Unforgivably Broken (The Broken Series Book Two) (47 page)

I stood, stunned at the rapid turn in events. She’d seen through me. She’d let me tear her down last night, knowing that I was grasping at straws and trying to find a way to push her to make the move that I couldn’t. I grabbed my keys and my phone from the bedroom, knowing I had to go through the kitchen to get to the garage. They were busy counting eggs when I walked in and I watched them for a moment, fully aware that
Lili knew I was watching them. The way she interacted with him, the way she loved him and he loved her, this was what life was supposed to be like. Lili was strong — strong enough to handle my bullshit baggage and then some.

Stepping over, I dropped a kiss on Conner’s head. “Have a good day, buddy,” I said before turning to
Lili. I leaned in to peck her cheek, the first of many apologies I would owe her for my mistakes, but she turned away. Her point was as clear as if she’d spoken it. She knew what I was doing, and she would take it, but she didn’t like it.

Walking out the door, I spotted her phone on the counter. Pulling mine out, I quickly typed a text, sending it as I backed out of the garage.

Mine, too.

I spent the day at work sending long apologies to Lili and getting no response. Not that I expected one. I knew she wouldn’t reply but I hoped she would at least be reading them. It was the tip of the iceberg when it came to the groveling I had planned. All day I’d been thinking up ways to make it up to her and while none of it would ever completely take away the damage I’d done with my words, I would never stop trying to earn her forgiveness.

“I don’t even know how you’re here today,” Jackson noted when he climbed back in the rig. He propped his arm on his open window, both of us enjoying the autumn
breeze.

“I need to stay busy,” I said evasively. I’d done all I could to try
to dissuade Jackson from broaching the subject of Lizzie losing the baby but once he knew, he seemed to make it his mission to help me talk it out. I didn’t want to talk about it, I wanted to work and think about spending my life trying to be the man Lili saw me as.

“You need to learn to deal with your grief,” he said, glancing at his phone.

I took a deep breath, my eyes checking the clock. “You don’t know the first thing about my grief, Jackson. Look, no offense, but I have a lot on my mind other than just Lizzie right now.”

“How can you say that? Lizzie was carrying your child.” I could tell by his tone that I’d offended him but I was sick of him pushing.

“Yeah, and so is the girl I left at home with my son this morning after yelling asshole things at her half the night,” I snapped, sighing as I realized what I’d just admitted. Lili would kill me if she knew I’d said something to Jackson.

Jackson’s face visibly paled. “Wait,
Lili’s pregnant?”

“We don’t know yet. She just told me she there’s a chance but obviously I didn’t handle that well. I’m a little more worried about making amends
with her right now.”

“Damn…” Jackson seemed lost in thought but before he could comment further, the dispatcher broke through, letting us know our relief was on
the way and we could head back.

By the time I got into my car, my nerves were all over the place
and it didn’t feel entirely like I was worried about how to apologize to Lili. There was something else but I couldn’t place it. I pulled out my phone, seeing I had a missed alert.

NEW TEXT from Pixie

Something soured my stomach but I reasoned that worst-case scenario, she was telling me not to text anymore cause she was laying down with Conner for him to take a nap or something. I opened the text.

Helpomieanuwidj

I stared at the random letters, my palms suddenly sweating. Help. I could clearly see the word help in the beginning. The text was sent over half an hour ago. I tried to hit dial to call Lili but the phone slipped out of my wet hand, falling under my seat.

“Fuck
, fuck, fuck,” I said, trying to squelch the panic I felt rising. I reached down, fumbling until I found the phone. The second it was in my hand, I had the car in gear and I was racing toward the house. I dialed, listening as the phone rang over and over, my fear climbing with every ring. By the time her voicemail kicked on, I was still fifteen minutes from the house.

I threw my phone into the passenger seat, unable to stop the tremors wracking my entire frame. This was it. This was my worst nightmare coming true.

Before I can even take two steps out the back door, the weight slams into me, knocking me off balance.

I hit the concrete of the garage floor, coughing as
the wind is knocked out of me.

“Don’t fight,” a voice hisses but it only makes me struggle harder against the
arms pinning me to the ground.

Hands wrap around my neck and I feel mys
elf immediately start to panic.

I cough again, kicking out and feeling my foo
t connect with something solid.

“Fuck!” the voice c
ries as the hands on me loosen.

Just as I’m free of the grip, I
realize why I’m choking. Smoke.

My eyes fly wildly around the garage, landing on the stack of boxes in the
corner, which are now burning.

Reaching for my phone, I immediately remembe
r where I left it in the house.

I spin toward the door, scrambling to get in
side and away from my attacker.

A hand grabs my ankle and I hit the concrete steps, my head slamming against the
edge before I can catch myself.

