Broken Bond by C.J. Primer

36

CALLUM

It’s going to storm.

I can smell it in the air even before I hear

the faint echo of thunder in the distance, a warning of what’s coming.

We need the rain. The blistering summer sun has made the grass brittle, the forest foliage withering with thirst. Even the river is lower than I’ve seen it in years, in desperate need of a top-up. Sitting

outside on the patio behind the packhouse, there’s an unmistakable

energy in the air, almost like the parched landscape is quivering in anticipation for the storm to roll in.

Within myself, the storm is already raging. It has been for a long time, born in a dark room in a basement, fed by

anger and resentment. Until I found the

one person who could calm it: Vanessa

Diaz, my muse, my light.

“You good?” Chase asks, his eyes still bloodshot from the joint we smoked.

I grunt in affirmation, nodding. My own high is already gone, but the weed calmed me down as it worked its way through my system, tempering my agitation. Pulling the skeletons out of my closet over the last week has taken its toll. Rehashing things with Rob didn’t particularly bother me; it was the reason behind it that

struck a nerve. I was fine right up until I saw that hopeful look in Nessa’s eyes, like

she was searching for some way to excuse my past indiscretions. Like she needed

some sort of validation that I’m not a cold

-blooded killer.

I’d give anything to go back and change that night, but I can’t. What’s done is done, and it’s a stain I’ll bear on my soul

for the rest of my life. There’s no excuse or hidden explanation, it just is what it is; I am what I am. I thought she’d come to terms with it, but seeing that look on her face tonight, I realized that sweet,

virtuous Nessa may not ever be able to reconcile the man with the monster. 3

That’s what made me break.

Chase leans forward in the wrought iron patio chair, fixing me with a solemn stare. “Ready to go back in?”

I nod again, thankful that he sat out here with me until I got my head on straight but recognizing that this isn’t really his battle. It’s up to me and Ness to figure out our shit; whether we’ll be able to make this work now that all the cards are on the table. I was hopeful until I saw that look. Now, I’m not so sure. 2

Chase pushes up from his seat first,

leading the way back inside. The girls are

still on the couch, both of them craning

their necks to look over the back of it with

wide, curious eyes as we enter. Nessa’s gaze collides with mine and she

immediately hops up, not breaking eye

contact as I stride over to her.

“Can we talk?” I ask as I reach out to take

her hand, my thumb gliding over her

knuckles.

“Yeah,” she breathes, almost in relief. She threads her fingers with mine, stepping out from around the coffee table and tugging on my hand. “C’mon.”

I’m glad she wants to have this

conversation in private. Not that I have

anything to hide anymore, but it seems like Vienna is always glaring daggers at me these days. I suppose I understand. I can’t fault her for wanting to protect her friend, and truthfully, I appreciate the

fact that Nessa has someone like Vee in

her corner.

I nod to Chase and Vienna as we leave the room, the latter giving me a hard look, as if to say ‘don’t fuck it up’.

Yeah, I’ll try not to.

We’re both quiet as I follow Nessa down the hallway that houses the guest roo our feet treading softly against the

hardwood floor. When we arrive at the last door on the left, she turns the knob to open it, dropping my hand as she strides inside and flips on the light.

I’m immediately greeted by her scent- even if she hadn’t led me to this room, I’d know it was hers by the sweet smell of cherries that hangs in the air. And if that failed me, then I’d definitely know it by a single glance inside. It’s feminine and romantic and so perfectly her, exactly

how I’ve always imagined her space would look if I was invited in.

Nessa strides over to the bed, breathing a

heavy sigh as she sinks down onto the edge, coasting her fingertips over the

fluffy pale pink comforter. She kicks off her shoes as she crosses one long tan leg over the other, then plants her palms behind her, leaning back and beckoning me with a flick of her head. She’s the picture of a sweet girl nextdoor fantasy, my pulse racing as I stand frozen in the doorway, practically drooling. We need to have a conversation, but those legs, those eyes, that coy smile tugging at the

corners of her mouth…

It takes me a second to snap out of it and push those nefarious thoughts aside. I stride further into the room, moving closer but keeping enough distance so I’ll still be able to think straight. I stop in front of the dresser positioned across from the bed, folding my arms over my chest and leaning back against it, gazing at Nessa as I draw a slow breath.

