Page 70 of Bound

“It was dad, I fucking know it was!” he snarls, suddenly standing up and launching his phone at a nearby planter with a roar, shattering the device, and sending little pieces of plastic and glass flying. He turns to us, his eyes wild, and my soul breaks for him. “He’s been beating on her for fucking years, always holding back under Julian’s orders.”

“What?” I ask, horror coming over me and filling me with its icy touch.

“It would look bad for the company if one of the board was found to be a wife beater,” Kai spits out, disgust clear in his tone. A fine tremor begins in my muscles, and I wrap my arms around myself in a bit to warm up my cold limbs.

Just then, my own phone vibrates in the pocket of my dungarees with an incoming message.

I take it out with a trembling hand and glance at the screen, my breath stilling as I read the words on the screen.

Unknown:Do not test me again, daughter darling.

“Oh god,” I whisper, dropping my phone like it’s just burnt me. I look up into Jax’s anguished face, my body temperature rising as nausea swims in my stomach. “I’m so sorry, Jax.”

My head drops into my hands as sobs wrack my body. It’s all my fault. I was so fucking stupid thinking that I could basically send Julian a middle finger with no repercussions.Stupid, so fucking stupid.

“Hey, hey, Baby Girl, look at me,” Jax says softly, his big hands cupping my jaw and lifting my head up so that I’m looking into his beautiful blue eyes. “This is not your fault, baby,” he assures me, but I’m shaking my head before he’s even finished.

“Read the message, Jax! It’s all my fault for being a stupid fucking idiot! Your mum is in hospital because of me,” I tell him, blinded by my anger and heartache. His eyes harden.

“Don’t let him do this to you. Don’t let him fuck with your mind. You’re smarter than that.”

I want to believe him so badly, but my stomach churns with guilt at what my reckless actions have caused.

“I’m so sorry, Jax” I whisper, my voice a sad broken thing as more tears spill down my cheeks.

“It’s not you that owes me an apology, baby,” he replies, placing a gentle kiss on my trembling lips. “You didn’t order this. You didn’t strike the blows.”

I might as well have.

I don’t say it out loud, but if the sigh that escapes from his lips is anything to go by, and the fact that he knows me better than I know myself sometimes, he sees it in my eyes. My self-blame.

“We should go and visit,” Ash says from behind us, already up and brushing off his suit. “I take it she’s in Mount Vernon?”

Jax nods, letting go of my face and standing up. He looks down, holding his hand out to help me to my feet. My mind races with bloody images, the scene of Mum’s murder flashing before my eyes, before I blink it away.

Jax refuses to let go of my hand as we walk to the student car park, throwing the keys to his truck at Ash who deftly catches them, and opens the driver’s side. Jax opens the back, ushering me into the middle, then getting in behind me, Loki on my other side. They buckle me in, my hands too shaky to be able to do it for myself.

“Drink this, Baby Girl,” Jax orders, passing me some kind of sports drink as the car starts to move. I bring it to my lips on autopilot, making a face at the tart fizzy taste. “Small sips, that’s it, good girl,” he praises as I continue to take small sips as he ordered.

Loki rubs my other hand, which is feeling a little warmer, and I no longer feel quite so dizzy.

“Thanks,” I say, looking up to see Ash’s furrowed brow and worried gaze as he looks at me in the rearview mirror.

“You went all pale and cold, Pretty Girl,” Loki tells me, bringing my hand to his lips and kissing it. I turn to look at him, noticing that his shoulders are tight as he takes a deep breath.

“I think you went into shock, baby,” Jax says, my head turning to look at him. He studies me with a professional eye, and I suddenly have the thought that he’d make an awesome doctor. “But your colour is returning and you don't feel cold and clammy anymore.”

“I’m sorry, Jax. I should be taking care of you after…” My voice trails off, unable to finish my sentence.

“Don’t do that, don’t blame yourself,” he grits out through clenched teeth. “This is not your fault.”

Fresh tears sting my eyes at his words. I know he’s right, I only stood up for myself. I didn’t hurt his mum. But guilt still slivers uncomfortably in the pit of my stomach.

“We’re here,” Kai says from the front passenger seat, and I start feeling like I must have lost time as I’m sure we only just left the academy. Looking out of the front window, I see that we’re pulling into a circular drive.

The building that sits behind it doesn't look like any kind of hospital that I’ve seen before, more like an old-style Golden Age mansion. It’s all white columns and tall windows, with what looks like beautiful grounds and manicured lawns surrounding it.

We come to a stop at the front entrance, a smartly dressed valet walking out to greet us. Ash tosses him the keys once we get out, coming round to stand in front of me, and taking my face in his hands.

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