Page 41 of Dangerous Promises

His nostrils flare and I can tell he's looking for an outlet for his anger. Unsure where to place it when he knows he shouldn't be engaging with me.

Just as I think I've won, he looks to the sky and takes a deep breath. He looks back at me with frustration and satisfaction, his teeth bared when he says, "Let me help you cool off."

Wildly, like he has completely lost control of himself, his arm flings out and he pushes me backwards into the pool with a flying splash. Sending me clothes and all into the icy water.

I can barely react to what has happened, growling and gasping as I break the surface.

"Well you're not hot and sweaty anymore," he says, folding his arms as his calm returns.

Fucker.

I push myself out of the pool, growling and screaming something feral as I wrap my arms around his legs and pull him forward into the pool with me. His face is nothing but shock as he falls forward, joining me in the icy water.

He breaks the surface slowly, eyes locking onto mine with malice and murder. "This is an expensive fucking suit."

I reach out a hand to slap him and he grabs my wrist. "You are a living God damn nightmare," he grunts.

By this time, everyone else is rushing towards the pools edge to check on us.

"You've got about ten minutes to either vomit or fix your dose or youwillfucking die," he says, still holding onto my wrists. "Or I can hold you here so you can't do either."

Anton, Freddie and Isla reach the side of the pool and look down on us with mixed expressions of disgust and shock.

Alexei pushes me away from him.

"What the fuck was that, Alexei?" Isla says, panic in her tone.

"Nothing. Misunderstanding," he says, as he wades towards the pool steps.

Freddie helps me out of the pool and wraps a towel around me. He puts his warm arm around my shoulder as my uncle coddles me too. But all I can do is glare at Alexei, even as he stares at me with pure hatred.

"Are you okay,anima mia?" Anton asks.

"Fine," I growl. "Go back to what you were doing. I'm going to shower."

And fix my medication before I fucking die, apparently.

"Are you sure?" I hear Anton call behind me as I slink away with my feet slapping against the pavement and wet puddle forming in my wake.

"Oh I'm fucking perfect," I say under my breath, stopping to vomit in the garden before heading inside.

Chapter

Sixteen

Alexei

It's me that has to endure the fall out of her little stunt.

She gets to go inside to dry herself off and probably continue being dramatic even though it was just a tiny, tiny drug overdose. I get left by the pool in my soaking suit to face her family and be quizzed on what exactly that was all about.

There's lots of mumbledI knew this would happens andwas only a matter of times. As if being pushed into a pool is an overreaction to what we all know she did to my car.

Isla runs the show while I sit there stewing. Mostly about my car. Somewhat about how vicious her attacks are compared to mine. I briefly consider that Freddie was right. I have just been playing with her, and maybe I should be trying a bit harder.

Nothing I have done to her was ever going to be lethal. Yet she's blown up my car and fed me a poison that would kill me with a single sip. It was so strong I could smell it. Actually smell it.

She has no fucking idea how strong a poison has to be to taste it let alone smell it. Whatever planter box I dumped that into, they're certainly going to die.