“You were hoping Rob would have more to say,” I murmur, not as a question, but

a statement. When

that Nessa

doubts as to what really happened

didn’t believe

despite the fact that I’d already

her hands in her lap. “Well yeah, but I think he gave us enough to go on for now,” she replies, a determined glint

can find a way to get to the

for what he

})

justice, or is it about trying to clear my name?” I interrupt,

Whether it was a setup or not, I still killed

come out as harsh as

as she peers

with that,” I rasp, staring into her wide brown doe-eyes. The question is,

doesn’t break eye contact,

I can’t read her

lip between her teeth, wringing her hands in her

last bit of distance between

there’s nothing else to the story, if it happened exactly how I say it did, is there still a chance for

so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. My heart

((

The

eyes dart away, giving

drop her chin and take a jerky step back. It was too much to hope for a

Maybe if

to her

before, when things were good between us, she could’ve accepted my past. I fucked it all to hell when I left her. There’s

should’ve left.

meet mine, and my chest squeezes painfully at the connection. “I know I can’t change my past or the pain I caused you, and I’ll regret the way I left every day for the rest of my fucking life. But I’ll never regret

had. I wouldn’t change that for

throat burns as I turn

as I start

Ward the door.

“Wait.”

My muscles lock

I freeze

of me, staring up into my eyes as she presses her palm to my chest,

my throat tightening.

((

hand to cup my jaw, warmth blooming beneath her touch.

you left, I

live with your past. As long as

its valves. One

swallowing her little gasp of surprise as I claim her mouth in a desperate, filthy kiss. She reacts with equal urgency, clutching my face and tugging me impossibly closer, parting her lips to let me

messy. Sloppy. Uncoordinated. I nip her lips and lick her teeth and tangle my hands in

the dresser and sending things crashing to the floor, but we continue

else fading

Every encounter

home has been

tension between us

as we give in.

my lips, fingernails digging into my

She doesn’t have

anywhere.

I’m not going

a path down the column of her neck, sucking marks into her silky

soft moan escapes her lips as I palm her ass, lifting her to wrap her

top of the dresser and

clatter in the process. Neither

the hem of my shirt up my torso, fighting to

drops to her flushed chest,

in a white cotton

my

this girl

Her cheeks are rosy, her lips puffy, her hair mussed. “So fucking beautiful,” I think aloud,

the band of her

out gloriously. I dive forward to capture her mouth again, kissing her hungrily as I palm her gorgeous tits in both hands,

trail kisses down her neck, along

my hair as I bite and suck her nipples, the sweetest little

falling

over my scalp as she

my chest. Even then, her words haven’t quite registered, my mind in a complete fog of lust and obsessive

with an

closed and engages the lock, and by the time she turns back to face me, I’m

a predator, the painful strain of my hard-on against my zipper making every step

Nessa’s

approach intently, pressing

I drop to my knees, yanking her shorts down her legs with my descent. Her panties come off with them, and she gasps as I wrench her thighs apart, diving right in to

out, her legs

“Callum

trembling against my

ear

securely against the door, lapping up her sweet nectar like a man

her hands fisting my hair

could die between this woman’s thighs with no regrets. Every pant, every mewl, every breathy whisper of my name on her lips drives me fucking wild. I circle her

and sucking her clit while fumbling with the button on my jeans, scrambling to shove them down and release my throbbing cock from their confines. Nessa’s legs are still trembling when I shoot to my feet, throwing one of her thighs over my hip and sinking the head of my cock inside her, her inner walls still quivering from her

hold back from pounding into her the way I want to, but damnit if it’s not

Nessa moans, rocking

don’t deny her. I punch my hips forward, gliding into her tight channel easily since she’s so damn wet for me. Wrapping my arms around her thighs, I pin her against the door with

I pull out halfway and slam back home again and again, the door rattling on its hinges with every forceful

hold on them,

my waist instead as I continue to

with reckless abandon.