Page 103 of A Bond Beyond Blood

If I thought there was nothing left of my heart to break, I’d been wrong.More of it crumbled in response to her words, at the hurt in her voice.“I fucked up,” I told her.“I was scared.”

“Of what?We weregood, G.You threw us away like we hadn’t spent our whole lives working toward falling in love, like we didn’t have the rest of our lives mapped out in front of us.You were supposed tocherishme, Gannon Hayes.”She strode toward me now, anger taking place of the pain that resided in her eyes just seconds ago, and I saw the truth of what a strong woman she’d become in my absence.How much of this was due to Vinny’s training...and how much was due to Vinny actually cherishing her the way she deserved?

How much was ither, just Jackie, picking up the pieces and fusing them back together stronger than before?

She stopped in front of me and it took every ounce of my self-control not to reach for her.

“Youbrokeme, Gannon.”Her words hitched on a sob and I reached for her then, whether by habit or selfishness, or the fact that in that moment, I couldn’t imaginenottouching her.

I wrapped my arms around her waist and tugged her forward, pressing my forehead against her stomach.“I’m so sorry, Jackie, so fucking sorry.I’ll spend forever telling you that.”

“Those are just words, G.”Her hands settled on my shoulders, tentative, like she still wasn’t sure where we stood, if she should be touching me at all.If she even wanted to forgive me.

I inhaled deeply, trying to still my racing heart, then I froze.

With my head pressed against her belly, the scent of her was intoxicating, and mixed in with the hunger were memories of her that slammed into me like a thousand bricks at once.They overwhelmed me.We’d been each other’s everything.We were supposed to share all of our firsts and lasts, and I’d thrown it all away because I was afraid of her grief.Afraid of not being enough, not knowing how to comfort her like she needed.Afraid that her pain would act like a mirror and make me face my own, make me feel the horrific and untimely loss of my father that I’d tried so hard to push down and ignore.

Tears welled in my eyes and I didn’t try to stop them.

Her pain was my pain, always and forever, and it killed me that I’d done anything to add to it when my only job was to take it away.To make her life easier, to love her through it all.

I stood quickly, expecting her to back away from me, but when I clasped her face in my hands, she didn’t even flinch.Her eyes, wet with tears that flowed like rivers, searched mine, also wet with tears now flowing freely, back and forth until I couldn’t take it anymore.

Her heart beat fast and steady.

When I breathed her in, it was a barrage of familiarity.From the honey and vanilla of her shampoo to the soft breath fanning out across my cheeks that smelled of her sweet creamer and bitter coffee, overwhelming me with emotion that might burst from my skin at any moment.

Jackie Fiorino was mine.It didn’t matter that someone else had a piece of her heart right now because in the beginning, that heart was mine.

And in the end, that heart would be mine again.

I crashed into her with a year’s worth of pain and regret and shame, with a year’s worth of need that only she could quell.Our lips moved in sync because we’d been kissing one another since we were kids.I drove my tongue into her mouth and hers tangled with mine—

A sob slipped past her lips and she pushed me away from her so fiercely that I nearly stumbled backwards over the couch.

“No,” she whispered.

And then Vinny was there,of course, her knight in fucking Adidas armor, yanking her out of my reach and positioning himself between us.His expression as he took in the scene sent ice through my veins.He catalogued her tears and the way her hand hovered over her lips—as if torn between wiping any reminders of me from those soft pink pillows or pressing my kiss deeper into her flesh—then his gaze swung to me, to the tears streaking over my cheeks.

I swiped my hands across my cheeks and hung my head.“I’m sorry, Jackie.”

“What the fuck did you do?”

“Vinny,” Jackie whispered.“Please don’t.”

His nostrils flared and then his entire body tensed.He closed his eyes, and when they opened again, he looked right at me.

“I kissed her,” I admitted.The truth would come out eventually, might as well just get on with the ass kicking of my life.

“Vincenzo,” Jackie said, her voice firm.“Look at me.”

He inhaled deeply and swiveled his head toward her.

“It’s not his fault.”Her gaze flicked briefly to me.“I wanted him to.”

My heart nearly leapt from my chest, but I was careful not to let that elation show on my face, though Vinny could surely hear the way my pulse sped at her admission.

Vinny looked at me then, and I felt like I was about to get sent to the slaughter.“You.Out.Now.”

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