“No, I’m not declining your offer,” I told him coolly. “I’m informing you that I will cut your balls off if you so much as lay a fucking finger on Violet Cabot.”
“Who do you think you are?” he asked, huffing and puffing. His face was getting redder and redder. “You think you own this town, kid? Maybe your Daddy does, but he’s nothing compared to me.”
I smirked at him, clicking my fingers. In moments, our hostess was back.
“Hello, Maria,” I said calmly. “I’m afraid Connor here has upset me.”
“How unfortunate,” she replied, giving the man on the opposite side of me a cool look. “How can I help you with this matter, Mr. Windsor?”
“I’d like him gone,” I told her, never taking my eyes off the man in question. “Please have security remove him from the restaurant. And I don’t want him here ever again, or in any of your other restaurants. Can you ensure that?”
“Of course,” she replied smoothly while Connor’s face got redder and redder. “Security!”
“You can’t do this,” he screamed at me while the whole restaurant watched. “Who the hell do you think you are, Windsor? You’re nothing without your father!”
“No?” I asked innocently. “Then I’m sure you’re not afraid of me.”
His eyes betrayed him, telling me he was very afraid indeed.
“I didn’t mean it,” he backtracked. “I was only joking…”
“Of course,” I replied smoothly. “Make sure it stays at that – a joke. Or I won’t just have you exiled from every restaurant I know of. I’ll have you gone from the city. Tell me, does Georgia know how obsessed you are with her little sister?”
“Our wedding was a business move,” he told me, his voice starting to shake. “It never meant anything, and I wanted it to be Violet all along! She was just too young at the time.”
“You’re a disgusting pervert,” I told him. “And if I even hear you are bothering Violet… if you so much as appear in her vicinity… I will fucking end you.”
He snorted just as security appeared. A tall blond man set his thick, meaty palm on Connor’s shoulder while the man stared at me, bewildered.
“You can’t be serious,” he told me. “It was nothing… merely a business proposal.”
“I’m sure it was,” I replied with a cold smile. “And I’ll keep it between the two of us as long as you stay away from Violet Cabot.”
He fought his emotions internally, the battle depicted on his handsome face. Connor wasn’t a bad looking man. It was just his corrupt mind that made him ugly.
“Take him away,” I told security, waving my hand dismissively. “Now.”
“Please, Windsor,” the man begged. “Reconsider. We could both benefit-”
“Shut your fucking mouth,” I stopped him in his tracks. “And if you don’t stay away from her, I’ll have you put in prison. Remember that little thing that happened between you and a fifteen-year-old girl you attempted to solicit in Michigan?”
His expression faltered, and he got paler and paler.
“How did you…” he started. “How did you know about that?”
“Same way I know how you avoided prison, but don’t think that the sins of the past could come back to haunt you—or I could create a brand new one for you to go down for,” I told him and gave the security guard a nod. “Now take him away.”
He barely resisted as the security guard dragged him out of the restaurant.
A moment later, Maria reappeared with my food, setting the steak au poivre on the table before me.
“Bon appetit, Mr. Windsor,” she said with a pleasant smile.
I looked at the patrons of the restaurant, all watching me with shocked expressions.
“Don’t fuck with the devil,” I said loud enough for every to hear, then stabbed my fork into my food.ThirteenVioletI managed to shift the bag with the journals to the side before I threw up for the second time. I was vomiting so hard that it felt like I was going to pass out. I was flooded with so many emotions—so much sickness that resonated in my soul. I just wanted to be out of the Devil’s Manor. It felt like the walls were going to close in on me. I pushed myself up, but I felt my arms shake. My chest started to tighten. I was having a panic attack—I hadn’t had one of those since I was a child when I woke up screaming for my mother after she died.
“Miss Violet, are you okay?” Belle came running and knelt beside me. “Oh my goodness, we need to get you in bed.”
“No.” I tried to push her away, but my arms were too weak and my vision was starting to get blurry. “I’m fine, just leave me alone.”
“You just threw up on the floor. I don’t think you’re okay.” She put one arm behind my knees and the other around my shoulders. “At least let me get you over to the sofa so that you’re not on the floor.”