All the Broken Pieces: (Broken Series Book 3) (28 page)

I collapsed onto the bed at an angle, face pressed into the mattress, making sure to keep my weight off of Lauren but keeping my cock squarely inside her as I fought to catch my breath. She was gasping, too, running her hands up my side over and over, tickling me until I jerked, involuntarily thrusting into her as I did. The more she tickled, the more I jerked, the more she moaned at the feel of me inside her.

Before I knew it, I had her ankles around my ears and I was pounding into her again, well on my way to orgasm number two as she shuddered beneath me and called my name.

I was gonna have to buy Kade a new bed, but fuck, it was worth it.

•••

Good sex wears you out.

Phenomenal sex leaves you dehydrated as fuck with unexplained bruising and spots that looked suspiciously like teeth marks scattered all over your body.

I kept glancing down at one spot in particular as I padded through the house in search of water. She hadn’t broken the skin but there was a definite mark there, just at the top of my pectoral. I was getting wood just thinking about her losing control that way. Especially when she had absolutely no recall of having done it. She’d been genuinely surprised to see the marks she’d left.

I couldn’t help puffing my chest out at the idea.

And as soon as I found something to drink—and drank about ten gallons of it—I was going back to see how many more times I could make her scream.

Provided I didn’t collapse from exhaustion first, of course.

•••

Lauren

I lay there in a heap on the bed, neither asleep nor fully awake, replaying the last few hours in my mind. I’d never been so thoroughly sated in my life. I could practically see the afterglow radiating off of me. I kept waiting for the sinking feeling to wash over me like it had so many times in the past. It was the feeling of being dirty, being disgusting and twisted for enjoying something that had once been the source of my greatest shame.

But the feeling didn’t come.

I was content and satisfied, and stronger than I ever remembered feeling.

I ran my hand over the empty sheets beside me, feeling the lingering warmth of his body in the soft fibers. My cheek rested on the mattress, the pillows long tossed to the floor. The smell of him was everywhere: on the sheets, on my skin, in my hair. I couldn’t get enough of it, turning my face into the sheets and inhaling slowly, marveling at how arousing his scent still was even after hours of endless lovemaking.

My hair fell in a curtain around my face and I took the strands between my fingers, watching how the light played over the bright red locks. For the first time since I’d started coloring it, I didn’t like the hue. It wasn’t that it had faded, though it certainly had. It was that it no longer felt like me. It didn’t make the statement I wanted to make.

I sat up on the bed, flipping my hair behind me and tugging on my panties. I peeked out the window and saw the subtle glow emanating from behind the mountains; it was nearly dawn. Nodding to myself, I threw my tank top on and went in search of Brant, needing his help.

I found him in the kitchen, a huge bottle of orange juice nearly vertical against his lips as he hungrily gulped it down. His throat worked furiously and his abs—damn those abs were hot—were taut and peppered with marks from my nails and teeth. It was the sexiest thing ever to see him there like that, totally unaware of my presence, his beautiful body on full display.

Focus, girl. You can mount his face again later.

He finished off the juice and slammed the carton down on the counter, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand as he turned and spotted me in the wide archway between the kitchen and the dining room.

“Hey there, Red.” His gaze traveled the length of my body and a little frown crept across his features. “I was hoping you’d still be naked when I got back.”

I shook my head at his pitiful expression, laughing. “It only takes a second to get this stuff off, Weirdo. Stop pouting. I need a favor.”

“Anything.” He wiggled his brows suggestively. “And I do mean anything.”

I moved to stand in front of him, running my fingertips over his abs one by one, trying to remember what it was I came in here to say. Damn abs. I wanted to lick them. I glanced up at his face, finding him smirking.

“The favor?” he prodded, grabbing my hips and pulling them into his waiting erection.

I groaned at the feel of him pressing into my stomach and shook my head to clear it. “Oh, yeah. I need to talk to Kade. Can you call him for me sometime today?”

His playful expression shifted to a frown. “Kade? Is something wrong?”

