Bitter Vows: A Twisted Arranged Marriage Romance (Crimson Falls Duet Book 1) Read online

  Bitter Vows

  Crimson Falls Duet

  Dani René

  Contents

  Dedication

  Playlist

  1. Lycan

  2. Scarlett

  3. Lycan

  4. Scarlett

  5. Lycan

  6. Scarlett

  7. Scarlett

  8. Lycan

  9. Scarlett

  10. Lycan

  11. Scarlett

  12. Lycan

  13. Scarlett

  14. Scarlett

  15. Lycan

  16. Scarlett

  17. Lycan

  18. Scarlett

  19. Scarlett

  20. Lycan

  21. Scarlett

  22. Lycan

  23. Scarlett

  24. Lycan

  25. Scarlett

  26. Lycan

  27. Lycan

  28. Scarlett

  29. Lycan

  30. Scarlett

  31. Lycan

  32. Scarlett

  33. Darius

  Sneak Peek

  Chapter One

  Acknowledgments

  Also by Dani René

  About the Author

  Published by Dani René (www.danirene.com)

  Copyright © 2021 by Dani René

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, events, locations, or any other element is entirely coincidental.

  Cover Design: Jay Aheer, Simply Defined Art

  Cover Photography: Regina Wamba

  Editing: Candice Royer

  Proofing: Illuminate Author Services

  Dedication

  To the girls who prefer the Big Bad Wolf because he’s an expert when it comes to eating you.

  Playlist

  Desire - Meg Myers

  Beggin For Thread - BANKS

  Fuck Em Only We Know - BANKS

  Man or a Monster - Sam Tinnesz, Zayde Wølf

  Pretty Head - Transviolet

  Like You - EXES

  Find You - Ruelle

  I Know Your Secrets - Tommee Profitt, Fleurie, Jung Youth

  If I Want To - Usher

  Lonely Together - Sofia Karlberg

  If you’d like to listen to the rest of songs that inspired this story, the playlist is on Spotify. Click here

  1

  Lycan

  Life doesn’t afford us many chances to make right what we’ve done wrong.

  It also doesn’t allow us to apologize to those who have passed—no longer walking this earth. When I was younger, the guilt ate away at me. Inch by inch, my soul was consumed by the incessant culpability taking hold of me, but then I realized—if I allow myself to feel, I’ll never survive. Instead of allowing sentiment to burrow its way inside me, I’ve buried what most would call human emotions. And all I’m left with is the ice-cold ruthlessness that grips me.

  Especially growing up with the family I did. The Shaw name was synonymous with violence and bloodshed, and even though I should walk away, change it, I don’t. I’m proud of the fact that we’re known as people you do not cross. My brother decided to walk away from it all. It hurt at first, but now, I realize family isn’t always blood.

  Choices are what guide us, taking us through the darkness that’s been holding us hostage for so long that when we look up into the light, we don’t recognize it. Over the years, I’ve become accustomed to the shadows, and I’ve basked in them. I no longer want an escape.

  Strolling through my club, Heaven, I stop when I reach the immaculate mahogany bar. I cast a glance over the large, dimly lit space, taking in each patron who has already entered my domain. When I opened this place, it was meant for those who wanted to play, to indulge in fantasies that aren’t normal, and even though my tastes are eclectic, I didn’t realize just how dark some tendencies go. I’ve learned, though, and I’ve reveled in the shadows.

  Black suede booths curl around silver-legged tables, which seats four people. Each one private as they snake against the far wall. To the left of the bar is the entrance to the club, which is where we’ve just come from, and I notice how it’s hidden by the sleek, black, silken curtains that keep this space private.

  Stools line the bar area, and to the right is the hallway, which leads to rooms where the games begin. Once the couples or groups have acquainted themselves and agreed to an evening’s festivities, they move to one of the private rooms.

  Some like to be watched, so I’ve ensured that there is space for them as well. Every person who walks into Heaven finds solace, pleasure, and satisfaction. When they leave, it’s as if all that happened within these walls are a memory, a happy one, but nothing more than an escape from their harsh reality.

  I take in the customers who are settled with drinks. The men in expensive, tailored suits and the beautiful women draped over their arms—eye candy. Most of the politicians and businessmen who frequent Heaven are corrupt, married, or owned by the mafia.

  My club offers them a cover for the activities which Heaven is famed for. With Masters and slaves, Dominants and their submissives, along with single women who crave the degradation and humiliation that’s usually frowned upon, I’ve given them somewhere to enjoy their desires.

  But everything comes with a price.

  Everything.

  Membership is not cheap, but there are rules that govern every person who walks in the door, and even after they leave, they know that confidentiality is key. Isaac, the barman who’s worked for me for years, slides over a tumbler with deep amber liquid.

  “Thanks.”

