Page 64 of Bound

Chapter Fifteen

Porter

Opening the door, Ifanned out my arm for Emery to go in first. Stopping for a second, I looked back at the woods where we had just been and smiled.

There was this moment of peace, a feeling like nothing bad could ever happen to us. That would never be true, and I knew that. But, right then, all of that; my past, the uncertainty of our future, it didn't matter.

Because I was happy.

“Porter!”

Her scream sent my heart into my throat, making me react without thinking. Running into the house, I saw a man holding Emery around the neck with a gun to her temple.

At first, I couldn't see his face or any distinguishing features. I saw the gun, I saw the fear in Emery's eyes, I saw my blood as it boiled, and turned everything around me red.

“Long time no see.”

I knew this man, and the realization killed me inside. I had drinks with him, I had dinner in his home, we had shared a few dirty laughs, and once considered each other family. Dean Finch, a guy who was just like me. Or should I say, who I used to be like?

He was an assassin, a lethal set of hands with only one job; to kill.

That was all we had to do. We were given orders, we were never told why anyone had to die, and we never asked questions.

Now, he was right in front of me, holding a gun to my woman's head, his eyes black as tar with death in his stare. I felt the rage twist my insides, making my heart slam inside my chest like a trapped raven, ready to escape and claw his eyes out of his fucking head.

How dare you put a hand on my girl!

My eyes met Emery's, and the fear on her face killed me. I'm supposed to be protecting her. And right now, I failed.

With my hands up, palms facing out, I started to side step to my right. Like a fucking idiot, I had left my gun upstairs. I was completely defenseless.

I'm not thinking straight, I'm not using my fucking head. . .

I fucked up again.

This woman had my head in knots. She had me tied up so tight, I had forgotten what we were truly living in.

Dean smiled at me, shoving the gun harder into Emery's temple. “Don't try a fucking thing or I'll splatter her brains all over these walls.”

“Why?” I asked, trying to get him talking. “She has nothing to do with this, just let her go.” My heart ached to see her like that. Her eyes frozen on my face, begging and pleading for me save her.

Except, I couldn't do a damn thing. He had the upper hand, and it tore my insides to shreds. I was suppose to protect her, I was suppose to keep her safe. One touch made her mine, but it was a single bullet that bound us together.

I have to do something. . .

Come on! Think, think!

Laughing, he tilted his head into her hair and inhaled a long breath. “Tell me you don't actually believe what you're saying. You have your head in the fucking clouds man? You haven't been gone that long to forget how this works. Leave no witnesses, not a single fucking one. . .” Pausing, he smirked, his eye's glistening like he was enjoying everything about this. “Oh wait, that's right, you can't do that because you have no fucking balls. Should I check her purse? Is that where you left them?”

“Fuck you, Dean.” Growling, my fists balled at my sides, ready to take the risk and charge him. I wanted to tear his fucking head off, make him regret ever stepping foot in this house. “I'm going to fucking kill you.”

The last hit-man that Marcos sent out for me didn't make it back alive, neither did Frankie at the club. But, I was prepared for them, I wasn't prepared for this, and I should have been.

This wasn't suppose to happen!

I'm suppose to protect her!

I'm suppose to keep her safe!

Baring my teeth, my fingers dug into the center of my palms, feet trembling, ready to take off in his direction. “You're a fucking dead man.”

I didn't even have the chance to step forward. A hard crack ricocheted through my skull and the room around me went black.

Time had stopped. There were no dreams, no thoughts, no pain.

There was only silence.

I had lost.

---