Page 2 of Deceptive Vows (Bound by Vows #3)

“She wanted to pretend the ugliness didn’t exist. I can’t fault her for that,” he said. “Sometimes I wish it didn’t either.”

My head against his shoulder, we walked silently again while I digested his words.

Killing never stole anything from me. Not guilt. Not grief. Not even sleep. I’d made my first kill at sixteen—I’d felt nothing but satisfaction watching the light leave his eyes.

Maybe that said more about me than I liked to admit.

I grew up in alleyways like the one we were passing. Spent more nights hungry than full. Watched men spit on my mother. Use her. Abuse her. Watched other girls disappear and never come back. Beauty lived in windows I couldn’t afford to look through.

Until Lucas rescued me and Ma and Pa took me in, I’d been one of those alley rats.

At times, I still felt that way—that slimy coating of never being as good as everyone else.

“Mom!” Lucas called from the front door. “Mom! I found a girl!”

“A girl?” A woman stopped six feet away from me. “Lucas…”

“A man was going to hurt her.”

The woman’s mouth dropped. “What did you do, Lucas?”

“He rescued me,” I squeaked.

Her posture softened. “Oh, darling.” She stepped toward me slowly. “I bet you’re hungry, aren’t you? ”

My stomach growled in response. If she asked when I last ate, I wouldn’t have an answer. I didn’t know. I nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”

“How about I get you some clean clothes? You can clean up, and while you’re doing that, I’ll make some moussaka. It’s got potatoes and lamb.” She did a chef’s kiss. “It’s delicious.”

Moose? I was starving. I nodded again.

“Good.” She smiled. “Let me grab you a towel. We’ll have something for you to wear by the time you’re out, okay, my darling?”

A little girl toddled into the room, a dark-haired cherub in a pull-up.

Lucas’s mom stooped and scooped her into her arms. “Say hi…” She looked at me expectantly.

“Abigail.”

“Abigail. What a sweet name.” She bounced the toddler on her hip, keeping her giggling. “Where’s your mom?”

My lips trembled. “She…she died a year ago.”

Her mouth parted in a gasp. “Who’s taking care of you then?”

I bit down on my bottom lip. Foster homes. I’d been in a few. Ran from all of them. They didn’t want me—they wanted the check. What if I answered wrong?

What if she returned me to foster care?

Her kind smile returned. “Abigail,” she said gently, reaching out a hand, “It’s okay. You can stay here for a bit while you figure things out. Okay? I’m a pretty great cook.”

Lucas chuckled. “You stay here, and you’ll be so big you won’t be able to leave.”

“Oh, you! Hush!” Her eyes twinkled as she teased him.

For the first time I could remember, I felt safe. I took Lucas’s mom’s hand. “Okay.”

“Lucas’s friends call me Ma. You don’t have to ? —”

“Ma. I like Ma.”

“Good. Ma it is, my darling.”

The memory faded as I took a deep breath and lifted my head from Lex’s shoulder, forcing myself back into the present.

“Well, we don’t have that luxury, Lex. We know what’s out there. How many little girls have you rescued, huh? I’d rather have a man with a little blood on his hands than a yellow streak down his back.”

“I know,” he said softly, “but Thea, not every woman sees it your way. Doesn’t mean she’s a bad person.”

I hated a lot of things. Cowards topped the list. Pretending evil didn’t exist just so you could sleep better at night? Pathetic .

Lex covered my hand with his. “I cared about her. She was sweet, innocent, fun… smart.”

“Not smart enough to stay with you.” When he grunted, I added, “Fine, maybe she was nice. That just means there’s someone else out there, and you’ll hook the right one when the time’s right.”

He smirked, but there was no humor in it. “How about you? I thought you and Remy had something going.”

I scoffed. “He was fun. That’s all it was. I have fun, and I move on.”

Lex came to a stop and turned to face me. The sudden shift caught me off guard.

“You have so much to offer. Despite your cobra-like exterior, I know you’re really sweet and loving. Loyal. Just because life wasn’t easy?—”

“I don’t want to talk about this.”

He caught my wrist as I tried to pull away.

