Read Online Broken: Hidden Book Two by Colleen Vanderlinden - Free Book Online Page A

that again!” she said, hugging me harder. I grimaced at the sensation against my skin. Brennan gently pulled Shanti off of me.
    “I’ll try not to,” I said, holding her hand. “I’m here. It’s okay.”
    She wiped her eyes and nodded. “You. You are so badass it’s not even funny.”
    “Yeah? Watch 
My Girl
 with me sometime and see how badass I am,” I said, smiling.
    She laughed then. “
Wuthering Heights
 still sucks, by the way,” she said. She started walking toward her room. Relief, happiness from her, embarrassment over crying in front of me.
    I smiled again. “Read it anyway, you little brat.”
    She stuck her tongue out at me, then headed up the stairs to her room.
    I looked at Brennan. Damn, his power was tempting. I tried to force the thought away. “I need to see Branford, now.”
    He nodded, and took my hand. I let him. He needed it and, just this once, maybe, I needed it too. We walked to the elevator together, took it down to the underground parking garage.
    “You guys have been feeding him, right?”
    He nodded. “I was against it. Your imps said you’d want him strong.”
    “I love my imps.”
    He shook his head. His eyes were on me the entire time, a combination of puzzlement and love coming from him. I met his eyes. “Trying to figure me out?” I asked.
    “Every second of my life,” he said, giving me a small smile. I shook my head and opened the grate into the parking garage.
    Stone was standing with a shotgun in his hand, eyes on the demon. Branford had dropped his human skin, and stood there in his demon form. Just as ugly as he’d been as a human. Still tall and muscular, skin the dark gray of dirty water. My imps were ringed around him. He was chained to one of the concrete pillars, arms behind his back. He slumped against the pillar. Dozing.
    I stalked toward him. “Good evening, Branford,” I said loudly. His head jerked back, and he looked at me.
    And I felt it. Fear. So good. I felt it feeding my demon immediately. His fear only grew as I stalked closer. He actually whimpered. And pissed himself.
    “Demon’s about to hurt,” Bash said in his gravelly little voice, red eyes glowing in the dim garage.
    “About to bleed,” Dahael agreed.
    “Branford. I was sure you were potty trained by now,” I murmured. I walked up to him and gripped his jaw, forced him to look at me. He tried to pull away, but there was nowhere for him to go. His terror continued to feed me.
    “What’s wrong? Don’t you like being chained?” I asked, tightening my grip on his jaw as he tried to pull away. My fingernails cut into his skin.
    “How?” he finally stammered.
    I smiled at him. “Do you really think something as insignificant as you can kill me?” I squeezed his throat, just a little, and he panicked.
    Damn, it was delectable. I let it wash over me, felt it feed me.
    I glanced back at Brennan and Stone. “Unchain him.”
    Stone came, took out a key and unlocked the three locks securing the chains. Branford massaged his wrists when the chains dropped.
    “I don’t want you to see this,” I said.
    Stone nodded. “Welcome back, kiddo,” he said, grinning at me before he walked away. Brennan stayed put.
    “You too, Bren.”
    “Nope.”
    “This is not going to be pretty. I’d prefer you didn’t see me like this.” These words only made the demon more afraid, and I nearly smiled at the taste of his fear.
    “Gut him,” Bashiok said.
    “Burn him,” Dahael cooed. I felt Branford’s fear spike again, and I could have laughed. Creepy little fuckers, my imps were.
    “It better not be pretty. I need this just as much as you do,” he said, meeting my eyes.
    “Fine. Just stay back.”
    I shook my head and turned back to the demon, who was trying to fight his way out of my grip. I ran my fingers along his neck, then hauled my fist back and punched him in the gut. “Why did you do it?” I asked him.
    He lunged for me then, which was exactly what I wanted. I punched him in