Shattered: A Bad Boy Billionaire Romance (The Blackthorn Brothers Book 2) Read online

  “Landing yourself in jail isn’t going to help her any.” Locke’s eyes narrowed as he shook his head, sitting forward in his seat. “I know you love Skylar, but don’t go doing anything stupid.”

  “Stupid? No. Risky? Maybe.” No matter what I did, it’d be well-planned and well thought out. I just needed to mull it over and not rush things. I just hoped Skylar could wait that long. I knew things were bad for her, but she wouldn’t give me any details, which meant I was going on very little but the bruises that I’d seen on her body. “I just need to figure out a way to get her back.”

  “Finn…” Locke looked at me like I was setting myself up for heartache—and the look of pity in his eyes just pissed me off. “I hate to say it, but there’s a chance she may not want you back—even with the trouble she’s in. And I get that you’re trying to do the right thing, but if she doesn’t want your help then there’s little you can do about it.”

  “That’s where you’re wrong. I mean, look at Ash. For fuck’s sake… You can’t tell me that Wren wanted anything to do with him a few weeks ago—and now they’re happy.” Granted, Ash had to kidnap Wren to get her to come around, but she did—and that was what mattered. “Besides…she still loves me. That has to count for something.”

  “Dude…” Locke shook his head, and it was clear he thought I was insane. And maybe I was. “She broke up with you, and has refused to go back out with you. I know you guys have been friends since we were all kids, and of course she cares about you…but I swear, you’re setting yourself up for a bad fucking fall.”

  As if I had a fucking choice. “It’s not like I haven’t tried to move on. I’ve stayed away for nearly a whole fucking year—and I’ve been nothing but miserable.”

  “Tell me about it.” He laughed, ignoring the glare I shot him, since we both knew he was just pulling my leg. “Well, whatever you do…don’t fucking get yourself killed.”

  Our mood turned somber since we were both still hurting after our father’s murder, the wound still far too raw, though I didn’t know if a wound like that would ever fully heal. “I’m not looking to put myself in an early grave—but I will get her back.”

  I’d do whatever it took to make her see sense.

  I spent the next few weeks getting it all planned out. Everything was set. Now, I just needed to bide my time and pick my moment—a moment when Skylar would be all alone, and Ray wouldn’t be expected home for the night.

  And so I sat there in the dark and watched, like I had most nights these past few weeks, doing my best to figure out Ray’s schedule. He was at the club most nights, though I already knew that the club was no more than a front for more questionable lines of income.

  Though the same could be said for my family, we never did a whole lot more than dig up dirt on people who needed persuading—and we’d even abandoned that line of work to focus on my family’s whiskey distillery. But Ray? He was trafficking guns and drugs for sure—and maybe even worse, though I wasn’t sure how much Skylar knew about it all.

  She was an accountant, and nothing more. Never had she been in any trouble—and even though her brother had recently gotten himself into one hell of a mess, that had never been the case growing up. But life delivered them one blow after another.

  With their mother dead when Skylar was just thirteen, and their father drinking far more than was wise, it fell on Skylar’s shoulders to raise the two of them since she was the oldest, stealing away her chance to simply be a kid.

  She’d always been responsible and level-headed—and that meant she should know better than to get mixed up with Ray. Because she may not have known the sort of man he was when she first started dating him, but I could guarantee she was smart enough to know what he was like by now—though maybe Ray wasn’t letting her leave. And that just wasn’t fucking acceptable.

  So, I’d give her a new option…an option that didn’t involve staying with that fucking bastard—and it was an option she’d be taking, whether she liked it or not.

  I did my best to pull away from Ray’s sleeping form without waking him. Luckily, he didn’t usually get in until early in the morning, by which time, I was already asleep—not that he had a problem waking me up when he wanted to fuck me. The mere thought sent a shiver through me. I was so close to finding the info the Feds needed, but every time Ray touched me, I had to force myself to focus on getting my brother out of this mess, instead of shuddering at his touch—and telling the FBI to go to hell.

