Broken Bond by C.J. Primer

38

CALLUM

“I was beginning to think you were avoiding me,” Troy mutters dryly as he

forces his way past me into my apartment.

My muscles lock up as his shoulder knocks into mine. “Yeah, well I knew you wouldn’t stop calling until I picked up,” I

grumble.

I glare after my stepfather as he strides right into the living room like he owns the damn place, and all the effort I put into calming myself prior to this interaction is immediately wasted at the sight of him in my space. My jaw ticks in agitation, fingers twitching at my sides. I’m not fond of anybody intruding on my space, Nessa being the only exception.

That’s who I’m really doing this for. My

girl is an idealist; she can’t abide not seeing wrongs righted, so if there’s one to uncover here, I’ll try, for her. I finally picked up one of Troy’s calls this

morning and told him he could come over for a chat, though I still have doubts about Chase’s plan actually working. It’s

clever, but he doesn’t know Troy like I do. It’d take a sledgehammer for this man to

crack.

“Your mother’s hurt that you haven’t stopped by since you returned,” Fuckface comments as he sinks down onto my

sofa, throwing an arm over the back and settling in.

“I doubt that,” I snort.

He gives me a once-over, the corners of his eyes crinkling with a smile. “You’re right. She hasn’t even asked about you.” 7

He’s clearly wasting no time in trying to get under my skin. He should know by

now that I’m not phased by my mother’s indifference, though. I just shrug, striding into the room and taking a seat in the recliner on the opposite side, maintaining a detached, aloof exterior even though I feel bile crawling up my

throat.

Realizing his first barb didn’t land, Troy switches tactics. “Pity about that girlfriend of yours,” he murmurs as he picks a piece of lint off the sofa, flicking it

away.

My pulse picks up speed. Damnit. “What about her?” I grit out.

That patronizing grin of his that I fucking hate makes a swift appearance, my stepdad delighting in managing to strike a nerve. “Spencer said he’s seen her out with Miles,” he says, attempting to twist the knife. When I don’t immediately react, he presses on. “It must hurt, seeing her move on so quickly. And with one of

your so-called friends, no less.” Troy sucks in a hissed breath through his teeth, feigning a wince of sympathy. “You did the right thing, though, breaking that

off. Glad to see you took my advice to

heart.”

“We’re back together, actually,” I mutter before I can stop myself. I wasn’t

planning on revealing that little tidbit of information to this asshole, but seeing him sitting on my couch looking so smug, it just slips out. This is what he does; burrows himself under my skin until my knee-jerk reactions overpower rationality.

Troy’s brows shoot up, his impenetrable mask slipping momentarily. Then he fucking chuckles, like my life is all some big joke to him. “Interesting,” he tuts. ” Surprised you’d want her back after

another man had her.”

“You wanted Mom.” 13

I see the split-second reaction, the curl of his lip, the flash of anger in his eyes. But just as quickly as it appeared, he smooths it over, schooling his expression. “Well, I certainly hope she isn’t pregnant,” he muses. Pausing, his eyes narrow, that familiar look of hatred swirling behind them as he fixes me with a venomous gaze. “I’d hate for you to have to see what it’s like to live with another man’s

mistake.” 7

don’t let him see it. He’s never tried to hide how he

me. When I was a kid, I wanted his love- craved it, even. Now, I don’t want anything from him except for

from me, Troy?” I sigh, leaning back in

fingertips against

want me to apologize for

the last time we spoke, though it seems that you’ve failed to follow through.”

least he’s cutting right to the

smoothly. “I put in a good word for Spence, just like you asked me to. Problem is, the position you were after for him has already been

flits across his face again. ” What?

can’t suppress the grin that pulls at my lips. “Me.” 1

the indignation that permeates his features. His posture stiffens as his eyes narrow in rage, steam

his feathers to be ruffled. It’s so damn satisfying to see him being the one to squirm for once, knowing that for the first time, I’m the one with

head in disbelief. ” You can’t accept

I

what you did. I’d

think I haven’t

I interrupt, frustration

my

nor the tight

into the sofa,

creasing his lips. “He

you to be an

he says matter-of- factly. “Friend or not, no alpha would put

by granting rank to a

loose cannon.”

against the armrests of the recliner as I suppress my instinctual

this plan has any hope of

calmly, just as we rehearsed. “He said the current enforcers have gone soft, he

who isn’t afraid to do

needs to be done.

killer instinct.”

in disbelief, his composed mask slipping again. “You almost pissed yourself that night,” he

wanted you to see,

see.” The lie tastes bitter on my lips, but I press on, sticking to the script. “And it worked, it got me out of being punished. But I knew what I

his head back on a maniacal laugh. “How you’d planned?!” he barks. ” Oh, that’s rich. As if a woman like that

neck prickling. Somehow, I keep it together, though. Somehow, I press on, without missing a beat. “You were there, you saw her,”

was paid to

Bingo.

goes

me. Nessa was right- it was a setup. Troy

all along.

I never

to examine why Troy was there that night, waiting in the wings. My mind races, and I open my mouth to speak,

we did this, Chase let me

him; the reason behind

in the past and was repeatedly passed over. Vaughn speculated that after

given how close Chase

on the

were the case, it could’ve been his motivation to push me

much fucking sense to

Fuckface

I think he’s caught onto what

if you own what happened that night, it somehow makes you

a fucking embarrassment. You’ve always been weak, crying when I sent you to time-out, crying when you thought you’d killed that whore. I paid her

thought it was hilarious, a

son.”

Wait, what?

I stammer, trying to conceal the tremble in