Vow of Retribution (Vow Series Book 1) Read online

  Families start pouring in shortly after everything is set up. I’ve been helping Hudson and James throughout the night playing games with the kids, teaching them to spar, and making sure they’ve had enough food. The kids are wonderful and funny. The only place I won’t go is the table set up with cards. I don’t care if the game is goldfish, I’m not going near a deck of cards again. I’ve been watching Savannah all night. The little girls flock to her and follow her around. She’s taken time with each of them. I watched her teach some moms how to defend themselves if there’s an attacker. She is on fire tonight. Her smile is the brightest I’ve seen, I want to make her smile like this all the time. And selfishly, I want her smile to be directed at me.

  Savannah is now sitting at a table with a young boy who looks to be around ten years old. He’s scrawny, has glasses, and clothes that don’t fit him properly. I walk over to see what they’re doing. She looks up at me as I approach their table and gives me a sweet little grin, her cheeks turning slightly pink. “Hey.”

  “Hey. Who’s your friend?” I ask, pointing to the young boy. He wasn’t with the group of boys who wanted to spar earlier. When I look at him, I’m surprised to find him glaring at me.

  “What’s it to you?” he asks me with as much attitude as he can muster. He’s looking back and forth between Savannah and me with a scowl on his young face. He pushes his glasses up his nose, still glaring at me.

  “Parker! That’s not very nice. This is my friend, Liam. Liam, this is my friend, Parker.”

  I hold out my hand to him for him to shake. “Nice to meet you, Parker.” He ignores my hand and turns back to Savannah. He slides an inch closer to her and shoots me a smug smile.

  Savannah is trying to hold in her laugh at his obvious diss of me. I sit on the other side of Savannah, and Parker’s smug smile slides off his face. He’s smitten with her. I understand. She’s got me tied up in knots, too, kid. I make sure to keep enough space between Savannah and me in front of the kid.

  Savannah clears her throat, still choking back her laughter. “Parker was just telling me about a cool video game his older brother gave to him.”

  “Which game?” I ask Parker.

  “You ain’t ever heard of it, geezer.”

  Savannah throws her head back, her whole body shaking with laughter. Parker looks at her with wide eyes. I swear I see hearts in his little eyes. Again—me, too, kid. Me, too.

  “Sav,” James calls from across the room.

  “I’ll be right back, gentlemen.” She rushes over to James. I watch as he tells her something, nodding over to a group of women. Savannah nods.

  “She’s mine.”

  I look at Parker, trying to conceal my grin. He’s giving me the stink eye again. “She’s going to be my girlfriend one day. When I’m old enough. I’ll take down anyone who tries to get in my way.” He smashes his fist into his other hand. Even with the kid glaring at me, I can’t help but like his style.

  “Well, I got to be honest with you, Parker. I like her, and I want her to go out with me.”

  He looks me up and down, but doesn’t say anything.

  I ask him, “What about a girl your age?”

  “Ms. Savannah is the prettiest girl I’ve ever seen.”

  “She’s the prettiest girl I’ve ever seen, too.”

  Parker sizes me up again and pushes his glasses up his nose. He lets out a tiny scoff before his eyes leave me and land on Savannah. “We’ll see which man comes out on top.” He gets up and walks away.

  A woman comes up to him, I’m assuming it’s his mother. He nods and runs off toward Savannah. He hugs her around the waist, his head lying on her stomach. He looks over at me with a huge grin on his face. I can’t fault him for his tenacity.

  After Parker leaves, Savannah makes her way over to me and sits. “Did you have a good time?”

  “Yeah,” I tell her. “The kids are great. It’s a cool thing James is doing.”

  “It is. I’ve been helping him since the beginning. It’s come a long way, and he’s helped so many people.”

  “I’m hoping he’s helped me, too.” Bumping my shoulder lightly into hers, I try to get her to look at me.

  “What do you mean?” Her face is scrunched up in confusion. She looks damn cute with her nose scrunched up.

  “He told you to give me a chance. I’m hoping you listen to him, which would help me out.”

