Page 45 of Beautifully Shattered (Secrets & Scars #3)

H er sobs are so fucking guttural as she cries in the shower. Something that’s become a daily ritual. Even if I shower with her, she always stays behind and asks for ten minutes alone, and then she breaks.

It’s hard not to go to her, but she’s adamant that she wants that time alone, so even though it fucking guts me, I give it to her.

I don’t go far though, standing right outside the door, enduring the sounds of her pain until they fade.

And when the water finally shuts off, that’s when I leave my room.

Six hours ago, we watched that mute assassin friend of hers slaughter Darnel Rivers.

Not gonna lie, I’ve done some fucked up shit to the people I’ve killed or tortured, but that… what she did… fuck. I don’t think I’d have it in me.

As hard as it was to watch, I could tell Abs was relieved that he was dead. But that relief turned into something more carnal afterwards, and she spent a good hour trying to trick me into burying my cock inside her, even though the six weeks aren’t up yet.

I made her come twice, and fuck, I was even able to get it up again and spilled against her cunt as she screamed her release. But… and there is a big fucking but … as much as I love getting lost with her, I can’t help but be concerned about the level of darkness creeping into her sweet soul.

I don’t want to change her. I’ll take her however she wants to be, but I’m still fucking worried that when this is all over, she’ll come out the other side in such a dark place that she won’t even think twice about following through with her promise to Bobbi.

That she’ll join her.

“You look like shit,” JD mutters, shovelling a spoonful of milky cereal into his gob as I enter the kitchen.

“So do you,” I grunt, grabbing a banana from the bowl on the counter and wincing a little as my healing wound pulls.

“Yeah, but I’ve got a fucking reason. My bed is still fucking empty.”

“I told you I’d come and warm it,” Lans giggles as she walks through the living room with a basket of laundry.

“You stay the fuck away from his bed,” I snap, pointing a stern fucking finger at her, and she pokes her tongue out in response.

“No thanks, Lans,” JD mutters, his tone so fucking mournful. “Only one woman belongs in my bed, and her stepdad is cock-blocking me. ”

I gotta say, when I first suspected something was going on between JD and Jols, I thought it was nothing but a bit of fun, but now I know it was so much more than that.

“Still haven’t heard from her?” I ask him, peering down the hall that leads to my ma’s room to see the door open and her legs stretched out on her bed.

Fuck, she’s struggled to get over the last flare-up.

“Fucking nothing,” JD snarls, dropping his spoon into his bowl with a clang. “Brody hasn’t even seen her since Smitty rode in with her five days ago. He’s heard her though.”

My brows shoot up. “How so?”

“Every night, when Smitty goes in for the night, everyone can hear them fighting. He said it gets pretty heated, yet she never steps foot outside.”

“The fuck,” I snap, and JD stands abruptly.

“We gotta go get her. What if he’s chained her up or something?”

“Smitty’s a crazy fucker, but he wouldn’t do that… would he?”

“Do what?” Abbey’s voice joins us as she steps into the kitchen, her hair wet, her eyes red, but her shoulders are back, and her head is held high.

She’s had her moment, and now she’s ready for the day.

“You should take Abbey there.” JD ignores my wife, pointing in her direction with his eyes locked on me. “Tell him she wants to visit her friend. He can’t deny her. Plus, Abbey doesn’t give a shit about him and his fucked-up rules. He won’t say no to her.”

“I’m assuming we’re talking about Jols?” Abbey asks, pouring herself a glass of juice .

“Ain’t no fucking way I’m taking her anywhere near our Prez right now.” I snap at JD, giving up on the banana I’d half peeled, my fucking appetite vanishing. “You saw what happened between them at the Rebel’s raid.”

“Shouldn’t I get to decide that?” Abbey snaps, but JD keeps ignoring her.

“She’s one of us now. He won’t hurt her, but he might hurt Jols. Fuck, what if he’s hurting her?!”

Suddenly, JD’s head jolts to the side as a mandarin slams into his cheek.

My eyes snap in Abbey’s direction in time to see another mandarin flying my way.

“Fuck!” I duck just in time for it to splat against the wall, my fucking disbelieving eyes locking onto my wife as I grip my side, sure I might have fucking opened up the stitches one of Riggs’ men did.

“You rude fuckers deserved that. I’m right here, and you just ignored me three times!

” She storms over to me, snatching my peeled banana off the benchtop, snapping her teeth into it like she’s imagining it’s my cock.

“If you’d taken a moment to spare me the decency of a conversation,” she mumbles around the banana she’s chewing, “then I could have told you Jols is fine.”

She strides out of the room, and my eyes land on JD, who is wide-eyed, his mouth hanging open like he’s waiting for me to toss him some fucking food. Then he snaps it shut, his gaze meeting mine.

“Your wife is scary. But also sexy when she’s mad.”

