Page 54 of Bound By Ruin

“Especially,” Rage repeats, watching as Rebel begins slicing the loaf into equal-sized pieces. He only cuts four, then slides them onto four identical plates and sets them in front of everyone… except for Ted. Charlotte’s butter arrives, and she carefully unwraps a rectangle, her hands shaking as she swipes her butter knife across the side. After she covers her slice of bread, she gently pushes the bowl to our side of the table, her smile as soft as her eyes.

Kind eyes for a gentle woman.

She doesn’t deserve this testosterone-fueled, dick-measuring contest.

“Why don’t you boys take Ted to the bar for a drink,” I suggest, squeezing both Rage and Rebel’s hands. “And send for another loaf of bread for the table.”

Rebel’s face falls. “What? Why would we?—”

“Of course,” Rage interjects, meeting my eyes. “Whatever you need.”

Relief washes over me. “Thank you.” I squeeze his hand a second time. “I need more bread and butter.”

And Charlotte doesn’t need to watch my men tear Ted apart with their eyes.

“You boys have fun.”

Ted visibly pales. Although he isn’t part of the bratva, after our divorce, I heard a rumor that my brother Mikhail paid him a visit. A very long, very painful visit. There really isn’t any need for Rage or Rebel to do anything to him, especially now that he and Charlotte are expecting a baby, but…

It won’t kill him to sweat a little.

As Rebel slides his chair back to stand, I take the bread knife from his hands. “Play nice,” I tell him, pursing my lips. “You’re going to be a dad soon. Maybe you can learn something from him.”

Both Rebel and Thanatos chuff at the same time, one of them directly in front of me and one through the speaker in my ear. I catch the eldest Cheknekov brother watching from the other side of the dining area, his arms crossed as he stands like a bouncer in front of the red velvet ropes separating the tables from the dark back lawn. Beyond the lush expanse of the out-of-season green grass lies a patch of trees, and beyond that, the mountain that separates the city from the rest of the state.

Charlotte catches me staring at our shadowed backdrop and sighs. “Yeah, it’s pretty ominous, sitting here after all the bodies they found on the mountainside.” She shakes her head, then takes a bite of bread and moans. “You have to try this, Celia. It’s sooo fresh!”

I’m still stuck on the first thing she said. “What bodies?”

She finishes her slice and grabs a second from Rebel’s plate. “You haven’t heard? They found an open pit with at least a dozen people thrown inside. All dead. All women. The police think that they were tourists staying in the cabins up near the lake. So sad.” Taking another bite of bread, she sighs as she chews. “It’s almost Christmas, and all of those families will be missing their loved ones.” Her eyes well with tears, and she hastily brushes them away. “Sorry, it’s the hormones!”

A pang of jealousy hits my heart like a hammer. “It’s okay.”

“Is it, though?” A strand of blonde hair falls from her updo. “So many people have died. And then your boutique!” Her eyes widen as she jumps from topic to topic. “I saw the pictures! It’s a miracle that no one was there when it burned down.”

Yeah, definitely a miracle.

I pull off a small piece of the soft middle part of my bread and chew it slowly, wondering where Ruin is right now. Did he disappear into the shadows again, or is he actively looking for his dad in the crowd? I know that we got distracted earlier, but I can’t find it in my heart to regret it, despite the risks.

More people could be in danger right now… yet here I am, breaking bread with the woman who stole my ex-husband from me.

“When did they find the bodies on the mountain?” Lifting my eyes, I stare at the jagged outline of dark rock towering in the distance over the tree line. The snow caps have grown with the oncoming winter, making it a popular skiing destination. How could an entire population of people miss a mass grave?

“Oh, I don’t know. Ted’s the one who told me. Ted!” Charlotte calls out for her husband, swiveling in her chair to look for him. “Now where did he go…” The closest bar to us is missing two tall, violent men and their latest target.

Shit. I feel a little bad about that. “Emil probably kidnapped him to play poker. He’s been on a winning streak. Says that he wants to take money from everyone’s pockets.” I sip my wine and listen for my men in our comms unit, but they’ve gone silent. I check for Thanatos near the lawn, and he’s still there, saying something to the others that I can’t hear.

Chuckling, Charlotte relaxes. “Ted’s got a shit hand at poker. Emil’s going to clean him out.”

Tilting my head to the side, I study Charlotte, admiring her pregnancy glow. “Are you happy, Charlotte? Does Ted… is he good to you?” I can’t fathom that the man who used to ignore me for days after seeing a negative pregnancy test would learn to be a good husband, not even to Charlotte. She seems really nice, and Ted slowly lost his kindness throughout our marriage.

I wonder if I put too much pressure on him when we were married. To be perfect. Maintain appearances. Keep up with my baby fever. Although none of that condones Ted’s actions, they may have contributed towards his affair, and Charlotte, despite her gentle appearance, was a part of that.

She places her hands in her lap. “Our marriage isn’t perfect, but that’s life, isn’t it? I’m happy because we try our best every day, and I can’t ask for more than that. He’s a good father.” Inclining her head towards me, she smiles. “And I know that you’ll make a wonderful mother, Celia. I’ve always thought that, even before Ted and I started dating. I know that you both wanted children. But sometimes… we need to be with the right people first.” Gently holding her round belly, she smiles. “I’m with my person. Are you with yours?”

I hadn’t expected for this conversation to become emotional. I look over Charlotte’s shoulder at Thanatos, feeling something stir inside my heart. He’s infuriating. Insufferable. Drives me insane—just like the rest of them.

Our damaged, loyal, crazy little family.

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