Bound to Break: Books one in the Bound to series

by Tonks, Rachael

  “Her boyfriend and the one who is going to protect her from your sick pedophile ass.”

  Did I just call myself Cassie’s boyfriend? Shit, I guess I did. I can’t deny that it’s taking everything I have to not leap forward and pummel my fist against this cocksucker’s face. Tensing my fist, it’s tempting, far too tempting.

  “What the hell did you just call me?” He pushes me on the shoulder, but I don’t budge. I might be standing on the step in my boxers, but all I care about is protecting Cassie.

  Leaning my head forward, I lower my voice. “I. Know.”

  “You know jack shit, man.”

  “Get off the step and don’t come here again,” I warn him.

  “Or what? You and your boxers going to do me some damage?”

  “You fucking bet your ass I am.”

  “We’ll see about that,” he snickers, his hand reaching inside his jacket and before I can register what is happening, he’s pointing a gun in my face. The memory of what happened with Jeff flashes through my mind, causing me to wince as the pain strikes me like a goddamn thunderbolt.

  “No,” screeches Cassie, her hand suddenly pushing the gun away. My eyes fly open, my protectiveness in overdrive.

  Rearing back my fist, I swing at Vinny, my fist landing heavily on his nose, blood instantly spraying from his nostrils. He releases the gun and it falls to the ground as his hand covers his bloodied nose.

  “Get the fuck out of here,” I say, barging toward him and shoving him hard on his shoulder. “You come back and you bet your sorry ass I’m calling the police.” I push him over and over and he stumbles down the step and onto the walkway.

  “I’m going, I’m going,” he yells.

  “Just wait until Uncle Howard finds out what your precious boyfriend just did to me.”

  “Screw you, Vinny. Like Dad will believe you over me.” She scoffs and lets out an audible tut. I follow Vinny as he makes his way out of the driveway, hitting the button to close the gates. He staggers through them, flipping me the bird.

  “Keep walking, moron,” I say with my nostrils flaring. I watch him as he leaves, my throat thick and my breathing almost erratic.

  “Hey,” Cassie speaks softly, her hand stroking the top of my arm gently. “Let’s get back inside.” Her eyes drop to my bare body and I stifle a laugh. Reaching down for her hand, I let my fingers entwine with hers. I squeeze gently and I feel her staring at me as we walk back inside the house. I close the door, making sure I drop the lock and set the security.

  Glancing down at her, I can’t help but be struck by her beautiful smile beaming back up at me. Considering we just had her crazy cousin pull a gun out on us, she sure does look happy.

  “What is it?” I ask, curiosity getting the better of me.

  “You called yourself my boyfriend.” Lifting onto her tiptoes, she places a kiss against my jaw. “I loved that.”

  Relief washes over me. “I’m glad. Being your boyfriend makes me the happiest guy on the planet.”

  “Leo,” she blurts out, jerking back a little. “The gun.” She gasps, as if just remembering.

  “Shit.” I nod, unlocking the door and looking at the ground. I find it just beside the step and pick it up. “We should put it somewhere safe,” I tell her. Heading over to the laundry room, I search the shelves for an empty box. There’s an old shoe box on the top shelf. I reach up, checking that it’s empty. Luckily it is. I push the gun inside and place it back on the top shelf before making my way back to Cassie.

  “I’m so fucking sorry. I hate that this asshole, the one that hurt you beyond comprehension, can just turn up here.”

  “I hate him,” she replies, her voice full of emotion. “Why? Why would he just turn up here, past midnight?” Her eyes fill with unshed tears.

  “I have no idea, baby.” I pull her into my chest and hold her there tightly, wanting to be the one to take away the pain.

  “Don’t ever stop holding me,” she whispers, her breath tickling my chest. Wetness falls against my skin and I know she’s crying. She’s been so strong for so long, forcing back the pain and memories of the past. I need to be the one that holds her until she no longer needs to be held.

