Bound to Break
Books one in the Bound to series
Rachael Tonks
Copyright © 2018 by Rachael Tonks
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Cover design - Lauren Dawes @ Sly fox designs
Edit & Proofread - Judy Zweifel
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“To lose balance sometimes for love is part of living a balanced life.” — Elizabeth Gilbert
Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Playlist
Acknowledgments
Also by Rachael Tonks
Keep in touch
Prologue
Cassie
Sitting in the window, overlooking the street, I try to apply my makeup.
Why can’t I do this, and who the hell invented contouring anyway?
My reflection stares back at me. The blonde curls that adorn my head, coupled with the makeup that looks like it was applied by a five-year-old has me looking like a runaway from a damn circus.
“Shit,” I say, grabbing a face wipe and removing my shitty attempt at making myself look human. Why can’t I do this? Dammit. I must have watched at least four hundred YouTube videos and still can’t get it right.
Clearing the mess from my face, I notice something a little strange out of the window. Stepping up from the stool, I lean on the windowsill, trying to get a clearer look.
Some guy is leaning against the front fence. He looks bloody and as if he’s struggling to breathe.
Shit!
What do I do? Should I go out there and see If he needs help? Or is that stupid, I mean, he could be a murderer and the blood on his hands could be someone else’s.
Ugh.
As I’m contemplating my next move, no longer able to hold on to the fencing, the guy crashes to the ground.
Without another thought, I turn and race out of the room and down the stairs.
“Cassie,” Liza calls out to me as I run through the foyer, my feet thudding on the shiny tiled floor.
I know I’m not thinking, just feeling. And the feeling that I need to help this guy is overwhelming.
“Hey,” I shout as I skip down the steps and through the huge electric gate.
The guy’s bruised and bloodied face lifts as he tries to focus on me. Only then do I realize that he can’t be much older than me. Maybe nineteen.
“Are you…are you okay?” I ask cautiously, noticing that his shirt is ripped open. I can’t help but linger on his toned chest.
“I’m fine,” he chokes out.
My eyes scrape over the guy. His clothes are torn. His brown hair doesn’t look like it’s been cut in like forever. He has an athletic build. I wonder what the hell happened to him? And why the hell is my heart beating erratically? Maybe it’s because behind his bruises is a face of a guy that is remarkably handsome. His strong jaw covered in sexy stubble, albeit covered in blood right now.
“You don’t look fine. In fact, I’d say you’re anything but,” I say, snapping out of my eye ogling.
His hand reaches out as he tries to get a grip on the fence and attempts to pull himself up.
“Here, let me help you.” Leaning forward, I offer him my hand but he doesn’t take it.
“Cassie, what on earth are you doing out here?” Liza shouts, her heels clicking against the sidewalk as she sways her hips and makes her way over to me. I glance over to her; her tits are practically falling out of her top and the bright pink look on her is just trashy. Liza isn’t my biological mother, she’s just the one I inherited. Shortly after I was born, my birth mom died. Complications at birth apparently. And Liza stepped into my life and became my mom. Don’t get me wrong, she raised me as her own. She cared for me and has always been there for me. But now that I’m older, I see her true colors and I can’t deny that she annoys the hell out of me.
“Oh, goodness,” she exclaims when she sees the guy struggling to pull himself up. “Here, let me help you.” Rushing until she’s by his side, she wraps her arm around his waist helping him up from the ground. He winces as he stands and I notice how he holds up one leg.
“What is it, dear?” Liza asks. “Your leg?” she prompts.
He nods, but never lifts his head. His eyes are glued to the ground. He grits his teeth as he clearly tries to breathe through the pain.
“We should get you to the hospital,” Liza says with an insistent voice, her hand wrapping around his chest and guiding him over to her car.
“Shit,” he grumbles.
“What? Your ribs, they’re hurting?” She looks up and I feel helpless just standing and watching the pair.
“I’ll, uh, go get your car keys.” I point back over to the house, stumbling backward as I make my way inside. I grab Liza’s purse and keys and race back outside. The guy leans back against the side of Liza’s SUV, his eyes clenched shut and his arm wrapped around his chest area.
“Here.” I shove the keys into Liza’s hand. Standing in front of the man we know nothing about, I lift onto my tiptoes, trying to catch his eye. “What’s your name? Is there someone we should call?”
“No!” he blurts out. “No one. I have no one.”
His words are so full of emotion and his eyes finally connect with mine. A lump of emotion forms in my throat. How can he have no one?
“Okay, okay,” I try to placate. “But you must have a name, right?” I offer him a sweet smile. Almost frozen and feeling a little warm under his gaze, I can’t help but notice the intensity in his eyes. It’s like nothing I’ve ever felt before. It’s like, even on his darkest day, there’s a light shining from his dull soul. In that exact moment, I saw hope in his eyes.
