Page 61 of Bind Me

I drive my fist into his chest. A gush of air expels from his mouth, and he gasps for air. Sasha rises behind him, knocking him in the back of his knees so he loses his stance. In that same second, while I hold him, she wrenches his arms back, cuffing them in seconds.

“Who the hell are these idiots?” she snarls, and fuck me, but seeing her in warrior mode has my cock throbbing.

I shift my attention to the whining guy on the ground who hasn’t moved.

The second asshole’s upper lip curls back. “We’re never going to stop coming for you,” he snaps, practically spitting the words.

I growl, “Heard it before asshole. Now listen?—”

“Fuck you, you have no idea how many mercenaries there are, how?—”

“Do you want a blade in your temple, or are you going to fucking listen?” A grunt reverberates in my chest with my frustration.

Sasha studies me, her forehead furrowed, and it’s clear she has dozens of questions. But my focus is on the mercenaries in front of me.

“Go and tell all your little fucking buddies that I’m no longer playing nice. Cross my path again, and I’ll be leaving a trail of dead bodies.” Though I’m convinced Asher is already doing that. So, I can only imagine how many of these rats would be on my heels if he weren’t eliminating some of them.

The man’s eyes go round, then he glares my way. I like his tenacity, but this isn’t a battle he’s going to win.

I shove him with my foot to the ground to be with his buddy. “Stay down if you know what’s good for you.” Snatching Sasha by the hand, we move past them, my ears alert for their approach.

Sasha’s eyes are on me as she leads me to her vehicle, her expression hardened.

“Wanna tell me what the hell that was about? Since when do you have mercenaries on your tail? Those assholes won’t relent until you’re gone.”

I shrug. “I’m not afraid of them, but I’m fucking annoyed with their constant interruptions and bothering me.”

She raises an eyebrow. “So, what’s going on?”

“Apparently, moving into the House of Gold and Garnet is prohibited.”

“Wait,” she says, studying me as the sun hits her face. “You entered this House without approval first? Hell yeah, they’re going to keep coming for you, except…” She lifts her gaze, tapping a finger to her chin. “No, in fact, they shouldn’t anymore. It’s well known that the moment you find your fated mate, you automatically get residence in the House they live in. That means you are now a citizen of the House of Gold and Garnet.” She grips her hips and leans on one leg, looking proud of herself. “You’re welcome,” she says sarcastically.

I’m well aware she isn’t happy about accepting our fated-mate connection yet, but she’ll come around to it.

“Well, try telling that to those fuckers who haven’t gotten the news.”

“Yeah, I guess it’s a gray area on how to let them know…”

“Easy,” I state, exhaling loudly. “Something I should have already done. I’ll pay the king a visit and get it sorted.”

She bursts out laughing. “You think you’re going to just walk in to see King Kaspian? You’ve got a rude awakening coming.”

Frustration rips through me. Sasha is strolling ahead of me while I glance back to see the two mercenaries across the parking area, going in the opposite direction, one still with hands cuffed behind his back. Smart choice.

“Come to think of it,” Sasha purrs, her voice smooth like silk. “I may have a way for you to see the king.”

I shoot my shoulders back, rushing to catch up to her as she gives me her most appealing smile.

“Go on,” I state as we reach her small white vehicle with four doors. As she unlocks the doors, I eye it, convinced that no way in hell I will fit inside.

“You see, my best friend has three fated mates who have an in with the king. They are half-gods themselves, so perhaps they can arrange an audience for you with King Kaspian. But we’ll need to ask them first.”

“Good,” I state, smacking my hand on the roof of the car more out of finality. It sounds louder than I intended, and her eyes blaze with incredulity.

“Well, then, let’s go there now and get that resolved,” I clarify.

She almost chokes on her laughter as she gets into the car. I open my door while she pushes my seat back for more legroom. I somehow manage to climb in, pressed in like those sardines in cans, and I hate it already. As I shut the door, feeling compressed, I lean an arm on the door, the other on the middle console as she starts up the engine.

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