Page 16 of Temporary Vows

Benny opens the door and slips out first, flashing a grin full of gold teeth.

The man follows, and I’m not sure if I should be grateful he doesn’t look back.

They leave the door open.

I wait a few minutes before reaching out and closing it.

The door clicks shut, and the silence that follows is deafening.

My legs finally give out, and I slide down the wall, hitting the floor in a crumpled mess.

My stomach twists so violently I’m surprised I don’t vomit.

I try to steady my mind but fail.

My heart won’t slow down. My hands won’t stop shaking.

My pulse thrums in my throat, in my skull, everywhere, loud enough to drown out thought.

Six days.

Six days until my life ends—or changes into something I won’t recognize.

My breath saws in and out of my chest, and I press a trembling palm to my mouth, trying not to throw up.

I’ve never felt fear like this.

The kind that claws inside your ribs and whispers that no one is coming.

No one can save you.

I clutch my chest, gasping, desperate for air that won’t fill my lungs.

I can’t even cry.

Six days from now, I either pay… or I disappear.

Chapter 5

Dorian

I’m sitting with Knox in my office.

We’ve been going over the new equity contracts for the last hour. Though I keep my focus on the documents in front of me, I’m aware of Knox’s occasional assessing stares.

I haven’t spoken to him—or any of my other brothers—since my meeting with our father the other day. I was so angry I couldn’t talk about it. The only thing I managed to do was start gathering a list of potential women who might suit the part of being my wife.

Without me asking, Levi took it upon himself to do the same, and he’s been bringing me résumés.

So far, no one has caught my interest. I don’t know if that’s because my heart’s not in it or because the women genuinely don’t interest me.

I pick up another file from the stack, and Knox frowns, snatching it out of my hands.

I glare at him with raised brows and cock my head. “What? What’s with you?”

He narrows his eyes and looks at me as if I just spoke another language. “Seriously? What’s withme? Dorian, it’s been twodays since you spoke to Dad. You’ve just been working to keep busy.”

“What’s wrong with that?”