Broken Pieces Read online

  As I leave, the room is silent. But when I reach the hall, I hear Rebekah fly off the handle. She yells that I shouldn’t have to go, JJ agrees, as do my brothers. I, too, agree, but it is what it is. I have to do what my family wants, or I’ll never get the rightful spot I need.

  While I appreciate their wanting to protect me, I wish Rebekah hadn’t. She’s giving my father more power than he deserves, and I hate him for it. For the first time, I hate my father. I hate that he can make me go to a wedding that will slowly but surely kill me. I hate that he won’t let me be with Taegan and that he now has my siblings trying to fight for me. Am I that pathetic? Am I weak now to them? Because of love?

  Reaching the sparring room, I need to beat the fuck out of something. I need to get the frustration out of me. Need to feel something other than this fucking pain consuming me.

  “Osh.”

  The sound of my sister’s voice makes me pause, my head leaning into the door as I suck in a breath. Not looking at her, I scold, “Rebekah, I heard you. Don’t do that.”

  “It isn’t fair.”

  “It doesn’t matter,” I shoot back, opening the door wider. “Let it go.”

  She stops me, grabbing my arm, but when I look back at her, her eyes widen. She looks scared of me, and I don’t understand that. I would never hurt her. I go to say that, but she asks, “Wanna throw down some?”

  I laugh. Really? “You sure? I’ve got some steam to blow off.”

  “As do I.”

  I don’t know what is wrong with her, but I don’t ask. Instead, I nod, getting undressed as she does the same, both of us in our workout gear beneath our clothes. I know she is just trying to help me, trying to get me to talk. But I have nothing to say. I don’t want to talk about it, not to her, at least.

  Lining up, I hold her gaze as she walks around me, her eyes intent on mine.

  When she pauses, though, I almost swing on her, but then she whispers, “When you’re the leader of this family, change the rules.”

  Shaking out my arms, I hold her gaze. I know what she is saying, but still, I ask, “What? What rules?”

  “That we can’t mix these families. Change it, Osh.”

  I laugh with no humor, my eyes darkening with the pain eating me alive. “By then, it would be too late.” I swing, but she ducks, her gaze locked with mine, pleading with me. “My love would be gone,” I add before kicking her in the gut.

  She wheezes only for a second before she backs away, hopping on the balls of her feet. “Then run.”

  Before I can answer her, though, she is rushing me. She slams her fist into my chest, then her forearm into my jaw before turning quickly, swinging her leg into my abdomen.

  It doesn’t faze me, though, and I shake my head. “As much as you think that’s a good idea, I wouldn’t be able to give her the life she deserves.”

  “But you’ll be in love.”

  I scoff. She is so innocent. She doesn’t know what would happen. How lives could be ruined. How people could die. Shaking my head, I whisper, “Love isn’t everything, my dear Rebekah.”

  I swing then, but she dodges me, her gaze searching mine. “Do you really believe that?”

  I swing my fist once more, and this time, I connect with the side of her head, knocking her to the mat. She looks up at me and I nod. “I have to,” I say, averting my gaze to the side because I know that’s all I can say. I can’t unload on her. It wouldn’t be fair to her. In her world, love cures all.

  But that’s not reality.

  Shaking my head, I look to her and direct her to get up. “Now get up and come on.”

  Because I need a fucking distraction.

  I hear her before I see her.

  Looking up, I watch as Taegan leans into the bar in front of my sister, her eyes wild and full of panic as she says, “Please tell me Oceanus is not coming to the wedding. Please tell me your father is not that cruel.”

  Rebekah appears stricken as she looks up at Taegan. My sister sputters with an answer, and I can see Taegan’s eyes are pleading as I slowly stand. I wish she would have come to me, but she must not have seen me. I had just sat down when I heard her.

  “Oh, Lord,” JJ says then from beside me, and I nod. It’s our night on shift for Rebekah. I had planned on telling Taegan what my father had demanded later tonight when I saw her, but apparently, that is going to happen now.

  Wonderful.

  Rebekah starts to apologize as I slowly head toward them, though why, I’m not sure. She doesn’t need to apologize; it isn’t her fault. It’s all my father’s. He’s a fucking monster, and I don’t understand how he can be the person who made us. In pure disgust, I head toward Taegan, her name coming from my lips very low and defeated. “Taegan.”

  Both of them look to me, along with the vampire, as I stop in front of her. “It’s fine.”

  “No. It’s not,” she demands, her eyes filling with tears. I look to my sister, and she too looks as if she might start crying. Shaking my head, I take Taegan by her arm, bringing her to a dark corner of the Clandestine. I know I should take her outside, but I know she won’t make it. She needs answers, and I don’t blame her. I’ve been trying to think of everything and anything to get out of going to her wedding. It isn’t fair to both of us, but my father doesn’t care about being fair. He only cares about what he wants. What he demands.

  His power over everyone.

  His power over me.

  “I know it’s not, my love, but you can’t come in here, freaking out. Especially to Rebekah, she doesn’t need to deal with our issues. Plus, people can hear you,” I remind her, and Taegan shakes her head, a lone tear running down her stunning face.

  Tonight, her hair is in a beautiful long braid that lays gently on her chest. She’s wearing a very tight, low-cut shirt, one that has my mouth watering. But then I drink in her tight jeans, and I’m really unsure how I am to go on seeing her around the Works without being able to touch her. She’ll be a married woman. Not my woman, either.

  “And what are you wearing?” I ask, my lips curving, and her eyes widen as my hands take her hips.

  “Osh, focus.”

  I smile, looking deep into her eyes. “However am I to function with you looking so gorgeous all the time and not being mine?”

  As she holds my gaze, her eyes glisten with tears as she whispers, “You won’t have to. I’ll be going back with him to Chicago.”

  As if my world wasn’t crushed before, it’s demolished now. “Oh.”

  I’ll never see her again. In a month’s time.

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t apologize, it isn’t your fault.”

  She looks away, her tears falling ever so slowly down her perfectly pink face. “Still, I’m sorry, Osh. I hate that this is happening, but I can’t even deal with your father. My da just told me you’re coming, and that can’t happen. It isn’t fair to you—or me. I don’t want to marry this man as it is, and now I have to do it in front of you?”

  Trying to gather myself, I nod. “I know, I don’t want to go, and I’m trying to get out of it. But he is being unreasonable, pushing my buttons, looking for a reason to never give me my rightful spot. I’m going to figure it out. I will, even if it’s only to come in so Kurt sees me and then leave, that’s what I’ll do. I won’t ruin your wedding.”

  Her lip wobbles. “It was ruined the moment the groom was not you.”

  My heart melts as I reach out, taking her face in my hands. I know I should be careful, that people can see us, but I just don’t fucking care. I need her to know that we will get through this. Even if the end means we won’t be together. “I love you, Taegan. I do.”

  “I love you too, it’s so not fair. Please don’t come, but if you do, come to rescue me,” she says before flashing me a winning smile that I grin back to.

  “That’s a solid plan, right there.”

  “Agreed, you can run up and throw me over your shoulder, claiming me as yours.”

  “I like this