  She smiles. “He did tell me that.”

  James takes that moment to walk up. “I’m going to be closing up soon. You good?”

  Savannah stands, giving him a hug and a peck on the cheek. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “Later, Liam,” James says before he walks away.

  “I’ll walk out with you.” I stand to walk with Savannah and place my hand on the small of her back. Her warmth radiates into my hand. She stiffens a bit but doesn’t usher herself away from me. She stops outside of the building, taking keys out of her purse. She turns to face me, her face a blank mask. She watches me for a moment.

  I tuck a piece of hair behind her ear. “Go out with me tomorrow night.”

  She bites her lip, never taking her eyes off of mine. “Fine.”

  I hide my surprise. I didn’t think she would agree. I make a mental note to buy James a bottle of his favorite whiskey.

  I cup her cheek. “I promise we’ll have a good time. Let me walk you to your car.”

  She tenses, her features molding into a hard expression. “I can walk myself to my car.”

  “I know you can, but I’d like to walk you to your car. It means I get another minute with you.” I smile and take a step back, sensing she needs a little bit of space. She may have said yes quickly, but from the tense set of her shoulders and panic filling her eyes, it was anything but an easy decision for her. I want to hug her close to me, but I need her to know I’m a good man who will respect her.

  She begins walking toward the right side of the building, and I fall into step beside her. When we reach a small, white SUV, she turns to me and jerks her thumb over her shoulder. “This is me.”

  I take my phone out my pocket. “What’s your number?” She rattles off her phone number. I send a quick text, and her phone dings from inside her purse. “That’s me.”

  I cup one side of her face and lean in, hovering above her pouty lips. She sucks in a breath. After a beat, she closes her eyes and leans in a little more. A groan erupts from my chest. I want to devour her mouth, explore and taste every part of her. I erase the last bit of distance between us and kiss her cheek, right at the edge of her mouth. A whimper escapes from her.

  I whisper, “Tomorrow, Savannah.”

  11

  SAVANNAH

  I lean back against my car, completely breathless. I think I would have given him anything at that moment just to get him to kiss me. When I leaned into him, I felt warmth radiating off of his body. I felt cocooned and safe. His scent was pure male, woods, and musk. I had to stop my tongue from darting out and running over his full lips.

  I get in my car, grabbing my phone to save his number.

  I’m going to kiss those sweet lips tomorrow.

  My already wet panties are now drenched in anticipation. I haven’t been kissed or touched in a long time. I know I could get lost in Liam.

  When I pull out of the parking lot, I notice Liam is still there, standing next to his Jeep. A faint glow casts over him from the streetlight. I can tell he’s grinning and I clench my thighs together.

  I go straight to my bedroom when I get home, take off my clothes, and crawl into bed. I settle in, about to read a new romance book. I’m already smiling, thinking about Liam looking over my shoulder at the coffee shop, when my phone chimes.

  Liam: Make it home okay?

  Savannah: Yes. You’ll have to play your cards right to get a kiss from me tomorrow.

  Liam: Is that right?

  I imagine him grinning his contagious grin, letting a small chuckle escape while his chocolate-candy eyes light up in am
usement. I can’t give in that easily, even if I’m just playing at this point. I want to kiss him. I want to do more than kiss him.

  Savannah: Yeah.

  Liam: If I didn’t want to kiss you so bad, I’d make you beg for it.

  Savannah: I wouldn’t beg. Where should I meet you tomorrow?

  Liam: We’ll see. What’s your address? I’ll pick you up at 6.

  Shit. I don’t know how to explain to him that I don’t give my address to everyone without him following up with more questions. My past dates have mostly been set-ups or casual meetings, so it was easy to say I want to meet them at the restaurant. I bite my thumbnail, thinking of an excuse.

  Liam: Did you forget your address? Do I affect you that much, gorgeous? ;)

  Savannah: Ha. Ha. I have a lot of errands to run tomorrow. It will be easier if I meet you there.

  That sounds plausible. Nothing to question, could totally be something I have to do, I think, nodding and feeling proud I thought of something so quickly.

