Accepted & Rebuilt (Shattered Duet Book 2)

by Bry Ann

  I don’t know how long I cry, but I know that the whole time, Sage doesn’t say a word. She doesn’t ask what’s wrong. She just lets me cry as hard as I want onto her shoulder, the whole time rubbing gently up and down my back, putting every ounce of the pain she feels for me into her touch.

  Crying has never been a luxury allowed to me. Not with an alcoholic mother and a father who regularly exposed me to the worst of society. It’s strange: painful and oddly cathartic.

  When my tears start to die off, I tuck my head into Sage.

  “Rose was murdered. Aaron, he…” I choke. “He killed her.”

  … and I’m crying again. I don’t know why.

  Sage gasps.

  “Oh my… Nix, I’m so sorry. I’m so… I can’t…”

  I squeeze her hand. Her tears fall onto my wrist.

  “I don’t know what to say,” she whispers. “I love you.”

  “I hate him! I fucking hate him!” I roar, jumping to my feet and sending the lamp crashing to the ground. I can’t think about anything. I grab whatever I see and send it crashing to the ground.

  “Nix,” I hear a voice faintly squeak. “Nix, please.”

  But I can’t see through the red.

  “He’s taken everything!”

  A pan clashes against the tile.

  Something soft hits my head, jolting me out of my rage.

  Sort of a weird, fuzzy haze swarms my vision as I try to take in my surroundings again. I look around the room. My heart immediately sinks when I see Sage.

  She’s curled up on the couch, trembling, with Pamela tucked into her chest. When my face falls, she hurriedly speaks.

  “I’m not scared. I’m not. I just… the yelling. I’m sorry.”

  “Hey.” I approach her gently, pull her to stand and tug her into my chest. “I’m sorry, princess.”

  I look around the absolutely wrecked apartment and wince.

  “I’m so sorry.”

  “No, don’t be. It’s just—”

  “Shh.” I scoop her up in my arms.

  “I’m supposed to be helping you,” she whimpers.

  “You are, Sage,” I whisper as I gently place her on the bed and tuck the covers up to her chin.

  “There’s a mess. I should clean. I should shower. I…”

  I crawl into bed and place my finger over her lips, before wrapping an arm around her tense body.

  “Let’s just be here. Just let me hold you.”

  “Okay, Nix,” she murmurs. “I’m not going anywhere.”

  She wraps her little arm around me and I cry all over again.

  Six Months Later

  “I’m on it, Rod.”

  He grunts.

  Click. I hang up on him and go back to the rack of weights I fuckin’ hate.

  After a solid month of serious depression, I realized I had to think of a game plan. I’d never felt lust for blood like I did after I found out my tender-hearted sister was murdered. I wanted to ask the boss to use his contacts to have Aaron killed, fuck the consequences. I wanted to fucking slaughter Rod. First he took my girl, then he murdered my sister. It takes every ounce of self-control I have to sound casual when I speak with Rod. It’d ruin everything if he knew I wasn’t still brainwashed enough to let this all go and internalize. If it got back to Aaron that I was no longer loyal to him, that I was beyond redemption, he’d go on a killing spree. He’d murder Sage and her parents and anyone else he could to break me. Once a person’s broken, they are easily moldable. It’s not his preference, I’m sure, but he would absolutely rebuild me all over again if he had to.

  Oh, I guess I should mention, Aaron did have Rose killed. Officially. He bribed her with an ex-boyfriend of hers. Sent a picture to her phone of him tied to a chair, and of course Rose, being as kind and naive as she is, went after him. When she arrived, Rod shot her on sight.

  The idea of her covered in blood makes me nauseous.

  “1…” I grunt, trying to push the weight back up. “2… 3…”

  I rack the barbell and groan. I hate lifting; I’d much rather build muscles doing shit in the real world, not the iron one, but, one, it helps me be sane enough to not murder everyone associated with the Marketta name, including me a lot of the time. And two, most importantly, it’s part of the plan. The agonizingly slow, nearly two-year plan, to end Aaron Marketta and his men for good.

