Page 78 of Bound By Love

“Baby, I need to go. You’re staying home from work again tomorrow, right?”

“Yes. I am.” Her soft voice warmed me. I could tell she was doing everything to please me. I loved her so damn much for it.

“Let Norris stay inside the house with you tonight.”

“Honestly, Will.” I knew that request would be pushing it, but her safety was my top priority.

“I mean it. Stuff could get a whole lot worse. We don’t know what Jason will do. Just do this for me, okay?”

“Okay. I’ll let him in the house. I love you.”

“I love you too, always and forever. I’ll call you as soon as I can.”

“You better or I’ll go out of my mind with worry. Bye…”

I set my phone down on my desk and looked up at Axel. “This shit better end tonight.”

“That’s the hope.”

“No hoping. It needs to end so I can bring her home.” I rubbed my hands over my face. The burner phone chimed in my desk drawer. “Shit.” I pulled it out and read the text.

Cori: Time change. We meet at 7:30, the same location.

“Time changed to seven thirty. That only gives us two hours. Do you think it’s a setup?”

“Maybe. I’ll go tell York. We need to get on this quick.” Axel rushed out of my office.

I had a bad feeling. What was Jason up to?

30 Will

MY HEART HAMMERED against my ribs, palms sweating like never before. If I hadn’t been living this crazy, fucked-up life, I’d think the scene playing out in front of me was a movie. From where I stood, I was surrounded by conmen pretending to be FBI. And real drug dealers.

Behind me, hiding in the trees, were York and his crew of deadly looking men and half a dozen of Jagged Lords who Axel had brought in.

Beside me was Satan in the flesh, or rather Jason Sayton, who by all accounts was the mastermind behind stealing over one hundred million dollars from SJI. Though I wasn’t sure how wise he was, given the fellows with guns standing beside a black Escalade. They did not look happy.

I fought to keep my hands from trembling and my breathing steady. Why the fuck was I here? I had nothing to do with these guys. York had said I needed to attend the meeting so they could get a shot at Jason.

A shot. Fuck, I hoped York meant catching Jason and not killing him. I eyeballed all the armory twenty feet away. I didn’t really want him dead.

Three Mexicans in front of the small army of criminals smiled, but I doubted they were happy to see me with Jason. Their eyes ping-ponged from him to me and back to him.

My gut wrenched as fear consumed me, twisting my innards so tight I might throw up any second. But I needed to play this cool and not look weak. Not that I believed fear equaled weak. I wasn’t trained for this kind of shit.

Nothing felt right about being here. Each guy had a bulge in his side the size of a Glock like the one Axel carried. But the dude standing by a silver Lincoln with blacked-out windows had something more prominent from what I could make out.

Time seemed to slow during this stare down.

Images in my head played like a silent movie. Miranda and the life we would have had if Jason had never come to town. Our children. Trips to Hawaii. Christmas decorated to the nines by Miranda and me staring in awe at her. The pictures were as vivid as if they had happened just yesterday.

But I had a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach none of it would ever be realized. Well, all except for my little princess safe inside Miranda’s belly. At least I’d have one heir, someone pure and born out of my and Miranda’s love for each other.

I swallowed bile as a bead of sweat dripped down my temple. Maybe I wouldn’t be freaking out so much if Axel hadn’t told me to update my will this morning. He’d said better to be safe than sorry. Of course, I made Miranda my sole beneficiary and had my lawyer set up a trust for my unborn child. After I’d left Ned’s office, I heaved into a toilet in the men’s bathroom.

“Why’s thegringohere?” the short guy wearing dark shades asked. He was in a shiny charcoal-gray suit with a white shirt open at the collar. He must’ve been talking about me, thewhiteguy.

“For protection,” Jason shouted.

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