Shattered Vows (Midnight Manor Book 2), page 1
Shattered Vows
P. RAYNE
Copyright © 2024 by Piper Rayne Incorporated
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Cover Designer: Regina Wamba
Line Editor: Joy Editing
Proofreader: My Brother’s Editor
About Shattered Vows
Once upon a time, I thought I’d found my happy ever after. Until she ruined it all.
I’d been on the hunt for four long years, and I finally found her.
I planned the perfect revenge. Kidnapping Rapsody on the day she was set to marry another man and forcing her to face my wrath while trapped in the confines of my family’s gothic manor.
Despite my desire to punish her, there is still an undeniable pull between us. But as the walls of the manor close in around us, we both have to confront the truth. Can we trust each other, or will my dark past consume us both?
Trigger Warnings
Trigger warnings can be found on our website if you want to check them out.
PLEASE NOTE:
These warnings contain major spoilers.
https://piperrayne.com/p-rayne
Contents
Playlist
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Epilogue
Also by P. Rayne
Acknowledgments
About P. Rayne
Playlist
Here's a list of songs that inspired us while we were writing the Midnight Manor series. You can follow the playlist (and us) on Spotify using the QR code below.
Chapter
One
RAPSODY
This is not how I imagined my wedding.
I thought I’d be marrying a man I loved. I would look at my reflection in the mirror, tearing up as I placed my veil on because it was the happiest day of my life. I wouldn’t hold any frayed nerves that needed calming because I was certain of my choice and ready to take the leap of faith to my happily ever after.
Instead, I’m completely alone in a dingy room in the church, staring at my reflection, struggling to pin my veil into place. It took me long enough to secure my long blond hair into an updo. I’m not undoing all that hard work.
Alistair may not be my soulmate, but I do love him as a person and a friend. Even if I’m not madly in love with him, he represents something I value more than love—freedom.
When he asked me to marry him, I was honest and told him that I wasn’t head over heels for him, but he insisted that was okay. He said that in time, I’d grow to love him, and I possessed qualities he wanted in a wife—respectful, supportive, and devoted.
If he knew the truth—that attending church was a way to force my mom to let me out of the apartment and have some semblance of a life—I’m not sure he’d feel that way. And if he ever knew the thoughts that race through my head late at night when I’m alone in bed, he definitely wouldn’t feel that way.
Which is why I might throw up all over the ordinary white gown. What if I’m not what he wants after we’re married? What if trying to conform to what he wants is more stifling than living under my mother’s oppressive reign?
I squeeze my eyes shut. I’m a terrible daughter for having these thoughts after everything she gave up for me. Sucking in a deep breath, I open my eyes.
No. I can’t think like that. It’s normal to be scared on your wedding day. Everyone talks about cold feet. It’s just that, what others experience before committing themselves to someone for the rest of their life.
Then why don’t I feel scared…
Nope.
That too is something I can’t think about. Not if I want to make it through today.
Today I’m going to marry an honest and righteous man who will never hurt me. Who will never lie to me. The life he’ll give me is more than I ever hoped for, and I should be grateful.
“Let me do it.”
I startle, glancing up through the mirror. My mother is at the door.
I turn to face her. The moment I do, the same guilt plagues me since I said yes to Alistair’s proposal.
Her dark-brown eyes gaze at me with reproach and a hint of disdain.
“Thank you,” I whisper, holding the veil out to her. I turn so my back is to her, watching in the mirror as she secures it in my hair.
“There’s still time to change your mind,” she says.
My shoulders slump. Not this again.
“Mom…” I face her and take her hands.
Tears build in her eyes as she looks at me with desperation.
“Alistair will be good to me. He’s a good man.”
Her sadness transforms into irritation, and she rolls her eyes. “You don’t have any idea what men are capable of. Look at what—”
“I don’t want to talk about that. Not today.” I’m quick to cut her off, a rarity for me.
“Of course you don’t. Because then you’d have to consider that you don’t know everything and that you’ve put yourself in danger before.”
“Alistair is different. He’s—”
My mom arches an eyebrow. “A God-fearing man? Don’t you know that some of the worst predators hide behind the façade of religion? The world is a dangerous place, Rap—Lillian. In ways you can’t imagine. All I’ve ever done is try to protect you from the cruelty of this world. And what do I get for looking out for you?”
My chest tightens, and my throat closes up.
No, no, no. Not now.
I draw in a deep breath and hold it for a few seconds before I let the air stream out of my mouth slowly, then repeat the process several more times.
