Vow of Honor (Vow Series Book 3)

by Emma Renshaw

  Hudson looks shell-shocked. “Shit. That’s what he’s been running from all these years? I always knew he was running from something. Didn’t think it would be this.”

  I nod.

  “Why didn’t he tell me?”

  I shrug. “To protect you. To keep the seal on his old life as tight as possible.”

  “Hudson, Liam,” Kiernan says, transforming from the goofy guy I’ve come to know to a man who will take no arguments. “You stay with the girls. Here. Roman and I will do some digging and get James’s stubborn ass back here.”

  “Go to the living room, sweetheart,” Roman says softly.

  “But—”

  “No, I’m guessing since those girls like you so much, you’re probably a lot like them. If you’re in here and know even a fraction of what we plan, you’d try to come along. And, that’s not fucking happening.”

  “Jamesy boy wouldn’t like that,” Kiernan says.

  “Don’t tell Savannah and Harper what’s going on,” Liam requests.

  I nod, staring at each of these men, knowing there’s no arguing or pleading for them to let me come. As long as they help James and bring him back in one piece, I’ll try to do whatever they ask. My heart is begging for me to go chasing James, though.

  Chapter 45

  James

  I park behind the gym, going in through my secret entrance—the door I had installed for this very reason. They found me. After all these years of living out of their reach, they found me. One slip up and mistake, a moment of weakness allowed this to happen. I got so caught up in Tatum and those damn blue eyes that I forgot to follow through on something so simple. A picture in a country club newsletter.

  I don’t believe in fate, but if it exists, it’s a real fucking bitch. Years ago I chose Austin to escape to, to live a new life. Years and years of thinking the restaurant explosion was an accident, but it was someone from Austin.

  Someone who ran in the same circles as the girl that ripped the heart from my chest, claiming it as hers. Tatum arrived in my life so quickly, I didn’t stand a chance against her.

  Tatum’s broken sob plays over and over in my mind. I lied to her, but I’ll never be able to tell her the truth. I love her. I love her with every broken and battered piece of me. She’s the temptation I couldn’t ignore or resist.

  She felt like a reward for my years of silence. A reward for the life I lived. She felt like an angel sent to me, but instead, I think the devil sent her, tempting me with the most beautiful girl and the brightest light.

  Someone who has only lived in darkness can’t resist a light like hers. I’d give anything to spend my life making her light shine even brighter while selfishly basking in her sunshine. She knocked me on my ass with her attitude and made herself the center of my universe. Now I have to walk away from that, from her.

  I have to willingly walk back into the darkness.

  Her terrified and forlorn face will greet me every time I close my eyes. I did that. I made that look cross her face; I caused that pain. My chest tightens from the agony of knowing I hurt her by walking away. Every mile I drove away from her caused more and more pain. I could hardly breathe by the time I made it here. I wanted to turn around, gather her in my arms, and take off running. A life of looking over your shoulder, a life of uncertain death, and a life without her family isn’t fair. I know she would’ve gotten in my passenger seat if I asked.

  I couldn’t do that to her.

  My trunk is filled with cash, guns, laptops, and enough clothes to get by on. I have more cash and guns at the gym. I’m not willing to leave them here when I know I won’t be back.

  I walk out of my office to stand in the middle of the gym. With my hands tucked in my pockets, I look around. One phone call is taking everything away from me. I’m willingly giving it up to keep Tatum safe.

  If I didn’t have her, if they didn’t know about her, I wouldn’t go anywhere. If I received that phone call pre-Tatum, I’d have sat my ass on my porch waiting for them with a gun in my hand. Sure, I’ve kept everything as easy as possible to escape since I arrived in Texas, but the minute I started owning things—the gym, my car, my house—I knew I’d never run. I’d fight for them until the bitter end.

  I’m not running now. I just want to get out of this town for when the dramatic showdown happens. Showdowns with the mafia are always dramatic. Anything with the mafia is always dramatic. I want this shit to happen so far from Tatum, they can’t get to her. If I could hide her on the moon, I would. Roman will keep her safe. Kiernan will help him track the threat and know when it’s over. I’ll either be dead or moving on to another city.

