Broken Promises (The Brianna Lane Series) (17 page)

“Tell me already!” I laughed.

He gave a quick snap to the paper and cleared his throat dramatically. “Dear Mr. Michaels. That’s me,” he said, his chest swelling with pride. “It is with extreme pleasure we at Glass Publishing House accept your submitted manuscript From Within The Shadows and would like to begin the process of publishing your work.” He threw the letter in the air with a whoop, lifting me back into his arms to resume spinning me. “Did you hear that? I’ve been accepted. They liked my book and they’re going to publish it.”

I threw my arms around him and rained kisses over his face. “I knew it. I knew they’d take one look at it and fall over themselves. Oh, I’m so proud of you. You did it!”

He kissed me then, deep and masterful, and we’d spent the rest of the day in lazy celebration.

Releasing a heavy sigh, I came back to reality. I stepped away from the frame, taking another look at Quinn’s smiling face and felt my resolve to save him strengthen. I didn’t know how, but I wasn’t going to stop until I had him back—whole.

I tried to ignore the way different memories tugged at my heartstrings. I didn’t have time to fall apart, to revisit each one. Liam had told me he’d wait outside with the others and judging by the furtive glances they’d kept casting, the sooner I got in and out, the better.

I switched on the light inside the closet and stood on my tiptoes to pull down the various containers. Some of the items I hadn’t seen for a while, and I made a mental note to clean everything out in the future.

Lifting the decorated box I’d bought for my keepsakes, I almost didn’t see the small package until too late. The only warning I had was the slight scraping noise before it dropped toward my face. My brow furrowed in confusion—I’d never seen it before.

I carefully picked it up, the velvet texture of the outside combined with the shape instantly told me what it was. I knew Quinn had been thinking something over and as I sat on the floor, the necklace forgotten. I opened the box.

My hand automatically covered my mouth to cover the soft gasp. Nestled in the silk lining was the most exquisite ring I’d ever seen. It was a white gold band which held a beautiful diamond setting—one central square cut stone surrounded by smaller gems. The light from above caught each facet, causing it to sparkle and twinkle. It was absolutely perfect, and I knew he’d taken great care in choosing it.

My muffled exclamation turned into a jagged sob. This was all wrong. This wasn’t the way I envisioned it would be. Since falling in love, and knowing Quinn was the man I wanted to spend my forever with, I’d been day dreaming all kinds of romantic scenarios where he’d sweep me off my feet and propose.

This wasn’t down on bended knee with soft music and candles. But that wasn’t what hurt the most as I stared down at the engagement token. Quinn wasn’t here with his lopsided grin or dark eyes that stared through me and into my soul. There was no watching his lips as he spoke from his heart. There were no excited jitters as he took my hand and slid the ring on my finger.

Be positive, Brianna Lane, I chastised myself. You can still have it. Pretend you didn’t find it, and when this is all over, let him propose. Wiping away the fallen tears from my cheek with the back of my hand, I closed the box and tried to refocus.

I couldn’t stifle the squeak of surprise when my phone vibrated in my pocket. It was Quinn. I knew with the way I was feeling I should press ignore. The last thing I needed was to engage in a verbal sparring match with him and my thumb hovered over the screen. In a moment of weakness, I moved over an inch and hit accept.

“Good girl, Bri. I didn’t think you’d answer.” Even though the words were said with a healthy dose of sarcasm, his voice was still the same.

“Hi.” I leaned back against the closet wall and closed my eyes, wrapping my left arm around my stomach.

“Not so chatty? I would have thought you’d have all kinds of things to ask me. Aren’t you curious about the plans I have for the two of us?”

I contemplated what I could say. My mind shuffled through questions, but when my gaze dropped on the small box beside my knee, it all narrowed down to one important statement.

“I found the engagement ring.”

I wasn’t sure what I expected to hear. Once upon a time I could almost guarantee his response to any number of things, but not now. I offered up a silent prayer his next comment wouldn’t hurt—that it wouldn’t break my heart too bad.

There was silence over the phone and I peeked at the screen to make sure we hadn’t been disconnected. The call was still open and I braced myself. No response.

“Quinn, are you there?” I hated how vulnerable I sounded.

