Page 96 of Bound

“Dinner’s ready,” he announces, heading over to the kitchen and opening the oven.

“I’ll help lay the table,” Loki says, giving me a small smile, then following Kai over.

Jax stands too, walking over to me and holding out his hand. Grasping it, he helps me up, and we go to take over plates and cutlery to the table, Ash bringing glasses and a jug of iced tea. Loki helps Kai carry Asian baked chicken, veggies, and steaming fragrant rice.

We sit down to eat as if we hadn’t just planned the ruination of someone’s life.

Just another day in paradise, I guess.

CHAPTERTHIRTY-ONE

LILLY

On Saturday morning we turn on the news to see Clarissa being carted away in cuffs, shoved into the back of a police cruiser, cursing and screaming like a fishwife. I can’t help the evil smile that tugs my lips upwards at her public humiliation.Fucking twatwaffle deserved it. Loki gets a call an hour later asking him to go down to the station to make a statement. After a FaceTime briefing with Julian, who rages at the betrayal of the company when the guys tell him about the ‘payments,’ Loki heads into town with Kai, planning—and I quote—‘to bury her pedo ass.’

Classes ramp up a bit the following week, in preparation for more exams apparently, but I’m so used to the workload that I barely notice, spending most of my spare time studying. News of my pregnancy has spread, although everyone assumes that it’s Ash’s baby, and this is the reason for the rushed wedding.

Things have changed since Julian’s ‘punishments.’ There are definite whispers among the students, whereas before, people wouldn’t dare to speak about the Knights at all. They still keep their distance, respect and fear mixed on their faces, but there’s an air of sharks circling as we walk through the halls.

Surprisingly, Amber has kept her distance too, still sneering at every opportunity, but nothing more. She seems to have given up on Loki for the moment, and Julian hasn’t pushed the issue either, which makes my skin itch, suspicion crawling down my spine.

With the extra schoolwork, and generally feeling tired from being four and a half months pregnant, I almost miss that Jax has started spending most of his time in the gym again.

I catch him heading out one night after dinner, his bag slung over his shoulder.

“Can I join you, Jax?” I ask, halting his movements as he goes to walk out of the dorm.

“Sure, Baby Girl,” he rumbles. “I’ve got your new gloves so we can do some careful practice if you like?” I nod eagerly, and he waits by the door whilst I run upstairs to get changed.

I come down, wearing some maternity leggings, a sports bra, and a tank top. I’ve just invested in some maternity clothes, finding that even some of my dungarees are becoming a little snug.

We walk in the direction of the school gym, hand in hand, a comfortable silence surrounding us.

“How are you, Jax? How’s working out now, you know, since getting clean?” I ask softly, glancing at his profile as we walk. God, he is so handsome with his close cropped beard and blond hair, tied in that sexy man bun.

“I think I’m almost back to where I was,” he tells me, a smile on his lips. “I’ve been training hard, especially with the fight coming up…” His eyes go wide at the same time that mine does, and I pull us to a stop.

“Oh shit!” I exclaim. “Your fight! I’d completely forgotten.” A cute as all get out blush steals across his cheeks, and I can’t help but beam at him. “When is it?”

“May seventh.”

“Oh, that’s two weeks before....”

“Yep, it was the most Enzo could manage to get it postponed, otherwise I’d have to forfeit,” he informs me, tugging my hand so that we start walking again. We stay silent for a moment, his warm hand in mine as we walk outside, heading round the school to the new state-of-the-art gym and swimming pool building, which was built over Christmas. “I don’t suppose I could convince you not to come?” he asks after a beat, and I see him giving me the side-eye.

“To the fight? Not a fucking chance!” I laugh, seeing the rueful smile on his face.

“Yeah, that’s what I thought.” He sighs, gripping my hand tighter for a second. “Just, promise me you’ll stay with the guys. These fights...they’re not attended by good people, Baby Girl.”

“I promise I’ll be good,” I reply, mostly telling the truth, and he nods his head, releasing a breath.

“Now, come and let me show you how to kick my ass.”

I laugh, the sound surrounding us with its lightness.

“Please, we both know that I could have you pinned underneath me any time I choose,” I sass back, and the grin he gives me in return is positively feral.

“Is that so, Baby Girl?” he asks, and my heart rate picks up when a decidedly naughty smile lights up his face. “We’ll test that theory later. For now, we train.”

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