Poisoned Love, Sweet Vengeance

ome up with the fifty-thousand-dollar

he exact moment my brother took his last breath, Holden was buying

rs wasn't a struggling founder. He was a secret billionaire heir play

of a motorcycle in a dangerous street race. Then he jumped off the

g to rush her to the hospital. Later, he forced me

my suffering was my own fault. He even demanded I

of the most powerful men in the country-a pact to protect me at all costs

pte

ther w

ospital, a final, flat note from the doctor that ended

d at 3

years, Holden Herrera, was at a dealershi

paid for. He was polishing the hood of the car, a gleaming silver be

My voice was hollow

iping the shiny metal with a soft clo

ay," he said, his tone flat. "I

ing they might pierce the thick wall of his indif

ossing the rag onto a workbench. He looked at me, his eyes empty

ou. You did

ment. No big expenses without discuss

t." The pact we made while I worked two jobs to support his "stru

sting like poison. "That's all it would have cost fo

dismissive hand. "A long shot. And he was

s twen

. "And we can't affo

believed was just down on his luck. But my mind was replaying a phone call I

lden Herrera, the sole heir to the Herrer

s high school sweetheart, Betsy Long, who was back in town. He bought it with the money from o

the dawning, horrific unders

he said flatly, his voice cold.

asked, the name feeling for

ed. He didn't b

ope, the endless excuses I made for his coldnes

as o

memory of my grandfather, Alphons Day, and a promise he' d made. A promise

as a man name

ied a small box from the hospital, containing the few things my brother

, a sleek convertible pul

r seat, a woman with blonde hair and a smug smil

. I stare

annoyance, as if I were a piece of trash on hi

hing. I just held

repeated, the words now a c

imed in, her voice like tinkling glass.

ze back to me. "What are you holding? Did you bring

den, honey, be nice. Maybe she can't handle

er hand, a gesture of affectio

sed to beg for his attention. But no

," I said, my

looked s

den," I said. "W

ouse, not looking back. I went stra

It was my bes

her voice full of worry. "After fiv

ent for a

. I was going

l, just a few days ago. My brother,

s in front of Holden, ri

ming down my face. "Just fifty thousand

at me, his face

" he

I cried. "He has his w

id, turning away. "I have a ca