Cunning Vows: Enemies to Lovers Dark Romance (Lethal Vows Book 3)

If the fucker won’t answer his phone, then I’ll go to him. When I walk into the restaurant, the hostess tries to stop me but is quick to trip over her own feet as she realizes who I am and evidently sees the expression on my face. I am not fucking around today. Vance and Clay flank me, half the restaurant watching on as I ascend the stairs.

“Excuse me, you can’t be up there,” she says from behind me. Unless she plans to put her hands on me, I don’t see how she’ll be able to stop me.

I spot River right away, in the same way his gaze gravitates to me. Next to him is his accountant, Patrick, plus the very charming Amanza. Great, another reason to fucking hate this place.

The few men he has sitting at his table make no attempt to stop me as I approach, and I feel everyone’s eyes on me. I stand at the opposite end of the table from where River is sitting.

There are a few new faces here, and one of them daringly smiles as he says, “Why don’t you come and sit on my lap, princess?”

I arch an eyebrow and raise my finger to River before he says anything. “Princess?” I say, throwing my head back and laughing before I look back at River.

“Should I go and sit on your man’s lap since he asked so nicely?” I ask. “Considering you can’t even answer my calls or fill my pussy with your cock, maybe your man here is a better option.”

Amanza chokes on her drink, and the guy who called me princess has turned a shade of green, now realizing that I’m not a woman to be trifled with.

River is staring at me, those hypnotizing eyes locked on mine. And they say so much and so little at the same time.

“C’mon, River, I can be a princess, can’t I?” I coo and lean down so my cleavage is on full display for him. Not once does his gaze wander from mine.

“I wonder if he’ll call me a princess when I walk over there and bite his fucking lips off,” I whisper across the table. His jaw tics, and I stand at my full height again. I need his bite. Something to attack and make me feel better.

“Your mouth goes anywhere near another man, I will cut off their dick and feed it to you for breakfast,” he growls, and everyone shrinks into their chairs. There he is.

“Then why don’t you keep your promise?” I question, dragging my hand over each one of his men’s heads as I stride alongside the table until I come to a stop at River and loom over him.

“You seem to be in a mood today,” he says casually.

I cock an insincere smile. This man has done nothing but patronize me for the past few months, and now he’s giving me the cold shoulder. Why? Because I shot a few bullets at his car? Boo-fucking-hoo. Buy a new one.

“You have no idea. We need to talk,” I say.

He grabs me and tugs me onto his lap, his hand wrapping around my throat. “You need to stay for dessert first.”

“So many promises with such little follow through,” I spit. But my core floods from his scent and touch. All my wrath and fury begin to slip, but I cling to them desperately because they’re the only things I feel safe in. And River brings up unknown feelings and desires.

River addresses the table. “I shouldn’t have to repeat myself, but if anyone is to go near this woman, I’ll feed you to my dogs,” he growls out.

I lean in to whisper in his ear, “It’s a bit of a lame threat, considering you don’t even have dogs.”

“I do have dogs, actually. They arrived last week,” he says. “And I don’t need to hear lame threats coming from you, someone who just promised to bite someone’s lips off.”

“Wait, so you do have dogs?” I ask.

“Are you joking?” he asks me. “Are you really fucking joking right now? That’s what gets you to smile? My fucking dogs?”

I school my features. I had no idea I was even smiling at him. This is bad, yet I find myself saying, “Yes, I love dogs.”

Fuck, what is this man doing to me?

I remove his hand from around my throat, missing the touch, but I need to claim my power again. I came in here planning to wreak havoc, yet I’m sitting on his lap like some kind of fucking good girl. Yet there’s something comfortable in it that I don’t understand.

“We need to talk,” I tell him again.

“You can wait until we’ve had dessert.”

Fine, if he won’t do as I say, then I’ll give him no other choice but to excuse himself.

I pin Amanza with a stare. “Hi, Amanza, have you fucked River lately?”

She chokes on her drink again and stares at me wide-eyed.

“You can answer truthfully,” I say to her. “I promise I won’t go crazy.” I make a cross sign over my heart at the words. She just eyes me like I’m crazy.

Okay, maybe I am a little crazy.

“No secrets among this table, right? Because people get killed for that, don’t they?” I say pointedly to River.

“Anya, I know what you’re doing,” River says.

“I’m just asking a question, girl to girl. Have you two fucked yet?”

“No. No, we have not.” She shakes her head. “You’re a bit of a bitch, aren’t you?”

I laugh, surprised that this little mouse actually has a backbone. “I’ve been called worse. Just so you know, you can have him. He’s been giving me nothing but limp dick vibes.”

River’s hand goes to my pussy and he grabs me there, hard. “Do you really think of yourself as a clever girl for saying these things in front of my men?”

My body rolls into his touch, grateful for the thin fabric I wore today. I realize, despite how angry I am at him, I have to fuck River Bently. I need him out of my system so I can put a bullet through his brains for the havoc he’s causing me.

“Do you think you can just give me away?” he says into my ear, and the others at the table avert their gazes.

“Well, since you aren’t fucking me, I guessed you were getting it elsewhere.”

“Oh, we’re going to fuck, Red. You still have a debt that’s owed,” he growls.

“Maybe Amanza wants to watch?” I purr and turn to Amanza. “Do you want to watch? I mean, he’s told me he would fuck me before and left me high and dry, so you may end up disappointed like I was.” I smirk.

“That’s it.” He stands, and as he does, he picks me up and places me on my feet, keeping hold of my waist.

“Michael, you can finish up here. Seems someone needs a cock in her fucking mouth to learn to keep our business private.”

I drop the good girl charade and pull out of his grasp. “Finally, we can get to business. I need to speak with you.”

The hostess avoids my gaze as we walk out the front door.

“Get in the car,” he growls. “And it’s not a suggestion. And no, your men aren’t going to be following us,” he says as he opens the passenger door. I signal to my men to stay back.

I can handle River Bently, even if this goes bad.

I slide into the car and wait for him to get in on the other side.

“We’re getting this fucking blackmail shit out of the way, and then we need to discuss my brother—”

He angles my head toward him and slams his lips against mine. Hard, impatient, and unrelenting. His tongue slides easily through my parted lips, and I melt into him. One week was too long. No, I shouldn’t be craving this part of him. This isn’t what I came for. Yet my body acts on its own, pulling him in closer by the collar.

Am I actually crazy?

Have I really fallen?

No. It’s not possible.

Who had I ever kissed before River Bently?

I don’t even remember.

But his kiss makes up for all the ones I don’t recall.

Just as I go to slide my hands through his hair, he pulls back, that gaze telling me more than I can understand in words.

River Bently is a dangerous man because he doesn’t just want my business.

He wants me.

I can’t betray my family for him, can I?

“You took too long to return, Red.”

“I don’t chase,” I say as I lean back, trying to sort through my thoughts.

“Last time I saw you, you were shooting holes into my car. So that gives room for a little bit of groveling.”

I bark a laugh. “Me? Grovel? River, are you going to fuck me tonight or not?”

“I thought you once said you do the fucking,” he says with an arrogant smile. “We’ll talk business after.”

“And then that’s it. We’re done after that, right?”

He laughs. “Oh, Anya, we’ve only just begun.”