Page 2 of Bound

Cass gives me a look.

I sigh. “This time.”

Lucian stands several feet away, exchanging hushed words with Rafe and Bayne.

His head turns anytime Cass or I speak. His eyes find mine across the space between us.

Dark. Possessive. Exhausted.

Mine, those eyes say.

Yours, but free, mine say back.

The exchange is silent. Brutal in its intimacy.

Lucian has barely let me out of his line of sight since we arrived.

When I fell asleep last night, exhausted from our travels, I woke up three times to find him watching me.

Not sleeping. Not resting. Watching.

As if he looked away, I would vanish.

The first time, it broke my heart.

The second time, it scared me.

The third time, I pretended to stay asleep because I didn’t know what to do. I can’t never leave his side, yet I’ll do anything in my power to save him from hurting any more than he already has.

Now he moves closer, standing between me and the house and every inch of him is in control.

Red Shutters was supposed to be impossible to find. A small place tucked into Scotland’s bones. Bayne’s land. Bayne’s men. Bayne’s rules.

Carlos found it anyway.

I feel his attention on the side of my face. I try to avoid his gaze.

“Erin.” One word. My name, spoken low enough that only I hear it.

A command, a warning, and a caress, all in one word.

The front door opens before I can say something that gets me carried over his shoulder in front of everyone.

Warm light spills down the steps.

A woman in a black coat with ice-blonde hair that falls to her waist, the air of a queen about her, strides down the front steps in high-heeled black leather boots.

Even her name is beautiful and strong. Freya. A powerful Scottish woman, a lawyer and member of Bayne’s clan.

A woman with a seat at the table. A decision-maker. She’s come here today to decide if she’ll approve of Bayne’s men staying longer to help guard us, or if the risk is too much and she’ll be pulling them today.

Two men in dark suits follow her; the first is her husband, Frederick. I watch as he follows her to their armored van.

Cass watches the back of Freya’s platinum hair as she goes. “Is this place haunted? Because I swear I’m seeing another blonde ghost.”

“Haunted?” Ryan’s eyes widen. “Really?”

We never think he’s listening. He’s always listening.