Catalyst (Savior Complex #1)

6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Kane

T he sizzling of butter on a non-stick skillet filled the room as I tried to focus on the omelet I was making and not the fact that Callie’s mom was a raging bitch. I’d hoped that making Callie breakfast would be enough to distract me from wanting to break into the Voltaris mansion and slaughter every last hero in those walls for ever hurting Callie’s feelings.

“What type of fucking mother won’t stand up to their husband?” I muttered, slamming the carton of eggs onto the counter with more force than necessary.

“Calm down, Daddy,” Jace smirked, lazily leaning back against the counter, coffee mug in hand. “You know Flora isn’t exactly mother of the year–If she were, Callie wouldn’t have shown up here.”

I cut him a glare as I cracked three eggs into a nearby bowl. “Yeah, but her daughter was in the hospital. That should have been enough to make her want to show up.”

But no, all she did was tell me to talk to her husband, and that asshole asked if she was ready to go on a date with some douchebag named Trenton. In what world was forcing your daughter to date someone an acceptable expectation for making sure she was okay?

“Shin’s been talking for years about how heroes are never the good guys… That only stopped when Sul tried to succeed where his dad failed.” Jace snorted into his coffee. “Dead and labeled a terrorist. Heroes have an image to maintain, and Trent probably has a sharp jawline and the right family tree.”

My jaw clenched as I grabbed a fork from the drawer before using it to whisk the eggs into a pool of yellow slime. I’d forgotten all about Shin’s stories of him trying to be a hero long before Sulien came along. The only difference between Sul and his dad was that Shin once had the coveted hero title. Unfortunately, the media decided he’d be more interesting as a villain, and the rest was history.

“Well, it’s disgusting,” I grumbled as I poured the eggs into the pan. Immediately, the eggs bubbled and sizzled, setting around the outside. “And I’d rather die than let her end up a pawn in their fucked up game.”

Jace watched me with that annoying, all-too-laid-back look that he always did when trying to decide if he wanted to let me stew in my anger or if he wanted to rile me up more.

“Relax, Daddy.” Jace put extra emphasis on that last word. “No one’s handing Callie back to her parents or Trenton. She’s ours now.”

I shot Jace a warning look, and he didn’t even flinch. If anything, my irritation caused his smirk to grow.

“That doesn’t change the fact that they’re trying.” I said as I grabbed the small container of cooked spinach and feta from beside the stove.

The only good thing I got from talking to Callie’s parents was a list of the things she’d been craving. Apparently, mom cared enough to make sure her daughter was fed, and that was it.

“Her mom’s the headmistress at her school… What if she tries something?” I asked, feeling the weight of the words the second they fell from my lips.

And I knew Jace felt it too because, for a moment, that cocky smirk he wore like a suit of armor fell.

“Look… her mom has a reputation to uphold. She’s not going to risk that just to play matchmaker for Callie… right?” The uncertainty in Jace’s voice killed me.

That mother fucker was never uncertain. He wasn’t smart enough to even consider alternate possibilities. And here he was, worried about the future. I didn’t need that right now.

I needed–I wasn’t sure what I needed. Just not that.

The microwave dinged, reminding me I’d been cooking bacon, too. Jace sauntered over to the microwave, removing the paper towel-lined plate before plopping it on the counter beside me. He must’ve noticed a shift in my demeanor because he tried to lighten up.

He plucked a strip of bacon off the plate, blowing on it before taking a bite. “I think you need a distraction, Daddy.”

“Quit calling me that before I shove your coffee mug up your ass,” I warned.

“Ah, ah, ah. Nothing without a flared base is allowed in that hole.” He sang, waggling the bacon before popping the rest into his mouth.

The glare I shot him was sour enough to curdle milk, but of course, Jace didn’t seem to care. Instead, he smiled wider, chewing his bacon like he didn’t have a care in the world.

I gritted my teeth as I focused on folding the omelet without breaking the damn thing. I knew Callie didn’t mind scrambled eggs, but her mom said Callie had been making a spinach omelet every morning for the last few months. From what I knew of Callie, she was an excellent cook. That meant if I couldn’t make her breakfast as well, if not better than her, she had no reason to keep letting me do it. And then she either wouldn’t eat like she did yesterday, or she would take over cooking for herself, and I liked taking care of her.

I turned the omelet out onto a plate, taking a moment to savor the satisfaction that came from not ripping the damn thing, but the moment was short-lived.

