Page 11 of Forbidden Vow

He hurled the words like the insult they were.

“I don’t like your tone, Darius.”

“I have zero fucks to give.” He threaded his hands through his hair. Pacing the length of the office; he felt like a predator, prowling, bloodthirsty, and looking for a fight.

Trying to ease the escalating tension, Raven spoke.

"Clarence…" She licked her lips, and Darius had the urge to kiss her. To connect to the one person who had made some sense of his life at a time when it was spinning out of control. "Is it possible for your team,” she paused in an attempt to offer the best phrasing, "ah…to schedule separate meetings for me and Darius?"

Darius came to stand in front of her, big arms crossed over his chest. "Plan to run off again?”

Raven's head jerked up. Heat rose in her cheeks, the skin rosy red. "I didn't run," she snapped. "I no longer had a reason to stay."

She seemed wound up, ready to step into the ring and battle it out.

“Raven, you're hiding something."

“Look, I had no idea Lexington had changed his will. Please, can you just separate us?”

Darius believed her. In fact, he was convinced his father had a surprise for Raven. He could see the panic behind the shock.

Clarence pointed to the leather chair next to hers. "No, that's not possible per Lexington's instructions. The twins came in earlier and everything has been explained to them." Darius made some animalistic sound, and Raven rolled her eyes.

"Enough,” she said, before nodding at Clarence. “Whatever is in there, it won’t change anything. I’m leaving Shell Cove.”

"Darius, if you'll take a seat, I'll continue with the additional changes."

Both their eyes shot to Clarence.

"Additional changes?" they echoed in unison.

Clarence’s eyes darted about the room. "In addition to a quarter of the companies, Raven is deeded the penthouse suite in the Towers after one year of full-time occupancy and the five-thousand-square-foot garden house on the Kent family estate."

Darius interrupted, his tone dark and ominous. "That means seventy-five percent of the company belongs to me and my brothers."

Clarence continued. "Your father established a secondary Kent family trust four years ago. A quarter of Kent Technologies, U.K., including a northern California farmhouse and the surrounding one thousand acres have been placed in trust for Miss Radell and current occupants.

"As in plural?" Darius froze her in a hard stare. "Clarence, who's the executor for the secondary Kent family trust?” he growled, his eyes fixed on Raven.

Raven bristled at Darius’s intimidation tactics while Clarence seemed to grow in stature.

“Darius, if you persist in agitating Raven,” he admonished, “Per your father’s recommendation, I will have you removed from the premises.”

“My apologies.” His voice was hard. "Knowing that my father gave half of his legacy to a gold digging, manipulative viper is too difficult to process.”

He saw the blood drain from Raven’s face, her complexion ashen. “I can’t believe I ever saw anything in you.”

“Feeling’s mutual, you arrogant asshole.”

Clarence lifted his chin as he recited the last paragraph in the will. "Raven is the current executor."

Darius practically vibrated with rage. "I'll bury you in court, Raven,” he charged. "You'll never get away with this. You…” He couldn’t find the words.

“I what, Darius? Say how you really feel about me.”

“You fucked him out of his money.”

Clarence raised a finger. “Not according to Lexington. Darius, any attempt to litigate Ms. Radell's share of the Kent holdings will trigger a transfer of your twenty-five percent to the youngest Kent heir.” What the hell had he just heard? “One Lexington Kent, age four."