Whispers of a Broken Halo by Abbi Glines

“I could just leave with you right now and fuck you good and hard before I go pick up Cullen,” he whispered against my lips. His hands left my face and moved down my rib cage. “I’ve been thinking about it all morning. I liked having you spread open for me on the kitchen table that one time. Let’s do that again.”

Yes, everything here could wait.

“Okay,” I replied, pressing my legs together as his words caused that familiar ache.

Rio’s eyes dropped to my legs with the movement, and his hand slid between my thighs. “Or I could lock that door and bend you over this table,” he said. “I just like it when you scream. You can’t do that here.”

I whimpered as he rubbed the fabric over my ache.

“You’re getting your shorts wet,” he said in a low, husky voice as he trailed kisses along my jawline and neck.

A knock on the door startled me, and my gaze swung up to Rio’s. He groaned and moved his hand before turning to see who was at the door.

Hazel opened it. Her gaze going from Rio to me. I knew my face was flushed from my arousal. There was no hiding that.

“Oh, uh, didn’t realize Rio was in here too. Um, I just needed to see when we had more Gala apples coming in. We’re low,” she said with a grin on her face.

That was one of the many things I needed to order today.





Chapter Forty-Six

Rio

Two days later, Bryn was meeting with a lawyer I had found for her, thanks to Saul. He was the best in the state, but he didn’t take new clients. Saul had made a call, and he’d agreed to help Bryn.

Hazel had woken up with a stomach virus, and I had to go into work today. Bryn had assured me she could meet with the lawyer on her own. I wanted to be with her, but with Pops still unable to come to the market, either Hazel or I had to be there.

She texted me when she arrived back at the apartment, and it took me two hours to get things handled so that I could leave and go see her. I wanted to hear what the lawyer had said and make sure she was okay. The last two texts I had sent her had gone unanswered, and because of that, I drove faster than normal, getting back to the apartment.

Decker hadn’t shown up again since his appearance at the market. I had mentioned to Bryn that he might have changed his mind and left. She hadn’t looked as if she agreed or not. The fear of having to fight for Cullen was weighing on her, and I felt helpless in trying to ease her fears.

When I reached the stairs leading up to the apartment, I heard her voice and paused. She was talking to someone. Then, he spoke, and I realized it was Decker.

“I don’t understand why you need to do this. You don’t want to raise a kid.” Her voice was strained.

“You’d think in six years, I could have gotten those pretty eyes out of my head. But they haunt me, sugar. You haunt me. I messed up, sleeping with Tory, and I’ve never forgiven myself for that.”

“That was another lifetime ago. I was a kid,” Bryn said, cutting him off.

“You’re not a kid anymore,” he replied, his voice deeper. “Damn, you turned out better than I’d imagined. Tory couldn’t hold a candle to you now.”

I was done listening. When I reached the top of the stairs, Decker was standing too close, and Bryn was pressed up against the door, as if she couldn’t get far enough away from him.

“You’re done here,” I said, stalking toward them.

Decker turned to see me, and he smirked. “You follow her home too?”

My hands fisted, and I glared at him. Planting my fist in his face wouldn’t help us in court if that was where this ended up. But my hands itched to knock that damn look off his face.

“She’s mine,” I told him. “And I don’t want you near her again.”

Decker looked at her then. “Are you gonna set up the DNA test, or should I?”

Bryn swallowed hard, and her eyes swung from him to me.

“Have your lawyer call hers,” I said.

Decker wasn’t smirking at me anymore. “I was talking to Bryn.”

I moved to stand so she was behind my left side. “Not anymore.”

Her hand touched my shoulder. “It’s okay, Rio,” she told me, but I didn’t move or look away from the douchebag.

“She must have a magic pussy after all,” he drawled.

With his words, my logic left, and my balled-up fist slammed into his face.

Decker stumbled back. “Fuck!”

“Rio!” Bryn cried out, grabbing my arm, but I advanced on him as he covered his bleeding nose.

“Never talk about what’s mine again,” I warned him.

“Rio, please, let’s go inside,” Bryn pleaded, pulling on my arm.

Decker wiped the blood on his hand off on his jeans. Then, his eyes met mine, and I had only a second to move Bryn back with my left arm before his fist hit my jaw. I had moved enough, so it wasn’t as hard of an impact as it could have been, but the control I was holding snapped. I grabbed the front of his shirt and shoved him farther away from Bryn before I took another swing.

“STOP!” Bryn screamed behind us.

“You get her to open up those legs? Must be as sweet down there as I thought it would be,” Decker said.

My fist hit his jaw as he moved back before taking his own swing at me.

“You’ll never find out,” I snarled at him.