“Your childhood was hard. You saw men do things no little girl should’ve ever seen. But all this ‘fun’ you keep chasing? A soul needs a soul, Thea. Someone to fill your cup when it’s empty.”

Swallowing hard, I placed my hand on his chest. “Lex, I appreciate you thinking so highly of me, but we both know I’m…” What was I? Complicated. Dangerous. Tired. “I’m fine. I have a purpose, and I’m satisfied with where I am. I made a promise to Ma. And I’m going to keep it.”

“Mom would’ve wanted you happy too. She loved you so much.”

My brothers called her Mom. I called her Ma. She never wanted me to forget my biological mother—the woman who gave me life, and gave my Ma her second daughter.

She loved me. Fiercely and wonderfully.

I loved my biological mother, but Ma was the best mom I could have ever had.

“I am. I promise. If I’m not happy, I’ll let you know.”

Most people knew I wasn’t big on hugs. My brothers never cared. If I were honest, I liked that they didn’t. It reminded me I wasn’t alone.

Lex wrapped his arms around me. “Let me drive you home, okay?” He leaned back. “Marco probably already knows what happened at the Dead Shift. I know you can take care of yourself, but I’d sleep better knowing you got home safe.”

“If you insist.” My feet were overdue for a break from my Cavallis anyway.

A half block later, we reached Lex’s sleek black Audi A8. He opened the door for me .

“Ever the gentleman,” I teased, sliding into the seat.

“It’s not chivalry when it’s your sister,” he said with a grin, shutting the door before jogging to the driver’s side.

As the engine purred to life, I watched the city blur by—neon lights fading into dawn, the streets beginning to stir.

“You ever think about taking a break from all this? The danger, the blood.” Lex’s voice broke the quiet. “Finding a beach somewhere and forgetting the world exists for a while?”

“To sunbathe?” I crossed my arms and leaned my head back. “We don’t get to forget the world, Lex. That’s not in the cards for people like us. You know that.”

He let out a snort, shaking his head. “You’re impossible.”

A faint grin pulled at my mouth. “I prefer… unshakable.”

He chuckled but didn’t push the conversation further. It was the kind of quiet that only exists between family, where words become unnecessary.

When we reached my house in Edgewood, he pulled into the drive but left the engine running. Ever the protective older brother, he walked me to the door.

We moved together up the stone path, shoulders nearly brushing.

Lex matched his longer stride to mine—a childhood habit he’d never outgrown.

Gravel crunched underfoot, a quiet warning to the sleeping street.

His gaze swept the shadows, always alert.

I pretended to find it annoying. Truth was, I depended on it.

One of my favorite parts of this house was the porch facing the water. We paused there. Rust, orange, and violet streaked the horizon, sunlight just beginning to claw its way through the clouds.

My mom would’ve loved this view.

Fifteen minutes from the beach.

She would’ve said that made me lucky.

But she wasn’t here.

And living in the past was for the weak.

I’d learned that early. Memories were luxuries—they dulled your edge, made you slow. And in our world, even a second’s hesitation could be fatal. Better to keep moving. Eyes on the horizon, not on ghosts.

“I appreciate the escort.”

Lex gave me a solemn look. “You know I’m not leaving until I know you’re safely inside. ”

I bit back an eye roll and shook my head. Some things never changed. Lex’s overprotective streak was one of them. Not that I’d admit how much I liked it.

“Fine,” I said. “I’ll go in and set the alarm. I can’t have Lucas harming my partner in crime.”

Out of nowhere, an image of Mr. Gumdrop flickered across my mind. Would a man like him be that protective of a woman? Even with all her sharp edges… would he still pull her close?

Ridiculous thought.

I shook my head, irritated with myself. Maybe I just needed to find a man—long enough to shake these absurd ideas out of my system.

Unlocking the door, I stepped inside. After disarming and rearming the alarm, I called out, “Alarm is set!”

“See you tomorrow,” Lex replied.

Leaning back against the door, I let out a long breath. Ran a hand through my hair, trying to smooth away the strange flutter that man in the bar had left in my chest.

Tomorrow would come with its own chaos. I didn’t have time to drown. Not even in eyes like his.