Page 14 of Bonded By Christmas
Jesus Christ.
It has to be close to six in the morning, and these two are never going to stop.
Not until they both have a bond with Lacey.
My sweet stepsister.
We didn’t meet until I was well into adulthood, which makes it significantly less weird that I want her like I’ve never craved anything or anyone.
Our first encounter was unfortunate, but I learned an important lesson that night.
Three Years Ago
My neck rolls from side to side as I try to determine how much longer I’ll be forced to endure this party. It’s to kick off the wedding rehearsal week festivities for my dads and their fiancée.
I don’t begrudge my fathers their happiness. They deserve to bond and have a life after my mom. She passed away whenI was fifteen. It really fucking sucked, but I don’t believe they should have to be alone forever.
My mom loved the hell out of my dads. That’s how I know she would want them to move on and really live their lives.
While I’m not upset they’re remarrying, I’m also not sure I want a front-row view to watching them fall in love.
I never put much thought into what kind of omega I expected them to settle on, but I don’t hate Dawn. She’s a little bland, not accustomed to our lifestyle at all, and from what I hear, she has a daughter of her own.
I’ve met Dawn but not her offspring.
It’s not like we’ll be close or anything.
I’ve been out of the house for six years. The daughter is about to turn eighteen or just turned eighteen—I didn’t care enough to fully listen to that conversation—but either way, she’ll be on her way out too.
No one wants to live at home with newlyweds.
Not unless they have no other option, and I know my fathers well enough to understand they’ll throw money at the problem to gain their freedom. Likely in the form of paying for her college tuition. Consequently, the same thing they did for me back when they didn’t even have a brand-new fiancée to fuck all over the house.
Yeah, I don’t see that poor woman lasting long. I’d do everything in my power to escape the happy new couple too. Grabbing my glass of Scotch off the table at my side, I scan the room.
I’m still not sure if Dawn understands what she’s marrying into, but if all goes according to plan, I’ll take over for my fathers. They’ll be free of the world they’ve been desperate to escape since Mom died, and I’ll be the one to take over fixing the problems of Boston’s most elite crime families.
There were all-out wars between the reigning families thirty years ago. Only, my fathers proposed a solution. They stepped out of the equation completely, instead taking on a more managerial role. Judicial? Hell, even I don’t know how to describe what they do, and I’ve been training for years to take over for them.
They settle disputes, broker transactions, mediate between the reigning families, and fix any issues that arise before they can bubble over into full-blown catastrophes.
My currency is secrets. Information keeps me and my family protected, and while it’s a new position, I’m adapting quickly. One day soon, I plan to be the very best at what I do.
My head tilts as a woman stumbles away from the crowd, glancing over her shoulder as she bolts toward the hallway that leads away from the ballroom.
She’s unfamiliar, and I should recognize everyone here tonight. Her gaze moves to her feet as she holds up the bottom of the light bluish-green dress that she’s clad in.
She doesn’t make eye contact or even glance up as she passes me, but my nostrils flare.
If I wasn’t leaning against the wall, I might fall over. That’s how shocking my reaction is to her scent.
She smells electric, like the weather right after a lightning storm, and it’s unlike anything I’ve ever experienced.
My body tingles, and I shove off the wall, following her down the corridor.
I wait outside the women’s bathroom like a total fucking creep. My head buzzes as my mind helpfully replays that smell.
She’s not just a scent match… She’s something more.
