Page 27 of Bound By You

He closes the door for me, then walks over to his black Aston Martin while I put my car into gear and head toward my farm, knowing Abby is going over some guy’s place tonight. I pray Goosy is there when I get home. I could use a laugh.

Halfway home, I look in my mirror and see Alex behind me, and my heart aches. Every time he's near, my cold mask slips a little. A lone tear slips down my cheek, and I quickly wipe it away, then focus on the road. There's just no coming back from the pain he caused.

Fifteen minutes later, we arrive at my farm, and I smirk. Goosy is on the steps, antagonizing Ares again, giving me the laugh I desperately wanted.

I get out of my car before I put my hands on my hips, biting my bottom lip, trying to contain my laughter. Goosy is flapping his wings at the window, while Ares is scratching at the glass, hissing. I shake my head as Alex approaches me, touching my hip. His touch warms me, making my traitorous body tingle all over as he leans down and growls low in my ear, making my girlie bits tingle, too.

"Do me a favor,malen'kaya ptitsa, get that goose away from Ares before I shoot the fucker."

I snort. I swear he fucking loves my cat more than he loves his cock. I go to take a step away from him, but he holds me tighter and states, "Five seconds, Phoebs, and the bird is dead."

I lost it. I couldn't control my laughter even if I tried.

He scowls at me before he starts to count down, reaching for his gun and making my eyes widen, realizing he means it.

"Five, four, three…." He thumbs off the safety, and I leg it toward Goosy, and shoo him away from the window, knowing I don't have time for a sneaky grab with him even though his life depends on it. He moves, flapping his wings, unhappy about being shooed away, and heads toward the pond.

I turn and look at Alex, putting my hands on my hips, and scowling at him, but he smirks at me, then heads toward the front door and opens it, where he's met by his friend, the traitor. Ares meows up at him, going in between his legs, making Alex bend down and pick the little traitor up.

To my cat, he coos, "I knew she’d keep you. I missed you, buddy. Did you miss me?” all while scratching behind his ear. I burst out in laughter; I can't help it. A big, badass Bratvabrigadierwas cooing to a cat—a freaking cat. I have literal tears in my eyes.

"You quite done,malen'kaya ptitsa?" he asks sarcastically, making me look up at him and lose it again when I see Ares lying across the back of his shoulders. He shakes his head, then heads further inside the house with my little traitor, leaving me to calm down.

It takes me several minutes before I go inside my house. As I walk through the open-plan living area, I notice him at the breakfast counter with a cup of coffee, making me scowl until I see he's made my vanilla latte, and my mouth begins to water. He always did make the best lattes, so I'll let him off this once. Isit on the other side of the counter, pick up my drink, and take a sip, humming to myself. He may be a pig, but damn, can the man make a good latte. He clears his throat, and I look up to see him smiling at me, and I shake my head.

"This isn't like a few years ago, Alex. You can't make me my drink, and then I'll say we'll be friends again."

He gives me a sad smile and states, "Good, because I don't want to be in the friendzone, Phoebe, I want my woman back."

I look at him, shocked. How can he possibly think I'd take him back?

He raises his hands when he notices my expression and says, "I know I fucked up. I know I have a lot of work ahead of me, but you're bound by me, Phoebe. You know you are, and you always have been. I have to live with my fuckup every day, and I know I should never have gotten a fucking mistress." He sighs, and I look away until he says his next words, "Christian said you were no longer pure."

I snort. What a fucking hypocrite, and oh, how wrong he is, but I'm not going to correct him; it's none of his fucking business. Plus, it'll only make his ego even bigger than it already is.

He rolls his eyes at me. "I made it okay, in my head, that I had Candy and still would have had Candy as your punishment when I got you back, because you slept with someone else. I know I don't have a leg to stand on. I know I'm the biggest fucking hypocrite going."

I sigh. "I don't want to talk about this, Alexandr. You're here so we can discuss the Romanians, notusor what you did, because it's all in the past, including our engagement."

He gets up, placing Ares on his cat tree in the corner of the dining area, then walks toward me, before he starts to pace. I sit here, watching him go back and forth, and as I am about to ask him to sit his ass down so we can discuss a plan to get rid ofMihai, who I should have just fucking killed but didn't because I thought he had no clue what his so-called boss was doing, he starts to talk, shocking me speechless.

fourteen

Alexandr

I pacein front of her.

I know she doesn't want to discuss us, but I won't let her give up on our future just yet. I know I'm a hypocrite, but I love her, I have for a long time, and I can't lose her.

I stop in front of her and heave out a heavy breath, hoping this goes my way.

"I know you don't want to talk about it, and I know you believe there isn't an us, but there is because you're bound to me. Phoebe, you and I—we're connected. I didn't go about things the right way, I know this. I should have learned from my brother's mistakes, but I didn't. He even tried talking to me, and I ignored him. I have no one to blame but myself. I can't let you go,malen'kaya ptitsa."

She looks down at her lap, but I continue, "One year." Her head snaps up—so fast, I think she may have given herself whiplash.

She asks, "What?"

I smile and reach out, tucking her hair behind her ear, loving the pink in it. I can see the conflict in her eyes; she wants my touch, but the hurt I gave her outweighs her feelings for me. "Give me one year." She shakes her head. "Just hear me out, please. "I know I don't deserve to plead, but please, Phoebs, hear me out." She sighs, and as I'm about to talk, I hear a female voice behind me.