Forever We Fall: Broken #4 (The Broken Series) (8 page)

Lee

I'd just put Hope down for a nap when the buzzer for the front gate drilled through my ear.
Dammit.
That thing was going to give me a freaking heart attack.

Slipping out of Hope's room, I closed out her door and rushed up the hallway to answer it before it buzzed again. "Hello?" I said and felt totally stupid when I realized I was holding my hand on the button for the house alarm. "Hello," I tried again.

"Hello, Lia," my mother's voice came through the intercom. "I hope I'm not too early."

"Oh, hi Tracy," I mumbled taken aback. I'd completely forgotten my mother was calling today. She'd phoned last night to see if I was available to have coffee with her. I'd accepted –reluctantly – because I didn't want to upset her, but I was nervous. What if we didn't have anything to talk about? What if she decided I wasn't worth all of this hassle I'd given her and she walked away again. No. No, that wouldn't happen. I needed to be positive. This would be good.

"We can do this another day if you prefer," I heard my mother say softly and found myself panicking and rejecting that option.

"No," I all but yelled. "Now's great," I added quietly before pressing the button Kyle had colored in with a pink sharpie. "It's open," I said bravely. "Come on up."

****

"Who taught you to cook?" I asked as I leaned my elbows on the island countertop, dropped my chin in my hands, and studied my mother who was pottering around my kitchen like a pro. Never in my wildest imagination had I thought I'd be happy to watch my mom bake a cake. Something so normal. Something so…motherly. I had thought it would be awkward, especially since Kyle had to go into work and we would be on our own, but we'd been fine – more than fine. We had steered clear of any dangerous topics, choosing to chat mostly about Hope and other
safe
topics. It was  during one of these random conversations, when I'd admitted I'd accidently poisoned Kyle with a batch of cookies last year, that Tracy had suggested we bake a cake.

"My mother," she replied as she opened the oven door and slid our creation inside. "When I was a child, and something really terrible happened to me, my mother would always bake a cake." Turning around to face me, she smiled shyly. "She used to say there was never a problem that couldn't be solved with chocolate fudge and pink icing…" Tracy paused and her face broke out in a huge grin. "But then again, I was seven and she was overweight, so maybe it was more for her benefit than mine."

"Were they good people?" I asked, finding myself mirroring her smile. "Did you love them?"

"Very much," she murmured. Stepping towards me, Tracy gently brushed a speck of flour from my cheek. I barely contained the shiver that was trying to force its way out of me from her touch. I had to stop myself from leaning into her touch. "I love you most of all," she whispered before turning around to start on the wash up.

I love you too
. I tested the words in my head, but couldn't make my mouth form them.

Too soon, my brain chanted.

"You want some help?" I asked in a cheerful tone as I stood up and grabbed the tea towel.

"Sure," she said with a smile before handing me a soapy baking tray. Moving to stand beside her, we washed and dried the dishes in companionable silence and in the back of my mind I felt a piece of my own personal jigsaw slide into place.

****

Chapter Seven

Kyle

My eyes locked on the raven-haired woman with her back to me, looking out my office window. Recognition flickered in some small part of my mind and I felt like a dick because all I could think of was how familiar her hips looked.
Come to think of it so did her ass…

"Kyle, you remember Cindy, Linda's niece?" Mike said, smiling broadly at me. "You should," he added with a barely contained snort. "You two were
inseparable
as teenagers."

She turned around and my heart fell into my ass.

Fuck…

Oh fuck.

I stood paralyzed, dumb as fuck, and unable to think straight. This girl. Jesus, what I'd done with her.

I'd been a pissed off teenager, fucking thrilled when this sexy nineteen year old took an interest in me. All I'd been getting from girls my age was some boob over bra action and the very rare hand job. The night Cindy Nichols walked into my bedroom at my grandpa's house, teasing me with her naked body, offering to do things to me I hadn't even heard about, had fucking thrilled me.

Now I felt kind of dirty.

Her green eyes shone in amusement as she prowled towards me. "Hey Speedy," Cindy purred, and the sound of her old nickname for me tore through my brain, bringing with it a swell of memories… Her long, black hair tumbling over her tits as she fucked me raw. "It's been a while," she mused, wrapping her arms around me in a hug. "You grew up good, Kyle.
Real
good."