  The front door of the gym flies open.

  I grab the gun from the waistband of my jeans.

  Two dark figures walk in. With all the lights off, I can’t see who they are.

  “A couple months ago, we took down a cartel king. Now we’re going to face the mafia. This will be fun, boys,” Kiernan says, striding closer to where I can see his grinning face.

  I swear, only this knucklehead would be grinning when thinking about going toe to toe with the mafia. Roman is just a couple feet behind him, silently assessing me.

  Hot fury pumps through me. “What the fuck are you doing here?”

  “Helping you,” Roman returns, rolling his eyes.

  “I needed your help keeping Tatum safe. I was fucking trusting you.”

  “She’s safe,” Kiernan assures me.

  “She’s with Harper,” Roman states. “I wouldn’t leave my pregnant fiancée without protection.”

  “We’re helping, even if you grumble the entire time,” Kiernan says, clapping me on the back. “The mafia? Sure were keeping a lot under wraps, huh?”

  I grunt, shrugging his hand off my shoulder.

  “It’s happening here,” Roman says.

  “Absolutely not,” I say through gritted teeth. “Too close.”

  “This is your turf. This is the best shot we have,” Roman declares. “Don’t do it somewhere they could surprise you. This place is the best bet.”

  Shit. He’s right.

  “Do you have that guy’s number?” Kiernan asks. “What did he say when he called? Tatum didn’t really know.”

  “No, Callan called from an unknown number. He gave me a warning, even though he’d be dead if they knew. Said he’ll see me soon and I’d be on the other end of his gun.”

  “Damn,” Kiernan says, taking his phone out of his pocket and bring it to his ear. “I’m going to find his number. Full name?”

  “Callan Fox.”

  A few minutes later, Kiernan hangs up with his and Roman’s security firm and rattles off the number as I dial. Each ring makes my heart pound harder and faster.

  “Should I call you Connor? Or James?” Callan answers.

  “Doesn’t matter. Let’s meet. I’m guessing your boss arrived safely, and you’ve been in town, probably raiding a vending machine at some motel.”

  “Fuck you,” Callan says. I have to smother my laugh when I hear the crinkle of wrappers in the background.

  “Raise the Bar gym. Come. I don’t think we finished our conversation from earlier.”

  Callan hangs up.

  “ETA?” Roman asks. He’s primed and ready for a mission.

  “Didn’t say,” I respond. “Imagine it will be soon. Armed?”

  Kiernan huffs, insulted by the question. I walk outside, grabbing a few duffle bags of money—money that I’ve counted hundreds of times. Obsessively counted. I place them in the gym—hidden from sight, but near enough to grab when that time comes. This showdown could go in so many ways, just depending on who shows up with Callan and Luca. I wasn’t important enough for any large player in the mafia to think about—until I took their money. I just hope my bargaining tool works.

  Callan doesn’t disappoint. He shows up in under an hour. Five men walk into my gym. Luca Mancini is leading them in a crisp suit, Callan flanking one side, along with the others I don’t recognize.
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  “Well, well, well. Look who it is in the flesh. You’ve grown, Connor. Or is it James?”

  “James,” I grunt. My eyes lock on my childhood best friend. Anger, betrayal, and confusion are flashing hot in his eyes. “Callan,” I greet.

  He raises an eyebrow. “You look good for a dead dude.”

  Callan looks mostly the same, only older, a little bigger. The one major difference is the darkness hanging over him like a cloud. His eyes are still eerie against his tan skin. They’re the lightest blue I’ve ever seen. He breaks our stare, his lips curling in disgust as he shakes his head.

  They span out, lining up in front of us. The man standing on Luca’s right pulls a gun from behind his back pointing it at me.

  “Mother fucker,” Kiernan grumbles, grabbing his gun from his holster pointing it right between the eyes of the man aiming his gun at me. His gun switches targets and moves to Kiernan.

  In the next second, each man in the room has a gun out. My gun is aimed at Luca. Kiernan and Roman have theirs trained on the men flanking him. Not one of us is free from the barrel of a gun. No one speaks as the heavy breaths echo in the empty gym.