I scoff at the idiot as he barges past me in chase of my absolutely sexy wife.

“How do you know she’s okay?” JD barks as he chases her out onto the porch, and I follow, needing to know that too.

“I’m not sure you deserve to know,” she scoffs, finishing up with the banana and licking her fingers.

I fucking love watching her eat. The way her tongue sweeps out and…

Fuck. This woman is such a distraction.

A fucking good one.

“Come on, Abs. I’ll do anything,” JD begs, sounding like he’s about ready to drop to his knees, and then the fucker actually does it.

My brows shoot high as he shuffles towards my wife, his hands clasped together, already begging.

Fuck… he really has it bad for Jols.

Abbey smiles down at him for a long beat, leaving him hanging, then tilts her head as she studies him.

“I think I like you down there on your knees—”

“You’d better not mean what I think you mean, Angel!” I snap, storming closer, and she rolls her eyes at me.

“Not everything is about sex, Cam. I just mean I like him grovelling.” Her glare is harsh, doing absolutely nothing to get my head out of the gutter because yeah, I fucking love her feisty side.

“Ignore him,” JD whines, waving me off. “How do you know Jols is okay?”

“I spoke to her,” she shrugs.

“What? When?” JD shuffles closer, still on his fucking knees.

“Just before I came downstairs.” She’s being vague on purpose. Probably to piss us off, given we ignored her before.

Note to fucking self: don’t ignore my wife .

“How?” JD barks. “Brody said Smitty took her phone away.”

“He did.” Abbey nods, glancing out over the pond at the Marx men patrolling the other side. “But Celina still has a phone, and she called me back.”

“Hold up. I’m confused.” JD lifts his hand in a stop signal. “How’d she call you? On Ringo’s phone?”

“No,” I jump in to answer. “She has her old phone back. Took it from her mum’s drawer.”

JD’s brows shoot up as he glances between me and my wife. “Oh… shit, so Celina called you and put Jols on the phone? Like you actually spoke to her?”

“Yes, Jimmy . I actually spoke to her.” She grins, using his real name, but he doesn’t even notice. “You shouldn’t worry about her. She’s hell-bent on making Smitty’s life hell.”

She’s right.

Jols doesn’t take well to being controlled. I can’t imagine her letting him walk all over her.

“Do we wanna know what she’s up to?” I ask, gripping JD’s arm and helping him to stand.

“He told her she couldn’t leave until she made his shipping container house look like a home,” Abbey shrugs, “so she’s been sleeping most of the day, and doing all the work at night just to piss him off.”

“Oh, my Babydoll!” JD throws his head back, laughing. “Ha! She’s fucking perfect. Fuck, I can just imagine Smitty’s face each night when he comes in expecting to get some fucking sleep.”

My lips lift in a wide smile, my gaze locking with my wife’s as she laughs too.

It’s nice to hear her laughter. I only wish her eyes didn’t give away how much pain she’s still in .

Nothing can hide it. Not really. Not if you know to look for it.

JD’s mood is lighter now, but I’m sure it will crash again when his bed is empty for another night.

“When is your next church thingy?” Abbey’s question has me frowning.

“Church thingy? You mean our meetings?”

She nods. “Yeah. When’s the next one?”

“In a couple of days. On the weekend.” I shrug. “We’ll just attend via video link again,” I remind her, but she shakes her head.

“No, you’ll go in person.”

“Will we now?” I cross my arms over my chest, lifting a brow at her, and she matches my stance, doing the same.

“Ahhh, is this foreplay? It’s hard to tell with you guys,” JD mutters between us, but I don’t take my eyes off my wife.

“Yep. You’ll go to that, and I’ll visit Jols.”

I can see JD nodding in my periphery, looking between us like this is the best idea he’s ever heard, but I know my wife better than she thinks I do.

She’s cooking up something inside that head of hers. Something I’m not gonna like.

“And what will you and Jols do while we’re in church?”

She shrugs innocently, dropping her hands to her sides. “Braid each other’s hair.”

I roll my eyes. “You can’t kidnap her from Smitty.”

Her lips kick up. “Can’t I?”

“ Angel .”

“ Cameron ,” she challenges, using only my first name.

“I think Abbey’s idea is perfect.” JD claps and rubs his hands together .

Sighing, I tip my head back, my eyes tracing the cobwebs on the porch ceiling.

Shit. I need to clean those away for Ma.

“Thanks, Jimmy. I think it’s perfect too.” Abbey giggles.

“It’s flawed as fuck, Angel. How do you think you’re gonna get her outta there? I guarantee the gate guards have been warned not to let her leave.”

Shrugging, Abbey moves down the steps and calls over her shoulder, “If they don’t let us pass, I’ll just shoot them.”

“Yes. Brilliant idea!” JD claps his hands again.