“Look at you, sweetheart. The stress of this wedding is clearly getting to you. How are you going to handle a marriage? Even in the happiest relationships, there are difficulties and stress.” She squeezes my hands and places her cool palm on my cheek.
“I’m fine. I’ll be okay.”
“There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you, you know that, right?”
I nod. My mother has given up so much for me through the years. For her to even bring me into the world was an emotional sacrifice I’ll always be thankful for.
I’ll never forget when I was younger, pouring over our photo albums. I asked her why there weren’t any pictures of her when she was pregnant with me. She divulged that I had been the product of a sexual assault. The man who raped her was never caught, and when she found out she was pregnant, she wasn’t sure what to do. She told me that something inside her told her I was special, so she continued with the pregnancy.
She always insists that the moment she saw me, she fell in love with me, regardless of how I came into being. But there’s still a small part of me hidden in a box in a dark corner of my mind that I only take the lid off to examine every once in a while that wonders how true her words are. Every time I open that box, shame and guilt and disgust leap out at me, and I have to fight to put the lid back on. If only so I can carry on.
So yes, I know the sacrifices my mom has made for me over the years, including upending her life and moving across the country because of my screw-up four years ago. She may be entirely too overprotective, but how can I blame her after what happened to her? I always feel ungrateful and selfish when I have negative thoughts about her, so I push them away the best I can.
“I know, Mom.” I place my hand over hers where it rests on my cheek.
She slips her hand out from under mine. “You’re just going to marry Alistair and forget all about me.” Her eyes water, and she gives me her back.
“I would never do that.” I frown, unsure how to make her see that just because I’m getting married doesn’t mean I’m abandoning her. “Alistair doesn’t want me to work, so I’ll be home all the time, the same way I am now. You can come over whenever you want, and I’ll come see you.”
I have to get my driver’s license, though, otherwise I’ll be reliant on Seattle’s bus system. That makes me a little nervous since I’ve never used it.
She sniffles and lets her chin fall to her chest. “It’s not the same.”
Sobs rack her small frame, and I rush to stand in front of her, hands on her shoulders. My chest cracks in two. “Mom… what can I do?”
I knew today would be hard, for a plethora of reasons, but watching the woman who’s always looked out for me, and protected me, falling apart shreds me.
She
Something in me withers at her suggestion—probably the hope that I could forge my own life somewhat separate from her. But then I feel like the worst person imaginable as I look at her, envisioning how hard she worked to raise me on her own, how the only thing she’s ever wanted is what’s best for me, and I can’t deny her.
I nod. “Of course,” I say in a hoarse voice. “I’ll discuss it with him tonight after the wedding.”
A pleased look crosses her face, and her tears dry up. “Wonderful. I know you’ll make him see that it’s best for everyone.” She places a quick kiss on my cheek. “I’m going to go freshen up. All this crying you’ve made me do probably made my face all puffy.”
She brushes past me and out the door, closing it behind her.
I sigh and walk back to the mirror. My nerves are replaced with disappointment.
No. I’m not going to ruin my wedding day.
Smoothing my hand down the front of my dress, I raise my chin, pushing away all the negativity. Even if my mother does move in with us, I’ll still have more freedom, more of a life than I ever did when I lived alone with her. This is still an improvement. Plus, I get to spend the rest of my life with Alistair, an honest, dependable, predictable man. Everything will be okay. Everything will work out.
The door creaks open again. I look into the mirror, ready to greet my mom, but the smile dies on my lips. It’s not her.
It’s him.
The man who, despite my best efforts, never leaves my mind.
The man who is as dangerous as the lion sleeve tattoo inked on his left arm hidden under his expensive suit.
The man who is looking at me as if he’s ready to murder me.
I open my mouth, but he closes the distance before I can scream. His warm, smooth palm slides over my lips. I thrash in his arms, but it’s useless. He’s too big, too strong.
His lips come to my ear. “Hello, Rapsody. Or should I say, Lillian?”
I haven’t heard his gravelly voice in four long years. My green eyes meet his caramel ones in the mirror, and I still at the hatred resting in them.
“I’ve finally found you.” His lips curl into a cunning smile.
The day has come.
My past has caught up to me.
Today of all days.
Chapter
Two
KOL
TWO WEEKS EARLIER…
My heart jackhammers as I stare at the image on my phone.
It’s her.
Over the years, there have been too many false alarms, so when my new private investigator, referred to me by Mr. Smith, texted me saying that he’d found Rapsody, I didn’t hold out a lot of hope. Figured it was another false identification.