"Cindy," I choked out, patting her awkwardly on her back. "It's been a long time." I felt like a rabbit in the headlights as I stared back at the girl–woman–who'd introduced me to the female body. The girl whose body I'd spent an entire summer pleasuring until I'd perfected every fucking touch, until after three months of raw, primal fucking, the student had surpassed the teacher.

"Seven years," she laughed, slapping my chest. "You're looking good, Speedy."

"Well, I'll let you two kids get reacquainted," Mike said, smirking to himself as he strolled out of my office. I wanted to scream 'don't fucking leave me with her,' but I knew he wouldn't help me – the fucker knew who she was.

Mike had spent enough time hanging out with me back then to know this girl arriving in my office was like dropping a ticking time bomb in my lap, and it was times like this I regretted putting my dick in half of the female population.

The minute the door closed I knew I was doomed. It felt like something was jammed in the door of my past, propping it open for every fucking mistake and stupid thing I'd done to come back and haunt me.

"I gotta tell you, speedy," Cindy mused as she strolled over to my desk. "When mom asked me to come talk to you, I was curious to see how you turned out. I'm impressed," she purred.

The sixteen year old boy in me roared to life. I shut that fucker up with a swift kick to the balls. Cold fucking shower for him. I wasn't that kid anymore. 

Her eyes dropped to the framed photo of Hope on my desk. "Cute kid," she mused.

"How long are you here for?" I remained by the door – a quick exit if needed. Cindy wasn't fucked up like Rachel. But she could fuck up my temporary peace at home.
Dammit to hell…

"I haven't decided yet," she replied as her eyes roamed all over me.
Jesus, she was leering at me…
"I was only supposed to be staying for the week, tying up some loose ends for Aunt Linda, but I think I might stick around for a while." She crossed the floor, not stopping until her chest grazed mine. "Take in some sights. Maybe go rock climbing. Would you like me to climb on your
rock,
Kyle? For old times' sake…" Her hand dropped to my pants and I jerked away.

"Whoa.
That
is not happening again," I warned her as I grabbed her shoulders and held her away from me. "I'm engaged, Cindy. I have a girl at home waiting on me."

"Engaged?" She looked confused as she shook her head. "What the hell are you doing getting engaged at your age? You're only twenty-three."

"I fell in love," I said coolly. "The right girl came along and I was sold." I stared at her, daring her to say something to contradict me.

"You got her pregnant, didn't you?" Cindy sneered. "Damn it, Carter," she hissed. "What was the first rule I taught you? Wear a goddamn glove."

"That's got nothing to do with why I'm marrying her," I growled frustrated as hell that my intentions towards Lee were being questioned, fucking sullied. "She's amazing. I'm in love with her."

"I bet," Cindy said in a sarcastic tone of voice. "So, you're telling me if I visited your
amazing
fiancée, I wouldn't find a whole bunch of mini Kyle Carter's running around the place."

My silence obviously answered her question because she tossed her hands in the air and hissed loudly. "You idiot," she spat. "I can't believe you allowed yourself to become a target like this. I thought you were smarter than this. How long do you even know this girl?"

"You know what," I snarled. "I don't need this shit from you. I'm glad you're here, Cindy. I have plenty questions about your AWOL aunt, but keep your opinion on my family to yourself."

"Don't get all pissy with me, Kyle…"

"Then don't jump to conclusions about my relationship with my woman," I shot back, furious.

"Your woman," she scoffed.

"That's right," I snarled as I stepped around her and stalked over to my desk. "My woman," I repeated as I sat down and folded my arms across my chest. "My
only
woman."

Her face reddened. "Okay, I'm sorry." Her shoulders dropped as she let out a deep breath. "Does she know how lucky she is to have you?"

"I'm more interested in knowing what's going on with your aunt," I tossed out, irritated as fuck that Cindy was still trying to bring Lee up to me. "Where is she, Cindy?" Resting my elbows on the desk, I leaned forward and met my ex whatever-the-hell-she-was with an unyielding stare, daring her to lie to my face. "Where is Linda?"

"I can't say," Cindy mumbled as her eyes filled up with tears. "I want to," she added quietly. "I think what they're doing is so wrong, but I can't go against her wishes."

