Whispers of a Broken Halo by Abbi Glines

Stalking out of the office, I went to find Rio alone now, walking in my direction.

I went up to him and shoved my finger into his chest. “You don’t get to do that. It’s not okay. I needed a little time, Rio. I’m facing what could become a nightmare. I was angry with you for putting fuel in Decker’s fire, but I just needed to get my head wrapped around all of this,” I said, glaring up at him now.

“Two days, and you think it’s okay to flirt with a half-naked female and let her touch you and whisper in your ear? That’s not you. At least, I didn’t think it was. I don’t play games, and if you want us to work, you won’t either.” I was talking a little too loudly, but the more I talked, the angrier I got.

I stopped stabbing him with my nail and spun around to leave him there. His hand wrapped around my arm, and I was pulled back against him. I turned to look up at him and ask him what he was doing, but his mouth was on mine before I could say anything.

Rio grabbed my waist and held me against him as he licked at my bottom lip slightly before his tongue tangled with mine. My hands went to his face, and I felt tears sting my eyes as I kissed him back. For the first time in two days, the world didn’t look as dark, and my heart didn’t hurt as badly.

“I missed you,” he said against my lips.

I only managed to nod. I was afraid my voice would crack from the emotion clogging my throat. He kissed me again and then pressed kisses on my cheeks and nose. Then, he pulled me against his chest and held me there.

We said nothing as we stood there. No one came by, but I wouldn’t care if they did. Part of my heart was beating right again. The other part was still clenched tightly as the unknown lay before me with Cullen’s DNA test. But this part was going to be okay.

“Thank God for that,” Hazel said from behind me. “I was about ready to lock ya both in a room together and get this figured out.”

I lifted my head from Rio’s chest and turned enough to see her. “I’m sorry,” I told her.

“Yer sorry?” she asked and pointed at Rio. “He’s the one who was meaner than a hornet. If he snarled at one more employee, they were all gonna stop showing up.”

Rio shrugged, and I gazed up at him. He gave me a crooked grin.

“I might have been a little moody,” he admitted.

Hazel let out a loud laugh. “Little moody? Heck, you were growling and barking at anything that moved.”

“Maybe the employees needed to be tall redheads with bikinis on for him to be charming,” I said.

His eyes narrowed, and his hands tightened on my waist. “Be careful, baby,” he warned. “You know what seeing you get jealous does to me.”

“Oh, fer heaven’s sake,” Hazel said loudly. “I’m going back to the front.”

“You let her touch your arm and whisper in your ear.” I pouted.

Rio took my arm and spun me around, then walked me back through the stacks of potatoes toward the office. I went willingly. I wanted him alone.

When he closed the door and locked it behind me, I backed up while he stalked toward me until my bottom hit the edge of the desk. “Vanessa came here, looking for me. She asked when I got off work. I told her I wasn’t available. She asked if we were exclusive. I told her”—he paused and cupped my face with his hand—“that I was in love. She laughed, and I told her I had work to get done. Then, she touched my arm, leaned in, and whispered that when I found out love was shit, I should give her a call.”

His thumb brushed my bottom lip.

“You told her you were in love?” I repeated.

“Mmhmm,” he replied as he leaned down to kiss me. “But your little display out there, pointing at my chest, was hot. I’m glad she stopped by.”

I laughed as he nibbled on my lip.





Chapter Forty-Eight

I had chosen not to tell Cullen the real reason why he had been taken to the doctor’s office yesterday morning. Instead, I chose to let him think it was a routine visit. He hadn’t questioned it, and I was thankful. I didn’t want him to worry. He was four, and I wanted him to get to be a child.

His birthday party was in two days, and he was excited about it. I was torn between the pleasure of hearing him talk about his party and the fear of the test coming back with news I did not want to hear. I caught myself studying Cullen’s features closely, trying to find something that reminded me of Decker but I couldn’t.

Cullen laughed loudly at Rio, who was asking him questions about the different Spider-Mans. He was as confused as I was about it. He had been clinging to Rio today. I knew it was because of him not being here the nights I had been mad at him.

He was attached to Rio, and if things ever did go bad with us, then he was going to hurt. I wasn’t sure if I could have helped it though. Not falling in love with Rio had been hard when I thought a part of me had always loved him.

Rio glanced back at me then and winked. The butterflies in my stomach woke up, and I felt my cheeks warm. I was as attached to him as Cullen. Rio was a charmer. I watched him attract people, not even meaning to do it. At work, I often caught myself getting jealous over the way women reacted to him.

I finished cleaning up the mess we had all made while making breakfast this morning. Rio had talked me into staying home today with Cullen. We would get a call about the results at any moment, and he didn’t want me at work when it happened. Instead, we had made plans to have a big breakfast, which we had, and go to the park. Maybe even visit the candy store later.