Page 26 of Broken Trust

Kellen squeezed Atlas tighter and whispered, “After I buried Jared and Colt took off, I killed her for what she’d done.”

Atlas closed his eyes and cried for a boy who’d only wanted the love and acceptance of his aunt. For brothers who’d only wanted a normal life and their mother to shower them with hugs and kisses. Lives forever changed or destroyed because a single person held such a black heart.

Kellen gripped Atlas’s face and made him look up. “Please stop crying, baby. It kills me to hear it.”

“I’m sorry.” Tears kept falling. “It just breaks my damn heart to know what you, Colt, and Jared suffered through.” And Jared would never know the life he could have had outside his aunt’s cruelty.

Kellen wiped away Atlas’s tears. “Don’t ever be sorry for having such a compassionate heart, Atlas. I’m such a fucking idiot. You were right. I never was attracted to Braylon, never even thought about wanting him, but I shouldn’t have talked about it, either. That was total disrespect to you.”

Atlas sniffed, trying to get himself under control. “Why were you saying that anyway?”

Kellen looked up toward the ceiling. “Another thing I don’t want to tell you because I don’t want you to the think the worst of me.”

“I told you that wasn’t going to happen,” Atlas said. It was nothing short of a miracle the guy wasn’t a heartless bastard after the way he was raised. Kellen might be struggling with how to handle having a mate, might be rough around the edges, but he hadn’t allowed his mother to strip away his humanity. Although Kellen had said he’d closed it off, he still had a very caring heart.

His mate let out a long sigh. “I wanted to get back at Braylon for what he did to you, but I was conflicted on seeking revenge, because I didn’t want you to look at me any differently.” He told Atlas about what Colt proposed.

Kellen avoided looking at Atlas, which told him that his mate was waiting to be berated for going along with the plan.

Atlas wasn’t conflicted. He wasn’t a vengeful person, but after making Braylon a part of his family, after giving the guy his complete trust, only to have the prick betray him in the worst way possible, Atlas had no qualms with Colt’s plan. “I’ll tell your brother what Braylon’s dream guy is.”

Braylon had lamented about the perfect guy too many times. In fact, Colt was right up his alley as far as looks. Atlas was surprised his ex-best friend hadn’t tried to get with Kellen the night they’d met him.

That’s because he was too busy having sex with Glen.

Kellen frowned as he finally looked at Atlas. “You’re okay with it?”

Atlas’s heart had been shattered when he found out Glen had cheated on him, but the betrayal from Braylon cut even deeper. The pain was still fresh and raw.

“After discovering that Glen was a cheater, it was Braylon who comforted me as I sobbed, even though he was secretly having sex with my boyfriend. He’s just like his—” Atlas held up a hand. “No matter how angry I am, I will not say anything bad about his mom. Lenore has been nothing but kind to me.”

“Can we change the subject?” Kellen asked. “I feel drained from all this negative shit.”

“We could talk about how you and Colt pretty much destroyed this bedroom,” Atlas said as he looked around. There was no saving the dresser or the nightstand. There was also a lot of splintered wood and debris that needed cleaning up.

“Or I could ask if you still need a date to your sister’s wedding.”

Atlas was surprised that Kellen even remembered him saying that. “You’d do that for me?”

“Baby, I’d do anything for you.” Kellen rolled forward, placing Atlas on his back. “Right now, how about we have sex in this messy-ass room? It would be the perfect stress relief.”

Atlas chuckled as he cupped Kellen’s jaw. “Just as long as I don’t get any splinters in my ass and you and Colt clean this room up afterward.”

“I’m pretty sure he’s looking for a way to mend things with you.”

“He has nothing to mend.” Atlas raked his fingernails over Kellen’s beard. He simply loved touching his mate and couldn’t seem to stop. Atlas was also thankful he was no longer feeling despair about his mate. In fact, he felt closer to Kellen than he had before.

“Don’t tell Colt that just yet, or he won’t—” Kellen cursed.

“What?” Atlas’s hands stilled.

His mate closed his eyes and let out a breath. “Manipulation. Fuck.” He opened his eyes, those emerald beauties staring right at Atlas. “I was about to tell you not to let Colt off the hook so he wouldn’t back out of his plans for Braylon.”

Atlas pulled Kellen down to him. “You’re a work in progress, babe.”

“How about I work in progressing you toward a mind-blowing orgasm?” Kellen growled against Atlas’s neck. “We’re still going to find a way to one day have sex in the hospital, because that idea turned me on. I kept imaging you bent over that bed, your ass in the air, and me pounding into you while trying not to get caught.”

“The doctor busted you groping my ass,” Atlas reminded him. “That counts.”

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