Broken Bonds (Unbreakable Bonds #1)

Chapter Four

chapter four

CELINE

Mr. Asshole, in all his biker glory, showed up ten minutes later in the pouring rain. He parked next to the Jeep and tapped on the window as if I hadn’t heard and seen him pull into the driveway. I opened the door, pushing him in the process and knocking him to the side.

He ripped his helmet off, an angry scowl twisting his handsome features. “I’m doing you a favor. You didn’t have to practically knock me off my feet.”

“You’re still standing, aren’t you?” Ace rolled his eyes and walked around to the back of the Jeep to get the spare.

“Are you just going to watch me?” he mocked while I stood there, my makeup running into my eyes and burning them.

I hated him so much.

“I was planning on it,” I shot back, smirking when he slipped on the driveway, almost losing his balance. He glowered at me, anger and annoyance tightening his features.

“Get over here and help before I leave you stranded,” he threatened. I grimaced. As much as I hated him, I hated being alone in this storm even more. Just as I stepped forward to offer my assistance, my phone started ringing again. I quickly answered my mom’s call, ignoring Ace’s rising aggravation with me.

“Can’t talk, Mom!” I said when I answered. Ace’s temper died just a little when he realized I wasn’t answering some random phone call and was actually talking to my mom.

“We’re leaving, Celine!”

“What the fuck?” I blurted, my eyes wide in horror. They were leaving me! They couldn’t leave me!

“Watch your language, young lady!” I flinched at her harsh tone, but also, did she really have a right to scold me about dropping the f-bomb when she was literally leaving me behind ?

“You can’t leave me behind, Mom!” Ace swung startled eyes to me, panic glimmering in the dark depths.

“We aren’t leaving you behind. I just bought you and Ace plane tickets for eight P.M. at the West Palm Beach airport. We’re going to drive up to Georgia and pick you up from the airport. I have a bag for you, so don’t worry about going home. There’s been another update, and the storm will be here later tonight. It’s moving faster now. Hurry, baby! Text me when you leave the house.” She hung up before I could utter another word. I was flabbergasted and completely lost for suitable words.

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” I finally shouted. I kicked the tire near me and instantly regretted it when my toe started to throb. I barely fought back a grimace of pain.

“What now?” Ace asked while looking in the trunk of the Jeep. For what, I didn’t know.

“My family is leaving without us to Georgia, and we have to catch a flight in two hours.”

“Awe, boo-hoo,” he muttered—such a change from the panic I’d seen in his eyes when he thought we’d be stranded here, near the beach, during a hurricane. “What a terrible life you live.” His sarcasm was really grating on my nerves. I turned away from him, trying to keep my anger at bay.

“Can you please hurry, Asshole?” Thankfully, the rain chose that moment to break, offering a slight reprieve but leaving us in thick humidity.

“Trying to, honey bun,” he mocked. I clenched my teeth and moved away from him so I wouldn’t kick him. “Where are the tools?” I turned back to him, seeing he had taken everything out of the trunk.

“What do you mean, tools?” I asked, confused.

“Well, shit.” Heaving a sigh, he ran his hands through his wet, black locks, his blue eyes fixed on mine. “Are there tools in the garage?”

I shook my head. “Nothing.” Dad kept any tools at the shop back home. There was no need for them here.

He frowned, looking conflicted as he glanced at his bike, then back at me. “We can go to the airport on my bike.” I started shaking my head before he even finished that sentence. I was never getting on the back of another bike. Not after Aidan. Not after a stupid bike took him away from me.

“No. No. Just hell no.” He didn’t know , I reminded myself. He couldn’t know. He didn’t need to know .

He looked thoroughly put out with me. “Calm down. It’s not that bad. I can get us there in thirty minutes.” I was not ready to get back on a bike. I was not ready to have that fear again.

I shook my head, my stomach heaving at the mere thought of getting on the back of another bike. Of even going near a bike again. “It’s okay. I’ll just Uber and meet you there.” He looked relieved. What a dick. I knew I was being a pain in the ass—to him I was, anyway—but he didn’t have to look happy about my refusal.

“Let’s put the Jeep in the garage.” The sky rumbled in agreement, and I nodded, helping him put the wheel back. Then, I hopped into the driver’s seat, slowly steering the car back up the driveway of the house as Ace pushed it.

I tried really hard not to admire the way his muscles flexed and strained, but it was damn near impossible. Why were the jerks always the hottest?

