Page 20 of Temporary Vows

His cold blue eyes sweep the office, taking inventory of a world he’s desperate to step into. Then his gaze lands on me.

“Nice office, cousin,” he drawls in a rich English accent, looking at me like he isn’t standing inmydoorway uninvited.

My brothers and I fall silent, the brief lighthearted mood we had between us gone in an instant.

Irritation scrapes down my spine at the sight of my cousin. I pin him with a flat stare, forcing my jaw to unclench.

“What the hell are you doing here?” I lift my chin higher.

Parker smiles and slides his hands into his pockets. “Is that any way to greet me? We haven’t seen each other in years. Now here we are, all together, with me about to take your job.”

Knox stands and glares at him, ready for war. “Watch your mouth, cousin. Let’s not forget whose ass you’ll have to lick when my father goes.”

Parker holds up his hands. “Just teasing, Knox. I can see you haven’t changed one bit. Can’t take a joke.”

“Man, why don’t you just fuck the hell off,” Levi jumps in.

Parker switches his gaze to him and looks him up and down as if he’s insignificant. “Which one are you again? Locke, the airhead? Or Levi, the glorified manwhore who can’t control his dick? If you’re the latter, aren’t you the one with the druggie friend?”

Levi’s about to rush him, but Knox holds him back. I almost wish he didn’t. Mentioning Levi’s friend who nearly died a few times and worked so hard to get clean was way below the belt.

“Come over here and say that to my face,” Levi barks.

“Okay, so you are Levi, then.”

Levi’s about to answer him, but I stand and hold my hand up.

Walking with the slow grace of a jungle cat, I make my way over to Parker and stop a breath away. He knows not to fuck with me, so I don’t know why he’s doing it.

“Do yourself a favor, Parker.” I reach out and adjust the collar of his jacket. “Get the hell out of my office and don’t ever come back in here.”

He responds with a Cheshire Cat grin and cocks his head. “Hard not to come back in here when this office space could technically be mine in a few months.”

I give him the same fucked-up smile. “I wonder where you got that intel from. Because I’m not going anywhere.”

“That’s what you think. If you fail?—”

“I won’t fail.”

“You can’t fix your image, Dorian. Me, however, I’m the son your father wishes he had. Not like you guys. The Monster who nearly made the company go under in the wire fraud scandal,” He casts a glance at Knox, then at Levi. “The playboy who associates with drug addicts and prostitutes.” He looks back at me next. “And the villain. The guy who?—”

I don’t let him finish. I grab his tie and pull hard. Within seconds, Parker’s coughing and gasping for air.

Motherfucker.

His first mistake was to step into my lair. His next was to let me get close enough to touch him. He should have known his game was over the moment my fingers brushed over his shirt.

Knox and Levi are on me in an instant, trying to pry my hands loose from Parker’s tie, but I pull even harder.

“Dorian, stop!” Knox shouts, but I don’t listen.

“He wanted the villain? Here I am.” I bark in Parker’s face.

His smugness is gone now. His face is red, his eyes watering, his hands clawing at my wrist for dear life.

“What the hell is going on in here?” My father’s voice cracks through the room like a gunshot. And it’s the only thing to break through the wall of rage consuming me.

Knox swears under his breath. Levi straightens, guilt slicing across his features. Parker wheezes, fingers scrambling at his tie.