Claimed by the Betrayed Mercenary

Chapter Seven

Connor’s POV

I toss the empty beer bottle onto the floor and lean forward to grab another from the six pack that’s sitting on the coffee table in front of me. I tilt the beer toward the barren ceiling in a silent toast, merry f.ucking christmas to me.

My phone starts to ring beside me, and I glance over, frowning at the withheld number, this is the fourth call I've received since yesterday. I reach over and swipe to decline, f.ucking telemarketers, I don't know how they got my number but they can f.uck off, I'll keep declining until they give up.

It’s been two months since I fell into my sister’s arms, and I haven’t been back home since, Eva hasn't tried to reach out again and other than the odd voice mail from my attorney, I know nothing about what is going on back there. As far as I'm aware, she's still living in my f.ucking house, probably with that jackass, all of them sitting around the huge fake Christmas tree that I bought last year, a present for my pregnant girlfriend like they're one big happy family.

Other than the chair I sit in and the table in front of me, the only other furniture in the room I'm sitting in, are a couch, and the small TV that I bought, which is currently the only source of light in the room as I haven’t bothered to open the curtains since I moved in.

I had handed in my notice to my job as soon as I finished telling my sister what had happened, I just knew I couldn’t go back there, back to my town, my old life, it was too painful.

I crashed in Hali’s spare room for a couple of weeks before one of her friends, Hallick, offered to sublet me his two bed apartment. He lives with his woman now, but hadn’t gotten around to selling up his old home so it was sitting here empty. I paid him three months’ rent upfront out of my savings, bought the bare minimum of furniture from a thrift store, and since then I’ve been drowning the pain of my s.hitastic life with beer, usually passing out long before the ache inside me eases by any degree.

A knock sounds on the door, but I ignore it, twisting off the cap on my beer and throwing it across the room before tilting the bottle to my lips.

Another loud knock echoes through the dark space, more insistent this time.

‘F.uck off’ I growl loudly, focusing on the muted TV that is playing some s.hitty sitcom, the two characters on the screen gazing lovingly at each other before the man drops to one knee. I snort derisively, yeah, good luck with that mate, you think it’s all roses now, but just you wait, she’ll chew you up and spit you out just like the rest of them.

I hear a key turn in the lock seconds before my sister barges into the room, her nose wrinkling as she takes in the room.

‘It’s stinks in here’ she huffs loudly, moving to the window and throwing back the curtains, making me squint as light burns my eyes.

‘Just leave me alone’ I mutter, moodily, ‘and shut the f.ucking curtains.’

‘No’ Hali replies firmly, a cold breeze hitting me as she pushes the window open and turns back toward me, 'I let you skip out on Christmas day, Gage told me to leave you be, but no more! I'm done with your pity party for one.'

‘Jesus Con’ she sighs, taking in the state of me and I cringe inwardly, knowing I don’t look my best right now, feeling a small sliver of guilt as her gaze sweeps the area, disgust clear in her expression.

‘I was about to clear up’ I lie, shifting slightly, ‘once my program is finished . . ‘

Hali glances at the tv before looking back at me sceptically, ‘you watch the way we were?’ she snorts.

‘I have never missed an episode, it’s my very favourite show’ I retort, taking another sip of beer as I avoid her gaze.

‘OK, so who is that?’ she asks, pointing at the tall, thin woman with brown hair cut severely around her face.

Uhh . . . Harriett?’ I offer weakly.

My sister rolls her eyes, stomping over and flicking off the television, ‘no Connor, her name is not Harriett’ she grumbles, ‘and you are done moping’ she adds, pointing a finger at me.

I shake my head, ‘I am not moping, I am just taking some time off’ I mutter.

Hali walks toward me, sinking down into the cushion of the couch, her expression sympathetic. ‘I know this is hard for you Con . .’ she starts/

‘Do you?’ I snap, ‘do you have any idea how s.hit my life is right now? because last time I looked, your life was just damn perfect! I don’t see Mr owns my own company Cadell running off and f.ucking someone else, I don’t see him letting you fall in love with someone so completely and then snatching them away . . ‘ My voice trails off as I suck in a breath, fighting back tears that burn my eyes. I’m being an asshole and I know I am, and I already feel like absolute crap for what I just said.

‘I’m sorry’ I mutter, hunching my shoulders, ‘I didn’t . .’

My sister holds up her hand, stopping me, ‘I know Con’ she sighs sadly, ‘I know you didn’t mean it. You’re angry and hurt and I’m the nearest person right now.’

‘Yeah, but I still shouldn’t have done it’ I growl, self loathing piling on top of the guilt and pain I’m already carrying. ‘You come over here to try and help me and I just dumped all my own s.hit on your shoulders, great big brother I am.’

Hali moves from her seat, perching on the arm of my chair as her arms wrap around me and she hugs me.

‘Connor Montgomery, you are the best big brother that I could have ever hoped to have’ she states firmly, ‘and I will not allow you to say otherwise. You’re hurt, and it hurts me to see you like this, I want my old brother back, the one who snuck me cookies before dinner, the guy who secretly picked me up drunk from a seniors party when I was a junior, not even shouting at me as you held my hair out of my face so I could throw up in the bushes.’

I laugh harshly, remembering that night, she’d told our parents that she was staying the night at a friend’s house. Our parents didn’t care, the more she was out of the house, the less they had to look after her.

She’d called me, incoherently babbling about some guy trying to get her to go upstairs with him. I’d jumped in my car, raced over there and grabbed her and her friend, taking them back to ours, not before I made sure that the douchebag of a senior knew to keep his hands and eyes away from my underage sister.

Once I got them back to our parents’ house, I snuck them both inside where they both threw up in my bathroom before passing out in my bed. I spent the entire night awake, sitting on the floor watching them in case they vomited in their sleep and choked.

‘You always were getting in trouble’ I tell her, shaking my head.

‘And you were always there to bail me out’ Hali replies, softly, ‘and well . .’ she hesitates, and my hair prickles as I turn abruptly to look at her, finding her biting her lip nervously.

‘What is it Hal?’ I ask roughly, my own pain forgotten momentarily as I see the worry in her eyes. I like that Gage bloke, but so help me, if he has hurt my baby sister, I’ll beat him into next week. ‘Hali!’ I growl louder when she doesn’t answer, making her jump.

‘I’m pregnant’ she whispers, those two words hitting me like a freight train.