  I can’t tell anyone about it, though.

  Not even Sage.

  I can’t risk anyone else getting hurt. Aaron needs to go. He sealed his death when he took Sage. He shut his coffin when he killed my sister. See, Aaron can never understand love. He doesn’t feel it. So he doesn’t get that his years of brainwashing me don’t work anymore, since receiving Sage’s love. Love is the antidote to everything born of hate.

  One person that’s been on my mind lately is Lacey, Rose’s best friend. The woman who was held captive by various mafia families. I really liked her. I can’t imagine how she’s feeling right now. Rose was her best friend. Her only friend.

  Set four.

  Last set.

  I finish that up, wipe the sweat from my brow and jump in my car. This ‘gym’ I go to is the private garage of an acquaintance of mine who is very into bodybuilding.

  Sage is with her dad today, so my plan is to move some weapons around the house a bit. I got more recently. Not to mention, I can definitely use this time to set some plans in motion. I push the front door open. I frickin’ have a heart attack when I’m not met with an empty house and instead come face to face with Sage standing there, tapping her foot on the ground.

  I groan and adjust my shirt to hide the gun I have hidden there.

  “You gave me a heart attack. I thought you were with your…”

  I flick my eyes up from my waist band and the words I was gonna say get lodged in my throat.

  “What the…”

  Sage cocks an eyebrow and taps her red-bottomed, black heel.

  I let my eyes roam up her body and swallow. What is she…

  “You can look,” Sage says, smirking.

  I take a step forward, feeling lust like I’ve never known before, building in my body. Sage is standing here in a strapless black dress that ends very high up on her thigh. She’s paired that with nothing but her now shoulder-length, black-green hair, clear, pale skin, and those damn heels. Her eyes are smoky but everything else about her makeup is neutral and only accentuates her natural beauty.

  I’m a sweaty, disgusting mess.

  “What are you… what the…”

  I know I look totally lost, but I’m so confused. I’m horny as hell and, yes, I am completely lost. I’ve never seen Sage like this. I mean she’s never…

  What?

  She walks right up to me, meeting me in the middle of where I’d already stepped toward her.

  She doesn’t touch me, simply stares, somewhat defiantly.

  “Well.”

  “Well, what?” I’m so confused. And horny. Yep, definitely wanna fuck her. Something I’m not sure me and Sage have ever really done. We always make love. It’s always gentle and tender and incredible. But right now, with no help from all the weight lifting I’ve been doing, I wanna fuck her. Hard and fast. She’s not helping, dressed like this.

  She smirks a little, still slightly defiant.

  “Where have you been?”

  “Working.”

  “You’re sweating.”

  “It was physical.”

  “Take off your shirt.”

  “I need to change first.”

  “Take. Off. Your. Shirt.”

  My eyebrows raise at her tone.

  “Your shirt, Nix,” she snaps.

  “What are you doing?”

  I’m seriously pissed, worried, turned on… all at the same time.

  Her hands fly forward to the end of my shirt. A bit frantically and uncoordinated, she lifts my shirt to my shoulders. When she gets to my arms and needs my cooperation, her other hand goes to my cock and starts to
rub there as she pulls the shirt off me. I literally laugh. What the fuck is going on? How did she do that? What is she doing? She even lets out a snort when she feels how hard I am.

  Before I know it, she’s dangling my gun in front of my face by the very tips of her fingers.

  “Why did you need this today?”

  “You know what I do, Sage.”

  She growls under her breath. “You think I’m stupid.”

  “I don’t—”

  “You do! If you think I don’t know something is different with you, you do.”

  “Sage…”

  “I just wanna be in the loop. No one has to know. I’ll act oblivious. It can be our secret that I know you are up to something.”

  She leans into my ear seductively, pushing her breasts up against my chest.

  “I can be a good liar. I did it my whole life. I’m a Briar-Rose.”

  Then she pulls away. Holy shit. Can I skip this whole part and fuck her?

  I lean forward and nip at her shoulder, then her neck, then her ear. I’m even more turned on when she tilts her head and her breathing increases.