  Liam: Is that a blow off? You mentioned at the bar that you don’t give out your address.

  Shit. Stupid, drunk Savannah.

  Savannah: Not a blow off. I’m just more comfortable meeting first dates, rather than them picking me up.

  Liam: I think there’s more to the story. I won’t pry.

  Liam: For now.

  I don’t reply, unsure of what to say. I want to sound breezy and light like I’m not a girl with issues. My thumbs stall over the screen, begging my mind for anything to say.

  Liam: I would like to pick you up. You’ll be safe with me. I’m going to prove to you that you can trust me. Think about it. Let me know in the morning. If you still don’t want to give me your address, I’ll tell you where to meet me.

  Liam: Sound fair?

  My heart pounds harder at his sweet message. I’m nodding, even though he can’t see me. I’m thankful he isn’t prying. I know he’s being honest. I can trust him, but I can’t let go yet. I’ve held onto my peace of mind and safety rules for so long. I’m not sure I can or should toss them out the window at the first sign of a good man.

  Savannah: Sounds fair. Good night, Liam.

  Liam: Night, pretty girl.

  The next morning, my mom picks up on the third ring. “Hey, honey. How’s it going?”

  The sound of her bright voice makes me miss home, but I could never live where I grew up. After everything that happened, I needed a fresh start. My parents come to see me on holidays. I haven’t been back in six years, and I don’t plan on ever going back. My parents talked about moving closer after my dad retires. I hate to take them from their home, but a selfish part of me wants them closer.

  “Hey, Mom.”

  “Uh-oh. What’s going on? What’s wrong?”

  She instantly knows something is up by the sound of my voice. Her questions take me back to our kitchen table eating warm snickerdoodle cookies fresh from the oven. My mom sitting on a barstool next to me rubbing my back, taking away every problem in the world.

  I stay quiet for a minute, not sure where to start.

  “Just start at the beginning, honey,” my mom says.

  “I met a guy.”

  She sucks in a breath. I know this is difficult for her, too. She wants me to be safe but has been pushing me to live my life. “Please tell me this isn’t about that jackass from a while ago.”

  “Jesus. No. Of course not!”

  “That’s good. Okay, where did you meet this guy?”

  “I first saw him at the gym. He grew up in this area. He’s friends with one of James’ friends.” My parents know James. My mother adores him and continuously begs me to invite him over when they visit. My dad respects the hell out of him. He knows James gave me part of my life back when he took me under his wing all those years ago.

  My mom stays quiet, letting me speak at my pace. She never pushes me. She always sat, silently and patiently, as I ate a snickerdoodle and shared each challenge I faced. I think her silence made me open up and share more than other teenage girls might share with their moms.

  “I officially met him at a coffee shop. He’s so handsome. Sexy. Tall, muscular, with brown eyes and hair. He loves cinnamon rolls like you wouldn’t believe. He’s smart and funny. That day at the coffee shop, he was getting cinnamon rolls for his mom and sister. How sweet is that? When he told me he moved back to be closer to his family, I melted right there on the coffee shop floor.”

  My mom sighs. I know she’s sitting at the kitchen bar with her head in her hand, swooning. I get my love of romance books and fairytales from her.

  “So, when he asked me out I said no.”

  “What!” my mom exclaims. She stutters, trying to speak. Finally settling on, “I didn’t expect that.”

  I give a harsh chuckle. “Yeah.”

  She stays quiet again, waiting for the rest.

  “Since the first time I met him, I felt something. I want to get to know him. I want to go on a date with him, but I’m terrified. You know anyone I’ve dated before this was easy. I knew there was a definite expiration date in the extremely near future. He’s different. I want there to be something more with him.”

  This is something I love about talking to my mom. The silence she gives allows me time to work out issues and admit more to myself. “He was nice about my refusal. We kept running into each other. Long story short, we have a date tonight. He almost kissed me last night, and Mom, I really wanted that. He wants to pick me up. I said no, I’d meet him. He told me to think about it. He said I’d be safe with him. He said he knows I have a story and he won’t pry. At least not right now. I don’t know what to do.”