We had to make room for the Jeep in the garage, and by the time we were done, it was six P.M., and we would have to rush to get to the airport and through security. It was raining again, and the wind was picking up, making matters even worse. I turned to him, using every ounce of my will to be kind.

“Thank you for trying to help me.” He looked at me differently, like he was shocked. Fortunately for him, I was just as shocked by my own words. Who knew I could find it in me to be nice to him? To be thankful he’d shown up to help me?

“Anytime.” He coughed and rubbed the back of his neck, clearly uncomfortable.

I was scrolling through my phone, looking for the Uber app, when a bolt of lightning lit up the sky, making me jump. Sensing the urgency, I quickly found the app, but after putting in my request, I got denied immediately.

This wasn’t happening. Please, please, please.

He was still standing there, watching me, his brows furrowed and concern lighting up his gaze when I made a distressed noise in the back of my throat. “Everything okay?” He was shifting from foot to foot now, uneasy.

“The app isn’t working. I’ll just call for a taxi. You can go. So long.” I waved him off, trying not to reveal how freaked out I was. “Don’t worry about me.”

He scoffed, rolling his eyes. “I’m not worried about you.” I flicked my eyes up from my phone to glare at him for a beat. “I don’t want to ride in this weather.” He crossed his arms over his chest, and I nodded my head, pretending to believe his lame excuse.

I dialed the number for the local taxi service, only to get an automated message. “Hurricane Dorian is here. We are currently out of service. Please call back once the storm has cleared if you still require our services. Stay safe.”

“No!” I tightened my fingers around my phone, trying not to cry. This wasn’t happening. This was just a nightmare, and I would wake up any moment now. Any fucking moment, please !

“Closed?” His question grated on my last nerve.

“Yes, it’s closed because the hurricane is here, and I’m trapped here with you!” My phone dinged. I unlocked my phone, grimacing at the sight of my mother’s text message.

Mom: Flight’s been canceled.

“Nooooo,” I moaned, distressed. “Shit. Shit. Shit.”

My phone dinged again.

Mom: We’re stuck in traffic.

Ace was looking at me and then at my phone, waiting for some kind of explanation as to why I was freaking the hell out. I was moments away from spiraling—crying, screaming, tantrum, something .

It dinged again.

Mom: They won’t let us come back.

I was doomed. I was going to throw up. My chest was too tight. My lungs weren’t working. Why weren’t my lungs working?

His phone rang, and he tugged it out of his pocket, swiping his thumb across the older android’s screen to answer the call. “What’s up, man?” His eyes shot to mine, and he nodded his head. “Yes, nothing will happen to her… We’ll stay here tonight and leave in the morning.” My mouth dropped open. He hung up and placed his phone back in his pocket.

Stay here tonight? Leave in the morning? Nothing will happen to her?

Oh, God, we were stranded. Stuck here. We were so, so, so screwed. This couldn’t get worse, could it?

“No,” I whispered when he opened his mouth.

“I hope you have booze inside.” He grimaced. “Otherwise, it’s going to be a long night.”

“We can’t stay here!” I wailed, pulling at my blonde hair until my scalp smarted.

“We can’t go out on the roads in this weather. It’s too late, and it’s getting too dark,” Ace tried to reason. “This is the safest place for us.” I was shaking my head again, but he grabbed my hands, gently squeezing them. “Calm down. I promised Ryan you would be okay. I won’t let anything happen to you,” he swore, his words filled with conviction that made my throat close up.

“We’re going to die here,” I choked out, my voice strangled. I was past the point of freaking out. I was internally having a meltdown.

“We’ll die on the roads if we try to go out there now. Every single person out there is panicking, and I’m not willing to put both of our lives in danger.” Tears glistened in my eyes, and I blinked rapidly, trying to force them back. “Here is one hundred percent safer than out there. Your family is driving to Georgia; they’ll be safe. We’ll stay here until we can move somewhere better, but I promise you,” he crouched so his eyes were level with mine—warm and promising—as he gripped my upper arms, “I’ll keep you safe.”

Water dripped into his eyes from his hair, but he didn’t break our eye contact. I hated to admit that I felt safe with the asshole, but only because I knew Ryan wouldn’t leave me here with someone he didn’t trust… right? That had to be the only reason.

“Okay,” I sighed in defeat, my shoulders slumping. Ace tightened his grip, like he was trying to ground me so I wouldn’t spiral further. I knew he was right, but I had no intention of telling him so.