Page 22 of Bound By You

I look back at Sergi and ask, "What about Juan? How does he fit into this with you?"

He grunts. "He wants to meet with me, but I don't want anything to do with him. Phoebs told me how his wife Valeria got pissed at him for keeping me a secret for twenty-nine years. Apparently, he wanted nothing to do with me because he was afraid his wife would leave him, but now I'm his only heir. Suddenly, she knows, and he wants contact. She blames him for keeping her child away from her, even though I'm not biologically hers; she doesn't see it that way, but like I told Phoebe, I'm not ready." I nod and get up. He stands, too, and I give him a big hug.

"We'll help you through it, whatever you decide," I whisper, and he nods. Then I turn and go to walk out.

"Where the fuck are you going?" Damian questions, but I continue walking and say over my shoulder, "I have a Don to contact regarding his niece and her whereabouts."

Damian chuckles while Sergi gets a serious look on his face, which makes me pause.

"If she does forgive you, brother, and that is a bigif, do not hurt her again." I hear the threat, and I'm fucking proud to call him family. I nod, then walk out to my car and go to the office. I'll sort Candy out after I've got my woman back and my ring on her finger. And I'll also tell Mindy where she can go, too.

eleven

Phoebe

I've been back homefor about a week now. I'm walking out of my chemistry class when my phone rings. I answer it, trying to juggle my books.

"Hola, Tio. Cómo estás?" I ask in Spanish, and he chuckles, loving hearing me talk in his language.

"I'm good,princesa; yourtiahas finally let me back in my own bed after months in the guest room." I chuckle. It's not the fact he cheated that one time; she knew about it but decided to move on, and he never did it again. It's the fact she could have been a mother to an amazing man she's,that’swhat she’s pissed about. She has it in her head that he would have lived with them. I just don't have the heart to tell her that Sergi would never have left his mother; she was his world and an amazing woman.

Juan snaps me back to him. "Did you see him?" I sigh. I know he wants good news, but Sergi comes first. "I'm sorry,Tio, he's just not ready. Twenty-nine years is a long time of hurt and abandonment issues."

He sighs. "I know, sweetheart. Hopefully, he'll talk to me soon, if I keep pursuing it." I smile, and I think they will get along well. Sergi is the spitting image of Juan; how I didn't notice it in the six years I was with him and my grandmother, I honestly don't know.

"Listen,princesa, I have another one for you." I stop and move over in the hallway.

"I'm listening,Tio." I’m eager to get rid of some more scum. This is what I do, like other assassins trained by the Shadow.

I live to hunt and kill traffickers and rapists.

"A 39-year-old male was inside for child pornography and attempted rape of an 18-year-old. He got out on parole last week for good behavior. A package is being sent to your farm. He has been caught on CCTV raping a 15-year-old girl, and it was brought to my attention. I have investigated him, and he is in contact with the Cartel…and Mihai. It seems Christian was just the front man to hide Mihai's identity."

I suck in a breath.That cowardly....I knew I should have just killed the fucker.

"Don't worry, sweetheart, you can go after him once we get this fucker. His name is Thompson Ellison. He's been scoping out the group homes in Casper. All the details will be in the package, but he should be creeping on another group home again tonight."

I growl out, "I'm on it,Tio. I'll call once the jobs done."

He chuckles. "My little Angel of Death, don't worry about calling immediately. I know you'll get it done.Te amo, princesa." I furrow my brows. I always call him right away, but before I can question him or tell him I love him, too, he hangs up. He actually fucking hangs up. I growl, then walk to my Buick and head home. Abby didn't have classes today, so she will probably be there when the package arrives, putting it in order for me, and making bullet points like always.

Half an hour later, I'm pulling up near the front of the farmhouse. Abby is sitting on the porch with the package already out in organized piles. You've got to love good help from your closest friends. I quickly unbuckle and get out of the car.

"Fuck me, Phoebe, this asshole is sick. I mean, I know there's evil, but the pictures he's saved on his computer from the photos he's taken at the children's home…I can't." She shakes her head.

I frown and have a look, and I'm instantly sickened. Young boys and girls are undressed, and he's even labeled the file as “for later.” Yeah, this guy is gone! I storm inside, going through the living area to my bedroom, slamming the door on the wall, and making Ares, who was sunning himself on my windowsill, jump. I stroke his head as an apology and go to change my clothes.

Abby leans against the door frame as I change into my leather pants and crop top, and put on my biker boots. I put my gun behind my back in the slot on the inside of my pants, and grab my knives, placing them in the spaces in my boots. Then, I grab my throwing stars, and they go in the slots on the inside of my top, so I don't cut myself. I made that mistake before. I look at Abby, and she holds out a Kevin's cheeseburger, and I grin. I quickly snatch it and chomp through it before heading toward the kitchen for a bottle of water, and she chuckles.

"Your bike arrived while you were at school." She smirks, and I nod, finishing my burger and taking a few big gulps of water. She gives me a mint, and I thank her and kiss her cheek.

"I should be home by tomorrow, but I'll let you know." She nods and passes me the cliff notes she's made for me. "I know the drill; end the bastard," I smirk, then head out for my bike. I quickly review the notes, spending fifteen minutes studying all the details. It should only take me roughly an hour to get to where I need to go. I place the information in my saddlebag and hop on, before revving my girl and driving off.

It only takes me forty minutes to get to the building the fucker moved into with the help of Mihai, and I look around; there are tall buildings around the group home. I know Thompson lives in the building on the right; he's rented a one-bedroom apartment in the middle so he can get a good view, but likes to go down and sit in his car just to the side of the building, between the left and the one he lives in, to take pictures and help plan the extraction for each child he deems worthy of selling.

I enter the left building, go to the second floor, and enter apartment 2A. It's an apartment my uncle rented under a false name; the information was in the notes Abby gave me. I go to the window and climb out onto the fire escape, then to the rooftop, and set up. I know there are only a few cameras, but I want to avoid getting caught. I take out the very large grappling hook with the rope attached, and secure the hook to the base of the retaining wall at the edge of the roof.

I look at my watch. It’s 9 PM. I have roughly two hours before Thompson sneaks down to his car, and I have a perfect view of his driver's side, where, from the angle of the pictures he’s taken, I know he sits.

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