  Bending my knees, I reach behind her knees and pull her from the ground and into my arms. “I got you, baby. He can’t hurt you now.” She weeps into my chest and my heart shatters as she cries out her internal pain.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Cassie

  My head pounds and my eyes sting as I try to open them, rolling over, my hand feeling around for Leo. A sudden spike of panic has my heart thumping. I spin, my sore eyes searching the room for Leo. Instead of seeing him lying beside me, I see a single rose and a hand-scribbled letter.

  Grasping the rose between my finger and thumb, I pull it to my nose. The bright yellow rose smells of fruits mixed with musk. I inhale the sweet scent while grabbing the note and lifting it until it’s in my line of sight, albeit blurry.

  Meet me in the dining room. Breakfast awaits…

  Placing the note and rose down, excitement grows in my tummy. I throw back the covers, sliding out of my bed. As I stand, my body is unusually achy. I know it’s because I slept in Leo’s embrace all night, never wanting to let go. He held me until my tears dried up and my heart ached a little less. I’m not sure what I would’ve done without him. Vinny showing up here, with a gun, scared the hell out of me. And every time he turns up here uninvited it’s like I’m reliving the nightmare. Forced into remembering what happened and what he did to me.

  Cassie aged 6

  A loud knock on the door startles me. I’d been dreading them coming. Wondering what he would make me do this time. I swallow the sick feeling that has risen in my throat and go run and hide in the laundry room. No one will ever find me here, I tell myself. I shuffle until I’m sitting on the floor with my knees lifted and my head resting against them. The palms of my hands press against my ears.

  Maybe if I block out the noise, they’ll never find me.

  Count, I tell myself.

  So that’s what I do. Over and over, counting as high as I can.

  “Forty-four, forty-five, forty-six.”

  “Cassie,” the voice roars and I snap my head to look up. I’m scared of what I’ll see and my hands tremble as I move them away from my ears.

  Liza stares down at me. The look on her face tells me she’s angry. She’s angry a lot with me.

  “Get up off the floor, you stupid girl.” Grabbing my hand she yanks me up from my crouched position. She opens the door and drags me outside.

  I’m scared, but I can’t tell her why.

  No one will believe me.

  I’m just a stupid girl.

  “You know we have visitors today. Vinny’s here to play with you. You like Vinny, don’t you?”

  Gulp.

  I don’t like Vinny. Not one little bit. But I can’t say that.

  Liza looks down at me and glares. “What’s wrong, your ears not working?”

  “My ears work fine, thank you.”

  “Don’t get smart with me, young lady!”

  She lets go of my hand with a shove and I stumble back.

  Hitting something hard, I turn to see what it is.

  Vinny.

  “Come on, princess. Why don’t you show me your new moves?”

  I look up at him. My eyes widen and I shake my head from side to side. “I don’t feel like playing today.”

  “Oh, sure you do.” His hand wraps around my wrist, pinching the skin.

  “Stop, you’re hurting me.” I look up at Liza, hoping she heard me. Instead, she smiles and nods and watches as Vinny drags me up the stairs.

  Why isn’t she doing anything?

  Tears roll across my cheeks and I don’t know how to stop him. Nothing works.

  Clamping my eyes shut, I try to not think about all the things he’s made me do. Maybe this time he really does want to see my new dance routine.

  “Should I show you what I learn
ed at dance practice this week?”

  “Sure thing, princess!” he says, licking his lips. Pushing me inside my bedroom.

  “Hey,” I shout at him as I tumble to the floor.

  He closes the door behind me, grabbing a chair and pushing it up against the handle.

  “I don’t want to play those games anymore, Vinny,” I tell him. Shuffling back, I try to get away from him, but it’s no use. He grabs my ankle, dragging me toward him.

  “You’ll like this game, my little princess.”

  “Stop calling me princess,” I cry out.

  “I’ll call you whatever I want.” His hand lands heavy against my throat.

  “Do as I say, or I don’t stop squeezing. You got that?” He tilts his head, his dark eyes so dark he looks like the image of the devil as he leans over me.

  Pain presses down on my chest.

  “Take off your clothes,” he demands.

  “No,” I cry out. “Please don’t hurt me. I don’t like it, Vinny. Please.” The hand around my throat tightens. He starts to tug at my shorts and I clench my eyes shut.