  “Busy night?” he asks, knowing that I’ll have the headcount before the doors open. I only allow so many people in the club at a time, and each night, I limit the number of patrons who enter Heaven.

  “Yes, we have a special party tonight,” I tell him before I take a sip of my drink, watching the couples slowly forming as they get to know each other. Each woman who walks in here has signed an agreement that she understands what happens in here stays here. And each man knows that he will immediately cease all play if he is told to stop.

  My cell phone buzzes in my pocket, and when I pull it out, I notice a familiar name—Alexei Carnevali. One of the Mafia princes I’ve known since I was a kid. We grew up together, did shit while studying at university, and now that we each have our own companies, we’ve become closer than I anticipated.

  “Alex,” I greet after pressing the phone to my ear. “To what do I owe this honor?”

  “I was wondering if you can help me,” he starts. “I have a job coming up which I’m certain would interest you.” I can hear the excitement in his tone, and I have to admit, my interest is piqued.

  “Oh? I’m always open to working with you. Especially if it means bloodshed.” I signal for another drink as he chuckles at my response, my gaze landing on the door as two patrons saunter in. One is an influential politician, the other, someone I’ve been keeping my eye on. His money has been his downfall, and his wife has no fucking clue about his proclivities.

  �
��There’s a convent about two hours outside of Los Angeles, which I need your men to check up on, and since you have connections over there, I figured you’d be the best person to ask. I’ve heard rumors of the Cartel moving illegal goods into the States, trading them up from the border to the City of Angels.”

  My ears perk up at his words. “Illegal goods?” I’ve had connections all over the country, all over the world, but if Alex is coming to me, then this must be big. Even though he must have people down there, I have a feeling this goes deeper than just the Cartel.

  “Girls.” The one word has me on my feet. My target for the evening is moving toward the booths, a woman on his arm that isn’t his wife, and even though my blood is boiling with the need to take him down, what Alex just confessed is more important.

  “Send me the info. I’ll have them shut down within a few hours. Blood will spill.”

  “If I were closer, I would ask you to wait for me, but I’m in Italy; a job that needed my attention,” he informs me. The lowering of his tone tells me he’s not alone.

  If he’s in Europe, then I wonder where his familia is. “What about your cousins?” I know the Moretti brothers are based in LA. I’ve never met them personally, but I’ve spent enough time with Alex to know they’re not men you mess around with.

  “They’re… indisposed. Miami needed their attention.” His voice tinged with mystery has me pondering what they’re up to, but I know better than to ask. I don’t get into their business, and they don’t get into mine.

  Nodding to myself, I tell him, “I’ll sort this out.” The promise is there as I move into my spacious office, drink in one hand, my phone in the other. Kicking the door shut behind me, I settle behind my cherry wood desk. The sleek leather chair molds to my form, and I relax against it before waking my computer with a nudge to the mouse. When the screen lights up, Alex’s encrypted email is waiting. “I’ve got the info; just leave it with me. I’ll confirm once the job is done.”

  “Talk soon.” He hangs up before I can say anything more, but there’s nothing else I can tell him. I hit dial on Kahn’s number. The one man I know will have a vested interest in this.

  It takes him two rings before answering. “Mr. Shaw.”

  “Kahn, I have a job for you and the team. I know you’re out on the East Coast right now, but before you dive into training, I’d like you to check out a convent,” I tell him, leaning back in my chair, casting my gaze down at the club below.

  Silence greets me for a long moment before he responds, “A convent?”

  “Alexei Carnevali just called,” I inform my best man. “He has it on good authority that illegal goods are being moved from New York to Mexico. The Cartel is involved, but we can’t walk into their territory without proof, or we will start a war.”

  “Goods? As in…?” He allows his words to filter into the silence between us, and each time I think about what Alex told me, the more my blood boils at the thought of what’s happening to innocent women.

  “Yes.”

  “I’m on it,” Kahn tells me, raw honesty in his tone, but also a hint of the hunter I know him to be. That’s why I hired him when he first walked into my club. A man with the desire of a predator and the skill of a trained assassin. What more could I want?

  “Good. Keep me updated.” I hang up, my glare still on the thieving asshole downstairs. Mr. Bardot is nothing more than a cheating scumbag, but he doesn’t realize just how he’s about to pay me back for walking in when I had to.

  A fucking Bardot coming in and ruining shit in my life once more. It’s not the first time I’ve had to learn about their family. The name is synonymous with secrets. The Bardot family come from old money, and with the help of his mother, Grace Bardot, they stole more from us than just a few million.

  But then I learned more about Horatio. He’s got problems, some than money won’t fix. I only found out because I looked into why he spent far too much time in my club. It was then I realized something was amiss.