  “What’ve you been up to?” Luca asks with a smile.

  “This and that,” I answer casually with a small shrug, as if we were talking over a cup of coffee.

  “Callan,” Luca says. “Get it done.”

  Callan steps closer to me with his gun raised, aiming between my eyes. The gun wavers in his hands slightly. He tightens his grip as his eyebrows pull in. I hear him release a breath as his shoulders pull back and he purses his lips.

  “Callan,” I say calmly, keeping my gun pointed toward Luca.

  “James,” Callan spits out, the gun wavering off center again. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen him, but when I knew him, he had a sure and steady shot. The gun range was where we released our anger at the world. Callan could go round and round while keeping the gun in his hands steady and aimed true.

  “I’m sorry,” I say, seeing the betrayal in his eyes. He’s wondering why I left him in that life and took off. The conversation earlier didn’t answer enough of his questions, and the last piece of information I gave him probably left him with more. He didn’t expect to hear I’ve been paying for his sister’s school. I didn’t get to apologize, either. Apologizing isn’t something I do often, but I’ve waited a long time to say those two words to my friend. “Didn’t think I had a choice at the time.”

  Callan stares at me, the gun continuing to tremble. He shakes his head slightly, closing his eyes tightly before they open and land on me. He breathes deeply through his nose.

  “Don’t do this, Callan. We can figure this out. You want out, I’ll help.”

  “You’ll be dead,” Luca says. His gun is gone, and he’s inspecting his nails like he’s bored out of his mind. He’s completely unperturbed, as usual. Since Callan and I met him and he brought us into his crazy world, he’s wanted to keep his hands clean while his thugs do all the work. He’s bored easily. His father—one of the higher-ups in the chain—is ruthless, but as long as Luca is making money and he can do as he pleases, he doesn’t give much of a shit about anything.

  Earlier, Callan said this showdown with me on a holiday is poetic justice. Along with Luca’s easy demeanor, I know he’s slightly entertained, wondering how this will go down.

  I’m about to propose a trade when the door opens. My heart stops and every ounce of oxygen leaves my lungs as I hear Tatum’s sweet voice call my name.

  Callan cuts his panicked eyes to Tatum and back to me. I step toward her, but I’m stopped by a gun to my chest and forehead. One of the goons is sweating and grinning. He’s older than the others, probably one of Luca’s father’s men. The other is younger and patiently waiting for instruction as his gun is pressed into my chest.

  “Tatum,” I say, hoping she’ll understand my plea for her to turn her ass around and get the fuck out of here. What the hell is she doing here?

  Luca’s gun is back out, pointing at Tatum. My eyes flick to Luca. There’s a spark in his eyes. Fuck. My gaze swings back to Tatum. I can’t risk looking at Roman or Kiernan, but I trust them to have a gun trained on Luca.

  “Leave,” I hiss. “Go. Go. Right now.”

  Tatum is frozen, her terrified eyes flitting from gun to gun to gun.

  “I…I….”

  “Sunshine,” I plead. “Go.”

  “Don’t leave. This is just starting to be fun. If you take one step toward that door, I will kill you and him.”

  Tatum gulps, her fearful eyes meeting mine. She knew something was happening. Why the fuck did she come? “It’s okay, Tatum. Come to me. Slowly.” I don’t let my voice show my anger.

  Our eye contact only breaks when Luca moves toward her with his gun aimed at her head, and Callan steps in front of him, blocking Tatum completely.

  Luca laughs. “Another interesting turn of events. Truly I’d like to get this done quickly, though. I’m going to need you to move, Callan.”

  “She’s innocent,” Callan says calmly. His head turns the slightest amount addressing Tatum. “Follow my steps. Stay behind me.”

  Callan starts to move closer to me, shielding Tatum the entire way. Luca glares daggers at him. “You’re lucky I hate cleaning up dead bodies. I might make an exception for you and your sister, though. Remember who is protecting her.”

  “She’s innocent,” Callan repeats angrily, swallowing thickly and cutting his eyes to me.

  What the fuck is happening? Callan is openly defying Luca.

  “I protect my sister,” Callan whispers furiously, spittle flying through his teeth.