“Not at all. I just need his help with something, that’s all.”

“It’s not something I can help with?” There was a trace of disappointment in his eyes.

I rose to my tiptoes and dropped a quick reassuring kiss on his mouth. “Not this time, baby. And I want to surprise you, which means I need to talk to Kade.” I glanced out the window at the slight lightening of the sky. “Clearly, it’s too early right now but once it’s a reasonable hour to call, will you? For me?” I kissed him again, roughly pressing my hips into him and gripping his ass in my hands.

He pulled back long enough to groan and nod. “I’ll do whatever you want. Just don’t stop doing that.”

I pushed against him again and laughed. “Why don’t you grab a few bottles of water and follow me back to the bedroom. The day is just starting and I’d like to watch the sunrise while I straddle your handsome face.”

He slapped my ass playfully, turning and reaching into the fridge for the gallon jug of water. “Like I said, baby… anything you want.”

It was my favorite sunrise ever.

•••

That afternoon, the guard called to announce that I had a visitor, waiting for verification from us before letting her in. Brant knew I was expecting someone but I refused to tell him who and why. Instead, he was banished to the theater to watch a couple of movies while I did my thing. There was no missing the look of disappointment on his face as he reluctantly trudged off to the other end of the house, but I held firm. There was no reason for him to hover. Kade had personally assured him that I would be safe with my visitor and I knew he trusted his friend’s judgement. He was just being stubborn.

And adorable.

And nosy, because I’d seen him peeking out the window on his way to the theater room, trying to get a glimpse of our guest.

My phone chirped just after Brant left and I looked down at it, expecting it to be a plea to stay from my sullen companion but it wasn’t. It was a text from Kade.

I couldn’t help smiling, knowing Brant must have given him the number. I was sure that chafed a little, but he’d trusted me anyway. That was a huge deal to me, being trusted. I opened the text and laughed, eyes roaming over the message as I heard footsteps on the porch.

Kade here (save this number). I expect pictures when you’re done, pretty lady. And don’t lock Brant in the closet too long, I think he might be afraid of the dark.

I typed out a quick response and put away my phone, reaching for the massive front door and opening it to welcome my guest.

It was time to find myself again. One step at a time.

•••

Brant

Longest, most boring movie ever.

What the hell was this shit even supposed to be about?

Is there anyone famous in this damn film?

I sat there bored out of my skull for what felt like an eternity, trying not to make myself crazy wondering what Lauren was up to. It wasn’t working. And Kade was being a total fuckstain about it, not giving me the first clue what was going on. I’d texted him every middle finger picture I could find on the internet, which burned all of an hour and did nothing but amuse him.

Fucker.

I kicked back in the reclining lounger, putting my hands behind my head and staring at the ceiling. I hated secrets. Even ones that I’ve been assured were good ones and wouldn’t stay secret much longer. I was impatient. Edgy.

And if I was being totally honest, exhausted.

Lauren and I had barely gotten two or three hours of sleep after our lengthy bedroom exertions and she’d managed to spring out of bed like it was no big deal. Meanwhile, I was dragging. It had been the best damn night of my life, but man was I paying for it today.

I tuned out the movie—seriously, who directed this snooze-fest anyway?—and turned my thoughts to the night before. So much had happened, so much had changed, that I was still trying to process it all.

First and foremost in my mind were those three words tumbling from Lauren’s lips.

She loved me.

She was
in
love with me.

I still couldn’t believe it, couldn’t come down from the high those words had induced.

Having her body was amazing, but having her heart was life-altering.

Her beautiful, battered, resilient heart.

I would guard it with my life because she was the one. I knew it all the way down to my soul.

She was the girl I was meant to love for the rest of my life.

•••

I was back at the cabin. Why was I back at the cabin? I needed to be with Lauren and she was still at Kade’s.

Wasn’t she?

I looked around the rustic kitchen, spotting the kettle on the stove just as it began to whistle. The house felt empty, vacant. So who turned on the stove? I reached over and thumbed off the knob, watching the gas flame die off as I took in the stillness around me. The only sound was the water boiling in the vessel beside me, nothing else moved.

