Broken Bond by C.J. Primer

34

CALLUM

A gust of warm air whooshes into my face as I push through the door to exit the squad complex, the summer sun beating down relentlessly overhead. We’re in the middle of what feels like an endless heat wave. The grass of the practice field is crunchy underfoot as I step out onto it, dying of thirst and begging for rain, and despite the fact that I just showered off the sweat I worked up while training, my t-shirt is already clinging to my body like a second skin by the time I reach the outer gate to head for the parking lot.

“Yo Cal, wait up!” a voice calls from behind me, and I swivel to see Logan jogging my way, his clunky motorcycle boots thudding against the ground.

I pause to wait for him, idly twirling the keys to my Corvette around a finger.

He flashes me a smile as he approaches, two rows of straight white teeth gleaming and a pair of dimples sinking into his cheeks. Handsome fucker. “Think you can find some time this week to finish my chest piece?” he asks, fingers trailing over his left pec where he’s sporting my ink beneath his shirt.

“Yeah, for sure. My schedule’s wide open these days.” I rake a hand through my hair. ” Just let me know when you’re up for it.”

His eager grin widens. “Shit, I’d do it right now, but I’m headed to Westfield to see Jax and Quinn. Maybe tomorrow?”

“Sure,” I shrug, though truthfully, I’m just as eager as he is. I’ve been fucking around with my tattoo gun on myself for a while now, but the only other person I’ve ever tattooed is Nessa. That is, until Logan and I got to talking about our ink while we were away on the mission. When he found out I’d done it all myself, he asked if I’d do one for him, and I jumped at the chance. There’s

just a certain thrill that comes with seeing my art come to life on someone else’s skin.

Logan claps me on the shoulder and the two of us start toward the parking lot, falling into an easy stride with one another. “So can we count on you for the next mission?” he asks, swinging his gaze to me. “The IT unit

thinks they may have identified another

offshoot of the shadow pack, wants to send a team to investigate.”

“Nah, man,” I grumble. “Think I’m gonna stick around here for a while.”

He arches a brow in surprise, stopping short in front of his motorcycle parked at the curb. I swivel to face him as I palm my keys.

“Any particular reason?” he asks, a knowing smirk pulling at his lips.

Yeah, Logan knows about Ness. He was tasked with leading the mission, and he’s the one person on our team that I really connected with- we’ve got a lot in common.

with our mutual passion for art and ink. He noticed all my sketchbooks lying around the dingy motel rooms we holed up in while we were away, and when he thumbed through one, he happened to see a sketch or two of!!!! my muse. Or fifty. I can’t help that all my recent sketchbooks are full of her face.OTR

He doesn’t wait for me to answer because he

already knows. “You get her back yet?”

“Working on it,” I grunt.

Logan gets a mischievous glint in his eye,

his smirk deepening. “Was that what you were doing at the swimming hole yesterday?” 3

Shit, I’d actually deluded myself into thinking Nessa and I had been discreet. Then again, I can’t remember the last time I drank that much- it’s not exactly like I was firing on all cylinders when I jumped her in the water.

I reach up to rub the back of my neck, wincing. “You saw that?”

“You two all over each other?” he snorts.

Yeah, hard to miss.”

While a natural reaction would probably be to feel something akin to embarrassment, for some reason, I get a surge of smug satisfaction, my wolf preening with pride for publicly staking our claim. Not that I have any right to, not after the way I left.

“I still don’t know where we stand,” I admit, heaving a sigh. “We were both a little drunk yesterday. I have a feeling she might have woken up this morning with second thoughts.”

“Ah, you’ll figure it out,” Logan says with a cavalier grin. “Take her out to a fancy dinner or buy her something nice. Girls love that shit.”

I shake my head, chuckling wryly. If only it were that easy. “Not this girl,” I mumble.

Even if I could afford to do that, Nessa’s not the type to be impressed by flashy presents or fine dining. It’s more about the little things with her. She’d take a scenic view over a stuffy restaurant any day, or a drawing out of my sketchbook over expensive jewelry. The things that make her eyes light up are the ones you can’t put a price tag on.

