Page 11 of Broken Promises
Some of Granny’s items were packed inside, and I held up her favorite coffee cup as tears pressed into my eyes. I placed it down on the counter and was about to reach into the box for another item when a loud crash sounded through the house, startling me and causing me to jump back. Without thinking, I grabbed a knife from the butcher block and held it in front of me as I carefully looked around the kitchen corner.
A pissed-off Rhys was in my living room with my front door standing wide open. The frame was busted and the door had a foot-shaped hole in it, and instantly, I grew livid.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” I yelled as I walked over to the radio and turned it off, casting the house into silence.
He stood with his eyes locked on me and his chest heaving as he clenched and unclenched his fists. I swung my head to face him and took my first step toward him when I noticed the rabid look on his face. Hesitating, I gripped the knife tighter as I watched him take one calculated step after another until he was less than five feet from me.
His brown eyes glanced at the knife in my hand, and I looked down at it then back to him before dropping it to the floor next to me.
“Why are you here, Rhys?” I asked softly, and he shook his head, silencing any more questions.
“I want you to tell me why you decided to be a brat and basically cut off surveillance,” Rhys said calmly, but I could see the rage in his eyes. “And why the hell did you have to play that annoying music so loud?”
“I—”
His hand came up, stopping me from answering his question as he took another step closer to me. Instinctively, I stepped back and he took another one closer, causing me to take another away until my back was pressed against the wall. Raising my gaze to him, I saw fire dancing in his brown orbs, and as hard as I tried, I couldn’t stop the tingles from building in my core.
Jeez, there was something deeply wrong with me if the sight of him angry was getting my motor running. When I tried to take my gaze away from him, he pushed closer to me and his strong hand cupped my cheek as he urged me to look at him.
“I’m . . . I’m sorry,” I said softly.
He leaned over, running his nose along the side of my neck before he whispered into my ear. “Don’t apologize for standing your ground,” he paused, and I held my breath, waiting for his next words, “but don’t think I’m going to let this attitude go unnoticed. Your safety is my number one priority, and your little stunt could’ve backfired.”
“How?” I breathlessly asked and felt his warm breath on my neck.
“What if someone besides me decided to get inside? With the cameras covered and the music so loud, I wouldn’t know what happened, who took you, or where to start looking for you. So, please, don’t make me be the bad guy because I’m worried about you.”
He pulled back from me, and I lifted my eyes to him as he stared down at me. His frustration and worry were one thing, but his hard body pressed against me with his words sending shivers down my spine was something completely different.
Four hours ago, I thought I was outside his class of women, but at that moment, I didn’t care. Without thinking, I grabbed onto the front of his black shirt and yanked him closer to me as I pressed to my tiptoes. Our lips met and, instantly, his arms wrapped around me and pulled me to him. I pushed my hands over his shoulders, and one slipped into his thick black hair as our tongues battled for superiority.
This could be the biggest mistake of my life, but for once, I was being bold, daring, and taking what I wanted.
I just hoped it didn’t backfire and cost me everything, including the potential connection to my family.
Chapter 5
Rhys
Breaking down her door was the wrong thing to do, but after listening to that poppy music for almost two hours, I was ready to tear my own hair out. I’d followed behind her from the little mountain pull-off to her house before zipping down the interstate to my house. There were only ten or so miles between us, so I decided to give her some space for a while.
I was sitting in my office, digging through notes that Lucian retrieved from the FBI server, when I glanced at the monitor showing Hannah’s house. Instantly, I noticed two of the cameras were blacked out, and just as I was about to call James to find out what was going on, I watched Hannah place a small ladder under one of the cameras and tape something over the lens, causing it to go black.
Shaking my head, I gave her my full attention, and when there was only one camera still showing an image, I saw her step up to it and look directly at me. Her blue eyes sparkled with defiance as she spoke to me. “You’ll still be able to hear what’s going on around here, but you don’t get to peek into my life anymore. Back the fuck off, Rhys. I’m not someone who needs saving.”
With those words, she covered the last camera, rendering them useless to capture images. I could still hear her, but that didn’t make my building anger any better. She was being hot-tempered and not thinking about what problems her bratty attitude could cause. A minute later, the most annoying soundcame through the speakers, and I swear I heard her giggle as the volume increased.
I had an eclectic variety of music I enjoyed, but listening to the queen of pop singing about another ex-boyfriend for over an hour was starting to wear on my last nerve. The sound of her voice came through one of the cameras, and that was the last straw.
Grabbing my keys and cell phone, I stormed out of the house with a confused Regan watching me from her reading nook in the front living room. I heard her yell something at me, but I was too pissed at Hannah to understand, which was strange for me. All I could think about at that moment was getting to Hannah’s and stopping her attitude before I blistered her ass.
She didn’t want my help. That was fine, but now, she had to understand there was no barrier between my want of her and my need to protect her. I would make sure she was safe, and if she didn’t want to comply, then I would have to bend her until she was more amenable. I believed I understood a little more about Hannah than she thought, and if my hunch was correct, I was going to show her everything her heart desired.
I drove faster to her house than I should have but was still getting passed by jackasses in downtown Atlanta. All too soon, I was getting off the exit and making the half-dozen turns into her neighborhood. When I pulled into her driveway, I saw she had covered the outside camera as well, and I instantly saw red. She was putting herself in danger just to prove she was a big girl.
Well, let’s see how big she really was. I gave her one chance to open the door as I knocked a little harder than necessary. There wasn’t anything coming through the door except for that irritating music, and when the song changed to something even bubblier, I snapped. Stepping back, I planted one foot and, with all my force, kicked the other into the door near the lock, where it was weakest.
The door flew open and I stomped inside, waiting for her to show herself. She appeared with a knife as I stood in her living room, clenching and unclenching my hands, trying to suppress my anger.