  And yet, I couldn’t. Not when Matt was the only family I had left.

  But the worst part of this mess was that I’d been forced to walk away from Finn and all that was between us. Though if Finn knew the whole truth…if he knew all my secrets…he’d murder Ray, and never forgive me. And that was just one more reason why I was better off keeping my distance. Because it’d be one thing for Finn to be upset with me because I’d walked away from him, and another thing entirely for him to hate me—and that just wasn’t something I could bear.

  Before I could slip entirely free of Ray’s arm, he stirred in his sleep and pulled me to him, grinding his hard cock against my ass as he let out a needy groan laced with sleep. “Still too early to be getting up, princess…”

  “You should stay in bed… Catch up on some sleep. You didn’t get in until really late. I have a few things I need to take care of, and I wanted to go to the gym first.” It wasn’t a lie. Though if he ever found out I was dealing with the FBI, I had no doubt he’d actually go through with strangling me this time around—and he wouldn’t be stopping until I was finally dead.

  “I’ll give you a workout, princess…” His words were enough to have me quickly slipping out of his arms before he could tighten his hold on me further, hopping to my feet as I desperately tried to put some distance between us. “I’m tired of you pushing me away and running from me, Skylar.”

  He wasn’t imagining it, that was for sure. I’d done nothing but avoid physical contact between us from the very start, since the only reason I was dating him was because I was trying my best to keep Matt safe, especially since Matt wouldn’t be in any trouble at all, if it hadn’t been for Ray trying to manipulate the situation so he could get me in his bed.

  Matt had gotten in trouble, and Ray had offered him a way out of his debt.

  Me.

  I wanted to tell Ray that if he had wanted a willing girlfriend, then he should have tried not blackmailing me into the position—and not taking his anger, jealousy, and frustration out by hurting me.

  Not that I’d have willingly left Finn for any other circumstance than keeping my brother from harm.

  Yet, this was now my reality until I could get my brother somewhere safe and get Ray locked up behind bars. “I’m not pushing you away, Ray… I just have stuff to do. We keep vastly different schedules, and if you want to keep your businesses running properly, then I need to keep proper hours.”

  It might just be an excuse to keep his hands off me, but it was all still true.

  Ray turned onto his side and propped himself up on his elbow, his eyes narrowing at me as he took me in. “Are you fucking that asshole?”

  The only asshole I was fucking was him. And though the words were on the tip of my tongue, I bit them back. “You know I’m not, Ray. I haven’t been with anyone but you.”

  “Just so we’re clear…if he touches you, if you get it in your head that you can leave me…I’ll fucking kill him—and then I’ll kill your brother. Because you’re not ever leaving me, Skylar. You’re mine.” He hopped out of bed, naked with his cock erect, pulling me into his arms. “I fucking love you… And I’m never letting you go.”

  “Except that love doesn’t fucking hurt, Ray—and you fucking hurt me all the time. Or do you not see the fucking bruises and you need to be reminded of what you did to me?” I knew I shouldn’t have said anything…that I was risking angering him further, but I’d had enough.

  Ray sank to his knees before me, his touch gentle as he held my naked body to him, an
d rested his head against my chest. “I’m so fucking sorry, princess…you know I love you. It’s just that the thought of you with someone else makes me crazy, and my temper…it lashes out before I can get a hold of it.”

  And then he was covering my body in gentle kisses, his power held in check, as I tried not to fight him off…tried not to cringe at his touch, even as my body responded in some sick and twisted betrayal.

  I tried to fight back my panic, knowing what was to come. “Ray…I need to go.”

  “Not until I’ve had my fill, princess…though I don’t think I’ll ever stop needing you.”

  I knew how crazy this would look to anyone on the outside looking in, but it didn’t fucking matter what anyone else thought. And so I once again sat there in the dark of night, patiently waiting and biding my time.

  But tonight was different. Tonight was the night that would change everything.

