Page 118 of Bound to a Killer
For as long as I can remember, I’ve dreamed of a future where my old sketches might come to life. I was so used to watching other people bring their visions to life, building and designing, all while I observed on the sidelines.
Always watching. Always wondering.
Would I ever get my chance?
It had always felt out of reach for someone like me. Nomoney. No connections. Just a girl who spent most of her life feeling abandoned and alone, with no blueprint for how to survive a world that once felt too big to face. How would I learn to forge my own path when I had no parent to turn to?
I personally haven’t heard from Dad since he first left us, but now that child support is no longer needed, he cut off all contact with Mom. Not that they ever talked much to begin with, but it still stings. Even something as small as a phone number feels like a loss when it ties you to someone who once meant everything. Someone you shared a family with.
Surprisingly, Mom has been okay. She threw herself into work at a woman’s crisis center, helping others in similar situations now that she’s free of Steven’s grip. Authorities ruled it as self-defense. They let her go quicker than I was released from the hospital. After what she’d done to protect me, risking everything to save my life, we’ve turned a new leaf. I’ve forgiven her completely.
In the weeks that followed, Ledger and I kept getting close. He helped renovate my childhood home using money he’d saved from his old life. I never asked for it, but it gave me a fresh start. For the first time, I felt like I was building something of my own.
We documented the renovation on social media, and it took off faster than we ever imagined, with millions of followers, brand deals, and the chance to build a real client base. We got lucky.
It’s truly a dream come true.
What started as a small project has become a full-time career for both of us. And the best part? We’ve spent every waking moment together. The perfect builder-designer duo. Everything has fallen into place naturally, effortlessly. And now, we’re finally moving into our first real home.
It’s nothing fancy, just an old three-story house tucked atthe top of a secluded hill, a little worn but full of character. Private. Ours.
Our own safe haven.
Behind me, the floorboards creak. Strong arms slide around my waist, pulling me flush against a familiar chest, steady and warm.
“You ready? It’s going to be a lot of work,” Ledger murmurs, his voice low against my ear.
I smile and press into him, then twist in his arms, tipping my chin for a kiss. “You know I’d never shy away from a challenge,” I whisper, grinning wider as he peppers soft kisses across my hairline.
When I tilt my head to look up at him, our eyes meet for just a second before he leans in again, and our lips find each other, our tongues intertwining, heat pooling between my thighs. Gasping, I yank myself away and gape at him, wide-eyed. “Wait, did you get my filming equipment?”
“It’s all in the kitchen.” He leans in to steal one last kiss before I swat at his chest, and he laughs.
My eyes drift behind him to the boxes stacked at the kitchen doorway, just visible from where we stand in the center of the living room. My pulse quickens as I spot the camera, the light still mounted over it, resting on the large marble island. The very thing that sold me on this house.
I imagined everything around it. All the meals prepared, laughter spilling across the counter, maybe even a future family gathered here one day.
Not just a house, but a home.A real home.
I reach for the camera, smoothing my hand across the marble surface. It’s cool under my palm, excitement humming through me, sharp and giddy and impossibly bright. I still can’t believe this is my house now, that this is my life. Beautiful shades of amber and rust filter through a vertical trio of tall,wooden-trimmed windows at the far end of the living room, casting streaks of light across the island and glinting off my camera lens.
“I’m going to shoot a quick video of the place for the vlog,” I say, already rushing off. I strike a playful pose as I backpedal toward Ledger, the familiar flutter building in my stomach like it always does before I hit record.
In my retreat, I stumble slightly, just enough for Ledger to catch my wrist and pull me into his arms. “Careful,” he murmurs, his tone low and teasing. “Can’t get any footage if you hurt yourself.”
Warmth floods my core as he nips at the edge of my ear, trailing soft love bites along my neck and down my collarbone, scattering my thoughts. The camera keeps rolling in the background, but for a moment, I forget it’s even there.
I draw in a breath, moaning softly as his lips meet mine. My body bowing into his, the pressure of his growing arousal pressing into me from behind, the air between us thick with want.
“The camera,” I breathe, catching his hands as they drift to my waistband. A smile tugs at my lips. “We’re still rolling.”
“We can always switch gears and film a different kind of content,” he murmurs, his voice gruff, still heavy with lust.
My shoulders shake with a laugh as I squirm in his hold, turning to look up at him through my lashes. “Definitely not,” I say, brushing my mouth near his. “But the quicker we finish the tour, the sooner we can break in our new mattress.”
He groans, his fingers drifting into my hair, then sliding to cradle my jaw. His gaze darkens with need, pausing on my lips before meeting my eyes. “You drive me crazy, you know that?”
I smile, rising onto my toes to kiss him again, soft and certain. My heart swells, brimming with love, with gratitude for the life we’re still building together. For everything that brought us here.
“Countdown starts now.”
The End