The Broken (25 page)

“The white one.
I love you in white.”

Ice cold dread
works its way up my spine.
Was that real or have I finally
snapped?
A hand on my shoulder and the change in atmosphere
warns me that he’s real. I spin my body around, not wanting my back
to him in case he hits me over the head with something.

“How did you
get in here?”

Danny’s dark
eyes bore into me. He looks unkempt. He has a beard, and his hair
is longer. His clothes are dirty, but those eyes they are the same.
“Is that what you have to ask me after not seeing me for so long?
Have you not missed me?”

“How did you
get in here?” I repeat, trying to buy time.

“The security
is good, but so am I. Beautiful, I can breach anything. I got past
the firewalls in an hour to get the codes for the alarm system and
to turn off the cameras. Simple, really.”

The phone
rings, startling me. Danny’s eyes go to the bedside table where the
phone lays. I take his distraction as an opportunity, and dart past
him, but he’s quick, and grabs out for me. I use one of the
self-defence technics Derek taught me. Using the palm of my hand I
jab upwards at his nose, blood explodes from the impact. I lift my
knee, connecting with his crotch, and he doubles over. I turn to
run, but he reaches out, grabbing my calf. I fall down with a hard
thud. I turn onto my back and kick at Danny’s hands and face.

“River, stop
it!” he roars.

I manage to
break his hold and scamper across the floor to my dresser. I pull
out the gun Derek had bought me and trained me to use. I feel Danny
behind me. “Beautiful?”

I turn and
point the gun right on his forehead, pulling the trigger. The loud,
sharp ring makes my ears pop and the kickback jolts my body. I
watch him fall to the floor, his blood spraying over me like shower
of justice. He deserves to pay for his sins in blood. I can’t lower
the gun, I just hold it over him.

I
get to the lot and call Stevie to the office.
Stevie’s a loyal employee. He’s worked here longer then I’ve lived
so I trust him, and he was the right choice when I needed a
co-manager.

“What’s up,
son?”

I smile. “I
have to take my fiancée out to celebrate. I want to take a few days
off.”

His returning
grin makes me smile bigger. I’m acting like a huge pussy, but I
didn’t give a shit. We fucking earned this happiness, and nothing
can take my smile of my face.

“Well, it’s
about time. Go, take as long as you need. Give my congratulations
to the little lady.”

I shake his
hand and pat his back when he embraces me. My cell chirping stops
me from becoming anymore of a pussy by gushing about how happy I
am. I see Derek’s name and hit accept.

“Hey, man, she
said yes,” I say, proudly.

“Is she with
you, Sammy?”

The anxiety in
his voice has the hairs on the back of my neck standing on end.

“I dropped her
at home about thirty minutes ago, why?”

He exhales.
“Are Jasper and Michael at the house?”

I start to
panic and I’m already making my way across the lot to my car. “No,
why, Derek? What’s happening?” I’m full on shouting now.

“Someone took
the cameras out and breached the firewall to the alarm system. I’m
about twenty minutes out, I’ve call a squad car to go check it out.
Sammy, it could be nothing.”

He tries to
sound reassuring, but I can hear the worry in his voice.

“It’s him,” is
all I say before ending the call and dialling the house. No answer.
I try her cell, but get nothing. Burning rage is like lava in my
veins. If he’s taken her, I won’t be able to cope. The burn of
tears laces my lashes and I dial Jasper’s cell.

“Hey, man! So,
is she off the market for good or do I still have a chance?” His
mood is light and I hear kids’ laughter in the background so I know
he’s still out which means Michael is safe.

“Don’t go back
to the house until I call you,” I tell him and he chuckles.

“No problem
sealing the deal, eh?”

I don’t
respond. I throw the phone in the passenger seat and speed all the
way to the mansion. I’m not even sure I wait for the car to stop
before I’m out and racing into the house.

“River?”

Nothing. I race
into the front room, frantically searching for her. I run up the
stairs, checking each room. I come to ours and freeze. Standing in
her underwear, covered in blood, my Twinkle Toes. At her feet was
Danny, a seeping bullet hole in his forehead, blood covering his
mouth and chin from what looked like a nose injury. My girl is
holding a gun, pointed at the still form below her. I approach her
with caution, not wanting to startle her.

“Baby, it’s me,
Sammy.”

“I won’t be his
victim anymore, Sammy.”

