Apr 78 min read

Devious Vow by Jagger Cole

Devious Vow

by Jagger Cole

Self-Published

Book 2 in the Venomous Gods Series

Once he was my enemy. Now, he’s my boss.

Rich, successful, viciously gorgeous, and sinisterly brutal, Alistair Black is every bit his last name.

Morally black. Inky black heart. Devious black soul.

In college, we were enemies. Rivals. Bully vs bully. I almost ruined his life.

Now, ten years later, our paths cross again when I’m forced to work under him.

And he hasn’t at all forgotten or forgiven me for what I did to him back at school.

Now he’s my brooding, emotionally unavailable boss with the body of a god.

And I’m his plaything.

The target of his malice and revenge. The one from whom he wants to hear “yes, sir”, and nothing else.

Years ago, I thought I was done with Alistair Black.

But it turns out, he’s nowhere near done with me…

Genre

#DarkRomance

#MafiaRomance

#InterconnectedRomance

Triggers

Violence, Death, Domestic abuse, Addiction, Off-page pregnancy loss, mentions of sexual assault

I've been craving a mafia romance as of late, and when I received an arc of Poisonous Kiss - the third book in this series - I immediately downloaded the second book in the series in order to catch up.

I'm soooo glad I did.

Jagger Cole may be one of my go to authors when I'm in the mood for a dark/mafia romance.

It hit everything I love about dark romance.

Morally gray, complicated characters, and steamy as hell.

Jagger Cole writes some of the steamiest romance.

I loved the story. Both Alistair and Eloise's history with one another, their complicated backgrounds, and overall arcs - their own, and their romance - made for an interesting, intense story. I was so drawn into this book from the first chapter, to the last page.

Trust me, the headache I have today is because I stayed awake way too long because I needed to finish this book.

The side characters were just as intriguing, and made me want to pick up the next book right away - which is great for me, because I have an arc of the next book. Gabriel, here I come.

I absolutely adore Jagger Cole's writing. He is an official go to author for me now, especially when I am in mood for a darker romance. Or a steamy romance.

Because ... whew. So. Freaking. Hot.

Gabriel: “Alistair—”

Alistair: “Would you like me to declare prior carnal knowledge with HR? If so, just let me know which form I’m supposed to use to disclose that my newest associate once swallowed my cum before getting down on her hands and knees and asking me—quite vigorously, I should add—to⁠—”

Gabriel: “Are you done? I don’t need to hear this.”

It unscrews easily, and I grin as I pull the big packet of hair dye—anime blue, because irony is hilarious—out of my back pocket. The contents get dumped in before I screw it back in place. I look like I went down on a Smurf, huh? Well, Eloise, after your shower, you’re going to look like you got bukkaked by about thirty of them.

I mean the woman brought me another fucking chai latte with two shots of espresso today, unprompted and unannounced, then smiled and told me to have a nice day. I threw the latte away because I figured it was laced with laxatives or poison, but I’m beginning to think it really was just a kind gesture.

Alistair: “And here I thought I was an asshole because I touched someone else’s wife.”

She goes quiet, her chest rising and falling as her eyes meet mine.

Eloise: “I’m not⁠—”

Alistair: “Because I took what belongs to another man.”

Her lips purse, the bottom one quivering.

Eloise: “I don’t belong to anyone⁠—”

Alistair: “Well, that’s not true at all, is it?”

In one move, I grab her by the hip and jaw, yanking her against my chest as I crush my lips to hers.

She does belong to someone. Me.

Alistair: “No need to yell, I’m right here. Now why don’t you be a good girl and fucking come all over my big, fat, hard cock.”

Alistair: “Whatcha doing here, T?”

She gives me a funny look.

Tinsley: “You mean aside from the fact that my husband runs the joint?”

She shrugs.

Tinsley: “Not much. Just making sure my kneepads are in the glory-hole booth for later.”

I cock a brow as I shake my head at her.

Alistair: “You’re going to give Dante a fucking aneurysm with your shit, you know that?”

She grins, giggling as she turns to cup her husband’s face and kiss him deeply.

Tinsley: “He knows I’m just⁠—”

Dante: “Keep it up, wife,”

Dante murmurs quietly, his eyes locked with hers,

Dante: “and we’ll see what happens.”

She bites her lip.

Tinsley: “Is that a promise?”

Alistair: “Yeah, hi, brother sitting right the fuck here,”

I groan in a nauseated voice. Drazen roars with laughter as Dante shrugs.

Dante: “Alistair, when two people love each other very much, and they want to express that love in a physical⁠—”

Alistair: “Finish that fucking sentence and I’m going to knock you on your ass. Right after I vomit, that is.”

Gabriel’s jaw sets.

Gabriel: “If there is any chance Massimo knows what you’re up to with Eloise⁠—”

Alistair: “There isn’t.”

He gives me a look.

Gabriel: “Can I take that as confirmation that you’re currently involved with her?”

Alistair: “That’s leading the witness.”

Gabriel: “Fuck you. Objection.”

Alistair: “Sustained. The defense rests.”

Gabriel’s lips curl even as he looks away and rolls his eyes.

Alistair: “There’s a scene in Casino Royale, when Bond tells Vesper to come to the poker game at a certain time, because he wants the table to be distracted by her beauty.”

I swallow.

Eloise: “Is that what you want me to do?”

Alistair: “No, princess. I want you to walk in at a certain time with my cum filling your panties and drying on your fucking skin, so that when I look at you while I’m sitting across the table from Massimo, I’ll remember that I’ve already beaten him.”

Alistair: “You’re not just anything, Eloise,”

Alistair hisses as his teeth rake down my neck. He nips at my earlobe, making me moan sharply.

Alistair: “You’re the whole fucking deal.”

