Break The Cycle

Chapter 1:

Killian POV:

Six A.M. And my alarm was buzzing. I sat straight up in bed and ran my hands down my face before getting up to get ready for the day. I worked as a mechanic at the docks just a few minutes away from my home.

After eating breakfast, combing my hair, and dressing appropriately, I was out the door and on my way to the coffee shop I always stopped at in the morning before work. I didn't think I could make it through the day without at least one cup.

Walking through the door, I noticed there was only one other person there. Thank goodness, I never had the patience to wait this early in the morning. She ordered and moved to the side, I didn't take much notice of her. When I finished ordering I found a seat to wait for my drink. That was when I finally glanced her way.

She had long, golden hair flowing down her back. She was tall and slim, wearing a red leather jacket, temptingly tight jeans, and brown boots. I stood and gawked at her until she moved, breaking me from my trance. She turned around and walked in my direction to exit, catching my eye in the process. I didn't think I'd ever seen such beautiful green eyes in my lifetime. I turned around and, for a moment, was prepared to follow her. But she climbed in an old yellow VW bug and drove away. I sighed, but at least I knew what kind of car she drove. This town wasn't so big that I wouldn't recognize it again, unless she was just passing through.

When my drink was ready, I walked outside and off to work in a daze, her face plastered in my mind. I hoped I would see her again.

Emma POV:

Shit. Shit, shit, shit. The last thing I need right now was mister tall, dark, and handsome catching my eye. Actually, that was the last thing I would EVER need. I didn't do relationships, I couldn't afford to let myself go through that again. I knew from experience, people just pretended to care about you until they didn't need you anymore. Then you were tossed away.

But still, those blue eyes, vivid against dark hair, stuck in my memory. I hoped he didn't go there regularly. I just moved here a few days ago. I got myself settled in and got back to work. Boston just wasn't it for me anymore, I decided somewhere a little smaller and quieter might be better. Of course, not so small that everyone knew each other, but not noisy like Boston either. I was a bail bonds person, the last thing I needed was to be recognized all the time. Today I needed to catch my perp.

I went into my office and set to work. I wouldn't get paid until I brought this guy in, I didn't need to be distracted by gorgeous strangers.

Killian POV:

That woman stayed on my mind all day long as I worked. I even went back to the coffee shop for lunch and another cup in hopes of seeing her, but no such luck.

"Get ahold of yourself, Killian. She's just a stranger." I told myself.

The reasons I didn't want to admit were in the back of my mind. My father, drinking away his misery after my mother died. Liam and I must have been simply too much for him to bear, that was why he abused us. He resented us. Even when Liam turned eighteen and thought he would have to fight tooth and nail for legal guardianship of me, our father simply signed his rights away. If my own father didn't want me, why would any one else? Especially a vision of radiance such as that woman.

But of course, I would never admit all of that to anyone. Who would want to bear such a burden? I certainly wouldn't push it on anybody.

I shook my thoughts out of my head and got back to work. Time was money, money that I needed to keep the bills paid.

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Killian POV:

The next morning she was there again. I had gotten there before her and was waiting for my cup of coffee when she walked in. This time, there were a couple of people in line ahead of her.

Again, I couldn't help but stare. She was enchanting. The longer I looked, the more I wanted to talk her. But I knew I would never work up the nerve.

She glanced over at me and I smiled without thinking. She didn't return it, she simply went back to looking at the menu behind the bar. It irked me a bit. She clearly didn't care for me, good thing I'd never approached her like I'd been tempted to.

But of course, even if she had smiled back, eventually she would find out my past and wouldn't come within ten feet of me. No one would want anyone as damaged as I. I took my coffee and took one last look at her before walking out the door.

Emma POV:

He was there again, just like yesterday. Only this time, he smiled at me. I fought the urge to smile back and stared at nothing in particular. I didn't need him thinking that I was interested in him in any way, shape, or form. With all the baggage in my past, it wouldn't be long before he ran like hell. There was no way he'd stick around after finding out I had a son that I abandoned to live in that crap system I grew up in. My only comfort was that perhaps he did find a family and was being care for and loved at this very moment.

I sighed and walked into my office. After settling into my chair at my desk, I opened the dating site I was using to bait the man I was after. It sickened me, knowing that he had a family, a wife, and he was looking for dates. But this way, I could catch him and nail his sorry ass to the wall.