“I love it when you sound . . . desperate.” His snarky comment made my heart sink.

“I don’t want to argue with you.” I sighed. It was discouraging not knowing how to talk to him. He was so . . . indifferent. I wanted our old conversations back. I needed to know he could be reached.  “How long have you had it?”

“Does it matter? That was a lifetime ago. It means nothing . . . it’s just a flashy bauble.

“The answer is yes.”

“Who says I’m asking you? I’ve had some time to think and I realized something very important.” He chuckled, but it wasn’t the kind that made the world feel brighter.

“And?” I asked hesitantly. Something told me I wouldn’t like his answer.

“Why the hell would I marry you when I can just keep on screwing you whenever I want. You know . . .  why buy the cow when I can get the milk for free.”

“Are you calling me a cow?” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

“Or something.”

His comment made me sick and was a painful reminder things had changed. The old Quinn would never have said something so crass. The old Quinn knew there was more to our relationship than sex.

Suddenly the urge—the desperate need to put an end to this, shot through me. I needed to save him—not later—now. “Where are you?”

He didn’t answer straight away and I silently willed him to tell me. I was sure I could convince Liam and the others to help retrieve him and we could lock him away until a cure was found.

”Eager for more, are you? That’s one thing I can say about you . . . you always were insatiable. Don’t worry, we’ll have quite the reunion soon.” Hardness crept back into his tone and it sent a shiver up my spine.

Images of him pinning me to the wall and choking me rose to the surface. “Don’t you want to be like it used to be?”

Quinn paused and chuckled—a low seductive sound that any other time would’ve excited me. “I enjoy the new direction our relationship is going. Hurting you will be fun. You know I love it when you scream.” My chest tightened. This wasn’t him at all.

“I love you,” I said. It was the only thing I could find the words for. “I miss you.”

“That’s nice.” He sounded bored now.  “You know if you’d just convert, it wouldn’t be like this. Maybe that’s where I need to be focusing my energies—less on satisfying my need to break you and more on making you like me. It’s addicting to have all this power stirring inside—all this rage, and if you could just taste it, I know you’d join us.”

“Us?” I didn’t like the way his voice now hitched with fevered enthusiasm.

“The Fae. They’ve selected the humans they think will best serve their purposes and promised once the purge is complete; those who survive will be granted special privileges. Frankly, I don’t really care. I just want to be on the winning team. If it means siding with the greater force, so be it.”

“But they want to take over the world. Do you really think when it’s all over, they’ll just hand you a small piece of it and be okay?”

“It doesn’t matter.” His answer was short and full of impatience. I’d never pegged Quinn for a fool, but I knew there’d be no arguing with him. If I did, it would drive him away and I needed him close for when I had a cure.

I suddenly hear sounds from his side of the line, and the noise of a busy street filled the earpiece. “Look, where are you? All this talking has me craving to taste you.”

“I’m at . . .” It was on the tip of my tongue to tell him when the door opened and Liam called my name. I could almost feel the shift in temperature over the phone.

“Who are you with?” Quinn’s tone was practically arctic.

“Just someone I met . . . he’s part of this group . . . there’s so much to tell you.” I knew I was rambling, but the change in his voice scared me.

“Put him on the phone.”

“You don’t need to talk with him. Tell me where you are, and I’ll bring him for you to meet.”

I looked up as Liam’s tall frame blocked the entrance to the closet. He pointed to the phone with a confused expression and I mouthed I was talking to Quinn. A frown appeared and he leaned against the doorway.

“Put him on the phone. Now.” There was an added layer of steel to the icy tone.

“He wants to speak with you.” Apologizing to Liam, I hesitated passing him the device when he reached for it. “You don’t have to, you know. I can just tell him no.”

“It’s okay. This should be interesting.” Liam grinned and placed the phone to his ear.

Fear settled in my stomach. Nothing good could come from this—nothing at all.

Chapter Eighteen

The instant Liam’s body tensed and his eyebrow cocked, I wanted to know what was being said. Quinn had always been a social person—polite and well mannered—but this new change left me doubting that was the case now. When I saw Liam’s fist tighten, I knew it was time to take control again.