  Tonight Skylar would be safe—and she’d be mine once more.

  Hidden in the shadows of night as a steady rain fell, I watched Ray pull out of his driveway, his tires spinning for a moment on the wet pavement, before taking off down the road like he had the hounds of hell on his tail. From what I’d seen, he usually started at his club—but after that…who the fuck even knew? Though if tonight was like any other, then he wouldn’t be back home until the early hours of the morning, if at all.

  And that meant Skylar was home alone and it’d be hours before Ray even realized she was gone.

  I waited awhile longer, wanting to make sure that Ray wasn’t coming back for anything. Because this time around, I had no doubt he’d kill me. And that was exactly why Skylar needed to come with me. It wasn’t safe for her to be around that maniac, even if she refused to leave him, despite knowing just how dangerous Ray was.

  Taking the stairs two at a time up her front porch, I knocked, knowing she’d be home, since I had no doubt Ray wouldn’t “approve” of her going out without him. It didn’t take long for her to answer the door, though it was clear by the shock on her face that she hadn’t been expecting me. “We need to talk, Sky.”

  “Like hell we do. What the hell are you even doing here? And how many times do I have to tell you to leave me alone? I don’t need your help.” Yet when she tried to slam the door shut on me, I pushed my way inside. “You’ve lost your damn mind, Finn. Ray’s going to murder you if he finds out you showed up here.”

  “Ask me if I care. ’Cause I fucking don’t.” I’d put my life on the line for her if it came to that, though I was hoping we’d be long gone before that.

  “Do you really want to find out what he’ll do to you if he catches you here? He practically landed you in the hospital the last time you tried this sort of crap, and it took all I had to keep him from losing his shit.” By the look on her face, it was clear she’d suffered the consequences of my actions—and I swore, I’d fucking murder the bastard. “You need to drop this, Finn. What we had is over and done with—and it’s never happening again.”

  “Not if I have my way. And frankly, I don’t give a shit if Ray finds out I’m here—because we’ll both be long gone.” I knew Skylar was worried about what her psycho asshole boyfriend would do to me, though worse still was what he might do to her—and that was exactly why I needed to get her the hell out of here. “I’m tired of standing by and watching that asshole hurt you. It ends now, Sky. You’re leaving him once and for all—and I’m not taking no as a fucking answer.”

  She shook her head no, her dark hair pulled into a loose braid that ran down over one shoulder and her brown eyes fierce as she cursed me out. “You don’t get to make this decision for me. This is my life and it’s a hell of a lot more complicated than you realize. What we had is over with, so please… I’m begging you…just forget about me and walk away. It’s the best thing for everyone involved.”

  “You can’t really fucking believe that. Because I know you still love me, even if you refuse to admit it.” I just couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that she was with this asshole. She was a smart and confident girl. So why the hell was she putting up with Ray’s bullshit? I just didn’t get it—and I refused to sit by and watch her be mistreated. “I’m not letting that fucker touch you again. Or does he need to come here and put you in the hospital, so that you can be reminded just how horrible your situation is?”

  “That’s an asshole thing to say.” Her eyes shimmered as she beat back her emotions as they suddenly rose too close to the surface—and it was clear that she was having a hard time holding it together, which made me wonder just how bad things were. She refused to talk to me about any of it, and I had nothing but a few bruises and my gut instinct to go on. “Please, Finn…just go…”

  “I’ll go—but you’re coming with me. So grab your stuff, or you’re leaving without it.” I’d haul her out of here kicking and screaming if I had to—and she knew it too.

  “That’s not fucking happening. You need to go right now, or I swear, I’ll call Ray myself.” It was nothing but a bluff, even though she pulled her phone out of her pocket.

  I snatched it out of her hand before she could react, and pocketed it. “Get packing, Sky. Because I’m losing patience, and we’re running out of time.”

  “Not. Fucking. Happening. How many times do I need to say it?” She crossed her arms in front of her chest, glaring at me, my cock going hard at her defiance. “And give me back my damn phone.”