“Leo. My name is Leo.” As the words fell from his lips, I’m almost certain there was an attempt at a smile.
“Well, Leo, let’s get you to the hospital.” Opening the door, I take his elbow and help him into the rear of the vehicle. Closing the door, I suddenly feel like Leo was brought to me for a reason. I don’t know what that reason is yet, but I’m sure I’m going to be finding out.
Chapter One
Leo
I don’t know how the hell I got talked into this. There’s no way I can pay the medical bills. I glance down at my leg in a cast and instantly grit my teeth as the pain in my ribs throbs.
Asshole did a good job, I’ll give him that.
Not good enough though.
I’ve got to get out of here and fast before they find me.
My heart pounds and my head thuds as I try to figure out my next move. The sudden sound of knocking has my head turning toward the door. It slowly opens, the woman from before peeks through the gap.
“Can I come in?” she asks, her smile wide and exposes the bright red lipstick that has smeared onto her teeth.
“Sure.”
Stepping inside, she c
loses the door like she’s trying to sneak in without being heard. “How are you doing, Leo?”
“Just great,” I reply with a hint of sarcasm, offering her the fakest smile my weak body can muster. I know she’s going to want answers. Where did I come from? Who are my parents? Shit I just can’t talk about. But I know I have to offer her something. Anything. Even if it’s not exactly the truth.
Stopping beside the bed, she sits on the seat, pulling it as close to me as she can.
“I’m sorry, I looked through your backpack to get some idea if you had someone we could call to come get you. But there isn’t anyone, is there, son? You’re homeless, right?”
I suppose she’s kind of right, so who am I to argue. “Yes, ma’am. My mother died a few months ago and I have nowhere to go.”
Truth.
“You poor thing.” Lifting her hand, she covers mine. “Did someone on the street do this to you?”
“They took everything. Well, everything but what is in my backpack.”
Shaking her head from side to side, she looks at me solemnly. “I’m so sorry.”
“No need to apologize. You have helped me so much.”
“I want to help you, Leo…I mean we. We want to help you. My husband and I.”
“Help me? But, how?”
Passing me a piece of paper, I reach for it, taking it from her hand. “It’s the number of a shelter. Once you’re back on your feet I want you to come and see me. I have a job for you, should you want it.”
I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve her kindness, but I’m holding onto it with both hands.
“Thank you,” I reply simply, holding the address in my hand.
I’m not sure what will happen to me, but I need to keep my head down and stay out of trouble. I’m living on borrowed time. Sooner or later, trouble will catch up with me.
Chapter Two
Cassie
3 months later.
I’d told myself to forget that stranger. That I’ll never see him again. But the image of him just doesn’t fade. Maybe because he looked like a young Zac Efron. Yeah, that doesn’t help.
“Ugh.” I let out a growl of frustration as I leap down from the bed. I’ve got to stop daydreaming about Leo and get my ass in gear. The incoming message tone beeps on my cell phone. Grabbing it from the nightstand, I open the message from my best friend, Sasha.
Sasha: Pick me up from the coffee shop. Don’t be late.
With a chuckle, I type out my reply.
Me: I’ll be there, don’t worry.
Letting the phone drop down on my bed, I head into the bathroom and remove my camisole and turn on the shower. The sound of the water trickling against the porcelain tub causes me to close my eyes. I reach up, rubbing the back of my neck as his face appears like a light in the darkness. I force my eyes open, shaking my head to clear the fuzzy image. What was it about him that won’t leave me?
Stepping inside the tub, I close the shower door and let the water cascade over my goose bump-covered body.
I stand there for the longest time, wondering what happened to Leo. Has he recovered? Did he find somewhere to live?
But then I suddenly remember. He isn’t mine to worry about. I shouldn’t even give this stranger a second thought.
Washing my hair as fast as I can, I cut the shower and pull open the door. Stepping out, I grab a towel and wrap it around my body, using one corner to dry my face. I grab a second towel and wrap it around my dripping wet hair. Rubbing it roughly, I make my way back into the bedroom.
I walk over to the bed and drop down against the mattress, letting out a huge sigh. School isn’t exactly my favorite place. In fact, I’d go as far as saying I hate it. I’ve never been academic, never wanted to be. My first and only love is dance. Only that was never good enough for my father. Not after the accident. He thinks I’m not strong enough. After I tore my ACL, he tried to steer me away from the club, blaming it for my injury and for falling behind on my grades. He allowed me to practice and participate in dance classes, but never compete. My coach has been seeking his permission to allow me to compete for years, but it isn’t something my father will allow. All he cares about is how well I do at school. I’ve lost count of the times he’s told me how hard he studied to get where he is now. He’s been the top surgeon at St. Augustus hospital for years. His reputation and status are what he cares about the most. And I fear that I can never fulfill his high expectations of me.