Logan shrugs, stepping up to his motorcycle and kicking a leg over. “Find another way to get back on her good side, then. You’ll think of something.” He starts the engine, the deep hum vibrating through my body as he revs it a few times. “Flowers usually help, all girls like flowers. There’s a floral shop in Summervale.” I wrinkle my nose at his suggestion and Logan shrugs again.

decide to do, do it soon, before she has a chance to sit

off my forehead, already damp with sweat after spending ten fucking minutes out

from the curb. “Good luck,” he calls, shooting me a grin over his shoulder.

lift my chin in acknowledgement, turning away to head for my Corvette as

point. The longer I wait before seeking out Nessa, the longer she’ll have to overanalyze what happened yesterday; the longer she’ll have to decide that she regrets it. If I want to win her back- and I do- then then I’ll need to head

time to come up with a plan.

edge of the heavy wooden front door of the Norbury packhouse like

out.” I square my shoulders. and deliver the line with a confident swagger, but it’s all false bravado. I’m nervous as hell about how

are clammy, and my heart is pounding so hard that it feels like it’s about to burst from my chest and splatter into to a pulpy mess at my feet.

being such a pussy and getting all awkward

in my hand, half hidden behind the back of my thigh. I lift

out to take them from me. “Aw, I love carnations,” she breathes, her lips pulling into a bright

or have ever bought them for someone before. I didn’t even think to ask the florist at the shop in Summervale what kind they were; I just went in there and asked for the biggest bouquet I could get for the rest of the

ended up walking out with, I thought

reminds me, I need to ask Brady if he’s got any work for me at the garage while I’m waiting for my stipend from the mission to

“They’re beautiful,” she smiles, pulling the door open wider and taking a step backwards. “Just let

Logan. 5

step inside while Nessa carries the flowers

and filling it at the sink. “So where are you taking me?” she asks over her shoulder as she puts the flowers in the glass

“You’ll see.”

I keep my expression

me a nice view of her ass in the little white pair of denim shorts she’s wearing. She catches me staring when she pops back

I get the flash of a

expression twisting. It doesn’t register at first, but bile crawls up my throat when it hits me that she’s probably associating my car with that stupid bet

had poured so much sweat and effort into. When she climbed in, I remember how she took in every detail of

car, but now she eyes it with apprehension, all the good memories painted over by the dark, ugly stain of my betrayal.

and pressing my keys into her palm. ”

goes slack, her eyes widening in shock as they ping between the set of

slowly shifting from apprehension to excitement. “But this car’s

the keys. Honestly, the thought of anyone else behind the wheel of this car makes me a little bit queasy, but I shove that down because

and closing her fist around them. I lift my gaze to stare into her eyes earnestly. You gave me your trust before, but I didn’t give you mine. I should’ve trusted you with my secrets and let you make your own choice. And I should’ve trusted myself to keep you safe rather than just bailing out on you.” I reach up to touch her face, running my thumb gently along the curve of her jaw. Her throat bobs beneath my knuckles with a hard swallow. “I know I fucked up everything when I left, but I’m trying to make it right. Figured the first step

corners of Nessa’s mouth tip up, a smile slowly, beautifully, spreading across her face. I feel her little tremble of excitement beneath my fingertips, see it

while I open the door and drop into the passenger seat, feeling completely out of place on this side of the Corvette. I watch Nessa climb in behind the wheel, her long tan legs slipping inside, her lithe fingers gripping the key as she turns it in the ignition and the engine rumbles to life

is one of the few things in this world that I give a shit about, and relinquishing control of it ha me tightly wound, my hands curling into fists in my

you, isn’t it?” Nessa giggles from beside me, darting me a glance and clocking the tight

little,” I admit, shooting her a wry smile. I tip my head toward the windshield.”

those eyes of hers instead, shifting the gear at the end of the driveway and lurching forward down

My lungs constrict.

way?” she asks, braking a little too hard

cringe, throwing a thumb to the left. She takes the turn, and I lean forward to hit the button for the radio, cranking up the volume to

forest road, still not giving up our destination. She takes a few of the turns a little too fast for my liking, my hands scrabbling for purchase on the ceiling of the car, which she finds fucking hilarious. Although my heart’s in my throat, her giggle soothes my nerves like music to my ears. Nessa’s laugh is one of the things I missed most about her while I was away, and I’ll trade my discomfort for her happiness any day.

cars through. There’s hardly ever any traffic, but the last thing I want is for her to chance it by going too fast and send the Corvette tumbling over the edge. The boys and I used to come up here to smoke

appreciate. If we can make it there in

peak, barely restraining myself from reaching over and

though, and when the Corvette finally rolls to a stop and she cuts the engine, I blow out a long breath, my muscles sore

my shoulder. “C’mon,” I urge,

suit, climbing out of the drivers’ side and meeting me in

she shakes her head, taking

the edge in a few strides, and I hop up onto the top of the stony plateau, offering her a hand to help her up. As soon as she climbs up to join me and looks out at the scene spread before her, Nessa’s eyes round in awe, her

on a swivel as she

you can see the swell of nearby mountaintops and the snow-capped peaks of those in the distance. The lush foliage of the forest is spread out below, teeming with life, and the wide river that borders Stillwater’s

her face as she drinks

murmurs closer to the edge.

grab her arm, tugging her back before she

her lips. “So you didn’t bring

I flinch.

she blinked, she’d miss it. She doesn’t, though. The smile drops from her face, her cheeks flushing. “Shit, sorry, I didn’t