Page 8 of Bound For You

“I just need to use the ladies’ room. I’ll give you ten minutes before we leave, okay? A couple a few hours away from here have agreed to take you in until we can find a more permanent situation for you.”

I nod and she gives me a hug before walking away. I turn back to look at my parents.

I kneel and whisper, “You saved me, loved me, and gave me a home, a family. I will be so lost without you; you’re my parents, through and through. DNA don’t mean anything.

“I’m sticking to our plan, Daddy. I’m going to New York, and I’ll get my GED. I know I can pass it now; you’ve taught me well, and then I can enroll into college two years early. I’ll become a doctor like we planned. I’ll probably have to sleep in your car for a little while before I find a place to rent from someone who will look the other way because of my age.” I sniffle and wipe my tears.

“You’ve made sure everything was planned, you made sure I was set, and I hate that you’re gone. Mrs. Reeves mentioned that you had a heart condition. I wish you had told me, I resent you for not telling me.” I sniffle again. “But I understand why you didn’t; losing Mom was so hard, and now losing you…. I feel alone, so alone. I love you both so much. I’ll come back to visit when I’m of legal age, but for now, I know you’ll always be with me in spirit.”

More tears fall and I know I have to go. I press a kiss to my fingers and place them on each headstone, before I turn and see if Mrs. Reeves is anywhere nearby. I hurrt walk toward mydaddy’s SUV. Pulling the key from my dress pocket, I get in, buckle up, and start her. I look around again and I see Mrs. Reeves on the phone standing near her car. I look at my parents’ headstones again as more tears fall, but I put the car in gear and drive off. I look in my rearview mirror and notice she’s still unaware that I’ve gone, and I breathe a sigh of relief.

I see the headstones one last time as I pull away from the cemetery, away from my family. I start my forty-two-hour drive to New York.

I will forever miss you.

four

Sergi – Twenty-Nine Years Old

I’min the pool with Mila, Damian and Sofia’s beautiful little girl. Her dark hair is in pigtails, and she’s laughing as her bright blue eyes sparkle. She splashes water in my face, and I grin, before I pick her up and throw her up in the air, and catch her as her head goes under the water. I quickly lift her up again, making her giggle some more. I love this girl fiercely. Finding out that Sofia had Damian’s kid after she left him on their wedding day was a shock, to say the least. Damian was an idiot back then, and it took a whole lot of groveling to get his woman back. Sofia is one of my closest friends and having her back has been awesome. We’re all currently at Damian and Sofia’s, celebrating Mila’s third birthday, two months after her actual birthday. It was Damian’s idea. He’s making up for lost time. They’re now pregnant with their second child, a little boy, due any day now. I smile wide, just thinking of the boy due to enter this world. I’m a lucky fucker to get to call these people my family. Don’t get me wrong. I miss my mama, every day, but she left me in the care of the Volkovs, who have been amazing to me.

Mila splashes me again and I chuckle while I hold her up in my arms. “What’s up, sweet girl?”

She frowns and points toward Al, who’s on the phone.

“He doesn’t look happy,dyadyaSergi. IsdyadyaAl, okay?” I look at him and see he’s frowning, his body tense. My brows furrow in confusion. He looks my way and I tilt my head to the side. He shakes his head, and I give Mila my full attention.

“He’s okay sweetheart, what do you say we get out and get some food?” She nods frantically, making me chuckle. I help her out of the pool, putting her hooded towel over her, then wiping my body down, before putting my shirt on.

Just as I get Mila a hot dog, I hear Sofia wolf whistle and look over. She’s bent down, clutching her stomach while Damian looks like he’s ready to pass out. I smile wide. Looks like the baby couldn’t wait any longer. Al runs over to her while I stay with the munchkin.

After that, it was full on as the grandmothers took charge while I stayed with Mila. She’s now in my arms, clinging to my neck, with Dimitri and Stefano standing next to us. Dimitri looks at me with a proud look on his face while Stefano looks as pale as Damian did. I chuckle. We didn’t get to enjoy Mila’s birth, but we can with this one,

I look at Mila. “Come on, sweet girl, let’s go finish our food and hopefully soon, you’ll have a baby brother.” She squeals out a ‘yes’, making us men chuckle at her.

Just as I sit her down in her booster chair, my phone rings from on top of the table, and I pick it up.

Unknown.

I scowl, knowing its Juan, my biological father. He’s been persistent the past few weeks. Phoebe said he just wants to talk, after she accidentally let slip that my mama passed away when I was fourteen, but fuck that. I understand how close she is with him after her father sent her to live with our grandmotherAthena, but it doesn’t mean I need to be. I press cancel and put my phone on silent, placing it back on the table. I look up to see Dimitri frowning at me with concern, but I shake my head. He tilts his in understanding; he’s not a big fan of Juan’s, since my mother told him who my father was. I sit next to Mila, and we wait.

An hour later, a very happy Maria and Victoria come out with big grins on their faces.

“We have a bouncing baby boy,” Maria announces.

We all cheer and I look at Mila who has tears in her eyes. I whisper, “Want to meet your brother, sweet girl?” She nods slightly, and we head to Damian and Sofia’s bedroom.

Once we knock and go in, we see two proud parents and I grin, putting Mila down so she can go to her family. I go over and kiss Sofia’s head. “Proud of you,sestra.” Tears fill her eyes, and she smiles wide at me, and I hug Damian tight. After everyone says their congratulations, we all leave the new family together and head back to the garden. I frown when I notice Alexandr staring off into the distance near the gazebo. He just helped deliver his nephew; he should be gloating right now. I walk up to him and stand quietly, waiting for him to speak.

“Did you know?”

I frown at his sneer. “Know what?” I ask, confused.

He turns to look at me. “That Phoebe was planning to do a runner.”

Now it’s my turn to frown. “No, she’s not. She’s happy, the happiest I’ve seen her, she wouldn’t leave you Al, she loves you so much. So if you don’t stop screwing around with Selene and Mindy, I’m going to fucking gut you.”

He chuckles darkly, ignoring my threat. “Yeah, loves me so much that she’s gone without a trace.”

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