Jace cleared his throat before he pushed off the counter, lacing his fingers together as he stretched. The crimson tattoos on his sides twitched with the lean muscles of his body.

“So…” His tone was casual, but there was a slight undertone of mischief. “Since you haven’t shoved my coffee where the sun doesn’t shine, I’m going to assume you need a distraction.”

I shot him another look, but this time, it was less heated and more resigned. As much as I hated to admit it, Jace was right. I needed something to take the edge off everything I was feeling. Something to distract me from Callie’s parents and whether or not her blood pressure would stay stable until her next doctor’s appointment.

“What did you have in mind?” I asked softly as I turned off the burner and gave Jace my full attention.

Jace leaned in slightly, “Oh, I think you know.”

His smile must’ve been contagious because the second he said that, the corners of my lips twitched up. I scrubbed a hand across the square of my jaw as my eyes trailed down his torso. He wasn’t bulky like me, but he had a sharpness that made it impossible not to get drawn into. The fucker knew exactly what he was doing, too, using that charm and those bright green eyes to get under my skin. And it worked every time.

Without thinking, I reached up and grabbed him by the back of the neck. He pressed his forehead to mine, and for a moment, we just breathed each other in.

“There’s my Kane,” he whispered, rubbing the tip of his nose to mine.

I chuckled as I lightly brushed my lips to his. “I’m not just yours anymore.”

“And I wouldn’t have it any other way… But, for now, you are M-I-N-E.”

My grip on him tightened, and before I could think better of it, my lips crashed into his. The kiss was hungry, full of a type of desperation I hadn’t had for a while. This wasn’t about fucking my boyfriend or reminding Jace I loved him. It was about pushing away all the bullshit I could barely understand in favor of something I always would.

Jace’s hands tangled in my shirt as I pushed him back against the counter. He pushed the fabric up with the precision only a professional could have, and just as a low, rumbly moan exited his lips, we were greeted by a soft gasp. One far too feminine to have come from Jace.

He froze, his hands pausing at my sides. My head snapped toward the archway, where Callie stood, wide-eyed and flushed, her sapphire gaze bouncing between the two of us. She didn’t exactly seem shocked—I mean, she knew Jace and I were a thing—but she looked… curious, maybe a little embarrassed, too.

What made my chest tighten, though, wasn’t that she’d walked in on us. It was how fragile she looked, standing there in the oversized shirt I’d dressed her in last night, her messy golden hair spilling over her shoulders.

When we got back from the hospital, she’d been too exhausted to keep herself upright, so I’d taken it upon myself to get her into bed, wrapping her in one of my shirts because she was too tired to pick one of Sulien’s old ones like she usually did.

I wasn’t sure I could contain myself, but I needed to. She’d had a long night, and the last thing she needed was me to think about throwing her over my shoulder and carrying her like a goddamned caveman.

“Morning, sweetheart.” I tried to keep my tone steady, but a possessive edge crept in.

My voice seemed to snap her back to reality, forcing her to look away as the flush decorating her neck deepened.

“I–I’m so sorry.” The words rushed out of her. “I just–I wanted water, and–”

“This is your home, too. You’re allowed to be here.” Jace sang as he focused entirely on Callie. “That being said… Kane here is about to get fucked. You can either take your pants off or give us twenty minutes.” His smirk widened as his gaze flicked down her body as if that alone were enough to devour her. “And I’m really hoping it’s the latter.”

Callie slowly looked back at us, her breathing stuttering as she took in the sight in front of her. She looked down before winding her fingers in the hem of her shirt as she bit her lower lip.

“I…” She held the word as if it had four syllables, twisting the fabric of her shirt as she thought. “I’m not wearing pants.”

Her shirt lifted just enough to reveal the curve of her stomach, the orange fabric of her underwear peeking out. While I’d like to say that alone did absolutely nothing for me, that would have been a fucking lie.

I’d seen Callie all but naked. The only difference is I’d been fucking her from behind.

I was an ass man—sue me. So, while I knew Callie had a bump, I hadn’t seen it, not like this. And the sight ignited something in me—something primal, something that turned my already protective instincts up to eleven.

But, while my mouth ran dry as I battled the urge to ram my cock into Callie, Jace barked out a laugh. The all too genuine kind that ended with him clapping his hands.

“Fuck yeah! Three-way.” He cheered, cupping his hands around his mouth as he did. “Come and get your pretty ass over here. I want you—”

“Callie’s not allowed to join,” I said firmly.