Her voice
shakes as she speaks. I hear a flurry of activity from downstairs
and Derek bursts into the room. He surveys the scene and relaxes
his tense stance.

“It’s okay,
River. He’s dead. Pass me the gun, sweetheart.”

She turns her
eyes to me. “I couldn’t let him take me, Sammy.”

I reach for
her, and Derek takes her gun.

“I know, baby.
You did good. You did so good. It’s over.”

She begins to
shake from the sob that rips from her chest. “It’s really
over.”

“S
o Jasper’s bringing her to dinner?”

I’m in shock.
Jasper has never had a serious girlfriend. He is the definition of
a playboy, so when Sammy told me he’s getting serious with a girl
he met, I didn’t believe him.

“Yes, he wants
you to meet her, which is his test, by the way, to see if she can
win your approval.”

I laugh at my
delicious husband. “She doesn’t need my approval.”

He cocks an
eyebrow. “Jasper puts your opinion above anyone else’s. It’s a
test, but he must really like this girl to be bringing her to
family dinner night, so go easy on them.”

His hands are
stroking my stomach, his head resting just above my panty line.

“Do we have
time, baby?” he asks, dropping his hand into my panties.

I moan when he
flutters his kisses over my aching clit and down to my
entrance.

“Mmm, so warm
and wet, baby,” he groans.

“Daddy!”
Michael bellows as he comes running in. Sammy’s hand quickly
retreats as do his lips. He kisses my growing bump and sits up to
catch our son as he launches himself at him.

“Hey, little
man.”

Sammy begins
his usual morning tickle attack and Michael’s giggles float around
the room, making me feel content. It took tragedy and heartbreak to
get us here, but things have been good for the last few years. I
still see my therapist once a month as nightmares sneak up on me
every now again, mainly when Michael’s features and colouring begin
to change. Sammy tells me I’m paranoid and he refuses to have DNA
test done. He says Michael is his son, end of. We moved out of
Derek’s when we got married, five months after I shot and killed
Danny. I felt parts of myself heal that day. I took my vows. I was
Sammy’s, and he was mine.

The dance
studio is doing fantastic. I have some great girls who teach with
me and help manage the place, which I will need more than anything
now I’m expecting our second child. I’m four months pregnant, and
Sammy shed a tear when I told him. He’s an amazing parent, despite
the fact he had no one to learn from. He was just born to be a
daddy. His mother is AWOL, but we have nothing to do with her
anyway, so she can stay that way. In our minds, she died along with
any ties we had to those houses and my parents. Our new house is a
beautiful two story four bedroom dream house that Sammy bought us
after selling his old home. I refused to sell mine. Instead, I had
it demolished. No one should ever have to live in that tomb. We
still all gather at Derek’s on a Sunday for family dinner night,
and Jasper still lives there. He and Derek have a bachelor bromance
going on when he isn’t at my place, making me cook for him. He
isn’t just Sammy’s best friend, he and I have a great friendship. I
adore him, and I seem to be the only female he values. Derek is
like a brother to me and Sammy both; his love and protection is
invaluable to me and we spend as much time together as a family as
we can. He has no other family, just like us.

“Come here,
little man, we have some exciting news to tell you.” Sammy’s voice
penetrates my memories. I sit up and pull Michael on to my lap.
He’s five years old now.

“So, how would
you feel about having a little brother or sister?” I ask him.

He looks to
Sammy. “Will you still love me?”

Sammy pulls him
from my lap and sits him on his own. “Of course. You’re Daddy’s
little buddy, and having a new baby brother or sister won’t change
that. We have plenty of love to share with you both.” He nuzzles
Michael’s neck. I slip from the bed and pull on a robe. “Come on,
buddy, let’s go make you some breakfast and talk some more,
okay?”

He jumps from
the bed. “Okay.”

Sammy smiles
and follows us out of the room. I turn to smile at them when I got
to the top of the stairs, but feel hands shove me forward. I tumble
down the stairs, managing to brace myself and grabbing the rail to
stop myself from descending the full stairs. Sammy rushes down to
pick me up, shock written all over his face. We both turn our heads
upwards to see Michael.

“I don’t want
to share your love.”

The air leaves
my lungs. I’m looking at my baby. I’m staring into his father eyes.
Danny’s eyes, his eyes…

Keep reading
for the sneak peek at the prologue for

The Broken
Parts Of Us…….. Jasper’s book