“I think you’ve made yourself pretty clear.” His response was spoken through clenched teeth. “I’ll make sure to keep Bri safe while you’re busy.” Before I could ask what he meant, Liam ended the call. He stood still for a moment, staring into nothing, his jaw clamped shut as he raked his fingers through his hair.

“Your boyfriend is a complete douchebag. Just saying.”

“What did he say? And what did you mean you’ll keep me safe?”

“Trust me, you don’t want to hear the garbage he just spouted. For someone who claims to love you, he sure is possessive and has no problem staking his claim in graphic detail. He made it clear I’m not to touch you and always remember you belong to him.” Liam snorted.

“And the keeping me safe part?”

“That was simply me jabbing back. He can think all he wants, but it’s me who’s watching out for you right now. Not him.” He released a short sigh and offered a crooked grin. “I’ve probably made it worse, but I don’t care. No one talks that way about a woman, especially one they care for.”

“Thanks.” I stared at the floor, not sure what to say. I’d never been in a situation where I’d needed defending and it didn’t sit well with me. I knew I should make some kind of excuse for Quinn, remind Liam he wasn’t always like this, but I was tired.

“Look, sorry I called him a douche. He just got under my skin. I only came to see what was taking so long. Did you get the necklace?”

I picked up the keepsake box. “Not yet. Let me get it and we can leave.” Carrying it to the bed, I placed it on the quilted surface and flipped the lid open. I shuffled through different items—old letters, certificates, photos, and sure enough, at the bottom was something wrapped in crinkled tissue paper.

I carefully unfolded the layers to reveal a silver heart locket on a simple chain. Memories stirred, and I remembered seeing my mother wearing something similar. Prying the halves apart with my fingers, it snapped open and I let out a surprised gasp.

“What is it?” Liam asked, peering over my shoulder.

“There are photos in here. See?” I tilted the trinket in his direction, and he leaned in for a closer inspection. “This was my mother.” There was pride in my voice, and I softly kissed the picture. It felt good to have something of hers with me, like she was supporting me.

“Let me help you put it on.” Liam took the necklace, and I brushed my hair to the side. I ignored the way my skin flushed when his fingers traced the chain after he fastened the clasp, or the brief moment where he hesitated before removing his hands from my shoulders. “Done. We need to get going. Is there anything you need while we’re here? You might want to grab some clothes or something. Who knows when you’ll get the chance to return?”

I nodded, already opening drawers and pulling out shirts. I dropped to my knees and reached under the bed for an overnight bag. My fingers connected with something—a backpack—and within a few minutes, I was ready.

Liam took it from me, easily slipping it over his shoulder and led the way out. My stomach fluttered as I walked through the apartment and when he stopped, I looked to see what he was focusing on.

“Is this him?” He was staring at a photo of Quinn and me.

“Yeah.”

“Good to know.” Liam studied the picture again and then realized I was staring. “Just in case.” He didn’t finish his sentence, but I understood his meaning. Just in case something happened. Just in case I was attacked. Just in case he had to protect me. He removed the photo from the frame. “So I can show the others.”

I locked up, and we raced down the stairs to rejoin the others. Before we’d left Rebel Central, Noah had introduced me to Marshall and James, asking they come along as a precaution. On the way over, Marshall had helped keep the intensity of the situation at bay by cracking jokes. James was reserved, solemn, and his gaze never stopped scanning. When we finally exited the building, he was bouncing on his toes, hands in his pocket.

“We good to go?” James glanced around, and raked his hand through his short blond hair. “I have a bad feeling. It’s too quiet.”

I touched the charm at the base of my throat and nodded. “It was exactly where my grandmother said it would be. Are we heading back?”

“Yeah, but we’ll go the long way so we can do some recon as well,” Marshall answered. “It gives me a little longer to sweet talk you as well. Let you see what a fine catch I am.” He winked, flirtatiously. I tried not to laugh when James rolled his eyes in disgust and Liam glared. Shrugging, Marshall took my hand and tugged. “Come on, sweetheart, let’s go see the sights.”

With James leading the way and Liam coming up from behind, we crossed the street and started weaving our way through the neighborhood. It was disturbing how altered things had become, and the way everything appeared abandoned. I shuddered, wondering where everyone was—had they converted or had something more sinister happened?