Page 5 of Vow of Sin

I turn on the shower and disrobe, catching my reflection in the mirror. My gray eyes are large and tired, the circles beneath them even deeper than they were yesterday. My freckles now show across my cheeks and nose, the deep Irish traits showing through without all of my makeup. My hair is a knotted mess and when I look at my body, I notice that my hip bones are sticking out more than normal. Sofia was right, I am withering away. But it’s hard to really have an appetite when you’re constantly thinking of your dead husband.

I step in and stand under the warm spray until it nearly runs cold, quickly washing both my hair and my body before I step out. Right when I grab a towel from the closet, I notice a shadow move near the doorway. I spin around, whipping the towel around my body just as I lock eyes with Nico, who’s leaning against the doorway in a fresh, dark gray suit. His brown eyes rake me up and down, his expression inscrutable as always. I can feel the blush spread from my cheeks to my chest, my eyes narrowing in response. I can’t help but let my eyes travel over his body as well. The man is walking sin and it’s nearly impossible not to ogle at him. Even though I hate it. Even though I pretty much hate him.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” I hiss, holding the towel tightly to my trembling body, his eyes lingering on my exposed thighs.

“We have a meeting.” he says in a low tone, his eyes finally crawling back up to mine.

“Or did the copious amounts of gin yesterday make you forget?” He smirks, his head tilting as my cheeks burn hotter.

Shit.I did forget. The family is still here from Columbia and of course they wanted to schedule a meeting with everyone to discuss how the business is going to move forward.

“No.” I lie instead, not wanting to deal with his scrutiny. “That’s why I was showering. You could’ve texted me. Or I don’t know, maybe you could’ve knocked?” I question, looping and tying the towel around my chest before I brush past him and walk to my closet.

I had Camila bring the majority of my clothes in here, however most of my gowns and more expensive dresses are still in the other bedroom. Luis always preferred me in dresses, but I kept a stockpile of more casual clothing in here for when he was gone. I prefer comfort over style, something he and I never agreed on, along with most things.

Today however, today is not the day for comfort. Today is the day for power moves, for strength. I have to convince the founding families that I am more than prepared to take over this business. That I am well equipped and knowledgeable, that I am more than able to pick up where my husband left off. Maybe even handle it better, since I’m more logical by nature.

“I’ll be down in thirty minutes. The meeting doesn’t start until eleven.” I say flippantly, scanning through my wardrobe before I decide on my burgundy shift dress and matching stilettos.

“Carlos and Andreas are here early. I’ve already made them coffee, Scarlett.” he says in an annoyed tone, my head tilting back as a sigh escapes from my lips.

“Fine. I’ll be down in ten.” I hiss, yanking my dress off the hanger before I bend to grab my heels.

I walk to the dresser to pull out a thong and a lace bra, Nico’s eyes widening as he watches my every move like a predator.

“Leave.” I say, walking into the bathroom before I grab the door and slam it in his face.

I have ten minutes to prepare myself for the biggest meeting of my life. This isn’t just about who’s going to take over. Ultimately, it’s going to decide whether I’m still under the protection of this family or if I’m going to be forced out on my own. So, late or not, I’m going to fight tooth and nail for my rightful spot. I refuse to let ten years of dedication to both this family and my husband go to waste. I’m ready to fight till my death.

ChapterFour

Scarlett

I walk down the marble staircase with my ponytail whipping behind me. I only had time for a quick blow dry and to slick it back, my makeup light as well. I’m tying the sash around my dress with my heels clicking on the floor when Camila greets me at the bottom of the staircase, cup of coffee outstretched in an offering.

I give her a smile and she kisses my cheek, the mug warm beneath my palms.

“Beautiful as always, the men are waiting in his office. Do you want me to come with you?” she asks, her dark eyes worried as she looks at me.

I shake my head and tuck a stray, gray hair behind her ear, loving her comfort. Since my mother died, I’ve been blessed with two additional mothers, both Rosa and Camila taking me in as their own from the start. I’m forever in debt to them. I know that if anything goes wrong today, I’ll always have a place with Rosa at least, but I’ll always have care from Camila.

“No, I’ll be fine, Camila. I have to do this on my own, but I also have to hurry. I’ll meet you in the kitchen after.” I say, kissing her cheek before I sip my coffee and make my way towards Luis’ office, or I guesstheoffice now.

God, will I ever get used to this?

A sudden wave of sadness hits me, but I force it down as I open the french doors to the grand office, where a team of men sit and chatter at the large, dark conference table. They all stop speaking and look up at me, zero smiles gracing their faces as I walk in. There are at least five guards, two dealers and then Nico, who stares at me with a hint of humor in his gaze. Carlos and Andreas, the head of the family in Columbia. The two men are old and very hard to read, but they took a liking to me immediately nearly a decade ago. They’ve always admired my strength, my resilience, and my ability to keep quiet. When I walk towards them and set my coffee cup down on the table, they grab my hands and kiss them in greeting.

“Good morning, Ms. Scarlett, you look as fresh as morning dew.” Carlos says, his accent thick, but devoid of emotion.

I’m almost convinced that not a single man in this room has the capability of feeling anything. Luis was the only one that displayed any emotion, whether it was his lighthearted nature or his anger. He displayed it all no matter how carefree or ugly it was.

“Please, sit. We have important matters to discuss.” Andreas says, pulling out a cigar as I sit down, lighting it and blowing a thick cloud of smoke into the air.

Carlos and Andreas begin discussing finances and recent deals. They also mention that they have several members of the family in search of the men who ambushed and murdered my husband along with his two guards. When they start breaching the subject of leadership, I take one final sip of my coffee and speak up.

“I assume that you know I’m more than equipped to handle everything from here. Luis taught me everything he knew and I have more than enough men to manage the trade deals that I make. Not to mention, I’m the one that handles all of the finances here in New York.” I say sternly.

It’s true. As soon as we married, I told Luis that I wanted to finish college. I got my masters in accounting as well as my paralegal certification. If I was going to be blended into my family, I wanted to be aware of the numbers I was dealing with as well as the law.