Page 66 of Serpent & Saviors

We would come back for the rest of our things after everything was said and done. The lift ride down took seconds, and her quiet demeanor had me feeling a strange mix of anxiety and anticipation. The lobby was bustling with people checking out.

So much was riding on today. Declan would be well on his way to the safehouse by now and, if all went as planned, he’d arrive just before we did.

Holding her last night—her breath against my chest, her fingers curled into my skin—had changed me. Somewhere in those quiet hours, I stopped trying to fight what was always inevitable.

She was mine.

The depth of what I felt for her knocked the wind out of me. Passion, yes—but more than that—a promise. A knowing. And it didn’t matter that she had a child. That part of her wasn’t baggage. It was a gift.

The thought had barely settled before the mood shattered. Cameron strode through the door, flanked by Nigel and another man I didn’t recognize.

Victoria’s breath caught—a fragile sound that made my heart skip. She looked at me, those beautiful eyes flickering with something I couldn’t quite place. Hesitation? Doubt? I wanted to put her mind at ease.

“Are you ready?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

Her gaze slid to Cameron, lingering a moment before snapping back to me. Then the change hit like a wave. That sweet vulnerability vanished, replaced by a cruel, mocking smile that curled her lips. It was sharp and knocked me back.

“Ready? For what?” Her voice dripped with bitter sarcasm, thick with disbelief. “You really thought I was going to stay? Oh my God, you actually did. Cam, he thought I was going to leave with him.”

She tossed her hair over her shoulder, laughter spilling out—cold, scornful, and merciless. Cameron and his men joined in.

Something cracked inside me. The past clawed its way back—memories consuming me. Every single one I’d tried so hard to forget. It was like watching myself from somewhere far away, disconnected and numb.

My mind couldn’t grasp what was unfolding in front of me. Had Cameron wormed his way back into her? She hadn’t been alone for long this morning, and when I’d returned from checking in with Marcus, she’d seemed…okay.

But now, her voice, her swagger—it was the same venomous girl from those dark school days, the one I thought I’d escaped. Except now it was repackaged and even more devastating.

She drifted toward Cameron with a cruel grace, and he pulled her into his arms as if she were his prize. I wanted her to recoil, to flinch, to show any sign of resistance. But there was nothing.

I choked out, “What are you doing? I thought—”

A harsh, bitter laugh shattered whatever fragile hope remained inside me.

“No way you’re this gullible,” she spat, eyes sharp and mocking. “I gave you a heads up at your grandmother’s, remember? The plan? You really thought I’d leave my husband? For you?” Her voice dropped cold, slicing deep. “I like a man who takes complete control—who doesn’t play safe. For a man paid to listen, you’re the worst I’ve ever met.”

Each word was a blade twisting in my chest, and the room spun, the ground slipping away beneath me. I caught Marcus and Pasha out of the corner of my eye, my fists clenched in anger.

The weight of onlookers’ eyes burned into me. Words wouldn’t form, and it was as if someone had hit the rewind button. Gone was the confident man I’d become, and I was the fat boy standing on the porch in a tuxedo, being completely humiliated again.

If she’d stopped there, maybe I would have been able to get myself together, but her voice rang out loudly, dripping with poison.

“You’re pathetic,” she sneered, her face taking on a haunting look. “Your own mother didn’t even love you. It’s too bad she wasn’t successful all those years ago.”

I recoiled as if slapped, my face flushed hot with anger and humiliation. I wanted to ask her why she was doing this, but the words were caught in my throat, and I choked on the emotions.

Cameron laughed. I flashed him a look, and he stood triumphantly beside her, his arm wrapped around her. But it was her snuggling into him that shattered me.

The sight of it echoed along with her words in my ears, and I turned and walked back to the lift.

“Well done,” I murmured with my hand on Victoria’s back.

To anyone watching, we looked like the perfect couple. Her arm looped through mine, her head slightly bowed as if she were the devoted, obedient wife she was meant to be. It was a bloody good act. Top-notch, an award-winning performance.

Knowing her the way I did, I understood that beneath her calm exterior, defeat was waiting. The doorman in his tailored coat opened the door. His smile was bright and oblivious, his accent crisp and pleasant.

“Thank you for staying with us. Have a lovely morning.”

I returned the courtesy with a polite nod. Victoria’s perfume—something new, soft, and expensive—rose when she shifted closer. My lungs seized mid-inhale, and my jaw locked before I could stop it. The muscle near my temple twitched.