"Her wishes?" I shook my head and jerked out of my chair. "What the hell is going on?" I all but roared. "Tell, me, Cindy."

"I can't, Kyle," Cindy whispered.

Walking over to the door, she pulled it open and smiled back at me. "I'll be in contact," she added before stepping out of my office and closing the door behind her. Jesus Christ, if someone didn't fill me in on what was happening soon I was going to lose my damn mind.

My phone decided to choose this moment to ring and I groaned in frustration before putting it to my ear. "This better be important," I muttered, not bothering to check who was calling. I was too fucking tired to care anymore.

"How's my soon to be son-in-law?"

My blood ran cold before quickly turning into molten lava in my veins as the sound of Jimmy Bennett's slurred voice drummed through my ears. "A lot better than you by the sounds of it, asshole," I snarled. "It's a little early to be hitting the whiskey, don't you think?"

"How's my little grandbaby?" he taunted and I was out of my chair and pacing the room, my body burning the hell up with pure rage. "How's your little whore?"

"You obviously have terrible survival instincts, Jimmy," I shot back, furious. "In case you've forgotten, the last time we spoke I warned you about what would happen if you brought my family up to me again."

"They're my family too, boy," he sneered.

"No," I hissed. "You gave up the right to call Lee your family the second you put your hands on her, and every time after that for eighteen fucking years." Clenching my eyes shut, I inhaled deeply and tried to calm down. I had bigger issues than this drunken piece of shit. "What do you want, Jimmy?"

"Money," he replied automatically. "What I'm owed. Pay up, Carter, and then I'll leave y'all alone. For good." Chuckling he added, "You want me outta Delia's life and I want cash. Cooperate with me and it'll be as easy as a piece of cake." His voice turned cold and menacing. "But if you don't, let me tell you, boy, I'll be coming for what I'm owed..."

"And I'll be waiting, asshole," I roared before hurling the phone at the wall. It smashed and I felt a slight amount of tension drain from my body – the satisfaction of breaking something helping to ebb my temper.

"Violence doesn't solve anything, son," I heard the familiar voice quip and I groaned loudly before dropping my head on the desk.

Why me?

Why fucking me?

"What do you want, David?" I asked wearily, not bothering to lift my head to look at my father. Jesus Christ, I should have never gotten out of my bed this morning. This day had gone to crap the moment I walked out my front door. "Mike's not here," I grumbled, waving a hand over my head. "As you can see."

"I just wanted to inform you that I've dealt with the whistleblower. He won't be a problem for you again."

My head snapped up. "Whistleblower?" I leaned back in my chair and studied my father's expressionless face. His eyes were the same color as mine, his hair identical with the exception of a few grays. He was tall in build, not as broad as me, but fuck, every time I looked at the man it was like looking at a future projection of myself – and it creeped me the hell out. There was absolutely nothing about my father that I desired to look like or aspired to be like. He was poison. Plain and simple. "I have no idea who you're talking about," I added, feigning boredom.

"Perry Franklin," David said calmly as he leaned against the door with his hands shoved in his suit pants pockets. "The little parasite who brought his spiel of drivel on national television and shamed our family."

Pushing away from the door, David strolled over to where my phone was now lying in pieces. Crouching down, he began to piece my phone back together. "He went too far," David mused, eyes locked on my phone as he re-set the battery and replaced the back of the phone. "And he paid for the privilege."

"What did you do?" I asked quietly, unsure if I truly wanted to know.

"Ask no questions and I'll tell you no lies," was all David responded before he stood up slowly. "All you need to know is he won't be a problem again, Kyle."

Strolling over to my desk, David placed my phone down on my desk in front of me and sighed. "You see." He gestured to my fully repaired/fully functioning phone. "Even the most broken of objects can be mended. Maybe they won't work the way they're supposed to, but perhaps with a little patience and time, they can still be…useful."

I sat frozen in my seat, churning David's not so subtle hint around in my mind, as he left the room just as silently as he'd entered. His attempts to reconnect with me were a waste of his time and mine. There would be no reconciliation. I couldn't trust him. Hell, it was starting to look like I couldn't trust anyone.

****