Page 54 of Temporary Vows

“In what ways?”

Salvatore cuts me a glance, signaling for me to take over.

“Does the name Elodie Harper ring a bell?” I walk forward, keeping my eyes on him.

Marcus pales. “She owes me.”

“And now you owe me.”

“Who are you?” He looks me up and down, taking in my suit.

“Dorian Vale.”

Recognition flickers in his eyes.

Scarface pushes off the wall, moving toward me like an idiot who fails to see he’s outnumbered. “Hey, her agreement was between?—”

Knox intercepts him, slamming him back into the plaster, forearm across his throat, then two of Salvatore’s men pin him on either side with their guns at his head.

Scarface stares back shocked.

“As we were saying,” I direct the conversation back to Marcus, “you oweme.”

“What do I owe you?”

I smile. “Your life.”

The fucker tries to make a run for it. I’m not sure if I should give him credit for his bravado or pity him for being so stupid.

Did he actually think he’d be able to get past all of us?

I slam a fist in his face when he tries to get by. Marcus reels, crashing into the wall. I grab him by the front of his shirt and shove him back into the wall. Salvatore and his remaining guard grab Marcus’ arms and pin him down like his friend across from us.

He sucks in a breath, panic sparking in his eyes. “Hey?—”

“Shut up.” I get up in his face and ram my knee into his stomach. “Explain to me how Elodie came here to pay you a lump sum and left here with her face fucked up and a shoe print on her chest.”

I glance down at his boots. It was him. He stepped on her.

“She was late with the payment.”

“Oh no, no. Where I come from when people are late with payments, they don’t get beaten up. Especially when they come with a lump sum to try and make up for the inconvenience.”

He blinks.

“Also, they certainly don’t inflate the loan back to its original cost.” I tap his nose with my knuckles.

“It’s my policy.”

“Not anymore.” I shake my head. “Which one of you hit her?”

I look from Scarface to Marcus. Neither of them answers, and that tells me everything I need to know.

It was both of them.

I land a hard punch square in his face. Blood spurts from his nose. “That was for her lip.”

Marcus spits blood onto the carpet, eyes wide now.