Page 46 of Bound For You

“She’s letting me pick her up from school, doesn’t get mad when I show up to her work, and so far, hasn’t moved out of her apartment, so….”

Phoebe nods and I see Juan smile. I furrow my brow at him, and he sighs, running his hand through his blond hair.

“I went to see her five weeks ago,” he admits, shocking the shit out of me.

Phoebe turns to him as my body shakes with rage.

He raises his hands in a gesture of innocence, then offers a sad smile. “I fucked up and I had to make it right. She didn’t throw me out, she actually mumbled something about Sergi’s people showing up at her work, her nose scrunched up—it was funny.”

I furrow my brows; she must have been talking about that bitch Mindy. Al and I have tried to find the cunt, but she’s gone off grid. I don’t have a good feeling about her, something in my gut is screaming she’s going to cause trouble.

Phoebe speaks up, bringing me out of my thoughts, “What did she say?”

Juan smiles, and shakes his head. “I’m there apologizing for my behavior, hoping to convince her to let the family meet the children when they’re born, and…she only had your interest at heart, Sergi.”

I lean back as a lump forms in my throat. “What do you mean?” I rasp and he smiles.

“Her words were along the lines of me missing twenty-nine years of your life, and how she knows the hurt and pain of losing a parent because she lost three. I’m guessing her birth mother wasn’t a good one; she mentioned how the last two were her whole world, and how you know that loss, that you have the Volkovs. Her exact words were,‘he loves them dearly, but there was always a hole in his heart where his father should have been. He’s going to keep pushing you away, you can try and tellhim you spoke to me to help clear the air and it may give a little bit of an in, but you need to show him his attitude won’t push you away. You fight back harder to be in his life’.Then she went on to say I had to reassure you that Valerie won’t try to replace your mama or Maria, who took you in. I tell you, son, she was absolutely amazing. I tried to convince her to give us all another shot, and she was there helping me with you. And before I left, and this is how I knew I made the right decision to see her, she told me I was having a grandsonandgranddaughter.”

I smile. I haven’t told anyone the genders yet, but I’m proud as fuck that Avery told Juan. It tells me she wants him in the children’s lives.

Phoebe lets out a sob, and I roll my lips together, biting it to stop my laughter. Hormones.

Juan shakes his head then looks at me. “My wife was and still is my everything. She couldn’t have children, we argued a lot at that time, and I started drinking. I met your mother, and we slept together a couple of times. When I realized how badly I fucked up, I told my wife about the affair, and she forgave me. It took time, but we moved on.” He smiles a little, and I sit back again and continue to listen to him. “Your mother, she didn’t know I was married. I just disappeared. A few months later, she found me to tell me she was pregnant. I knew the baby was mine, but….” He shakes his head. “I panicked. I knew my wife couldn’t have children; I knew this would kill her…so I denied paternity. I told your mother I was married, and I was a Don, and she understood. She walked away; she didn’t want you a part of this life. Her father was Bratva, and I knew she didn’t want this life for you. So, she didn’t try to convince me to be a father to you. And I felt relieved, relieved because it meant my wife wouldn’t find out. I kept an eye on you for years, but I stopped when you started meeting up with Phoebe. I knew you’d be okay, and I couldn’t deal with the grief and guilt of not being there foryou. When Phoebe FaceTimed me and my wife saw you in the background, she flipped. She knew you were mine, and when she realized I denied paternity because of her….” He takes a deep breath.

I finish for him, “She felt like you kept her child from her.”

He nods. “Yes, but I also had to remind her that you had a mother, a mother who loved you more than life itself. I didn’t want her to fight for custody, its why I never told her; I wouldn’t do that to your mother. I just didn’t know she’d passed when you were a teenager, I wasn’t aware you were a Made Man until Phoebe let it slip when she was living with my mother. Its why I told her I was your father, so you had family around you. I knew I couldn’t just show up in your life after so many years, so I sat back and watched you, all while my wife was breathing down my neck to bring you home. I had to sleep on the sofa for months because I made a stupid comment about you already being at home with the Volkovs. And, much as I hate it, they’re your family. They brought you up, and they were there for you when I wasn’t.”

He stands and I just watch him. “I’ve said my piece, and I know you’ll need time, so I’ll leave you with Phoebe. I just hope you want to know me, to ask the questions you may have.” He gives me a sad smile, and leaves while I sit here stumped.

I look at Phoebe, and she says, “I know you don’t want to hear it, but he is a good man, well as good as a Don can be, anyway. I think you should try to get to know him.”

I sigh and get up. I open my office door to see him waiting for the elevator.

I say, “Juan.” He turns in surprise. “Maybe we can have dinner next weekend?” He smiles wide and nods, but I say, “Just you and me.” No Valerie. Not yet.

He nods again. “Okay, I’ll make sure Valerie understands.”

I nod, and he gets in the elevator. When the doors close, I turn to see Phoebe smiling at me, and I chuckle.

“So, about Avery.”

Ah, shit. I know she wants to see her, but Avery isn’t ready; she barely tolerates me, and I’m the love of her life. I know she still loves me because I see the hurt and pain every time she looks at me.

I’m saved from answering her when Damian comes out of his office.

He smirks. “Fancy questioning some Romanian scum down in the basement to see who’s now in charge?”

I grin wickedly. I check my watch; I still have three hours until I have to get Avery.

“Let me shut everything down. I have to pick Avs up later, so I’ll leave right after I take out some frustration.”

Damian chuckles while Phoebe shakes her head.

“On that note, I’ll leave you men to it. Since becoming pregnant, blood makes me nauseous.” We chuckle again, and she kisses our cheeks, then leaves, completely forgetting what she wanted to talk to me about—thank you Damian.

Damian and I head to the basement, where a medium built man with a black man bun is tied to a chair in his underwear. I smirk while Damian chuckles. I lean against the wall with Damian next to me, doing the same, and we watch Al doing his thing.