Bound To The Don

ra

ike that, I had no idea i

hen floor, snorting so hard my ribs ached. Noah sat across from me, white powder strea

sugar and vanilla. Like home. Like t

ur everywhere

at him like a sword. "You can't make the best p

that

ien

wiping away a smudge I'd probably put there on purpose. Then he stayed th

de my stomach flip lik

hen floor. I'm going to put a ring on your finger, Sera. We'll get a real shop

ayed glued

art d

und the whisk until my knuckles turned white. A lu

ring. A future.

y," I w

ke a promise and m

ask, and my phone buzzed on the counter. Once.

ng my hands on my ap

me home. N

rawled down my arms until my fingertips went numb.

his hand settling on my shoulder

hone face down.

e that made my cheeks hurt. "Family stu

d to the one person I'

e kissed my forehead and let it go. That trust mad

lf. *You don't even k

-

de my father's study with my

e felt heavy, like the air before a storm. My heels click

d the d

d in front of them, eyes fixed on nothing. I had never seen them before, and

ap

any desk, and for a second I

e he had aged ten years since Sunday dinner. His hair seemed grayer. His shoulders curved inward like

n't lo

voice came out thin.

oat bobbed. When he finally spoke, his voi

He stared at the desk, at the wood grain, at anything but me. "

len

older. Everyone in this city knew

. "But what does that

le

n his weathered cheek. It landed on his sleeve. I had n

was made years ago. A blood pact. When you turned twenty-two..

ld went

ars, like someone had pressed a pillow over my head. My hands went numb

cream. I d

re with him, and I set it very gently on the corner of his desk. Like it was made of gl

boyfrien

wful. Flat. Calm.

ove

any

were red and swollen, and full of

e Valentis will put a bullet in that boy's head before you reach

or

ug crescents into my palms.

me like a shipment of stolen goods. And

eather of his shoes creaked. It wa

led out a photograph. Matte black. Smooth as a blade. He sli

t want

ked a

rk eyes. The kind of eyes that didn't ask permission for anything. Even through pap

as I flipped t

n neat, elega

y. Be