Daylight poured through the windows, falling across the hardwood floors in blinding splashes. But the light wasn’t white. It gave off a pink haze that made my eyes burn with tears. Why was I crying?

I heard it then, the sound of running water.

I craned my neck and tried to pinpoint its source.

Upstairs.

It was coming from upstairs.

The spare room.

Lauren’s room.

I bolted across the living room, raising an arm to shield my stinging eyes from the strange pink light that was fast turning red.

Steam poured out from under the closed bedroom door as I reached the landing.

No, no… not again.

I burst into the room and headed straight to the bathroom door, heart in my chest as I saw even thicker clouds of steam rolling from the partially open door. I pushed inside, trying to call out to Lauren but unable to find my voice. The steam was choking me, too thick to pull into my lungs, too heavy. I staggered through it toward the shower and snatched open the glass door, searching for her in the near-blinding mist.

A darkened form lay huddled in the far corner of the shower, under the searing spray.

Again my voice failed me as I tried to call to her, my hands reaching for her through the heat and steam.

Red… the water was running red.

I leaned down farther, fighting to see past the dense steam, terror seizing my heart as I watched the thick red swirls being swept down the drain.

Oh my God, no!

One arm was visible as I searched the shower floor, one thin hand, one frail wrist that bore a thick jagged slash.

I moved my gaze higher, tears stinging my eyes, a silent scream caught in my throat as I searched for Lauren’s face and was instead greeted by Zoey’s. Her eyes were dull, white and bulging, her mouth skewed to one side in a horrifying sneer. I tried to back away, but her arm shot out and grabbed me by the collar, hauling me under the scalding spray of the showerhead until I was inches from her once flawless face.

“You’ll let her die too. Just like you let me die. He’ll kill her and you’ll let it happen because it’s your fate to fail.”

I could actually smell the death on her. It burned my nostrils like acid, and I couldn’t get away no matter how much I tried. She just held me there while the water burned my skin and her blood dripped off her wrist and onto my shirt.

“You should go ahead and start digging her grave. She’ll be in it soon enough,” she cackled, tossing her head back and screeching like an animal.

As she brought her head back down, she yanked my shirt collar and I surged forward, unable to fight against her unnatural strength. Her mouth closed over mine as I struggled for air, struggled to get away even as her half-rotted tongue sought entrance to my mouth.

After a moment, she gave up and just held my lips to hers, my eyes squeezed tight as I tried not to gag.

Her other hand came up to pull at my hair and my eyes opened, instantly widening at the face that greeted me.

Lauren.

Her eyes were bright and clear, the startling blue that I remembered, and her lips were soft against mine. Finally, I could breathe. She let go of my collar and ran her hands down my chest as I sat back in relief.

Her thick crimson hair was parted over each shoulder, nearly covering her bare breasts, and I reached up to run a hand through it as I moved in for another kiss.

But her hair felt strange, slimy and oddly slick.

I looked down at my hand and discovered a thick layer of blood coating it all the way to the wrist. It was coming from her hair.

I reached up with the other hand and threaded my fingers through it as she watched with a soft smile on her face, appearing unconcerned.

Blood.

It was rolling off of her in thick waves, coating her body as it dripped from her hair onto her breasts and down her abdomen. She was soaked in it.

“What’s wrong?” Lauren’s voice was sweet, soft, unaffected by the torrent of blood.

I still couldn’t speak, couldn’t make my mouth move at all, so I pointed to her hair with a look of horror.

She giggled. “Oh, that? It’s just the hair color. The hot water makes it run.”

But I knew better. I shook my head and tried to reach for her but my limbs wouldn’t budge. I was mere inches from her but now I was immobile, watching helplessly as she bled out in front of me.

I watched in absolute terror as she stood, moving more fully under the spray and giggling again as the super-heated water began to scald her skin off, all the way to her bones.