Victor's Vow, page 3
Charlene Rivers stood under the gentle spray of water coming from
the shower head in the main floor bathroom, the only working bathroom
in the house. She’d hoped the hot water would help her relax in mind and
body as much as possible, but there was no relaxing, not with Vinny
showing up in the diner today.
Just the thought of him had her temper rising right along with the
temperature in her body. She didn’t like how he made her feel. Didn’t
like the way he looked at her or how his look made her want to fall to the
floor at his feet. What the hell? How come there was only one man in
town who had this effect on her, and it had to be Vinny? Why couldn’t
he be like a normal guy and forget all about the girl after she had sex
with him?
“Oh, shut up,” she told herself as she turned the water off.
Grabbing her towel, she dried off quickly, and then slipped into her
white cotton robe. When she opened the door and walked out into the
living room, she gave a startled scream. Levi!
“I thought I made it very clear to you to stop breaking into my
place,” she snapped at him, double checking to make sure her robe was
closed and he couldn’t see anything.
“What’s Vinny doing back?”
“How the hell should I know? Leave, get out of here.”
Levi sat in the only chair she had. The rest of the furniture she had
to get rid of once she moved back. All of it had been infested with bugs.
Instead of getting up and leaving, he pulled at the sides of his suit jacket
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and brought one leg up, crossing it over the other. Clearly he wasn’t
going to leave.
Levi and Vinny happened to be the same age, but he didn’t have
what Vinny had—a bit of class. Levi thought the world owed him
something, and that had to do with the way his parents had brought him
up. His father took what he wanted and didn’t give a damn about
anything else. His mother always sat back and went along with it. Once
she’d produced a son for Levi’s father, she was no longer needed, so she
hadn’t been there for his upbringing. A string of nannies Charlene was
sure his father had screwed around with, did instead.
Charlene had watched so many girls come and go in the years she’d
known Levi, it shocked her that he wanted anything to do with her. She
didn’t have money, didn’t walk in the same social class as his family,
and wasn’t nearly as pretty as some of the girls she’d seen hanging on his
arm. Why the hell did he still come around pestering her?
With a heavy sigh, Charlene asked, “What do you want, Levi?”
“You know what I want,” he answered.
“I’ve told you time and time again—don’t have it—gave it up.”
He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “I don’t believe you. I know
everyone you dated, Charlene, and no one has gotten between those legs.
Trust me. I know.”
“Yes, I know you’ve been watching me, but trust me when I tell you
I’m not a virgin.”
“All you have to do is prove it, and I’ll stop all of this.”
“No way in hell am I going to sleep with you, so you might as well
trash that idea fast.”
“Then we keep playing this game.”
“This is the real reason why you ever showed any kind of interest in
me? Damn, I should’ve known.” She crossed her arms over her chest and
glared at him. “Levi, it’s gone. Someone else took it, and as far as you
ever getting a chance at me, hell would have to freeze over first.”
“Yet I find I don’t believe you.” He stood up, straightened his jacket
and strolled to the front door. “I will tell you, however, that my patience
is starting to wear thin.”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“You’re a smart girl. I’m sure you can figure it out.” He opened the
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Vinny’s Vow
door and strolled out as if he owned the place.
Letting out a deep breath of pure frustration, Charlene turned and
headed to the back part of the house where an office used to be at one
time. After cleaning it out, finding no drafts or damaged ceilings, and the
floor still solid, she turned it into a small bedroom. Discarding her robe
on the mattress, which was on the floor and served as her bed, she dug
into the dresser for some clothes. She’d just finished putting on a baggy
T-shirt when someone banged on her door.
“Not again,” she groaned. Taking a deep breath, she stormed to the
door, yanking it open. “Levi, this conver—what are you doing here?”
Vinny stood at her door. “Came to see you.” He brushed past her to
get inside.
“Sure, come on in,” she snapped, slamming the door closed.
Not moving from the spot, she watched him. Time had done
wonders for him, instead of making him look worse. In the four years
since she’d last seen him, his body had changed so much from what she
remembered. His chest had filled out, and his boyish face was gone.
Standing in her home was a man, and it gave her the chills to think about
what he could do to her now.
Vinny strolled around the room, taking a really good look at
everything. He even stuck his head into the tiny bathroom, coming back
out with a shake of his head, moving to the back room she’d converted.
He touched her things that were hanging from the nails she’d hammered
into the wall as he walked around and even gave her bed—a simple
mattress on the floor, no bedframe—a kick.