  “You sure you can handle it? You don’t mind lying for me? Playing dumb?”

  “Nope,” she breathes. “I’m a good little liar.”

  Fuuuuck. Sage, Jesus.

  “I’m just planning to destroy everything Aaron Marketta ever built. Then I’m planning to end his life and the life of the man who killed my sister. It’s a whole year and a half deal,” I murmur as I slide my hand down her abdomen.

  “Great. That’s what I needed to know.”

  With a sigh, she pulls away, swaying her hips side to side as her heels click along the hardwood. Oh hell no she doesn’t…

  I charge forward and throw her over my shoulder, swatting her ass for good measure.

  “I don’t think so, princess.”

  Her giggle spreads throughout the room.

  “You should take me out to dinner, then. Woo me properly.”

  “I can woo you here just fine.”

  I throw her on the bed. She gasps and laughs at the same time. Not wanting to ruin the moment, but also feeling the inexplicable need to check on her, I lean into her ear and whisper, “Are you okay?”

  “I trust you,” she whispers back. “Don’t stop.”

  “Okay, I won’t. But I will anytime you ask.”

  She nods.

  … and back to the fun.

  I trail my finger down her slender body.

  “You’re sweaty,” she mumbles.

  “Want me to shower first?” And kill the fucking mood, potentially…

  She giggles. Giggles. Sage. “No, it’s kinda hot. You can continue.”

  I snort at her tone. “Yes, princess.”

  The title is very fitting right now.

  “So the clothes…” I murmur.

  “Had Mom get me some things.”

  “Really? What things?”

  “Well, first, let me clarify, I picked them out online; she simply provided the card.”

  “You can afford your own stuff, or I’ve got you.”

  “It’s how she shows love, Nix. She was trying to love me when I was upset.”

  “Alright, I get it,” I murmur. “Back to the topic of clothes.”

  I trace my hand lower. She shifts a little, clearly turned on and uncomfortable.

  “Well, one of the other articles I purchased is under this little dress.”

  “Little it is, babe.”

  She smirks. “Most men prefer to use the word sexy, but I get that you’re unique.”

  I flip her over so she’s pinned under me, the whole time watching her eyes to be sure I see no fear there.

  I slowly slide her dress up her hips, tilting my body just enough to do so. Under her little black dress is a pair of black lace panties.

  “You have good taste,” I murmur, gently tracing my finger on the outside of the fabric. She lets out a small whimper.

  “Y-yes, I do,” she stammers.

  I smirk and turn my small lines to circles around the fabric, feeling the panties grow damp.

  “I’d love to show you how much I appreciate your good taste.”

  “Hmm…” Is all I get from her as her hips start to move on the bed.

  I crawl back up her body, making her eyes pop open with a frown. I chuckle and make eye contact with her as I tug the top of her dress down and take one of her nipples into my mouth.

  “Nix!” she squeaks.

  One scar I don’t think Sage will ever get over is noise. She’s scared to be loud in bed.

  “Shh, feel.”

  She nods a bit frantically as I slide one finger under her dress and into her underwear.

  “You look beautiful.”

  “You’re lying to me a lot,” she says, arching her hips off the bed slightly. “You’re muscly. I don’t know who you are…”

  She shrieks a little when I arch my finger inside her, but I pause once her words sink in. I pull my finger out and leave her hanging for a moment. This is too important. Sage knows it too, because she takes a deep breath, gathers herself, and moves to sit up. I help her and she sends a little smile my way as a thank you.

  “Sorry for the timing,” I wince, “but we need to discuss this and you opened the door.”

  “Every day you come home, the same man I think I know, but you’re so secretive, Nix. You kept getting bigger and stronger before my eyes with no explanation. You’re never home…”

  “You think I’m cheating on you?!”

  I feel the world close in around me. Demons from my past come back to haunt me, but I think Sage senses it, because her hand reaches out on top of mine.

  She sighs heavily.

  “No, I know you wouldn’t cheat on me. You’d never do that to me.”

  The voices in my head are so loud, telling me she’s lying. ‘Cause I’m not a good man. Not a worthy man.