  Count, Cassie, count, I tell myself.

  Tears stream silently from my eyes.

  One…

  Two…

  Three…

  Shaking my head, I try to push out the vivid memories.

  Bile rises and stings my throat, tears fall over my cheeks.

  I need to do something. I can’t move forward with my life as long as he keeps turning up here, churning up memories of the past.

  I have to do something I always said I wouldn’t.

  I need to tell my father what he did.

  Swallowing down the lump of nerves at the realization that my secret will no longer be a secret, I walk over to the closet, pulling out my robe. Scrunching my eyes shut, I shake my head and think back to Leo’s note. Making my way back over to the bed, I grab the note and the rose and make my way down the stairs. As I reach the foyer, I hear the faint sound of classical music coming from the dining room. My feet moving slowly against the cool tiled floor.

  Stopping at the entrance, I peek inside. Leo is sitting at the table. The table that looks like something out of a romance movie. Rose petals are scattered over the table, with a breakfast buffet fit for a queen spread out in the middle. My heart leaps at the thought that he did this for me.

  “Wow,” I say, finally entering the room.

  “Hey.” He rushes to step up and make his way over to me. He stops just in front of me. Lifting up onto my tiptoes, I wrap my arms around his neck, drawing him into me.

  “You didn’t have to do this.”

  “I wanted to. I want nothing more than to make you happy.”

  I gaze into his bright brown eyes as they sparkle. They are soft and pure and I know I’ve found something in Leo that I’d only ever dreamed of.

  “I think I’m falling for you, Leo.”

  His eyes widen with surprise and I just know he wasn’t expecting to hear those words. Hell, I’m not sure I was expecting myself to say them. His arms snake around my waist and he pulls me into him. “Cassie, I’m fucking crazy about you.”

  My heart soars to hear that he feels the same. I know now, in this moment that I love Leo. Not an infatuated, physical kind of love. But the kind of crazy out-of-my-mind love. The kind that heals the broken within you.

  After holding me for the longest time, he finally pulls back, kissing me on the forehead. “Let’s eat.”

  * * *

  After filling my face full of bacon and eggs and enough coffee to keep me awake for the day, I make my way upstairs to get dressed. Leo has arranged to meet with Jase and figure out what to do about the yard at Sasha’s place. As I head into my bedroom, I hear my phone buzzing on the bedside table. Rushing over, I manage to grab the phone and swipe the screen, answering it just in time.

  “Hello,” I rush out.

  “Hey, babe,” Sasha replies. I smile at the sound of her voice, resting the phone between my shoulder and my ear. “So, I’ve heard you’re paying us a visit today?”

  “Yes, we are. Did you have a good time with Jase last night?”

  She sighs heavily down the receiver. “So good. The only problem is I think he likes me.”

  “That’s not a problem,” I scoff.

  “Cassie…it’s a huge problem. I mean he really likes me…I never expected anyone to develop any kind of feelings.”

  “So you don’t feel the same?” I drop down against the bed, grabbing the phone in my hand.

  “I really like him, but I really like Jared too.”

  “Time to make a decision.”

  “Ughhhh,” she cries. “I just can’t. It’s like expecting a mother to pick a favorite child.”

  “But they will find out about each other eventually, then you’ll lose them both.”

  “I know, I know. Guess I’m burying my head in the sand, right?”

  “Totally.”

  “Well, let’s get today over with and I’ll make a decision. Come clean with them both.”

  I grimace to myself, knowing how messy this could get. Jared is the ultimate fiery jock, whereas Jase is the guy that everyone wants to be like. Smart, rich, funny. No wonder she wanted to have her cake and eat it too.

  “I’m excited to see you. I can’t wait to hear about your meeting with Erika.”

  Clutching my hand to my chest, happiness buzzes through my veins. “Juilliard,” I say, knowing that Sasha will get what I mean.

  “Shut. The. Front. Door,” she bellows so loudly I have to pull the phone away from my ear.

  “I have an invitation, but I’m not taking it, Sasha. How can I?”

