All Chapters of Bound To The Kingpin: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

HardinI don't know why I told her to stay. Hell, I don't know why I've been doing a lot of things lately. Letting her close. Watching her when she's not looking. Letting her touch me—even if it's just to wrap a wound I damn well could've handled myself.I'm not like this. I've never been like this.But here she was—sitting again like she belonged here, like her presence didn't mess with everything inside of me. She was a storm and I was letting her in.Her scent still lingered from earlier, that mix of something warm and soft, like lavender and stubbornness. My hand still tingled where she'd held it under the tap, rushing to stop the bleeding like I mattered.I glanced at her from the corner of my eye.She wasn't saying anything now. Just staring at her fingers like they were suddenly more interesting than me. Maybe I should've let her go. Let her escape this twisted thing between us before it turned into something worse.But I didn't.Because something in me needed her to stay. Even

HardinShe didn't speak much after that. Arms folded, eyes fixed on the road, trying so damn hard to act unaffected. But I saw the way she kept sneaking glances at me. I felt the tension rolling off her—flustered, annoyed, and curious all at once.By the time I pulled into the lot of a quiet restaurant tucked just on the edge of town, she finally turned to me."This doesn't look like a fast-food joint.""That's because it isn't." I killed the engine and turned to face her. "Figured I owed you something decent."She blinked, thrown off. "Owed me?""For the knife incident," I said, lifting my plastered wrist a little. "And the hundred insults you've thrown at me since you moved in."Her lips parted like she wanted to argue, but instead, she let out a short breath and stepped out of the car.Inside, the lighting was warm, the music low, and the booths private enough. I watched her as she walked ahead of me—shoulders tense, fingers fidgeting with the hem of her top. She was nervous. And I

LunaI had my sleeves rolled up and a rag in hand, the smell of lemon cleaner clinging to the air as I wiped down the kitchen counter for what felt like the third time. Alice was beside me, humming under her breath as she reorganized the spice rack—again."You know," I said, glancing at her, "If we keep cleaning like this, the house is going to start shining from outer space.""You and your husband have been stressing me out," Alice muttered without even lifting her eyes from the spice rack.I frowned immediately. "Alice, stop calling him that."She raised a brow but didn't stop organizing. "Why? That's what I know. You married him, didn't you?""Not by choice," I muttered under my breath.Alice smirked. "Choice or not, the rest of the world doesn't know that. And frankly, the way you two act around each other—bickering, glaring, stomping around—I've seen real married couples with less drama.""I don't stomp," I said defensively.She gave me a look. I sighed."And last night?" she con

LunaI didn't plan to talk. I just wanted silence. His warmth. A moment to breathe without questions or explanations.But the longer I stayed curled into him, the harder it became to keep it all in."I saw a patient today," I said quietly, my cheek still pressed against his shoulder. "A little boy. His name is Ethan. He's seven."Hardin didn't say a word. He just stayed still, letting me set the pace."He's been at the hospice for months now. Neuroblastoma. Stage four. It's... spread almost everywhere now."I paused, my fingers gripping the fabric of his shirt like it grounded me."His parents don't visit often. At first, I thought maybe it was too hard for them, you know? Watching their child fade like that. But tonight..." I swallowed hard. "He asked me if he was going to die alone."My voice broke on the last word, and I hated how fragile I sounded."I told him no. That someone would be there. That I'd be there if no one else came."Another breath, shaky this time. "But he just smi

LunaHardin’s hand didn’t leave mine. Not even once.He moved through the crowd with a quiet confidence, greeting people with nods, brief smiles, and that serious look he wore so well. Like he was always watching.And people—well, they noticed him. Eyes trailed us, whispers stirred when we passed. But no one dared approach him with anything less than respect.It didn’t take long for me to realize something.Hardin knew almost everyone on this yacht.He greeted them like old acquaintances. Men in suits, women in glittering dresses, even the crew—it was like they all knew him. Or knew of him.Which was odd, considering he never even mentioned this party until after the shopping trip.I stayed close, pretending to sip my drink while watching him from the corner of my eye. His hand occasionally slid down, resting against the small of my back. Sometimes even lower. Possessive, intentional.I wasn’t exactly comfortable with the public display, but... I didn’t stop him either.Because someho