“What do you think you’re doing?” she finally asked, unable to help
herself.
“Seeing what kind of conditions you’re living in,” he answered, not
looking at her. “Does Dozer know you’re living here with the house in
this kind of shape?”
“What do you care? It’s none of his business.”
Her words brought him to a stop, to stare at her. Oh, his eyes alone
almost buckled her knees. So intense, so dark and nothing like Levi’s. Of
course, the two of them were like night and day anyway. Levi liked to
use force on people, whether it be with his fists or with his money. There
seemed to be something a bit darker with Vinny. She had a strange
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feeling he could use his sex as a serious weapon if he wanted to, and
what kind of willpower would a woman have against him?
“I think it’s his business, and you know Mandy has been worried
about you. I can see why now,” he said. “I wouldn’t let a dog live here.
The house needs a ton of work.”
“It’s not as bad as what you’re making it out to be.”
“Really? The bed is on the floor.”
“So?”
He bent over and picked up one of her blankets. “I doubt Dozer
would want his sister sleeping on the damn floor. Hell, for that matter I
don’t like you sleeping on the damn floor.”
She narrowed her eyes. “How I live my life has nothing to do with
you, Vincent, so keep your damn nose out of it. Now it’s time for you to
leave. I’ve got an early shift tomorrow, and I need to get some sleep.”
“Did you get my letters?” he asked, coming away from the bedroom.
“What?”
“My letters, did you get them?” The look in his eye just challenged
her to say no, so she told the truth.
“Yes, why?”
“Did you read them?”
“Not all of them.”
“Why not?”
He got so close to her she had to move away from him. To let Vinny
get too close would mean letting herself get lost in him. It was that
simple. “I got busy trying to make a living,” she said. “Why do you want
to know if I’ve read your damn letters?”
“I apologized to you.”
“Yeah, that part I got. You need to forget about it. I already have.”
One of his eyebrows went up, and her mouth went dry.
“I didn’t,” he stated. “Read the last letter, Charlie. I think you need
some kind of heads up.”
“For what?”
He moved with such ease he took her breath away. How the hell
could he move so quickly when his damn jeans were so tight on his
body? Shit, she could just about make out the whole shape of his dick.
“Read the letter and I’ll see you in the morning.”
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Vinny’s Vow
He turned and went out the same way, leaving Charlene in the center
of the room, frowning at the closed door. What the hell had just
happened? It took her a few minutes before she was able to think about
where she’d put all of his letters. Sitting on the bed, she opened the very
last one she’d received, but hadn’t been able to bring herself to read.
Charlie,
This will be my last letter to you. I know you’re still
pissed at me, and I don’t blame you one bit. I think I’d be
pissed as well if my first time started and pretty much
ended with one small thrust and then that’s it. In my
defense, I’ll point out that you did stop me before I really
got started. That’s okay. The past is the past. I can accept
that, and I suggest you do the same thing. It’s the future I
want to open your eyes to.
I’m coming home.
Yes, you read that right. I’m coming home, Charlie,
and I’m coming home for you. I’m not going to waste my
time with sweet words. I’m not that kind of man, and
you’re not that kind of woman. We both know what got
started in that men’s room is just the beginning of
everything. I’ve not stopped thinking about it and
wondering how to fix it. Well, now I know how to show
you how sweet we can be together. This isn’t a plea for
your forgiveness, so don’t mistake my words and don’t
think you can run away or shut me out. The wrong will be
righted.
I’m writing this letter just to give you a heads up. If
by chance you don’t read it, then that will be your
mistake, and if you read after I’m back, then at least
you’ll have some kind of warning, because, baby, you are
mine. I’ve given us both four years to prepare for this,
and if you read the other letters, you should have some
clue that this is going to happen.
I want you, Charlene Rivers. Plain and simple, and
nothing is going to get in my way this time.
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Jaden Sinclair
Vinny
“Oh, shit.” Charlene gulped, fisting the letter in her hand.
Now what? She knew without a doubt why he came home, and that
meant she was only going to have trouble. Bad enough Levi wouldn’t
leave her alone, but to mix Vinny into the mess—that pretty much meant
she was screwed.
She thought about calling Amanda and asking her for help, but had
second thoughts real quick. Something told her Amanda would be on her
brother’s side. Charlene knew, however, that she wasn’t much of a match
against Vinny. Levi, sure. He thought with his dick only, making her job
of keeping him at distance easy. Vinny on the other hand, oh boy.
