grit, my jaw ticking with feral rage as I pull open my back door and head out into the garden.

  “Oh? Perhaps I should lure her outdoors with a pretty flower. And when I do, I’ll open her with my blade, just like a blossom being cut from the stem. Do you think she’ll bleed red or blue? I can wait to taste.”

  “Over my dead body.” The words are out of my mouth before I have time to focus on the fact that he’s so close by that I can practically smell the violence he emanates. My feet move swiftly across the thick lawn.

  What I loved about this property is it connects to the Bardot Manor. Our gardens overlook each other, and I can be on their land in about ten minutes. There is a thick outcropping of trees before reaching it, but I’ll get to him, and I’ll kill him once and for all.

  “Perhaps I’ll find out sooner,” he tells me. “As you know, curiosity kills the kitten.” A scream pierces the speaker before the line dies. Asshole. I can’t hear anything from where I am, but I quickly make my way down the garden toward the forest that backs up against my property.

  I’ll find her. I’ll find him. And when I do, I’m putting a fucking bullet in his head.

  9

  Scarlett

  My throat burns from the scream as I race away from the scary-looking, inked man who stepped out of the shadows. I’m not sure who he is, but I can only guess it’s the gardener, the one I was told to stay away from.

  “Come on, pretty girl, come out and play,” he coos from behind me, his deep voice sending sparks of fear through me, and I push forward, trying to get away from him. “I can smell that sweet fear of yours.” His deep voice drips with malice, causing my heart to skitter wildly against my chest.

  My long, flowing red hair tangles behind me as thickets and branches snag in my wavy locks. The cool ground beneath my feet causes me to shiver as I race toward the enormous, looming mansion on the other side of the forest.

  Footsteps are closing in behind me. I can hear his heavy footfalls, which only have my lungs squeezing, and breathing becomes difficult. I attempt to swallow, but a thick ball of dread threatens to choke me and give me over to the beast behind me.

  A howl in the distance forces a squeal of surprise to tumble from my lips. My mother always told me not to go into the woods when I was a kid, but I need to get away from the stranger behind me right now. Another screeching howl comes from somewhere in the darkness, and my heart leaps into my throat.

  My lungs burn, and my legs ache.

  In, out. In, out.

  Breathe, Scarlett.

  My heart bangs violently as my lungs slowly start giving out. My breaths are harsh, shallow, and quick. But I push forward, forcing my legs to move quicker, even though I’m ready to pass out. I hit a patch of trees, and then they slowly open as if welcoming me into another world. A house illuminates the darkened world before me with golden light streaming from a few windows.

  I’m so close.

  The neighbors will help me.

  I’m sure they will.

  I’m not sure if Estelle or Gray heard me screaming, but someone will figure out I’m gone soon enough. A crack of a branch behind me has another squeal pealing from my lips as I race through the darkness. My skin scrapes and scratches as fearful tears slowly drip from my lashes, making the path blur before me.

  I can smell something akin to candle wax, which is strange. And as much as I want to stop, to take a breath because my stomach aches and my chest is tight with exertion, I don’t. My feet hit the edge of the forest, and suddenly, I’m ripped backward, my feet flying into the air as strong, thick arms wrap around my waist and haul me back into the gloom of the trees.

  “No!” My scream is silenced by a heavy hand covering my mouth, and the more I fight, the tighter the arms hold on to me. My muffled shouts dissipate into the dense trees behind me as I’m dragged through the murkiness.

  “If you keep fighting, little red, you’ll make my cock hard. I like it when little girls squirm,” a deep voice barrels through me, sending ice through my veins, and I still all movement. The man carries me as if I’m weightless, and soon I see a clearing up ahead.

  It’s not the same voice from earlier, and I wonder who’s caught me. The nickname little red is what Mr. Shaw called me the night we met at my parent’s house, but I know it can’t be him. He’s not anywhere near Crimson Falls.

  The house I saw in the distance becomes clearer, and my captor allows me to my feet, but his hold on me stays strong as his arm snakes around my waist, and when I finally get a glimpse of his face, a gasp tumbles from my mouth.

  “What are you doing here?” The shock is clear in my tone, but Mr. Shaw just offers me a sly grin that has dread sluicing through my veins.

  “I’m here to keep you safe from the predators out there,” he informs me, gesturing with his head toward the forest we just exited. And that’s when I take in the house before me. Thr
ee floors of pure opulence similar to Gran’s mansion, but this one is even bigger, with old brick that looks like it’s from a scary movie, rather than modern-day real life.

