Page 32 of Eternally Bound

“Let me do the talking,” I mumbled to him. “It will be better that way.”

He tilted his head as if he was thinking and then agreed. “As you wish.”

Now he gave in to my way. Probably because he got into my pants and felt he had me exactly where he wanted me. In his bed. Well, technically he got into my bed, in his house. Semantics. It was unnecessary to get hung up on those.

I exhaled a slow breath, feeling strangely nervous. I never told my mom about Daniel per se. She knew of a man that broke my heart, but not his identity. The only person that knew about Daniel Carrington was Lachlan, because I needed his help in obtaining information when I decided to seek him out.

“This ought to be fun,” I muttered, squeezing Daniel’s hand. It was like bringing your first boyfriend home and hoping your parents would like him. Add the danger that we were in to the mix and maybe Daniel would also be our hero. It was unnerving to know that we were somehow thrown into the mafia world of the London underworld. I just didn’t want Mother to hold Daniel’s background against him. Despite everything, I wanted her to like him.

Daniel returned the squeeze, and I found that it soothed my nerves. It was surreal that less than a day ago, he chased me down the alley and kidnapped me, and here I was seeking comfort from him.

Stockholm Syndrome,my mind shouted, and I told myself to shut up.

Daniel was our protection and who better to protect us from his uncle than one of the most feared men in the UK. It could be said that I was stupid trusting him, but he made me feel safe. Despite his mental stalkerish behavior, and the fact he drugged me and kidnapped me in a dark alley.

Wonderful, if my mum sniffs that, he is dead.Probably me too. She would finally proclaim me mentally unstable due to my infatuation over Daniel Carrington. We’d leave that piece out and focus on keeping us all safe and alive.

Glancing around, I found it odd that neither Bram nor Mum ran out to greet me. It was usually what they did whenever I came home, regardless if I was gone just for an hour or a week. I pushed the door open, and it dawned on me too late that there was another car in the driveway. I had been so consumed with Daniel, it didn’t sink in.

“Mummy,” Bram’s voice echoed through and he ran straight towards me.

Letting go of Daniel’s hand, I kneeled down and opened my arms for my little boy. He threw himself full force and I laughed.

“Hey, little guy,” I greeted him with a kiss on his forehead. “I missed you.”

He giggled as I showered his face with kisses. He pretended he didn’t want them, but he loved affection. Hugs and kisses were his favorite; he had told me once in secret.

Bram’s blue eyes raised, and it was only then that he spotted Daniel, wondering in his eyes. I followed his gaze and saw Daniel watching us with a strange expression in his eyes. It made me wish I could read this man better.

“Honey, this is Mr-”

“Daniel,” he interjected, lowering to his knees but he still looked larger than life compared to my son. He extended his big hand to my son. “And you must be Bram. I heard a lot about you.”

Bram eyed him curiously and then offered his own hand in return with a big smile, something he never did with strangers. Unlike what Callen thought, Bram liked to be treated like he was a big boy, not a baby. Daniel just treated him like a big boy and earned himself some points. Watching Bram put his little hand into Daniel’s big one made something in my chest squeeze.

“I can call you Daniel?” Bram questioned. He was taught to be so familiar only with family.

“Yes,” he confirmed. “Call me Daniel. Can I call you Bram?”

My son nodded eagerly and another piece of my heart melted. My gut feeling was telling me Daniel didn’t want to set boundaries between himself and my son, making me all mushy inside. He could tear me down so effortlessly and make me fall for him all over again.

“Ainslee, darling, come into the living room with us.” My mother’s voice was soft as she called out. “We have guests, and I saw through the window you brought us a visitor too.”

Bram wiggled out of my arms, grabbed both Daniel’s hand and mine and then dragged us into the living room.

My cousin Lachlan sat on the couch with his wife, Eve, on his lap. It seemed they worked out their differences after all. It made me happy to see that, nobody deserved to be happier than Eve and my cousin.

“There you are, trouble,” Lachlan greeted me with a smile, his hand wrapped around his wife.

“Hey you two,” I greeted them all. “Hi, Mum.”

Eve’s eyes darted to Daniel, and I knew everyone waited for me to start the introductions. I just prayed nobody said something stupid; Lachlan specifically since he was the only one that knew the identity of my first love. If he uttered something like Ainslee cried for you like a baby when you dumped her ass, I’d kill him and hide his body.

“Umm, everyone. This is Daniel Carrington.” I was going to say an old friend but it seemed fake so I just opted for a name. “Daniel, this is my mother, Lachlan, and Eve.”

I was so nervous, shifting from one foot to another. I felt in a hot spot at this moment.

“The Daniel Carrington?” Lachlan asked, his body tensing. His eyes searched me out, and I could see his worry and something else in them. He knew about Daniel’s connection to the mafia and probably wasn’t happy about it. I couldn’t blame him, but Daniel wasn’t the threat here. It was his uncle.

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