Shaking her head and trying to lose the bad feeling she had,
Charlene put the letter back with the rest and crawled into her bed to try
to get some sleep. She had to be at the diner early for the breakfast rush.
When she closed her eyes, her mind refused to shut down,
remembering what she’d worked so hard to forget. She could see him
coming toward her, feel his breath, feel the heat of his body, and the
hotness of his hands on her legs, moving up under her skirt. Under the
covers, she shivered and turned over, trying to force herself to stop
thinking about him. It didn’t work. Her clit throbbed with the memories.
She could almost feel him moving her panties to the side and then the
heat of his flesh pressing against her own. Oh God, the memories had her
whole body coming alive.
“Stop it!” she yelled at herself, sitting up in the bed. “It’s not going
to happen. I’m not going back there with him. I’m not!” Dropping back
down to the bed, hands over her eyes, she took several deep breaths. “It’s
not going to happen again. I swear it isn’t.” She groaned, feeling
defeated.
Sleep didn’t come easy that night. When she did finally get a little
bit just before dawn, it ended up making her late for work. Tired and
late, great combination especially when the morning rush was
overwhelming, kicking her in the ass. The usual came in, ordered the
same thing, and time flew by for the most part.
Close to being finished with her one and only shift for the rest of the
week, one more person walked in the door. The other waitress was
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Vinny’s Vow
already on break, leaving Charlene to deal with a late comer. If luck
stayed on her side, she might get the tip. She didn’t even look as she
headed over to the table, and she should’ve paid more attention.
“Morning.” Vinny smiled up at her.
“Again?” She sighed.
“Mandy doesn’t have food in the house yet, and I’m hungry.”
“There’s another place in town you can eat, you know?”
“Yes, but then I wouldn’t get to see your sweet face and sexy body.”
“Not now, Vincent.” She let out a long breath. “I’m tired, my feet
hurt, and you’re irritating me. So what do you want?”
“How long before you get off for the day?”
Instead of answering him, she wrote his order down for him, a large
breakfast and left him. When she came back it was to put some coffee in
front of him and walk away again. She didn’t want to stand there any
longer than she had to. The warning she got about him coming after her
was loud and clear, which meant she needed to stay far, far away.
When his food was ready, she took the plate and gave it to him, still
keeping her mouth shut. Last thing she had to do was place his check
down, and she was done for the day. However, it seemed Vinny had
something up his sleeve.
“We need to talk about the state your house is in,” he said the instant
the check landed on his table.
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me.” He didn’t look up at her at first, but cut into the
eggs on his plate. “I don’t like where you’re living any more than Mandy
does. I don’t think it’s safe for you out there, either. Anyone could break
in. Does Levi just walk in when he wants?”
“You know, none of this shit is any of your damn business, Vinny,
and you need to get that through your thick head. I don’t belong to you
or Levy, who also has the idea that I belong to him.”
He stilled, slowly looked up at her and leaned back in the booth.
“This is a battle you’re not going to win, Charlie.”
“Good-bye, Vincent.” Turning away she left him and headed to
clock out so she could leave for the day.
She changed her clothes in the back bathroom and left her uniform
on a hook in the room. One of Stan’s strange rules were the uniforms
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didn’t leave the diner. Without a backward glance she left, hoping she
might end up having a better day now that she was off, but it seemed that
wasn’t in the cards. Vinny was waiting for her in the back alley, leaning
against his truck with his arms crossed over his chest, and her car
wouldn’t start.
“I thought you were having breakfast,” she said.
“I was, but I remembered I’ve got milk in the back. Get in.” He
nodded toward his truck, then pushed off and opened the driver’s door.
“Don’t make me ask again, Charlie.”
With a small sigh of defeat, her shoulders slumped, and she went to
the truck to get in on the other side. Once inside she made damn sure she
stayed as far away from him as she could. He started it up, put it in gear,
and slowly pulled away from the back of the diner without a word or
glance at her. It took a few moments before she realized he wasn’t taking
her home but out toward Amanda’s place.
“You look beat down, Charlie,” Vinny finally said.
“It happens when you struggle for shit,” she mumbled back.
“Or when someone is beating you down. What did Levi want last
night?”
She stilled for a moment before turning in the seat, mouth open.
“You were spying on me?” she accused.
“No, just waited for him to leave before I knocked on the door. How