  “You can either come willingly, or I’ll drag you out of here kicking and screaming over my shoulder. ’Cause one way or another, you’re coming with me. I’m done playing games, and there’s no way I’m fucking leaving you here so Ray can abuse you.” She had never admitted it to me, but she didn’t need to. I’d seen the evidence of it, seen her fear, and knew it was the reason she kept distancing herself from me, knowing I could see what was going on.

  I headed down the hall toward the bedrooms, peeking my head into each room until I found the master. Although I had already bought supplies, including clothes for her on the off chance she didn’t want to cooperate, I’d rather she have her own things. When I started opening and closing the drawers on her dresser and digging through her closet, she finally pushed me aside.

  “I can’t believe you’re doing this.” She shook her head, her brow drawn with worry as she closed the distance between us, looking distraught. “If you ever had any feelings for me…if you ever cared, you’ll just leave and forget about me.”

  It fucking killed me to see her this way, even if it only made me more determined to get her out of this hellhole. “You know I care, which is exactly the reason why I’m not leaving until you come with me. The thought of Ray touching you, hurting you, is doing my fucking head in, Sky. I just can’t let this continue to happen. My only regret is that I waited this long to come and get you.”

  “This is my mess, Finn. Not yours. And it’s not as though you and your family don’t have your own problems to deal with.” It was nothing but the truth, though that didn’t mean I was going to leave Skylar here in an abusive situation. “Please…just go.”

  She was so close, I could smell the coconut shampoo she always used, and it was enough to have me going hard, desperate to have her in my arms once again.

  When I brushed my fingers over her cheek, her eyes slipped shut and she leaned into my touch. And I knew then that she had never stopped loving me.

  Unable to resist, and needing her to know just how much she meant to me, I cupped her face in my hands and brushed my lips over hers in a tender kiss, as a single tear rolled down her cheek. And it nearly fucking killed me.

  I held her close and she settled in my arms, her head nestled under my chin. “Please, Sky… Just come with me. I swear we’ll find a way to make this work.”

  She pulled out of my arms, shaking her head no, though she wouldn’t look at me. “You need to go.”

  “Not a chance in hell.”

  This could not be happening.

  Each time Finn touched me, my heart shatte
red, reminding me of all that I had lost—and all that could still go wrong. Yet I couldn’t leave with him. There was just too much at stake, and went well beyond keeping myself from harm. Because if anything happened to Finn, I’d never forgive myself.

  And I still had my brother’s problems to deal with. If I didn’t give the FBI the info they wanted, not only would Matt go to jail for a long time, but there was a good chance Ray would be angry enough with me to make sure Matt left prison in a body bag.

  Leaving with Finn just wasn’t an option, even if having him close stirred up a tumult of emotions, reminding me that he was the only man I’d ever loved, and the only one who could ever hold my heart. And though I might someday be able to return to Finn and all I’d been forced to walk away from, I simply couldn’t do that right now. “You have to go before he comes back. Please, Finn…”

  “You’ve made your choice then.” With a quick move, he hauled me onto his shoulder and started heading toward the front door.

  I kicked and screamed, trying to get free of him as he marched us to his car, having barely slowed down enough to pull the door shut behind him, not even bothering to lock it. Yet as I squirmed and wriggled, hoping he’d just drop me so I could make a run for it, he just tightened his grip and bit my ass, the pain flickering into a pleasure I’d almost forgotten as I bit back a moan laced with an undeniable need.

  It was impossible to miss the humor in his voice, along with the self-satisfaction. “Babe…I’ve missed you so fucking much.”

  I cursed him to hell as he plopped me in the passenger seat and shut the door. I lunged for the handle, trying to make a run for it, but the door refused to open from the inside. And before I could scramble out the driver side, Finn was getting inside. “Buckle up, buttercup.”

  He pulled the battery and SIM out of my phone as he waited for me to get seat-belted in, and then peeled out of his parking spot, racing down the road away from Ray’s home.