Unbroken (Shattered Promises, #2.5)

Chapter 3

“Tell me something,” she asks, wiggling her fingers and making the vines spread up to her shoulders, grow, her power amplifying. “Have you by chance lost something over the last few hours?”

My muscles tighten. Shit. Does she know about Gemma? Does she have something to do with what happened to her?

“What did you do?” I step forward, reducing the space between us, anger burning under my skin. At the moment, I don’t care if she could reach forward and kill me. I’m too fucking pissed at the idea that she’d be vindictive enough to do something to Gemma. But not at all surprised.

“Hey, I didn’t do anything,” she says, trying to be offended. “He came to me, okay?”

“He?” I’m confused. “Who the hell are you talking about?”

She gapes at me. “Um, the super tall, sexy vampire, that I’m pretty sure belongs to you… or well belongs to Aislin.” She pauses, a malicious look rising on her face. “Or maybe it’s that star girl you’ve always secretly been in love with. Gamma or whatever. He did talk about her a lot.” She scrunches her nose at the thought. “It would be pretty funny. The girl that you could never let go, falling in love with your best friend. Or ex-best friend anyway.”

I’m not even sure what comes over me. I’m usually good with insults. Especially Stasha’s. But something about Gemma and Laylen and her accusations makes me lose control of my anger. Something snaps inside me and before I can even shut it down, I’m charging toward her outstretched hands of death.

“I’d watch it if I were you,” she warns, waggling her fingers, the movement just enough to cause me to freeze just inches away from them. 

Composing myself, I back away from, telling myself to settle down because I’m not going to get anywhere with any of this if I’m dead. “Either you can put the gloves back on or leave,” I tell her calmly.

She rolls her eyes, but starts to put her gloves back on. “What’s gotten into you?” She gets her fingers snuggly into one glove and then moves to the other hand. “You used to be so much stronger and put together than this while we were dating. “ Once she gets the gloves on, she lowers her arms to her sides. “But you’re acting so erratic.”

I hate to admit it, but she’s right, although I’m not going to tell her that, just like I never admitting anything to her during the four years I dated her. Our relationship was built solely on one thing—sex. I got bored and went to her to fill up my time and she’s a cold enough person that she didn’t mind. In fact, sometimes I think she’s as dead inside as me, but that might be because she actually has death in her.

“We haven’t dated in a couple of years,” I say blankly. “Things change.”

She eyes me over with disgust. “And not for the better. Jesus, look at you.” She crosses her arms, her face pinched. “All worked up over some girl.”

“How do you know about Gemma?” I wonder. “Is it just from Laylen or has word been traveling?”

Her mouth turns up to a grin as she struts up to me. “Wouldn’t you like to know?” She places a finger on my chest and traces a line up it all the way to my chin. “You know, I could easily tell you if you gave me something in return.” She bites her lip as he finger slides under my chin.

I lean out of her touch. “Get out,” I say coldly. “I don’t have time for your shit and trust me, whatever you want from me, you’re not going to get.”

She scowls. “Fuck you,” she snaps. “You don’t have to be such a douche.”

“I thought you liked the douche,” I challenge, arching my brow.