  The windows are lit up, just like I saw from the woods. “Why am I here?”

  “Because it’s not safe for you to be out there,” Mr. Shaw tells me as he leads me into the house via the kitchen door. A similar layout to Gran’s with all modern appliances, along with a shiny gas stove that looks like it’s never been used.

  A table is sprawled along the window, overlooking the garden, and when I glance out toward the property line, I see the dark shadow of my hunter standing there, watching.

  “There…” I point, but by the time Shaw looks out, it’s gone. “He was right there.” My gaze snaps to his, and I see something flickering in those depths of green. “How did you—”

  “Don’t ask questions you don’t want the answers to,” he warns before turning on his heel. I watch him move to the fridge before he pulls open the heavy metal door and asks, “Do you want something to drink?”

  “I—I… No, I mean, I need to get home.”

  “You’ll stay here tonight.” His tone is no-nonsense as he grabs a bottle of wine and finds a corkscrew in one of the drawers. When he sets two glasses on the breakfast bar, he meets my inquisitive gaze. “I don’t want you out there while he’s looking for you.”

  “How do you know he’s looking for me?” My curiosity has piqued, and I wonder if Mr. Shaw will offer me the answers I need. I doubt it from the look on his face. He opens the bottle with a pop and pours two generous glasses of white wine before handing me one and taking the other for himself.

  “I know things that will cause you to be sick, little red,” he tells me. “Now, drink up, and I’ll show you to the guest room.” My stare is locked on his movements, how he brings the glass to his lips and sips the alcohol. Once again, I’m stunned by just how handsome he is. For someone who was racing through the forest moments ago, he doesn’t seem at all perturbed. He hasn’t shaved, and like I imagined when we first met, there’s a dark dusting of stubble lining his perfectly angular jaw.

  “Fine, if you won’t tell me how you know, at least tell me your name.” I set my glass down, meeting his stare.

  His mouth crooks into a wolfish grin as he regards me. “Lycan Shaw,” he says, holding out his free hand to mine. “It’s lovely to meet you again, Scarlett Bardot.”

  My gaze falls to his strong hand, and I finally accept it after being at war between wanting to touch him and wanting to run in the opposite direction. We shake, and his thumb circles my skin, sending goose bumps dancing across every inch of me.

  “Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you too, Lycan.” His name tastes like sin on my tongue and poison on my lips. “Why am I here?” I want answers, even though he seems adamant about not giving them to me. But he has to offer an inkling at least.

  “Everything will be answered when you get to your room, Scarlett,” he informs me before setting his empty glass down and turning for the door. “Follow me.”

  My mouth gapes then shuts quickly as my feet move behind him, leaving my untouched wine on the counter. “What do you mean, my room?”

  He doesn’t respond. His steps are long strides, showing off his tall frame and how his slacks and shirt fit him perfectly. There’s no doubt this man is breathtakingly gorgeous, but my fight-or-flight instinct has taken over, and I glance at the front door as we pass it.

  But Lycan anticipates my thoughts and says, “You can try to run, but there are only two evils you have to deal with, the hunter outside or me.” He takes the stairs slowly, waiting for me to make my decision. “But make no mistake, little red,” he says, stopping to glance at me from over his shoulder. “I will find you. No matter where you go. The big bad wolf always finds the girl.”

  The threat is clear. I can’t escape, not now. I’m not sure which is worse, being murdered by some crazy person in the forest, or being imprisoned for the evening in a beautiful home with a wolf who seems as lethal as he is beautiful.

  When we reach a door on the second floor of the house, Lycan pushes it open and steps aside to allow me to enter the room. It’s furnished with a dark wood four-poster bed, an elegantly carved vanity, and two enormous doors that I’m guessing lead to a bathroom and closet.

  Spinning on my heel, I take in Lycan as he leans against the doorframe. His shoulders relaxed, arms folded, as he focuses on me. Those deep, luminous, green depths expose my fear as he stares at me from top to bottom and up again.

  I ask once more, “Why am I here?”

  10

  Lycan

  Her gaze is burning as she regards me, perusing every inch of me. Those full lips purse into a pout, frustrated at not knowing what’s happening. It’s evident that she’s angry, and I smile.

  “What the fuck is going on?” Her arms cross over her chest, causing her tits to perk up as she storms toward me. I expect her to touch me, punch me, or slap me, but she doesn’t. And I find that I want her to put her hands on me.

