Page 60 of Bound

Chapter Fourteen

Porter

Standing in front ofthe picture window, I looked out at the trees surrounding my mother's new home. It would have been nice to grow up in a place like this. And for a second I was sad that I never had the chance.

How different would shit be if I had spent my childhood running around in the woods, instead of running around in the streets?

I wouldn't be this way.

Not like this.

No one else was home except for Emery and myself, my mother and Franco had taken off at some point; which was still dangerous for them to do. Moving an hour out of the city was nothing.

I had tried to convince them when everything fell apart to get the hell out of the state. They refused, believing that it would all blow over, and their lives would return to normal. Neither one understood the gravity of the situation until it was too late.

Look where we are now.

They had been lucky so far that Disesto's men hadn't found them. Then again, maybe I was wrong. For all I knew the crew was watching from a distance, waiting for the green light.

Emery stepped up behind me, wrapping her thin arms around my stomach. “What are we doing today? I feel pretty good, better than I have in a long while. Want to go for a hike or something?”

“A hike?” Twisting around, I hugged her back, looking down onto her beautiful face. She was smiling up at me, her gaze youthful and excited as if we were just two people living normal lives. “I don't think that's a good idea, not yet.”

“Yeah, I understand.” Laying her head on my chest, I brushed my fingers through her hair, untangling the small knots. “Maybe one day,” she said, whispering quietly, and rubbing her cheek against my shirt.

Kissing the top of her head, I could smell the lavender shampoo, so I took another deep breath. I wanted to hold onto that scent, embed it in my brain so I never forgot this moment.

This was one of the good times, the calm before the storm. I knew our time together was limited, that keeping her for myself, or setting her free was a choice I'd have to make.

As much as I wanted to have her by my side, the danger was imminent. I couldn't knowingly hold onto her while my head was on a chopping block. It wasn't fair to her at all.

Staying in this place meant certain death for me. But running away meant never being able to stop. We'd have to run forever, hoping that we could outlive the legacy my name had left us with.

Traitor, miscreant, disloyal. . .the list that sealed my fate goes on and on in their eyes. They would never stop looking for me, not ever.

Looking back out the window, I tried to stare through the trees to see just how many miles there were between us and the city.

“You know what, let's do it.”

“Really?” she asked, rubbing my back and letting her eyes settle on my face. Her big green eyes glistened with excitement. “Are you sure?” The tone in her voice was sharp, and I knew she was aware now of what was waiting for us outside our small protected oasis.

Fuck it. What's life if you can't live it?

“Yeah, really. You want to go for a hike, and I want to do anything to make you happy.” Holding her tighter, I placed my chin on the top of her head. “Your happiness is all I care about.”

A giddy squeal escaped her lips, high-pitched and ecstatic. “Let's go, let's get out of here for a bit. Do you think your mom has any sneakers I can borrow?”

“I'm sure she does, the woman loves shoes.” Tangling my fingers in hers, I led her up to my parents room. “They'd be in here.” Sliding the closet door open, I rummaged around the floor, and tugged out a pair of sneakers. “Here, try these.”

Emery slipped her foot inside and grinned. “These will work.”

The tall grass at the edge of the treeline tickled against my ankles. Staring into the wooded shadows, I kept my guard up, and my ears open. I wasn't an outdoor kind of guy, but the idea of roaming freely, of walking without borders or fences caging me in, felt good.

I hadn't felt this free in years. I had been living with unwritten rules placed on my shoulders by a man who didn't give a fuck about what happened to me. His word was law, his orders the only task you ever needed to heed.

I was done living for someone else.

Reaching out to grab her hand, I squeezed. This woman had given me so much in such a short time. She showed me what it meant to feel, to breathe, to need nothing more than to have her as mine.

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