Both sets of jewel-toned eyes pinned on me as if I’d kicked a kitten. This type of silent overreaction was common from Jace; honestly, he acted like I was some type of dictator every time I told him no. But I hadn’t expected to see anything like that from Callie.

“You didn’t eat at all yesterday,” I explained, pointing directly at Callie. “I’m not rewarding bad behavior.”

“I—what?” She instantly dropped the hem of my shirt, her eyes dropping to her beautifully soft curves.

“You heard me. You didn’t eat yesterday. So if you want fun, you’re shit out of luck.”

Her golden lashes fluttered as she looked between Jace and me. She was either surprised or offended. Either was fine; I knew she wasn’t exactly confident in her new body. That’s why I’d been so generous in my praise recently. I’d caught her trying to skip meals before and I wasn’t sure if yesterday was intentional or not. I just knew for a fucking fact it wasn’t happening again.

“Seriously, Kane?” Jace scoffed as he gave her a hungry once over. “It was one day. She’ll eat after; why punish her?”

But I shook my head. After the comment he made about her body yesterday, I didn’t trust him with her. Not yet, anyway.

“You and I can fool around. She’s eating the breakfast I made,” I said firmly, leaving Jace’s side to put Callie’s breakfast on the table. “Juice or water?”

Jace let out an exaggerated groan as he stomped his foot, and I shot him a look. One that told him if he didn’t quit, he’d be left alone with his hand.

“Water, please. Thank you,” Callie said, the sadness in her voice pulled at my heart.

Why the fuck was I the bad guy for taking care of her? Was she like this with Sulien? Or did she know better than to be a brat with him?

Whatever, I couldn’t be bothered with that right now. I grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, opening it before putting it in front of her.

“…If I eat fast enough, can I join?” She asked hopefully, but I shook my head.

“The point of punishment is to make you regret misbehaving,” I said calmly. “Eat slowly; I don’t want to see you choke.”

I wasn’t as sadistic as Sul. There’d be no leashes, collars, or soap gags in Callie’s future. But I’d learned from the last few months of domming Jace that I needed to follow through with what I said.

She sighed before picking up her fork and thanking me as she cut into her eggs. I didn’t miss the ways her eyes lit up as she took her first bite, even if she tried to hide it. A slow burn of pleasure coiled in my stomach. There was something about Callie enjoying the simple things in life that drove me crazy. Especially because I knew the little freak had a dirty little kink, one I was waiting for the right moment to tell Jace.

Callie was a good girl who followed the rules to a T. But beneath that golden girl exterior was a brat, one who liked playing games and pushing limits even if she’d never admit it.

Jace leaned back against the linoleum countertop, his fingers impatiently drumming on the top as he watched her.

I arched a brow as I cast him an annoyed look. “What?”

“Nothing, I just realized that, apparently, I’m into chubby chasers.” Jace scoffed.

“Excuse me?” I challenged.

But, the hemo-himbo didn’t back down.

“You heard me.” He paused almost as if for dramatic effect, leaning back even further as he crossed his arms over his chest. “You and Sulien are both bona fide chubby chasers.”

Callie cleared her throat as she placed her fork down, grabbing a napkin to wipe her lips. She looked down, and I could practically hear the racing of her thoughts. Embarrassment covered her cheeks, and I wanted to kill Jace. This feeling was made worse by the fact that I enjoyed the way she squirmed under the weight of his accusations.

“You have two seconds to shut the fuck up,” I warned.

“What?” Jace laughed like this was all a joke. “Look at her! She’s fucking gorgeous .” He gestured wildly to Callie. “You can’t tell me that the extra weight doesn’t look good on her.”

I blew out a breath as I looked between the two. Why the fuck did he have to be right?

Callie had always been stunning. That’s probably why Sul liked her at first. But, something about the way pregnancy softened her curves had turned her from girlishly cute to a beautiful woman. And she was absolutely glowing in a way that made me want to destroy her. Those feelings were easily ignored when I chalked it up to lust or taking care of my best friend’s baby mama. But Jace’s comments had been the straw that broke the camel’s back.

I wasn’t lusting after Callie. No, something much worse was happening. I wanted more from her. More than lust or taking care of her out of obligation. I wanted to love her, and I wanted her to love me . And right now, that was too much to bear. So, with one last breath, I stormed off to my room to give myself time to think.