Page 46 of Bound by Blood

Laney decided she needed a friend and she needed uncomplicated. She needed Addison Sterling. It took a few days to set up the communication. Which wasn’t easy, considering Daniel Mercer, Addison’s significant other, was a still pissed about the whole ninja assassin thing. She had to wait for a day that Daniel was at work and Addison wasn’t.

“Seriously, an assassin?!” Addison asked incredulously, only half of her face visible in the laptop screen. “It’s a good thing I didn’t know that a year ago or I probably would’ve contracted you to murder my boyfriend. He was such a dick back then.”

“Newsflash girl, he’s still a huge dick. And I didn’t get a choice in either my parents or my career,” Laney explained with a snort. “Addison, you need to move a few inches to your right. I can’t see your whole face.”

“I don’t know why we’re doing this over Skype,” the brunette grumbled, shifting anyway so Laney could see her better. It made Laney’s heart sing to see Addison’s long wavy hair, glowing skin and pink cardigan. She wanted to hug Addison and Laneyneverwanted to hug. “I didn’t get less blind while you were off assassinating stuff. I still can’t see you, or the laptop, or anything.”

“I have a very important reason. Now stop complaining and tell me how you are, my good American friend.”

Addison grinned. “It’s so good to hear your voice. I was worried about you!” she seemed to think for a moment. “I haven't been doing too much. Daniel would bubble wrap me and lock me in the closet if I tried to do anything even remotely strenuous. I’m trying to convince him to let me do our annual orchestra fall tour. You know, the same one that happens every year. He’s extremely reluctant and thinks I should just quit my job. Maestro is freaking out because I haven’t confirmed dates yet.”

Laney laughed, not at all surprised by Daniel’s extreme reaction to the idea of Addison travelling. Addison was one of the most talented musician’s in the country and highly unlikely to quit her job as First Chair in the city orchestra. She had no doubt Addison would convince him, in time. It would likely mean a lot of negotiating, several bodyguards and his vicious presence every step of the tour. But he would let her go. Because she would be sad if he didn’t and Daniel would rather cut out his own heart than hurt Addison’s feelings.

They talked for a few more minutes about mutual acquaintances before a disheveled Jin came bouncing into the room interrupting their video chat. “Mama, can I show you what nanny Rosa and I found near the pond?”

Addison’s gasp was audible through their distant connection. Laney knew her sensitive friend understood right away the significance of Jin’s declaration. She lifted the child onto her lap and said, “I would love to see what you found, but first I would like you to meet one of mama’s favourite friends. Can you sit still for a moment, darling?”

“Yes, mama!” Jin said, beaming. “Is that her on yourlaptot?”

Laney and Addison both laughed at Jin’s mispronunciation. “Yes, this is my friend Addison Sterling. Can you say hello?”

“Hello!” Jin chirped.

“Hello, yourself,” Addison greeted her, clearly fighting back tears. “You must be very happy to have your mom home with you. I know she was away making friends with us for a long time. But she sounds so much happier now to be there with you!”

“Yup, she is,” Jin announced. “I can tell. She gets to hug me all the time and the Master doesn’t tell us that we have to go be apart any more. We like it so much better here in Russia with my new papa.”

Addison’s mouth fell open. Laney shook her head and covered her eyes. “Okay, well I think it’s time for you to go find nanny now!” she said brightly, scooting Jin out the door. “I’ll have a look at your prize later after I’m done talking to my friend.”

As soon as Jin was safely out the door, Addison began babbling way more than Addison usually did for being the calm one in the group. “I don’t even know where to begin! Laney, you have a daughter? I mean, that explains so much. And she has a new dad? Is it Boris? Please tell me it’s Boris and you didn’t pick up some random dude…”

“Well, time to go!” Laney said brightly. “We’ll catch up again soon when Daniel’s over the whole assassin thing!”

Addison laughed, wiped tears from her eyes and blew Laney a kiss before closing her laptop. Laney turned in her seat, intending to go find Jin and Rosa and spend what was left of the afternoon with them before their evening meal. She was surprised to find Boris’ massive frame filling the door of her bedroom. His arms were crossed in front of him and he was watching her with an unreadable expression.

“Da,” he finally said, his lips quirking a little. “Tell me her new papa is not some randomdudeyou picked up and brought home.”

Laney burst out laughing. He spoke in English and the word ‘dude’ rolling off his tongue in such a heavy accent sounded hilarious to her ears. She shook her head and, still smiling, said, “There is no dude.”

“I hope there is at least one,” he growled in mock annoyance.

The smile drifted from her lips. “I… I hope so to, but he isn’t random.”

He studied her for a moment in silence, seeming to drink her in. He made no move toward her, but his eyes on her body were almost a physical touch. The way he could make her feel was unlike anything she had ever experienced before. He made her heart beat and her body heat in a way that not even her first lover had been able to do, and certainly no one since. She suspected no one would ever again make her feel the things Boris could. Now that she wasn’t in a constant state of fear and anxiety, she found pleasure in experiencing these emotions. But also, confusion. What if something happened to end her happiness?

She wondered if he knew some of her thoughts. Boris was a sensitive man, despite his Godzilla status. He seemed to know her almost better than she knew herself. Perhaps he was giving her time to get to know herself better.

“I thought you were going into the city today?” she said, the first thing she could think of to fill the heavy silence between them.

He nodded his head, his dark eyes still devouring her in a way that brought a blush to her cheeks and made her feel as though she wore much less than cargo pants and a black T-shirt. “I am. I thought perhaps you would like to join me.”

Laney thought about it for half of a second and then nodded eagerly. “Yes, please!”

He chuckled. “If you are alright with leaving the mini kitten for an evening, we will go out for our meal at a restaurant in the city. Would you like that?”

Laney nodded eagerly and grinned from ear to ear. She didn’t care if she looked like a teenager about to go on her first date. She was getting out for the first time in weeks! She loved her daughter dearly and she was growing to really enjoy Rosa, but she desperately wanted to get out and see Moscow.

Boris stared at her like he was about to rethink his evening plan, tear her clothes off and lock them both in the bedroom for the rest of the night if she kept looking at him that way. Laney backed up a few steps and forced her expression back to neutral. When she dropped her gaze to the front of his jeans, she saw she was correct. He was most definitely ready to resume their former intimacy. Too bad she was ready to get out for an evening on the town!

---