I don’t think I’ll ever be good enough.
The things I love and the choices I’ve made don’t make him proud. But I can never become something I’m not just to please him, no matter how much it hurts.
Rolling my tear-filled eyes, I force myself up. I can’t let Sasha down.
Throwing on some clothes, I drag the brush through my hair before tying it in a top knot. Doing the bare minimum, I throw on my clothes and head down the stairs.
The smell of food hits my senses as I make it to the bottom of the stairs. I make my way into the large kitchen, noticing Liza leaning back against the counter, sipping on her hot coffee.
“Oh, hey,” she says, almost a little startled by my presence. “It’s not like you to be ready in time to have breakfast. Come, sit.” Pointing to the chair, she offers me a huge smile, her lips covered in her favorite red lipstick. You know, I don’t ever recall seeing Liza without a face full of makeup.
“So, how is school going?”
I shoot her a sideways look as she busies herself, putting together some of the food she already cooked.
“Fine. You know business management is so my thing. It’s exactly what I saw myself doing in life.” My tone is full of sarcasm and I watch as her nostrils flare with annoyance.
“Cassie…honey…”
I bite back my need to tell her not to “honey” me and tell her how she doesn’t know how I feel, and never will. Liza has never worked. Once she married my father and became my stand-in mother, she became the ultimate housewife. With her fake tits and fake hair and her fake tan, how can she possibly know how losing your dream feels? God, I sound like a bitch, but it’s all messed up. So messed up. But to the outside, we’re lucky. Dad is well loved and respected in the community. We live in the best area in these parts and money isn’t an issue.
But part of me feels trapped. Suffocated by this life and by my lack of choices. To be constantly told that my dream isn’t a job, that I’m not fit enough to become a champion is heart-shattering.
“You know, no one ever became rich from becoming a dancer, honey. And you can’t expect your father to support you for the rest of your life.”
Bitch
“Why not, Liza?” I exaggerate her name. “He’s supported you all your life. And let’s not forget, I’m actually blood-related.”
I’m so damn angry that I’m practically shaking. I scrape back my chair, ready to storm the hell out.
“You know, Cassie, you really are a spoiled brat. At least I appreciate the life your father has given me, rather than resenting it.” She slams her hand down on the table in front of me and I can’t fight back the way my lip curls in disgust.
“I bet you do,” I say through gritted teeth while staring into her ridiculous-sized cleavage.
“If you’ll excuse me, I have to get to class.” Stepping up, I grab my things and make my way out of the door. Reaching into my purse, I try to retrieve my phone, only I run into something hard, stopping me unexpectedly.
“What the...” I slowly lift my head, my eyes meeting with the object that stands before me. My throat becomes thick and my eyes widen as I look at the guy I’ve been unable to erase from my mind for such a long time.
“Uh, Leo?” I ask, checking out his face which barely resembles that of the guy collapsed outside the door, months ago. His hair is shorter, his face is clean-shaven and I can’t help but appreciate how good looking this guy is.
“Yeah,” he replies.
I’m so shocked, I can barely string together the words I wa
nt to say. “How…how are you?”
I throw my purse over my shoulder and push my suddenly sweaty palm across my forehead, clearing the few strands that have fallen. Shit. It suddenly dawns on me that I have made zero effort today. My hair is a mess, my face is bare. Letting my eyelids flutter shut, I take in a huge breath. His scent instantly hits my sensitive senses. The mix of fresh mint and cologne is intoxicating.
“What are you doing here?”
“The job,” he replies with a nod toward the house.
Drawing my brows together, I shake my head a little. “What job?”
“I saw the ad on Craigslist.”
“I, uh, I had no idea.” Suddenly feeling flushed and overwhelmed with how close he is to me that I force myself to step back.
His eyes narrow, his brows drawn together. “What? You think I’m going to hurt you?”
Reaching his hand forward, he wraps it around my wrist. His touch is gentle, but his expression is anything but.
Shaking my head from side to side, I swallow the thickness that has grown in my throat. “No, it’s not that.”
“Then what?” he snaps.
My heart thuds and I have to break the intense connection his eyes have with mine.
“I’m going to be late,” I exclaim, snapping my wrist from his hold and sidestepping him. “Good luck with the job,” I throw back over my shoulder, not daring to look back.
Why can’t I look back?
I shudder as my feet pick up pace and don’t stop until I reach my car. Keeping my eyes focused on the ground, I reach inside my purse, feeling around for my keys. Dammit, why can’t I find them. Don’t you find it’s always that way? The second you want to rush, you can’t find the one thing you need.
Bound to Break: Books one in the Bound to series Page 1