Page 6 of Forbidden Vow

Her refusal had nothing to do with the NDA and everything to do with the man demanding she bow to his dictates. His normally translucent blue eyes clouded with emotion, but when she spoke, her voice rang with crystal clarity.

"Then why are you here?" Darius growled.

“Because Lexington requested my presence. And, unlike you, I’d do anything for him.”

The raw anguish in his eyes clenched around her heart and squeezed. She never meant for him to suffer, but neither could she soften towards him. Raven needed to finish with the lawyer, check out of the Tower suite, and be on the next plane back to Sacramento.

"You crawled out from under your rock because of...my dad? How very noble of you, considering you destroyed this family.”

She squared her shoulders. “You and your accusations did that,” she hissed. "And as for the rock…Lexington arranged for my relocation."

Darius fell silent, and she knew the revelation that his father could have contacted her at any time had caught him by surprise. Lexington took care of her expenses until she secured another nursing assignment. Yeah, that was her secret. She wasn't an executive-level whore-for-hire. Four years of nursing school, ten years on an adult oncology-cancer unit had led her to accepting the position as Lexington Kent's private duty nurse. The non-disclosure of his condition had been an ironclad contract to her employment…and the torch to her relationship with Darius.

“You must have done that thing with your tongue,” he smirked. “Warped the old man’s mind.”

She narrowed her eyes, remembering all the absolutely obscene things she’d done with her enemy lover. “You’re an asshole, Darius.”

A satisfied smirk covered his arrogant face. “Sticks and stones, babe.”

If she had either, she’d gladly club him over the head.

"He deserved better than his own son’s rejection.” Darius flinched as if her words had penetrated, leaving behind a deadly venom.

He recovered quickly, landing a strike of his own. “And you served him better?”

A churlish peel of laughter sounded.

"The only thing I regret is crawling into your bed. It was the biggest mistake of my life. How many times did I call you, send emails, texts, begging you to come see him? I hate you for abandoning him.”

He stumbled back like she'd kneed his nuts. “You loved him more than me.”

Wasn't that the way it had always been between them? Nothing about Darius was soft and subtle. The man crashed into her life and he'd ruined her for another man. But then, he'd shattered her heart into a million jagged shards with his accusations.

"Lexington Kent was a great man," she swallowed. “I took care of him,” her voice trembled. “I loved him." Spine straight, she stared down Darius’s menacing glare. Her words were sincere and heartfelt, giving her strength. Lexington had become her family.

“Whatever. What I need—”

“You don’t need me, remember?”

“Need I remind you that you worked for my family? I could haul your ass into court. When my legal team is done with you, you’ll beg me for mercy.”

“I’m done begging you.” Shameful to admit it now, but, at first, she rang his cell daily, pleading with him to come home, not for her, but for Lexington.

She pointed a finger in his face, dead center. “Are you accusing me of something…again? You know, my father used to accuse my mother constantly. One day, he claimed she was too clingy. The next…she was having an affair. Things would simmer down for a while, but he’d always start up again…maligning her. Calling her awful, hurtful names, not caring that I could hear their conversation.”

“What does this have to do with me or the tea at Five Bucks?”

Everything. It was the reason she worked two jobs to fund her nursing education. The fuel that gave her strength to stay away from Darius. Unlike her mother, she wanted to be financially independent. No man would direct her life or her decisions. Even for love.

“You never saw me, Darius.” So stereotypical, she knew, but she and Darius were like one of those Lifetime movies where the loyal family housekeeper who considers her lifelong employers family gets arrested and prosecuted the instant grandma’s diamond brooch goes missing. The entire audience knows the true culprit was the arrogant, derelict son with the gambling problem. “You still don’t.”

“I fucking loved you.”

“Yet you choose to think the worst of me.” Yeah, she witnessed that kind of love between her parents for thirty-three years.

“Fine, you want to persist with this lie.” He got in her face, looming over her. “I saw you…leaving his suite.” He wasn’t even looking at her, but he kept talking. “All those nights, you should’ve been with me, in my bed. Regulating me to the weekends. Me, Darius Kent, waiting by the phone for his woman to call.”

The offense at him not being in control was obvious in his tone.