Broken Pieces Read online

  Turning to the source of the voice, I see a very stunning woman standing in all her gorgeous glory looking back at me. She’s wearing a tight black dress, her straight black hair is in a bob, and her honey eyes are in slits. Very familiar honey eyes, ones that belong to a girl I used to date. It was a regrettable mistake during a dark period when I was missing Taegan even more painfully than usual.

  “Christiana,” I say, my eyes narrowing as my shoulders go back, on the defensive. “Two shifters in one night, all the product of Frank Kelley. Yeah, this isn’t fishy at all.”

  “Oh, please, I’m here to meet my brother,” she says, waving me off and moving past me to sit by Thomas. She smiles sweetly before asking Rebekah, “Can I have a glass of your best Pinot Grigio?”

  Rebekah is stark white in the face as she quickly nods before going to work. Looking back to me, Christiana grins while my poor sister looks like a cat in a room full of rocking chairs.

  “I promise, boys, we are just visiting. My brother is in from out of town. I’d love to hang out with him outside of our home,” Christiana says, pulling my attention from my worried sister.

  Clearing my throat, I shake my head. She’s full of shit. “Well, Christiana, like I told your brother, I find it odd that a rumor has made its way through my family that you’re after my sister, and now you two show up. Tell me that doesn’t stink.”

  “Ah, it stinks, but I assure you, we aren’t here but to visit.”

  “I don’t trust you, and I won’t apologize for that.”

  She waves me off effortlessly, and I don’t miss her smug ass at all. She used to do that to me all the time. It bothered me then as much as it does now. I’m not sure what I saw in the Princess Kelley, but I regret that choice immensely. I probably went after her because she’s not only beautiful but easy.

  “Your precious sister is in no danger, and our fathers are to meet tomorrow. Would we really risk something stupid when William von Stein is coming into our home and we need his help?”

  What the hell is she talking about? Before I can ask, Thomas clears his throat. “We are honestly just visiting. We don’t wish any ill will to your sister.”

  I glance to JJ, unsure what to do, but he only nods. Then I notice that he is tucking his knife back into his pocket. At least one of us had protection; I was just going to take them with my hands. Looking back to the Kelley children, JJ says, “Fine, but we are watching. And Rebekah, you don’t serve them. Vampire, you’re on your own.”

  I look to the vampire as he nods. “Yes, of course.”

  “Move,” JJ says to Rebekah, and she quickly moves away, down by where we were sitting. I follow her to the end of the bar, my eyes on them and her, on high alert. I don’t know what they are doing, what they are up to, but they won’t touch my sister on my watch. Or ever. I’ll kill them all for her.

  As I sit down, JJ sits too, his eyes on them as he speaks very low. “Something is not right.”

  “I agree.”

  “We should get her out of here.”

  “They’ll know we’re scared,” Rebekah says then, and I meet her gaze, nodding.

  “She’s right. I want to watch them.”

  JJ doesn’t answer at first, but I know he knows Rebekah is right. He just doesn’t want to admit it. Means that Rebekah is growing up, and boy, is she. Though she looks scared to death, she stands proudly, her shoulders back as she pulls in a deep breath and says, “But if they were really wanting to do me harm, wouldn’t they shift into another person they knew I trusted and get me that way? Why would they come at me in front of everyone, in their real bodies? They know I can’t leave, so it isn’t like they can get me, you know? Maybe they are here just to visit.” I look back at her, fully impressed. I hadn’t even thought of that. Shrugging her shoulders, she says, “You know what I mean?”

  JJ nods. “Yes, my Rebekah, you’re right, though I still don’t trust them.”

  I nod too, my eyes back on them as the vampire is carrying on a very intense conversation. Maybe JJ was right, maybe that guy is up to something. Looking back to my sister, I hold her gaze as I say, “Yeah, good point, but don’t let your guard down.”

  “Didn’t plan on it,” she says with a laugh, and as she turns to serve someone, I look back to JJ.

  “That vampire is up to something.”

  JJ’s gaze hasn’t left the Kelleys or the vampire, and he nods slowly. “Told you.”

  And to think, I thought my biggest and most important issue was my relationship was Taegan.

  Really, it’s the fucking shifters and what I assume is their vampire spy.

  Or better yet, their assassin.

  I’m dead asleep when I feel her lips on my jaw.

  I almost think I’m dreaming until I open my eyes, blinking in the pitch black to see the outline of her body. Her eyes are sparkling in the moonlight as her naked body warms mine. While I’m giddy to see her, she isn’t supposed to be here. She had a dinner tonight with her brother and his soon-to-be wife. She had said she would be out late with them, wanting to spend time with them, and that she would see me tomorrow. Confused, I wrap my arms around her, kissing her temple, but then I can feel that she is crying.

  My eyes widen, and I’m fully awake as I kiss her cheek, whispering, “My love, what’s wrong?”

  Choking back a sob, she whispers, “They set a date.”

  My body goes cold. Even with the furnace she is putting out, I’m frozen with fear.

  For the end is near.

  “For?” I ask, wanting to buy time before she tells me what I already know is coming.

  “My wedding to him,” she says through her sobs, her body racked with them, shaking my own body. “Oh, Oceanus, I don’t want to marry him!”

  Holding her closer, I kiss her temple, her nose, and then the spot between her eyes. “I don’t want you to either, my love,” I say, my eyes closing as I lean into her, needing her. We lie like that for what seems like hours. Neither of us saying anything, neither of us moving. Nothing, just her sobs and the sounds of my soul shattering filling my dark, empty room.

  “We can’t run, can we?”

  I slowly shake my head. “My father will kill you, Tae. I can’t. I just can’t. I’d rather have you with that dog than take you for myself with the fear of my father finding us.”

  Her sobs are deafening, and all I can do is hold her tighter, kissing her and begging her to calm down. “My father said the same,” she whispers through her tears. “I told him about us.”

  “Oh, Tae.”

  “I know, I should have just let it be. But when he told me, I told him no, that I loved another. He got me by my throat and told me I would not ruin this, that this will help our families more than I realize. That if I didn’t marry Marcello, he’d kill the man I do marry.”

  Moving my nose along hers, I swallow hard. “I’m sorry, my love. I wish I knew how to make this better, to make you happy.”

  “Just hold me,” she whispers, and I agree, knowing I can do that. Closing my eyes, I make the darkness my friend as her body shatters against mine. I feel out of options, and a part of me is glad that we are doing this until the day she marries him. I’m not ready to say good-bye. Not yet.

  And while I don’t want to know, I know I have to know.

  “When?” I whisper.

  “A little over a month,” she answers, and just like that, my body goes numb. “Five weeks, to be exact.”

  We now have an expiration date.

  It’s been a week since the Kelleys have been to the Clandestine. It’s also been a week since Taegan came into my room to tell me about her upcoming nuptials. A week I’ve spent going through every option to be with Taegan, though I know it’s naïve of me. There is really no option for us—except death. While I might just die without her—yes, very dramatic of me—I can’t live with myself knowing she would die because of me. No, never. So instead, I have four more weeks to love her and give her memories to last her the rest of her life.