Page 15 of Bound By Secrets

I peek through the gap between the twins' arms, watching with intense curiosity as the dark figure takes two more steps forward before stopping, leaving a few metres between us.

Callum and Connor both move their hands behind their backs and latch onto the handles of their knives that are hidden intheir waistbands. Not that they need to, because I know exactly who it is, I can feel the tingles spreading across my skin. He tuts before letting out a dark chuckle, one that makes my body stiffen, my thighs clench and my breath get trapped in my lungs.

Yeah, that's Ryker for sure.

Speak of the devil and he shall appear.

Pulling down his black hood, he smirks at me through the gap that I'm eyeing him through. His thick black hair is shorter than before and messy from being hidden beneath his hood. His blue eyes sparkle, even in the darkness of the parking lot.

My eyes rake over his face, taking in the new sharpness to his jaw and the faint stubble that now covers it. As if he knows I'm studying him, he pulls the sleeves of his hoodie up to his elbows, uncovering a dark mass of swirling tattoos that now line his left arm, from his wrist and up the length of his forearm, likely running up even further beneath the sleeve of his jumper.

"Hey, Pretty Girl. Long time no see.” His voice is soft but husky and his smirk is still set in place on his annoyingly handsome face.

The twins stay unmoving in front of me, hands still on their weapons and eyes trained on my ex. My mind is practically vibrating with all the thoughts going on inside it.

I want to run towards him and hug him, have his warm, comforting arms wrap around me whilst he nuzzles his head into the crook of my neck. I also want to grab one of the twin’s knives and run at him, ready to plunge it into his chest and show him a piece of the pain I felt when he left.

The main thing I want to do is run away and cry.

My emotions are all over the place as I stare into his alluring eyes. My brain and body don't seem to be connected at this moment because I have no control and I can't seem to make myself move an inch. I just stare at the love of my life who utterlydestroyed me and took a chunk of my heart that can never be replaced, wondering why he's here after all this time.

Chapter Ten

Ryker

My whole body shakes with nerves as I peer at Callie through the small space between her brother’s arms. I can't see much of her, but from the pictures that I've been getting over the past two years from Johnny, I know that she's still a beauty with added curves that I hope to explore with both my hands and my mouth.

Her hair is longer too and her beautiful blue eyes hold sadness within them. I keep my eyes trained on hers as they skim the length of my body, over my tattooed arm and down my jean-clad legs.

I don't look at her brothers, knowing they're raging with me. Callum’s probably okay, or at least I hope he will be once I manage to explain myself.

It’s Connor that worries me.

We used to be close friends, but I know that they'd happily kill me for how much I must’ve hurt Callie when I upped and left. I know for a fact, without even acknowledging them, that they're both staring at me with murderous rage in their eyes. I respectthem for it as well, and I’d be doing the same thing if I were them.

I understand why all three of them possibly hate my guts right now, but that's why I'm back. I need to explain everything and I want to help them. I can't stay away from Callie any longer and surely, she must know that there was a good reason for me leaving.

She's the love of my life, and I never would've left her during such a traumatic time if I had any choice in the matter. The saying that distance makes the heart grow fonder is true for me. Every second that I spent without Callie, my heart ached, and my body craved her touch. I don't feel at peace when I'm without her.

But I had to leave, and it was necessary to keep her safe. If I had stayed, one of us would've ended up dead. Most likely would’ve been me, and that would've destroyed her beyond repair. I know that leaving the way I did still hurt her deeply, but I also know her brothers would've helped keep her together, and Johnny was constantly updating me on how she was, as often as he could.

Callie finally pushes her way between the twins and takes a step forward but doesn't get much further as they both grab an arm each, keeping her close to them.

Keeping a smirk painted on my face, my eyes rake over her voluptuous body before landing on her striking eyes that are glaring at me with disgust and anger evident.

"What are you doing here?" she questions, her voice hard and unwavering despite her eyes being glossy with tears. My smirk falls a little and I swallow down the fear that starts creeping up as I contemplate that she may actually hate me and not forgive me for leaving.

"Was hoping we could talk, my love."

She shakes off her brother's grips and marches towards me with determination. When she reaches me, my mouth stretches into a genuine smile, one that's quickly wiped off my face when she reaches up and punches me hard enough that I stumble backwards a little before regaining my footing. One of the twins snorts as I shake my head and stretch my jaw to make sure nothing is broken.

Her eyes, brimming with anger, dart across my face and then she reaches up again, aiming to smack me this time but I grab a hold of her wrist before it reaches my face, rubbing my thumb in small circles across her smooth skin as I plead with my eyes for her to give me a chance.

"Please, Callie, let me explain." Her face softens a tad at my desperate plea, but she shakes her head from side to side and my heart drops. Both of my hands reach up to cup her cheeks and she sobs quietly as my skin comes into contact with hers.

Sparks ignite across my body when we touch, just like it did years ago. She subconsciously leans into my palm as a tear drops down her cheek. I catch it with my thumb and wipe it away.

"Just five minutes, please, Callie." She draws her bottom lip into her mouth, nibbling on it.

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