But there’s no denying this is her. The long blond hair and emerald eyes that live in my nightmares. She still has the same innocent, almost childlike expression, as though everything in the world is shiny and new.
I run my thumb along the screen over her face. It’s been a long three years of searching. It took a year for me to cave and try to track her down to seek my revenge. A year where I fell further and further into the depths of my depravity. Hunting her gave me something to do, somewhere to put my pent-up energy to appease the part of me bent on making her pay.
Once I’ve recovered from my shock, I glance across the dining room table at my brother Sid. He’d sit beside me if my three brothers were here, but Nero and his fiancée, Maude, are still in bed. My eldest brother, Asher, and Anabelle aren’t returning from their honeymoon until tonight, so it’d be weird to sit next to Sid when it’s just the two of us.
I punch out a message back.
Give me an address where she’s living.
The response comes back immediately. Seattle.
What else?
She’s going by the name Lillian Harris now.
I scowl.
“Did it personally offend you?” Sid asks from the other side of the table.
My head whips up, and I meet his gaze. “It’s nothing.” I set the phone face-down on the table and resume eating breakfast.
But Sid is no fool. “You going to tell me what was in that message, or do I have to fight you for that phone?”
“I’d like to see you try.” I shove a piece of fruit in my mouth, narrowing my eyes.
We both know that with my special ops training, I’d have him on the floor and underneath me in seconds. But I’d be stupid to underestimate Sid. He might be the most charming of us Voss brothers, but there’s more to him than the veneer he shows the world. He might be the most dangerous brother of all because he’s so good at hiding his true self. The wolf tattoo peeking above the collar of his perfectly white pressed dress shirt is the only indication that there’s more than meets the eye to the put-together-attorney persona he adopts.
He shrugs. “Didn’t say I’d be successful. But I’d be a shit brother if I didn’t try.”
“It’s nothing for you to worry about.” I take a sip of my coffee, keeping my expression blank.
“I think you’re lying. I haven’t seen you with that look in your eye since—”
When he stops speaking, I look at him.
His nearly black eyes are wide. “Holy fuck, really?”
I have no interest in talking to him about Rapsody. The chair falls back toward the floor when I push away from the table, but I steady it with my hand and stalk from the room.
“You found her?” Sid calls.
Sid’s footsteps echo in the wide hallway as I head from the communal part of the house toward the north wing, my private area.
“Where is she?”
“Leave it alone.” I don’t ease my pace or bother to look over my shoulder.
“Kol.” He grips my elbow to try to pull me to a stop.
In seconds, I have him pressed up against the wall with my arm pushed against his neck. If he wasn’t my brother, I’d be squeezing the life out of him. “I said leave it alone.”
He glowers, eyes narrow, assessing. “At least tell me your plans.”
“I don’t know.” I’m telling him the truth. I’m still processing that I found her.
Part of me wants to run off half-cocked, but my military training taught me not to act on emotion without a plan.
Sid studies me for a beat then nods, I guess believing me. “Do you need my help?”
I let my forearm drop, and he takes a couple deep breaths. “No.”
“If you do, you’ll tell me?” He meets my stare, and I nod.
Growing up, Sid was the closest to me out of my three brothers. Asher was the oldest and always trying to protect the rest of us from the wrath of our father—before attending boarding school in his teen years. I don’t blame him for leaving. I did the same thing when I joined the military at eighteen, although my father had been dead for two years at that point.
And Nero was always the baby of the family, which left Sid and me to bond, stuck in the middle between the oldest and the youngest.
“Good luck.” Without another word, Sid makes his way back to the dining room.
I stalk through the dim mansion to go to my wing to pack a bag, texting the pilot of my private jet that I want wheels up within the hour. I’ll figure out my plan in the air.
When I land in Seattle, I purchase a run-of-the-mill minivan for cash from some guy in the outskirts of the city. A vehicle that blends in and screams suburban soccer dad of four, not billionaire ready to seek revenge.
Mr. Smith’s guy sent me all the information he could find on Lillian Harris and her mother, Virginia Harris, whose name is on the lease of the crappy two-bedroom apartment they’re renting.
Even without seeing Virginia, I know it’s Rapsody’s mother and not some aunt, cousin, or sister. My quick background check on Rapsody after we first met four years ago didn’t bring up any other living relatives, and Rapsody told me it was just her and her mother.
I’m parked outside the apartment and seeing her again knocks the wind out of me as if I’ve been punched in the gut. It irritates me to admit that she’s as beautiful as ever. Her long blonde hair hangs to her waist. It’s styled in waves and swishes side to side as she walks toward a vehicle parked on the curb.