  Luca glares at Callan, his eyes narrowing. “Luck runs out.”

  Once Tatum is close enough, Kiernan grabs her from behind Callan, shoving her behind the three of us. We gather closer together, blocking her from view. The calm man with his gun trained on me backs away while the other keeps it against my forehead, licking his teeth and smiling sinisterly.

  Callan turns his gun on me again, backing away and moving to Luca’s side. “Thank you,” I say. Callan grinds his teeth, and his eyes flash angrily.

  As we stare at each other, he’s unable to hide the emotion in his eyes. He doesn’t want to do this. Every waver of the gun and shift of his feet tells me that. He said he wanted out of this life. If Luca hadn’t held Braelyn over his head all this time, he wouldn’t be doing this. It’s exactly how I felt when I took off with the bag of money. I didn’t want to do the task I was assigned, but I also didn’t want to die.

  “This is taking too long,” the goon with his gun on me says. “If Callan won’t do it, I will.”

  “Step back,” Luca says, his gun back in its holster. “This is Callan’s job.”

  The man grumbles but moves back.

  “Let’s make a trade,” I say.

  “What kind of trade?” Luca perks up, his lips tilting slightly. He moves from bored to amused so easily. He likes to do the least amount of work while collecting the largest amount of money he can. Hopefully I can sway him.

  “Let’s end this,” the goon says as he wipes a shaking hand over his sweaty brow. I ignore him, keeping my focus on Luca. Luca doesn’t respond to him or give any orders. The goon impatiently groans. “Let me do it, boss.”

  I open my mouth to offer the deal, but I stop when a gun cocks and movement from the side catches my attention. I barely register the movement when Callan springs into action, launching himself in front of me to block me.

  The crack of the gun firing echoes throughout the gym.

  “No,” Callan roars, barely heard over the echoes of the gun, his body jerking back, slamming into me. The impatient goon fired his shot intended for me, hitting Callan in the shoulder. I steady him, helping him stay on his feet while adjusting my aim at the fucker who fired.

  Luca remains still, completely unruffled. He sighs, rolling his eyes. The thug keeps his gun trained toward me and Callan; he’s not moving a muscle.


  I hear Tatum’s shocked breaths behind me, but I can’t risk turning my head. Callan is leaning against me, and I’m propping him up. The coppery scent of his blood is filling my nostrils. Sweat starts rolling down my back. Every man in the room is sweating, the smell filling the space and mixing with Callan’s blood.

  My arm is over Callan’s chest; his heart is beating rapidly beneath my arm. His breathing is ragged, but he’s still alert and focused on the men in front of us. The men he came with. The men he just betrayed for me. His sister’s life is definitely on the line, now.

  The tension in the air fills me with adrenaline, pumping through my veins and readying me for action. I register the placement of every gun in the room. Two trained on me and one pointing toward Kiernan and Roman. They’ve remained my silent sentries at my side, but I can feel the need for action rolling off each of them. Battle and anticipation are nothing new for them.

  Luca’s gun is still in his suit; he starts picking lint off of his suit, but I see the muscle popping from his clenched jaw. The goon who shot Callan is drenched in sweat, his eyes casting from us to Luca. His hands around the gun are wobbling as his whole body leans forward and is vibrating with energy. He wants to shoot again. The other two calmly wait for instruction, their clenched jaws the only sign of tension.

  Tatum is shivering against my back, the fear seeping from her and into me. She fists the back of my shirt, her head resting between my shoulder blades. Her tears soaking through my shirt are urging me into action. I will protect her. I won’t allow any of this to touch her, Roman, Kiernan, or Callan.

  White, hot fury is filling me, each ragged breath from Callan spurring my anger. Luca’s eyes are downcast, looking at himself. I need to take control of this situation right the fuck now.

  “I have a trade,” I growl. I’ve spent years thinking about what I’m about to offer him. The fact that it’s Luca here and not someone else is the best possible chance I have.

  His greed and laziness may work for me. I’ve saved for this moment I hoped, begged, and prayed would never come.

  “What kind of trade?” Luca repeats, examining his nails.