Page 40 of Fatal Bonds

Chills race down my spine as I come to an abrupt halt and he turns to face me, no longer even trying to pretend he’s not following me. I was a fool for thinking I could make it on my own. Like Maks warned me—I need his protection. I couldn’t even make it a mile without catching unwanted attention. I have to get back—and hopefully, I can make it in time.

Spinning on my heel, I don’t bother hiding my intentions as I sprint toward Maks’s penthouse.

17

MAKS

“Where the fuckisshe?” I snarl, my hands shaking with fury.

“I—don’t know,gospodin.” Genrikh avoids my eyes as he flinches from my temper.

“Ten of you on duty, all with clear instructions that under no circumstances is the girl to be allowed outside, and not one of you can tell me where she is or how she got out.” I’m beyond livid—but most of all with myself, because I let my guard down again. Somewhere along the line, I started trusting Lindsey when she told me she wouldn’t run. I did it without meaning to, without even realizing I was doing it, and she slipped out in the night. “Call a search party. I want men scouring every inch of the city. Find her before anyone else can.”

If Lucian’s men find Lindsey again, if they catch her, there’s no doubt in my mind what he’ll do to her—or Emiliano, if he’s lucky enough to stumble upon her. A violent shudder racks my body, and I tense, every line going rigid. Lindsey better pray I get to her first, and when I find her, she’ll never forget the punishment I intend to give her.

“Yes, sir.” Genrikh leads the way as my men turn toward the elevator from my condo.

But before they reach the doors, the lift gives a soft ding and opens. Lindsey stands there, barefoot, dressed in nothing but my oversized T-shirt, her nipples tenting the white fabric and making my cock swell against my thigh. Her cheeks are flushed, her lips parted, and her hair mussed like she got caught in a brisk wind. Aside from the goosebumps covering her bare arms, she looks perfectly fine—entirely unharmed. One hand reaches up to grip her opposing bicep, covering her breasts as her eyes find mine, and she bites her lip, hesitating before she steps out of the elevator and into the foyer.

“Hi,” she says softly before glancing at my men.

They’re frozen midstep, unsure of what to do now that the person I’ve sent them to find just waltzed through my front door like nothing’s the matter.

“Get out,” I growl, my eyes still fixed on Lindsey, but there’s no question of who I’m talking to.

Wordlessly, my men filter around her slight form, crowding into the elevator so they can all ride down at once. Lindsey stays rooted to the spot, her ankles rolling nervously as she waits for the doors to close behind her.

“Where the fuck have you been?” I demand, crossing the living room and entering the foyer to stop in front of her.

Lindsey’s eyes widen, their Baltic blue darkening with fear as she takes a step back. “I’m sorry. I thought I could make it back before you woke up.”

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Fury vibrates through my body, and I clench my teeth, desperately trying to keep my temper in check.

She didn’t answer my question. Instead, her response only raised ten new ones. I’m on the brink of snapping, because every time I turn around, Lindsey betrays my trust again.I’ve been near frantic that someone might pick her up, and all the while, she’s been focused on making it back before I noticed her absence?

“You’re here for a reason, Lindsey. You begged for my protection. Said you would do anything. Youknowyou’re not allowed to leave, and you fucking did it anyway. Do you have any idea of how many people are looking for you? Do you have the slightest clue what would have happened if they found you?”

The color slowly drains from Lindsey’s face, and she takes another step back. “I know.” Her voice hitches, and she wallows nervously. “I—someone did follow me,” she breathes, her arms wrapping defensively around her torso.

I huff, shaking my head in disappointment as the full picture comes into focus. “So you came running back to hide behind me.”

“I’m sorry,” she says again. “I never should have left.”

“Why did you?” I demand. “Haven’t I proven willing enough to get you whatever you fucking ask for? Short of being your personal escort around the city, I’ve given you about as much freedom as I can. So, what was sofuckingimportant that you had to go do it yourself?”

Lindsey’s lips thin as she presses them together, clamming up, like she did when I first questioned her in the basement cell where I imprisoned her. White-hot rage rips through me, so overwhelming and explosive that if I don’t release it, I’m going to lose my mind completely. With a snarl, I grasp the oversized vase of flowers on the center table and launch it across the space. Lindsey jolts, her shoulders tensing as the porcelain shatters against the wall behind me, water and fresh flowers spilling across the marble.

“Damn it, I’mtryingto protect you! I’ve fucking bent over backwards to keep you alive, and what do I get as a thank-you?”

“Maks, I—” Tears shimmer in her eyes as Lindsey’s words taper off into another vacuum of silence.

Taking a deep breath, I release it slowly through my nose, exhaling the violent fury pounding through my veins. I need to get a hold of myself because I can’t touch her until I’m sure I’m in control, but after what she just pulled, there’s not a chance in hell I won’t punish her. Only when my ears stop ringing do I move toward her, but Lindsey takes a step back.

“What are you going to do with me?” she whispers, her eyes flitting toward the elevator, like she’s thinking about running.

“Ensure you’ll never leave again,” I growl, closing the distance between us before she can react, and I scoop her up, slinging her over my shoulder as I head straight for the bedroom.

“Maks!” she shrieks, hammering against my back with her fists as I carry her like a sack of potatoes. “Maks, put me down!”

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