Page 10 of Forbidden Vow

Surprised by the touch, Darius closed his fingers around Raven’s outstretched hand. He needed her reassurance, her calming strength.

“No,” he said, releasing his grip on Raven to grasp the letter.

Carefully, as if the letter were a canonical scroll from the Library of Congress, Darius unfolded each leaf of the letter.

He steeled himself, preparing for the emotion he was bound to feel.

Darius,

I’ve made so many mistakes when it came to raising you and your brothers. The twins were too young to remember the tumultuous years with your mother and me. I know you do. I thought being a good father to you was enough to make up for all my shortcomings as a husband. It was not. I’m sorry for hurting you, son. Most of all, I’m sorry that in my hubris, I never imagined my own son would view me as the enemy and a threat to his happiness.

Please forgive me, Darius. I love you and as your father, I believe I am the only man capable of expressing the depth and sincerity of my next statement.

Son, you are an asshole and have behaved as such for far too many years.

I forgive you, but I expect better in the coming years. And, I will be watching.

As for my will, my expectation is that you will honor my wishes. Everything, Darius…everything I have set in motion is for your own benefit.

P.S.- I expectyou to care for her as she has cared for me. If you think to do otherwise, regardless of my location, I will terrorize you for all eternity.

Your loving father.

Lexington William Kent

“Okay,”he muttered to himself, sliding the most sentimental correspondence his father had ever dispatched. He wondered if Gregor and Galvin had received letters? Were they assholes, too? Probably not. As far as pep talks from the old man, Darius had to smile at this final edict to pull him into lock step.

“What did he say?” Raven whispered.

His father had anticipated how he would react to Raven’s presence today.

“That he loved me.” And you, he thought. Darius gritted his teeth. Fine, his father had left Raven a few dollars in the will. He could be cool. Correction, he would be.

“Darius,” Clarence intoned, “any questions or concerns?”

“None,” he grinned, reclaiming Raven’s hand.

“You okay?” she asked.

“Never better, babe.”

“Very well. As you may know, Lexington made a series of changes to his will in the past four years," he glanced between the two of them. "Though I haven't seen you jointly in some time, I assume there will be no surprises."

At those words, Darius did a sideways glance to see Raven raise an brow.

"What kind of changes?" Darius released her hand, ignoring the flash of hurt in her gaze. He watched her with narrowed eyes. “My brothers and I are the sole heirs to my father's estate. I'll ask you, Clarence, why is Raven here?"

The old man with his glasses perched on his nose cleared his throat, unflappable even with the rising tension rolling off Raven in waves.

"Your father has stipulated that Raven Radell receive exactly one quarter of Kent Technologies."

“He did what?” Raven exclaimed, her hands flying to her mouth. “No. No. He can’t do this, can he?”

Darius bolted to his feet. “He damn sure can’t,” he reassured, slamming his fist on the desk. Raven and the elder gentleman jumped.

“He can,” Clarence promised, “and he did. Shall I read it again?”

"What the hell for?" Darius demanded. “Why would a man in his right mind give away what rightly belongs in the Kent family to her?”