Forced Bonds (The Bonds That Tie, #4)(9)

He scoffs at my teasing and leans forward to give me a proper kiss this time. “Your bond is the only reason I’m agreeing to your little trip outside of these walls. I know I can trust it to not hesitate.”

I deepen the kiss, ready to lose myself in him and maybe escape from the chaos in my head for a minute. Then his computer chimes and he groans against my lips, a frustrated sound that has nothing to do with the searing heat of his dick straining through his pants.

I pull away and duck down to press my nose into the crook of his neck, breathing him in for a minute. “I’m guessing that’s not one we can just ignore? Are there any we can ignore?”

He presses a kiss into my hair and then wraps his arms around my thighs, standing up and taking me with him as he moves back over to his computer. I don’t attempt to fight it; I already know he’s strong enough to haul me around. If he’s happy to lug me around while I cling to him like my life depends on it, then I’ll let him.

I might not be able to fully explain how off-center this has all made me, but I think my actions are clear enough.

I don’t bother trying to look at what North is doing. I don’t really want to know about what bullshit the council and Top Tier families are up to right now, so I keep my face tucked into his shoulder.

“Sometimes it’s very clear to me that being a monster and using our gifts without so much restraint would make life a lot easier,” he mutters, and I huff out a laugh.

“I’ve already offered to kill your enemies. That’s still on the table if you need it.”

He scoffs back, one hand absently rubbing down my back in an action that I’m sure is just as much a comfort to him as it is to me. “And while I’m grateful, I also know that neither of us could stomach the thought of killing non-Gifted people just because they’re ignorant fucking idiots.”

Non-Gifted?

I lean away from him to catch his eye. There’s a tension in him that wasn’t there before. “Why would you be worrying about them? I know you do charity work in their community, but why would that have you dealing with idiots?”

His lips are in a hard line and his eyes stay glued to the screen behind me for a second longer before he finally meets my eye. “The Resistance amping up and making a mess of things has caught their attention. Now there’s a lot of… unpleasant publicity about the Gifted community circulating. I’m now being subpoenaed because a particular group of non-Gifted have banded together and are taking legal action against the council.”

Unease trickles back into my gut and he spots it straight away, one of his hands moving to cup my chin. “Don’t worry about it, Bonded. It’s a pain in my ass, and the worst timing, but there’s nothing for you to worry about. I will sort it out and keep you safe. Nothing is ever going to separate us again, any of us. I swear it.”





Chapter Three





Atlas



Once I know for sure that Ollie is safely at North's offices, I let Gabe know that I am heading out for the day. I'm not one to check in and report where I'm going to be but, thanks to current circumstances, I don't need anyone questioning my loyalty or my allegiance.

Sage being the one to kill the Shield wasn't just a shock to me, it was a threat. If Oli's best friend could be one of the people betraying us, then there isn't much doubt in my mind that they could point the finger in my direction too, thanks to my family's allegiances.

“Do you really think it's a good idea to go and see your sister?” Gabe says, his phone in his hand and his eyes on the screen as he questions me, as though he’s so nonchalant about the answer. But I know that couldn’t be farther from the truth.

I have no idea who he could possibly be texting, it's not like he has any friends really outside of the Bond Group. A ripple of frustration creeps down my spine and I have to shake my head to clear it.

I force my tone to be calm and even as I reply, “I was avoiding speaking to Aurelia because she's my sister, and I don't really want to listen to my family's indoctrination bullshit coming out of her mouth. But… if there's anything that she might know about this, then it's my responsibility to find out. If Oli can face everything head on, even when it’s breaking her fucking heart to do it, then so can I.”

Gabe glances over to me and nods slowly. If I really look hard enough, I think I can see some respect in his eyes. I never really cared about what the other Bonds think of me though, so I don't care to look too hard for it.

So without another word, I grab my jacket, the same one that I’d slung over Oli’s shoulders a few hours ago, her sweet scent still clinging to it, and then I head back out to track down Shore. I need to get a pass to see one of the Transporters to go back to Draven and see my sister at the council offices there.

I already know that he will insist on sending someone with me to watch my every move and report back on me, but that isn't something that bothers me anymore. Now that I’m sure we're all on the same side when it comes to Oli, nothing else matters to me. Whatever little tests and boundaries and bullshit they set for me, I’ll deal with it all if it means she’s safe here and has a whole lot of eyes on her at all times.

The fact that they’ll all spend the rest of our lives doubting me and waiting for me to turn on them should probably bother me more than it does, but Oli's complete trust and faith in me is all I really need. The fact that she chose to bond with me even after she found out about my family’s ties to the Resistance and their involvement in her capture and time in the camps? There’s no doubt in my mind that Oleander Fallows is the perfect Bonded for me, made for me to devote my life to and worship until my dying breath.