“Let’s go,” a voice says from outside but I can barely hear it over another sou
nd.

The growling gets loude
r as I try to pry my eyes open.

Moving.
Someone is moving me.

Bright light helps me find my eyes and I squint, trying to mak
e sense of the scene around me.

I cough, groaning as the pain shoots from my side all the way up to m
y skull.

Flames.
Huge flames.

“NO!” I cry, catching my attacker
off guard as I break his grip.

Immediately, I’m on the stairs, staying low to avoid the thick, black smoke layering the ceiling of the garage.

My only thought as I throw open the door into the house is Conner.

The flames have already spread, the wall separating the living
room from the garage engulfed.

“Conner!”
I yell before I’m slammed from behind again.

“Stop fighting!” the voice demands this time, a
ttempting to restrain my hands.

“My son!
You have to let me get him out! CONNER!”

The attacker grabs the back of m
y shirt, yanking me to my feet.

Vertigo hits me with the force of a truck and I lean over, vomiting a
s I blink into the thick smoke.

I throw an elbow, catching the attacker in the face as I rush toward
the hallway and Conner’s room.

“Fuck!” The attacker grabs me, throwing me against the wall. The punch he lands to my jaw sends pain ricocheting through my skull again, the ring on his
finger slicing through my skin.

I look up, seeing the flames as they eat away at the ceiling of the hallway. The loud explosion from the garage rattles the already unstable walls and knocks me off balance.
“CONNER!”

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

It’s still surreal to me that I’m sitting here writing thank
yous for the end of my second book. I’m serious when I say that if the last year of my life has been a dream then I don’t want to wake up!

As always, my first thank you will always go to my family.
All of you, near and far, who bought my book and pushed me to continue following my dreams. My aunt and uncle for your constant and unwavering support. My sister for always telling me how proud you are of me and for sharing my book with your friends. And, of course, my mom and stepdad. If you have met me at an event, odds are you’ve met them. They travel with me, help keep me sane (or drive me insane, as the case may be…) and I couldn’t do this without them. Not many people are lucky enough to have the support system I have with my parents and trust me, I’m thankful for it every day.

Next up, my betas.
Dee and Heather, you two ladies were my first round this time and wow did you make my life crazy… in the best possible way, of course. The twists and turns in this story that kept me rewriting and changing were only possible because of your amazing minds helping me work through the problems as they arose. Dee, your love of poking holes in my story to “see if it can still float” might make me cry but it’s always worth it in the end. Heather, the knowledge you share with me is invaluable and having you as a beta (and PA on the upcoming signing in OKC!) has been amazing! Loretta and Rachel, life has been crazy this time around and without our talks after the book club meetings, I don’t think I’d have had the courage to stick with this ending and the dark direction of book three! Jamie, I miss you girl! Between your work and school, we barely see each other, but it’s a blessing just knowing you’re there if I need you! Allison, I can’t believe it took me so long to add you to the beta group! You know how much your friendship means to me. Thanks for your love of Star Wars. As you can see, you’re rubbing off on Lili! Jessika, for your love of music and CMM. Seriously, I always know that when I need to see his gorgeous face, all I have to do is ask. Monica, Renee, and Amie, there’s more to the three of you below.

My street team, though we be but little, you ladies rock out with your… yeah, you get the picture.
Vicci, Retta, Cheryl, Kristina, every time I turn around, my Facebook is full of notifications where you are pimping me out! You girls are #InZane in the best possible way!

The team at Forever Red Publishing.
It’s only been a short time but I’m loving it and I can’t wait to see what’s in store for all of us!

The amazing Monica, editor extraordinaire.
As always, there are no words strong enough to express my gratitude for your work on this book. Or for your friendship. Over the last year, you have come to be one of my very best friends and that is a gift I treasure. You love Lili and Zane at least as much as I do, if not more, and the dark and twisty places our minds take these two characters during the process is exactly where I want it. No one, and I mean no one, takes your place. Ever. It’s amazing to me how you can read a manuscript, knowing the direction my story is taking because of our endless talks, and turn the entire plot upside down before you’re even to the halfway mark. Book three, babe. We’re doing this. Dark and twisty all the way.

Amie.
My Amie. Always my Amie. You’re the best PA, Blog Partner, and friend I could ever ask for. Seriously, I don’t know what I would do without you. You can always make me laugh and the adventures of Flat Amie and Flat Maegan will go down in history! One of these days, it’ll just be our adventures when we finally meet in person. You are a rockstar and I don’t tell you that often enough. I love your face and I can’t wait to hug the fuck out of you but no matter how hard you try, I still won’t get “Amie’s Bitch” tattooed on my forehead. Just sayin’.