  She’s close—inches from where I’m leaning against the doorframe to her bedroom. The scent of her perfume invades my nostrils, and it takes over my senses as she pins her glare on mine. Her lips purse as her nose scrunches.

  “If you don’t tell me—”

  Tipping my head to the side, I narrow my gaze on hers. “What? You’ll what?” The challenge in my tone is clear. I quirk my lips at the corner, a smile ready to dance along my mouth as I focus on her.

  “I don’t know,” she backs down. “I just need to know why I’m here, what you want with me, and who that man was chasing me. You clearly know him since you were there to save me.”

  “That’s a lot of information for a little girl to take in. Isn’t it?” My brow lifts at her in question, and the blaze of her stare sizzles as she narrows her eyes.

  “I’m not a little girl. I’m a woman. And I need to know what’s going on. Or I’ll walk home.” In her attempt to walk past me, my hand shoots out, gripping her wrist, tugging it closer to me. “Let me go, Lycan.”

  I want nothing more than to pin her down and spank her ass until she’s begging for mercy, I will not show. Keeping my voice calm, I command, “You’ll stay here, Scarlett.”

  “No. I don’t want to.” She sounds like a petulant teenager, but I can’t deny her voice is like an aphrodisiac to me.

  Chuckling, I push off the doorframe and grip both her shoulders, lifting her off her feet. I walk toward the bed dumping her on the mattress, causing her to bounce on the softness of the bed. “Stay.” When I turn, I expect her next move as she tries to make her escape, but I’m fast, much faster than her.

  My arms wrap around her, bringing her back to the bed and pushing her onto her back. Her legs and arms attempt to attack me, but she’s not strong enough, and seconds later, I have her wrists bound to the wooden poles of the headboard and her ankles tied to the foot end.

  “What the fuck are you doing?” Her rage bounces off the walls. The poison she shoots at me from her gaze should hurt, but I closed myself off to emotions a long time ago. There are instances in my life I allow myself to feel, and that’s when I’m dominating a woman in a scene.

  Other than that, I’m cold, heartless, and unfeeling.

  “Let me go!”

  “Your screaming won’t earn you your freedom,” I tell her, keeping my tone calm, neutral, which only has her tugging at the restraints that will never let her loose. I’ve bound her too tight, and the sight of her lying there, ready for me, has an effect I knew to expect.

  Her vulnerability in this moment has my cock throbbing against my zipper.

  I’d love nothing more than to strip her bare and feast on her, but I have things to do. I have a brother to kill.

  “Please,” she pleads, her voice turning soft, but the heat in her eyes still dances with a threat of death if she were to wield a weapon. Thankfully, it doesn’t faze me. If I were stupid, if I were years younger, I would’ve w
ilted for her, but I’m no longer weak.

  “You’ll stay. Once I’m done with my business, I’ll return for you.” I make my way to the door. Twisting the handle, I tug it open and step out into the hallway to her screams. Once I shut her inside, her voice gets muffled by the thick wood.

  Leaning my head against the cool surface, I close my eyes and listen to her for a while longer before I lock her in and head down to my study. I promised Kahn he would be able to go to the church to seek out the priest who may have news about his sister, but I need him and his team here.

  My brother has gone rogue, and I’m done playing games. Picking up my cell phone, I hit dial on Kahn’s number. Four rings and he finally answers—out of breath and gravelly.

  “Are you busy fucking?” I ask my tone taking on a gruff rumble.

  Kahn chuckles. “No, Mr. Shaw, I was working out. Late night in the gym,” he tells me. “What can I do for you?”

  “Are you leaving for the convent soon? Or are you still in New York?” I settle back in the expensive leather chair and close my eyes. My head is pounding from today’s shitshow, and even with Scarlett upstairs, safe, I’m not at ease. If Darius is so adamant about stealing her, he could walk in here at any moment. Not that I won’t see him approach, but the thought of a fight tonight doesn’t bode well for the state I’m in.

  “I’m still around. Did you need me?”

  “I’ll make sure the jet is ready when you get to the airstrip. I need you in Crimson Falls before sunrise,” I inform him. “Bring the team. I have a feeling this could be a tough job.”

  “What’s happening?” Usually, I wouldn’t tell the men until they were all in the room with me, but this is a special case. I’ve never asked them to do something so personal before. Killing my brother is not something I planned to do for a while yet, but when someone threatens my life, livelihood, and possessions, I fight back.