  “But…” She nibbles on her lower lip. “I mean, a girl still gets insecure. You’re getting all buff, out all day, not talking to me. It feels like you’re cheating, even if I know you wouldn’t. It feels like you’re pulling away, even if I know you love me. You’re scaring me, Nix. I don’t know who you’re becoming, and I’m sitting back, staying the same. That’s how even the most in-love couples drift apart.”

  I pull her into me, even though the lust is still hanging heavy in the air. “I’m sorry. I have to do this, Sage. I have to harden myself. Aaron has to go. Rod has to go. His men have to disband. I can’t do this anymore. I can’t let you do this anymore. I’m tired of hiding. I’m tired of fucking…”

  I take a deep breath, trying to kill the rage bubbling up inside me.

  “I have to, Sage. I can’t do this anymore. I can’t… hurt anyone anymore. It’s killing me.”

  Sage straddles my lap and cups my face. With a nod and a sigh she tries to cover, she looks me in the eye.

  “I know nothing, so if you ever want to talk, I’m a good choice.”

  “I love you. I love you so much.”

  “I know.”

  With a chuckle, I lean back, squeezing her hand once for good measure.

  “Stand up, Sage,” I command lightly.

  She searches my eyes, trying to figure out what it is we’re doing. I force my eyes to soften, even though I feel anything but soft right now, to be honest.

  “Trust me,” I whisper.

  With slightly shaking limbs from lack of release and nerves, Sage climbs out of the bed and stands there. I look her up and down with a smirk. Gone is the daring woman who was in the living room a few moments ago. Sage isn’t trying to be sexy at all right now. Her hands are lying stiff by her sides, and her face is curious, yet anxious. But somehow, despite all of this, she is. She’s so damn sexy. She’s stunning. Those fuckin’ heels accentuate her long, lean legs. The dress shows off her figure beautifully. Her beautiful eyes express every ounce of fear, lust, and curiosity she’s feeling. Her hair is silky and smooth, shoulder length.
It’s made even more beautiful because it’s a story in and of itself, shared between the two of us.

  “Take your dress off, Sage.”

  When she sort of frantically reaches for it, I jump from the bed, grab her wrists, and meet her eyes.

  “Slow, princess.”

  Then I take a seat and watch. She swallows heavily. Slowly, her hands go to her shoes.

  “Shoes stay on.”

  Her eyes shoot up. I laugh to myself. Despite everything she’s endured in her past, she’s still so naive.

  I nod at her.

  “It’s okay. Go on.”

  Still looking so adorably confused, she moves her hands to the top of her dress and slowly slides it down her body. The further down she pushes the dress, the more red her cheeks become. A feeling swells inside me so powerfully that it’s almost overwhelming. Love. I love her so fucking much.

  “Nix?” she whimpers.

  I force my eyes to move from her naked body, clad in nothing but that lace thong and heels. I’m painfully hard, but when I finally stop ogling her and meet her eyes, I realize how scared she looks right now. I move from the bed and up until I’m flush against her body. I wrap my arms around her and rub her lower back. She sighs and melts into me.

  “You okay?” I murmur.

  She nods. “Sorry.”

  I grab her shoulders. “Don’t ever apologize to me.”

  She nods.

  “Wanna stop this?”

  “No!” she says so fast it makes me laugh. And feel relieved… “I just needed you a moment,” she whispers in my ear.

  “You always got me.”

  “Okay, go sit down. Keep going.”

  I laugh as I take a seat. My gaze is once again heated as I look her up and down, from her flat stomach to her lace panties.

  “Come here, doll.”

  She comes over, hesitating when she gets to me.

  “Sit down.”

  She does. She takes a seat, straddling my lap.

  “Touch yourself.”

  Her eyes shoot up, wide and scared.

  “Do you ever do that, doll?”

  She shakes her head frantically back and forth.

  I lean into her ear, knowing it’s just fear holding her back and not lack of arousal. I nip at her ear, feeling her grow more wet as she straddles me.

  “I want you to let go for this. No thinking.”