  This is usually the time my mom offers up sage advice, but she remains quiet. I take the phone away from my ear, making sure the call is still connected. I’m about to ask if she’s there when I hear her sigh.

  “Honey. You know I want you safe, and I admire how much you take your safety into account, but he’s not a threat anymore. You’re safe. I’m happy that as a young, single woman, you don’t just let any man into your home, but I think you need to loosen the reins a bit. Take a chance.”

  “That’s what James said, too.”

  “I always liked that boy,” my mom says. I can hear the smile in her voice. In her mind, she unofficially adopted James into our family.

  “Do you like this man?” she asks me.

  “Yes.”

  “Do you feel like Liam’s a bad guy?”

  “No, but I didn’t think–”

  “Don’t bring him into this. Forget about him.” The displeasure in her tone screams through the phone line. She refuses to say his name.

  I nod, even though she can’t see me. She knows I’m listening and trying to take that advice.

  “You like Liam. He’s a good man. Liam is not him. Give him your address, honey.”

  “Thanks, Mom.”

  “Call me tomorrow. I want to know how the date went. I love you so much.”

  “I love you, too.”

  I hang up the phone and bring it to my chest. I know James and my mom are right. I have to loosen the reins a bit if I want to truly live. I’ve been priding myself on not hiding, but I haven’t been living, either. It’s time to take my life completely back.

  Savannah: 5835 Lake Ridge Avenue. I’ll see you at 6.

  “Harp?” I knock softly on Harper’s slightly ajar door.

  “Yeah, babe?”

  I push open the door to find her lounging on the chaise in the corner of her bedroom. She has a clay mask on her face, and her hair is knotted on top of her head. She looks up at me expectantly.

  “So...” I start before trailing off.

  “So?” Her perfectly shaped eyebrow arches high.

  “I have a date with Liam tonight,” I blurt out, then cover my face, embarrassed by how nervous I am.

  “The guy who was with James and Hudson the other night?”

  “That would be the one.”

  “I knew it! I totally c
alled it. I knew he was into you. That fine man was staring at you all night. When’s the date?”

  “Tonight. Want to help me pick out an outfit?”

  “Do I think shopping is more important than breathing?”

  She actually does feel this way. Outside of owning her boutique, Harper shops. She shops when she’s had a bad day. She shops when she’s had a good day. She shops when it’s a Tuesday.

  “Of course I want to help you get ready!” She bounces off the chaise and runs through the door, pulling me behind her—straight into my room. She sits me on the bed and rushes into my closet. “Let me work my magic!”

  I hear her sliding hangers and making noises of approval or disapproval with each slide. “Do you know what you’re doing for the date?”

  “No,” I answer.

  “Okay, casual, but something that could easily be worn in a nicer place.”

  I lie back on my bed, waiting for her to complete her “magic.”

  “Have you shaved?”

  “Yeah, I shaved my legs this morning.”

  “Not what I was asking, Sav. I’m hoping everywhere, including your legs, is all nice and silky smooth.”

  “Harper!”

  She pokes her head out of the closet, giving me a look that says to get over it. She goes back to work inside the closet when I begrudgingly answer, “Yes, all silky smooth. Not that it matters!”

  “Of course it matters,” she says.

  “He won’t be getting anywhere near my ... area tonight! We just met.” My cheeks redden from embarrassment.

  “Get over yourself. If it feels right then there’s nothing wrong with going after what you want. Besides, you’ve been in a dry spell so long, you could rename your ‘area—’” I hear the air quotes in her words— “the Sahara Desert.”

  She may be right, but I’m not ready for any of that with Liam. Even if he does make me tingle every time I look at him. Even if I do want to grab onto his ass while he...

  “Sav.”

  I look up to find Harper giving me a knowing smile. She walks fully out of the closet, holding some hangers. “We have a few options here. I want you to look sweet, but utterly sexy.” She starts holding up each dress to my body, casting each one in two different piles. I’m not even sure which ones she likes and which ones she doesn’t.