Alistair: “Because a good girl, Eloise,”

he murmurs, bending over me. He grabs my hair in a fist, pulling it to the side so that his lips can brush my ear.

Alistair: “Doesn’t bend over her husband’s desk like a greedy little slut, begging another man to give her the fucking she needs.”

Fuck, the way this man carves his way into the darkest, dirtiest, sluttiest parts of me and just…lives there, rent-free.

Alistair: “Uh-uh,”

he growls, reaching down and pulling my panties up for me, tugging them tight against the sticky wet cum coating my thighs and between them.

Alistair: “Remember,”

he murmurs into my ear,

Alistair: “when you walk into that poker game, I want to look at you and know my cum is still marking your skin.”

His eyes flicker.

Alistair: “I want to look at you and know how fucking mine you are.”

Alistair: “Will you please sit the fuck down? You’re freaking me out.”

I glare at him.

Alistair: “Sit,”

he grunts, pointing at the floor.

Eloise: “I’m not a puppy, you fucker.”

Alistair: “Earlier, you said that when I broke into your dorm room I could have walked in on you changing. I did. But you…ahh…weren’t changing.”

My face scrunches.

Eloise: “I don’t know what⁠—”

Then it clicks, and my face explodes with heat.

Eloise: “YOU—!”

He waggles his brows.

Eloise: “Seriously?!”

Alistair grins.

Alistair: “Solid A, A minus performance.”

Oh. My. Fucking. God. I want to crawl into myself or melt into a puddle and drip through the cracks in the floor. Alistair saw me naked. Worse, he saw me masturbating. Just kill me now. Suddenly I scowl as I yank my gaze back to him.

Eloise: “I’m sorry, wait, did you say A minus?!”

He grins. Asshole.

Alistair: “I’m just saying, I could have been more drawn in, as an audience member.”

I groan as I sink down into a ball, burying my face in my jacket.

Eloise: “You are such a dick…”

Alistair: “Like, I didn’t really get what your motivation was.”

Eloise: “Please stop talking.”

Alistair: “And your technique could use some work.”

I lift my face again and glare death at him through the fiery blush spreading across my face.

Eloise: “Excuse me?!”

He just shrugs and leans back against the wall. Then his phone dies as well. Shit. Now we’re in absolute darkness. I gulp, hugging myself again as my pulse quickens.

Alistair: “You all right?”

Eloise: “Yeah, I’m fine.”

We’re both silent another minute.

Eloise: “My technique does not need work.”

Alistair: “If you say so.”

Eloise: “I do.”

Alistair: “Well, that’s settled then.”

I grin. When did this conversation turn into something that feels like flirting?

Alistair: “You know what, scrap the minus. Solid A performance.”

I roll my eyes, my face still throbbing.

Eloise: “Gee, thanks, professor.”

Alistair: “I’ll admit, I might have been swayed by your pandering to the judges.”

I sigh heavily.

Eloise: “There weren’t…”

I shake my head.

Eloise: “What does that even mean?”

Alistair: “Come on, it was my favorite part…”

My nose wrinkles.

Eloise: “What was your favorite⁠—”

Alistair: “When you said my name.”

Alistair: “That was the damn problem, princess. You could have fucked every man on the planet, stabbed me in the heart, and stood over me laughing while I bled out, Eloise,”

he murmurs, holding my face in his hands.

Alistair: “And my problem would have always been the same damn thing.”

I’m crying as I bite my lip.

Eloise: “Which is what?”

Alistair: “That as hard as I try, I love you too fucking much to hate you at all.”

The breath leaves my body. My world goes still.

Alistair: “I’ve loved you for ten fucking years, Eloise. And the only way I could survive that was to convince myself that the love was hate.”

Gabriel: “Earth to Alistair?”

I roll my eyes at my brother.

Alistair: “Yes?”

He smirks and steps into my office.

Gabriel: “For the record, that was my third knock.”

Alistair: “Court acknowledges the prosecution’s evidence but ignores it as unsubstantiated and irrelevant.”

Gabriel sighs.

Gabriel: “I really don’t need to warn you again about getting involved with Massimo Carveli’s wife, right?”

Alistair: “Of course not.”

Gabriel: “You’re not involved with her, correct?”

Alistair: “Gabriel. You know how much I hate lying to family.”

He pinches the bridge of his nose tiredly and looks away.

Gabriel: “I’m just going to pretend you said ‘Yes, of course, Gabriel. I would never do anything that reckless and fucking stupid’.”

Alistair: “Wow, you’ve got my tone down pat.”

Taylor: “For the sake of both our friendship and professional relationship, please don’t ever talk to me like I’m a fucking idiot ever again.”

My mouth twists.

Alistair: “Sure. Sorry about that.”

She nods.

Taylor: “Apology accepted. C’mon. It’s exactly what I think with you and Eloise, isn’t it.”

Alistair: “Objection. Leading the witness.”

Taylor: “Fuck off. Sustained. And guilty as fuck, while we’re at it.”

Alistair: “Do it. When you’re wrong, you can get on your knees with your mouth wide open, right here, right now.”

Heat simmers in my core.

Eloise: “Oh?”

I grin.

Eloise: “And if I’m right?”

Alistair: “Then you can lie back on that couch over there and spread your pretty thighs for me to crawl between and lick your clit until you see God.”

Holy hell.

Eloise: “Deal,”

I blurt, my face burning.

Eloise: “I love you,”

I sob.

Alistair: “I love you too,”

Alistair murmurs, holding me close.

Gabriel: “And…I…”

Both of us whirl to where Gabriel is slumped on the ground.

Gabriel: “Am still. Fucking. Dying over here. In case anyone cares?”

I grin.

Alistair: “Objection.”