Chapter 10: The Storm Left Behind

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• Unbound Desires   Chapter 81: Between Fury and Forgiveness

  STEPHENI stepped into the house, slowly, deliberately.Every move calculated, controlled. But barely.My body vibrated with tension, that thin thread between restraint and losing it completely.I felt like a predator closing in on its prey, and Claire, sharp as ever, read it on me instantly.She backed away, her pulse written all over her face.The fury burned hot in my chest, relentless.But beneath the anger lived something worse. Relief. Anguish.The tangled, ugly mess of it swirled as I stood there staring at her. Alive. Standing right in front of me.My gaze locked on hers.I knew she could see it. Every ounce of the storm crashing inside me."Do you have any idea how much you made me worry?"My voice came out low, dangerous, vibrating with everything I had tried so hard to hold back.I took another step toward her.The tension between us tightened with every inch I closed.I watched the way her eyes widened, the way her shoulders braced.She felt it too."Four months, Claire."T

• Unbound Desires   Chapter 80: After All That, There You Are

  STEPHENThe beauty along Highway 84 should have calmed me. The mountains standing tall against the horizon. Waterfalls cascading like silk ribbons down the cliffs. The river catching the light and throwing it back in a thousand tiny reflections. Even the wildflowers swaying along the roadside, the calls of distant birds. All of it begged for peace.It didn’t work. Not even close.Claire, with that infuriatingly brilliant mind of hers, had dragged me across the country on the wildest goose chase of my life. And I couldn’t decide if I wanted to shake her for it or stand back and admire how perfectly she had pulled it off.I’m going to take her over my knee and spank her like a child. Then I’m going to pull her into my arms and kiss her until she forgets how to breathe. Or maybe the other way around.My grip tightened on the steering wheel, my knuckles going white. Worry, frustration, and longing churned in my chest, each one fighting for space.“How the hell does she manage to drive me t

• Unbound Desires   Chapter 79: Chase Across  America

  STEPHENThe first light of dawn stretched across the city skyline, soft gold bleeding into gray.Exhaustion pressed heavy against my chest, but beneath it, something steadier thrummed. Purpose. A vow that refused to break.I was going to find Claire. I was going to bring her home, no matter what it took.The search hadn’t ended. It couldn’t. But for the first time in months, I had a direction. A thread to follow in the middle of all the uncertainty. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to keep me moving.My phone buzzed against the desk, the screen lighting up with a message from Alex.Any updates? Sofie’s worried sick. We’re here if you need anything.I let out a slow breath, my lips tugging into the faintest smile. The smallest crack in the fog of my thoughts. Their support had never wavered, not once.I tapped out a quick update, telling them where I was in the search, grateful beyond words to have them in my corner.Later, on a video call with both of them, I saw how much this was wei

• Unbound Desires   Chapter 78: The Distance Between Us

  CLAIREThe days slipped into weeks. The weeks turn into months.Each one blurred into the next as I pressed on with my journey. Every mile stretched the space between me and the life I had left behind.But I couldn’t stop looking over my shoulder. Couldn’t stop scanning the world behind me.Always watching. Always waiting.God, I miss Stephen.I missed the way his arms felt around me. Safe and steady, like nothing could touch me when I was there.I thought about Sofie and Alex more often than I wanted to admit.But it was Danny who haunted me the most. That wide, innocent grin. The sound of his laughter. I couldn’t stop wondering how much he’d grown. What I was missing.There were moments, as I passed through small towns, when I felt something close to peace.Strangers smiled without suspicion. Their kindness was soft. Easy.But I never let my guard down completely. I couldn’t afford to.The threat that ripped me from everything I loved still breathed down my neck. No matter how beauti

• Unbound Desires   Chapter 77: She Vanished, I Almost Did Too

  STEPHENI stepped through the door, craving the quiet of home. Craving her.“Claire?” My voice cut through the apartment, sharper than I expected in the thick silence.Nothing.Unease pooled fast, low, and heavy in my gut. My gaze snagged on the table. Two envelopes sat there like anchors. One with my name.My throat closed as I reached for it, already knowing. Already dreading.I broke the seal with shaking hands. The first words slammed into me like a blow. Each sentence was carved deep, leaving ragged edges inside my chest.Then the photo. Claire’s face was crossed out.The room tilted beneath my feet. Fear. Rage. Desperation. They crashed hard, messy and brutal, as I tore through the apartment, shoving open doors, ripping through closets, praying this wasn’t what it looked like.It is. You know it is.I gripped the edge of the table, breath locking hard in my throat.No. No, this can’t be real.In the closet, a few things were gone. Not much. Just enough to tell me this wasn’t an a

• Unbound Desires   Chapter 76: A Desperate Escape

  PROLOGUECLAIREI stepped out of Sofie’s apartment, the warmth of our morning lingering like fingertips brushing my skin. My breath fogged slightly in the crisp air as I walked, a faint smile still playing on my lips.But then, cold prickled along my spine, sharp and sudden. My footsteps quickened, the nagging sensation of eyes on my back impossible to shake. I glanced over my shoulder, my heart jolting, but saw only the usual city chaos: crowds bustling, cars honking, life moving on, blind to my panic.Still, dread tightened my gut, cold and suffocating.When I reached my front door, my gaze snagged on a manila envelope, partially concealed beneath the doormat. My pulse skittered wildly as I picked it up, my fingers shaking. This shouldn’t be here. My breath caught as I tore it open, dread sinking deeper into me.A photo slipped into my hands. My stomach dropped, nausea surging. There we were: me, Sofie, and Danny at Central Park, laughter easy on our faces. Now, my image was violentl