Page 91 of Bind Me

She drags a shirt down over her head, covering herself, and I groan, unable to get enough of staring at her. She’s perfect in every way.

She rolls her eyes, but I can tell she’s amused by my persistence, a playful grin on her mouth.

I find myself captivated by the little things—like the way the water droplets cling to her skin.

“We’ve got shit to talk about. This Lilia business,” she says. Her expression shifts, worry creasing her brow. I can see her mind turning, and I nod in agreement.

I flop down on the bed, patting the mattress for her to join me.

She laughs softly and sits close. The fish in the glass aquarium at the end of the bed swim closer as though they’re fascinated by my every move, their eyes fixed on me with an unblinking stare.

“Seems you have a fan base,” she jokes, nodding toward the aquarium.

“They’ll go away soon enough,” I reply, watching as they continue to hover as if they’re captivated. Her hand is warm against mine, and I stroke it gently.

“Tell me more about Lilia?” she asks, her gaze lifting to mine. “Why would she want me out of the city? And how is that connected to you, to Chowder?”

“Lilia was my grandfather’s partner for the business they ran,” I explain, thinking back to what little I know. “From what I understand, it was something about imports and exports by sea, but he rarely spoke about it to me. I’ve seen in my visions that he and Lilia didn’t always see eye to eye on things.”

“I remember meeting her at the wharf,” she says, her brow furrowing in thought. “Maybe it’s a coincidence that I asked her questions about sirens attacking sailors, and I remember she got hostile with me. But she left it at that… Oh, and I had Chowder with me, and she saw him. No idea what that means except that she knew about Chowder after I met with her.”

She gnaws on her lower lip, and I can see the gears churning behind her gaze.

“Lilia holds the answers to everything we need to know.”

“Do you think she’s in cahoots with that asshole Zane, who tortured Chowder? Otherwise, I can’t understand why she’d want Chowder and me out of town.” She blinks, looking at me, as confused as I feel. “Maybe she runs a mercenary company, and dickhead Zane put a threat against me… I mean, it would make sense after I burned down his warehouse.”

I listen, trying to piece it all together, but the puzzle is mostly gaps right now.

“I suspect that somehow it’s all connected, and maybe with my grandfather… Don’t ask me how, but something feels really off,” I say, then think of the lists of names in my vision with my grandfather. “Something happened with her and my grandfather, and he was involved in something, in trouble. But the only way to find out is to track her and this asshole Zane down.”

“You think he’s in town? I assumed he hired her all the way from South Africa, seeing as that was where I last saw him,” she explains, her voice tight.

I study her, the way she appears when she thinks, how her brows furrow in concentration. It’s cute, endearing, and I take in every word she says.

“Zane might be easier to track down than Lilia, and he might lead us straight to her. So lay it on me. I need to know everything about him.”

She swivels to face me more, a leg bent between us. She rattles off his full name, details about the psychopath he is, and the animal-trafficking ring he was running, along with his description and a bunch more info I didn’t need to know about his broken past. She’s passionate and furious at him, but I also sense a flicker of fear from her shaking hands.

“He can’t take Chowder back, ever. I’ll kill him myself before I allow that to happen,” she states.

I take her into my arms, sensing how tense her body is. “I promise I’ll keep you both protected.”

She pulls back, blinking more, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

“I keep thinking about the whole siren incident and my mother. Could this be related to that? Is it someone who doesn’t want me to find her?”

I ponder her words, a heavy silence settling between us. The thought worries me because why would someone try to hide a siren’s actions?

“It’s time we find out what that is,” I say finally.

She nods, determination etching her features, and fire burns in her eyes.

I squeeze her hand. The room is silent except for the gentle bubbling of the aquarium filter. I watch her, the way her chest rises and falls with each breath, the way she worries her lip as she thinks. I want to protect her from everything, from the dangers lurking in the shadows of our world.

“What if it’s more than we can handle?” she whispers, her eyes meeting mine with a vulnerability that tugs at something deep inside me.

“There’s nothing I can’t handle, my little mermaid. Trust me,” I reply firmly.

---