Page 17 of Eternally Bound

It didn’t take long to convince him. That whole day ended up being a major clusterfuck. Too much death, friends and enemies gone forever. But I learned one lesson. All the years living under my uncle have left a permanent mark. I didn’t hesitate to torture and kill to get my answers - regardless if we were attempting to save lives, win the war, or win a deal.

Turned out, I liked being on top, where my rules dominated and were being followed. Being on the top also ensured some semblance of safety for the people I cared about.

Like Ainslee.

But even with all that in mind and despite all the crimes I had committed in my life, none of them compared to stalking Ainslee. This had to be my newest low as I stuck to the shadows, watching her make her way from her hotel to the Royal Opera House, on Bow Street in London. It was her performance night. I knew her schedule as well as I knew my own.

It was the only time I got to see her. It was easier to get lost among London crowds than Edinburgh pedestrians. During my military leave, it was the only time I got to see my red-haired nightingale. Stalking her from the shadows. When I got out of the service, I’d search her out and follow her, just to get a glimpse of her. She always stayed at the same hotel and took the same route to the opera. She rarely took a cab, so the stroll from the hotel to the Opera House became our date.

Was it disturbing? Fuck, yeah! It was borderline psychotic, and I was sure some women would find this kind of behavior court issued restraining order worthy. Okay, scratch that. Most women would find it worthy of getting me locked up.

Yes, I took stalking to new heights. The only thing missing from my reports on Ainslee was the time of day she took her shower. Though that would probably be the highlight of my day. Maybe I could have a camera installed in her house?

Okay, that might be stretching things a bit too far.Maybe?My mind mocked me.

Since I won her in the card game, I kept going over different scenarios of our meeting. Would she be happy? Probably not. Scared? Probably. Especially since she knew the kind of world I belonged to.

Each time I thought about Ainslee running into my cousin, alone, terror shot through me. I had no idea how she found out I was back in London, even less how to find me. I wished it was me she ran into, not my cousin. When I saw the video surveillance of the building and the fear on her face, it punched me straight in the chest. That sick fucker was so close to her. Thank God her cab driver stayed behind for her.

I couldn’t hear the words they exchanged but there was no mistaking that Ainslee was scared while my cousin played with his newfound prey. He was a predator of the worst kind. He laid out his entire plan on getting his hands on her and making her scream. I didn’t give him a chance to pull her into his dirty clutches.

My phone buzzed, pushing the past away. It was a message from Alexander. It was an invite to dinner with him, his wife, Maxim, and Layla. Would it be a bit overboard to bring a captive ex-lover to the party? I couldn’t help but imagine how that scene would unfold.Perfect mix for some more drama, I thought wryly to myself. Ainslee would probably spit fire the entire evening. Yeah, it might be too early to think about double or triple dates.

I sent a short reply back.

*Need to pass.

Going to Scotland.

Ring me when you’re

In the neighborhood.*

Alexander had a place there too. So did his grandfather. Eventually, I would like to introduce Ainslee to them but not quite yet.

I wasn’t surprised when Callen McLeod informed me that Ainslee basically told him to go fuck himself. She was never the settled, meek type. A woman like Ainslee was the perfect mixture of affection, temper, light, and rebellion all wrapped up in a gorgeous body and face of an angel, crowned with abundance of red curls and the deepest blue eyes.

From the moment I laid eyes on her twelve years ago, the darkness in me shifted, and there was a light guiding me through. She was my everything. Even when I walked away from her, that light remained with me. I should have known that it would guide me back to her. Despite all my sacrifices and the heartache I caused her, I couldn’t regret her being thrown my way.

She wore a simple blue dress as she walked briskly, every so often glancing over her shoulder. As if she could sense me lurking in the shadows. I could have had one of my men watch her, but I didn’t want anyone else’s hands on her. She was mine and mine alone.

Watching her, I admired her figure from behind. She was perfection, and though I kept telling myself that I was doing all this just for her protection from my uncle, deep down I had to admit, I wanted to bury my cock inside her. I wanted to feel her pussy clench around me, hear her moans and cries as I pounded into her. I wanted her. Period.

I could almost taste the relief; she was almost within my reach. She would fight me; I was sure of it. But I hoped she’d understand everything I did was for her own good. When I finally snatched her, there shouldn’t be an issue of easily overpowering her. She wasn’t a tall woman; in fact, she was rather petite at barely five foot four. But her posture and her personality made her seem taller. I just had to kidnap her, discreetly of course, and then tuck her away somewhere safe. And I had just the place for it.

There were men throwing curious glances her way as she walked past them. I couldn’t blame them because Ainslee McLaren was a beauty. Her abundant mane the color of burning flames alone would have you looking her way twice. But her face and body had men stare after her, wishing they could have her. I wanted to have her too. Yet, it agitated me that anyone would dare look her way.

A man would have to be blind to miss her, but her exterior beauty wasn’t what spun me into her web. It was her sparkling, appealing personality. Her soft heart.

Having Ainslee back in my life felt like the warmth of the sun on my skin.Not fully back in my life, I thought wryly to myself, but soon.

We were already in central London and the large building, the home of the Royal Opera, the Royal Ballet, and the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, rose inviting all visitors and performers through its door. It was still fairly early so there wasn’t a significant crowd lurking outside.

Once I watched her disappear into the building, I waited.

Chapter Six

Ainslee

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