  At first, I thought it was my good for nothing brother, but Darius had no access to funds, not mine anyway. Not Shaw money. But there’s more to the story than just the money. The problem is that Horatio has lost a lot more than his livelihood. He’s about to lose something far more precious to him.

  With a sardonic grin on my face, I push to my feet, button my suit jacket, and make my way down to the main area of the club. Time to speak to Mr. Bardot and ensure that his signature is on the contract before he even thinks of playing in one of my rooms tonight.

  Only, he doesn’t know just how expensive his needs have become.

  2

  Scarlett

  The sleek, silver dress that drapes over my curves is beautiful, but even as I stare at myself in the mirror, I’m torn between going to this party or staying home. My mother, Marinda Bardot, is one of the most publicized socialites, while my father, Horatio Bardot, is working hard to get into the senator’s office.

  Wealth comes at a steep price, and they don’t realize it. Since I was a child, I knew what I wanted to do, and it wasn’t to be the pretty arm candy my mother would like me to be. I have goals, dreams, and they don’t involve a man putting a diamond on my finger and knocking me up while he goes to his pristine office to run a Fortune 500 company.

  I want to be the CEO of my own life, but with the Bardot name comes responsibility I’m not ready for. Granted, my gran, who I look up to, will understand if I told her my plans. Because of her, I was able to get an internship in New York in a few months.

  My folks were not happy about that, but they acquiesced because Gran wanted it. Slipping my feet into the four-inch heeled sandals, I take in my outfit, my long, red hair plaited in a thick braid down to the middle of my back. Stray curls have already come loose, but I don’t tie them back. My wide, dark eyes are lined with black, my lashes darkened by mascara, and my lips are shimmering from the gloss painted over the deep red lipstick.

  Perfectly poised.

  I silently make my way out to the hallway, listening for my parents arguing, but find silence. Thankfully, they haven’t already started fighting, but the night is still young. By the time I reach the foyer, my mother appears from the dining room, a flute of champagne already in hand, her eyes sparkling as she takes me in.

  “Oh, Scarlett,” she coos. “You look beautiful. There’ll be so many men wanting to dance with you this evening. I hope you’re ready.” Her excitement about finding me a man makes me want to run back upstairs and hide in my room. At my age, I should’ve moved out of the house already, but I stayed. Mainly to keep an eye on my folks, but also, I’ve always felt safe in my childhood home.

  “Well, they’ll have to form a line,” I tell her with a fake smile plastered on my lips. If there’s one thing she’s taught me to do well, that’s pretending. It’s not that I wouldn’t like to be with someone, but the fact that she wants to marry me off to the most eligible bachelor leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

  Laughter bounces from her lips, sounding like a tinkling coin against the expensive tiles as my father saunters toward us, a tight smile on his face and a gaze that flickers with apprehension. I notice the tension taut in his shoulders as he takes us in. “Are you ready?” he asks, his focus on me, and I nod. It doesn’t take my mother long to swallow down her drink, and soon enough, we’re in the town car as it weaves down our long driveway.

  My phone buzzes in my purse, and I find a message from my best friend, Aelin. The moment I walked into class and settled beside her, I knew I’d found a connection. She looked over at me, her silver eyes shimmering as she took me in. Her smile was genuine, nothing like girls and women from the social circles I’ve been used to growing up. It was refreshing.

  “I hope you’re not going to sit on your phone all night, Scarlett,” my mother admonishes, which I was expecting. The fact that I do have friends outside the people she knows doesn’t sit well with my mother. It never has.

  “Leave the girl, Marinda,” Dad tells her, his gaze mee
ting hers. Something passes between them unspoken, which has ice trickling down my spine. My father turns his attention on me, offering me a smile that doesn’t reach his eyes. He’s never lied to me. I know this because when Dad would tell me something serious, he would always meet my gaze, but his next words are uttered with his stare on the seat behind me. “It’s nice that you have friends. Your future might change in an instant, and who knows when you’ll need someone to talk to.”

  “What do you mean?” There’s a twisting in my gut, a coiling serpent tightening with every silent second that passes. My father’s expression is one of guilt when he looks to my mother, then me.

  “Just that Aelin is a nice girl. You should keep in contact with her.” He waves his hand as if dismissing the topic, and I know if I ask anything more, he’ll only ignore me. When my father decides to keep things to himself, there’s no way of getting him to open up.

  I don’t respond, merely nod and continue with my reply to Aelin, letting her know I’m on my way and I’ll see her soon. The charity ball is being held in town in a lavish, five-star hotel with only celebrities and politicians in attendance. The guestlist is filled with names that most would be excited to rub shoulders with, including Aelin’s dad, who’s one of the most well-known names across the world, a famous rock star with a penchant for causing women to drop to their knees. And soon, my best friend will be on tour with the band, leaving me to a lonely summer with my grandmother in Crimson Falls.