  “What?” she screeches. “You are the best, Cassie. You deserve to be at the best dance school available, and we both know that is Juilliard.”

  “My father isn’t supporting me. There is no way I can pay the tuition, while keeping a roof over my head. New York is expensive.”

  “Ugh,” she grumbles. “This is bullshit, Cassie. I hate that your dad doesn’t support you. I hate that he fails to see how phenomenal you are.”

  Although I agree with her, I feel protective toward my father. “I guess he has his reasons.” I shrug. “Oh, he did give me something for you before he left for the weekend.”

  “For me?”

  “Well, for your mom I guess. It’s the number of a therapist, all arranged and paid for.”

  “What?” she gasps. “Really?” Her voice almost breaks as I hear the emotion in it.

  “Yes, he gave it to me yesterday, but I wanted to tell you away from the dance studio.”

  “Cassie, this is amazing. I honestly can’t thank you enough. It’s just what Mom needs. It’s what I need. The quicker she starts to move on from what happened the quicker it will be for me to get my mom back.”

  “I truly hope it helps, honey.”

  “Me too,” she sniffles.

  I know just how much this means to her, and I love that I’ve been able to do something that will make a difference, even if it was just speaking to Dad and getting his help.

  * * *

  By the time we make it to Sasha’s house, Jase is already there. We pull up behind his truck and I can’t help but notice Sasha is sitting on the hood, her legs wrapped around Jase’s waist as he stands between them.

  “They look good together,” Leo remarks, squeezing my hand a little. I look up at him and instantly shudder. He does crazy things to me.

  “They do.” I beam. “I’m really hoping she picks him. I think she’s the one that’s changed him.”

  Leo laughs loudly.

  “What?” I ask, prodding his rib. “What’s so funny?”

  “Men can’t be changed.”

  “Oh, really?”

  “Really,” he says with wide eyes and a sarcastic smile.

  “Oh, don’t be so sure.” I throw him a wink.

  Reaching for the handle, I throw open the door and jump out of the Mustang.

  “Hey, lovebirds,” L
eo shouts and the two of them start to giggle. “We got work to do.”

  “Good to see you, man,” Jase says as he steps toward us, reaching for Leo’s hand. He shakes a little as he pulls him in for a man hug.

  The two guys laugh and talk loosely while I go over to Sasha. “Hey, honey.” I lean in, kissing her on the cheek.

  “Hey, you.” Her eyes never move from Jase and I see her watching him.

  “I’m right here,” I say placing my hand on the side of her face, directing her line of sight to me.

  “Jesus, is it hot this afternoon, or just me?” She starts to fan her face and I can’t help but giggle. Placing my hands on the hood, I pull myself up until I’m sitting beside her.

  “I think you got it bad,” I say, bumping her arm with mine.

  “Do you think we can put a request in?”

  I tilt my head and draw my brows together. “What?”

  “The guys…I think it’s only right if they do the yard work shirtless.”

  “I think that’s an acceptable request.”

  We both laugh.

  “Jesus, we’ve turned into a set of horny bitches,” Sasha whispers.

  “Have you seen them, though?” I swallow as I look at the handsome pair talk guy shit, but look absolutely gorgeous at the same time. “You made your decision about Jase yet?”

  She sighs.

  “I think you’d be crazy to let him go. Yeah, Jared is pretty cool, but Jase the Ace is something else. And he’s into you, Sasha.”

  “I haven’t heard from Jared for a few days. I was hoping that it might just fizzle out with him and I can just concentrate on making something work with me and Jase.”

  A little squeal of excitement escapes me and I clap my hands together.

  “Listen, he’s cleaning up my shitty yard, must mean he’s into me, right?”

  “It means he cares, and that’s so nice. Most guys wouldn’t even think of offering to help. Especially the rich kids who have never done a day of manual labor in their lives.”

  “Right? Like, I’m not even sure he knows how to use half of this stuff.” Her thumb juts to the back of the truck where all of the gardening equipment is. “Hey, you want a drink?” She slides down from the hood, placing her hands on her hips.