Bound by Fire: Burning desire (#2)
Chapter 4

Ace p.o.v.

It has been a week since Daleyza woke from her coma. I don’t know if her being awake is better or not. She looks different from before, so broken. It felt like the thing that made her herself was buried beneath all the anxiety and stress. I have never seen her like this. She has so many mood swings, they make me dizzy. One moment she’s fine the next she’s screaming the house down in worry. At night I replace her pacing outside Aiden’s bedroom looking flustered. And when I try to bring her back to bed she starts fighting me. I tried getting her mind off the things but nothing works. Her being like this messes with my mind. I’ve never felt like this before and that is not good.

The buzzing of my phone woke me up. I carefully get out of bed as I try not to disturb her and take the call outside.

“This better be important.” I growl to the person on the other side of the line.

“Sir, there is someone here to see you.”

“Who in their goddamn mind goes to someone else’s house at four fucking a.m.” I pinch the bridge of my nose. If this person was in front of me I already would have shot him.

“He says his name is Jack.”

“I don’t know a Jack…”

“He says his last name is Timofeyevich.” The guard quickly responds.

“Send him in.” I sigh.

Yegor, also known as Jack is my cousin. We’re not related but his family were our neighbors when my mom moved to Russia. He was always around and we became good friends. When I moved to America he followed a few years later. He joined the gang and we’ve been working together since. These pas few years he vanished doing what ever he felt like. He’s used to behaving like this. He comes and goes as he pleases. That actually comes in really handy for us. Not many people know him or what his position is in the gang which makes is easier to send him as a spy to gather information.

I stretch out my neck and sit down on the couch. That’s when I hear the elevator door open and Jack walks taking in his surroundings like he’s returning in his own home.

“Long time no see jackass.” I smirk.

“Aww I know you missed me stop making it too obvious.” He says making me snicker. He plops down on the other side of the couch and puts his feet up. “Feels good to be home. I like the changes you’ve made to the place.”

“So what is the reason for your visit at four a.m. in the morning?”

“Can’t a brother visit his brother?”

“Not at four in the morning you moron.”

“Why are you whining like a girl?” he rolls his eyes.

“You…”

“Why did you leave?” a voice cuts our conversation and both our heads snap into the direction of my bedroom door. Where Daleyza stood in her sleepwear looking deliciously disheveled. Her eyes landed on Jack making her freeze in her steps. Her guard came up as she took a defensive stance. “Who are you?”

“I can be whoever you want me to be sweetheart.” Jack smirks and I almost want to punch his teeth in. I don’t like the way he’s looking at her. he stood up and attempted to move closer to her.

“If you know what’s good for you stay away from me.” she growled and went back into the room.

“Where were you hiding that spitfire.” He asked smugly still staring at the door. “You know what that doesn’t matter. Is she available?” I couldn’t hold back any longer. Grabbing his shoulder I turn him to face me and before he knew what was going on my fist hit his nose. “The hell dude?”

“Stay away from my wife.”

“Wha… did you say wife? What the hell did I miss?” a bewildered look crossed his face.

“Long story. But I mean it stay away Yegor.” He groaned as he exclaimed he was going to his room. He walked out leaving me surrounded by silence. Slowly I entered the bedroom and say her pacing in front of the window.

“Who was that?” her head snapped up as soon as she heard the door close.

“My cousin.”

“You don’t have cousins.” Her eyebrow shot up questioningly. I inch closer to her, seeing she didn’t back away gave me a bit of hope.

“Not blood related. We grew up together in Russia. We consider each other family. When I moved here for the gang he followed not long after and joined.” Placing a gentle kiss on her collarbone I pulled her closer to me. She didn’t push me away, just rested her head against my shoulder.

“I don’t trust him.” She sighed.

“Well I do.” I sigh. “Why are you up anyways?”

“I… had a nightmare.” She struggled to get it out of her. I took her hand and lead her to the bed. We lay down as I tried to calm her down. After some time I felt her relax against me.

The next morning I was woken by the sudden movement of my bed. I sat up instantly putting up my defensive stance getting ready to attack whatever came to me. When my eyes finally opened it registered that it was just my son jumping up and down on the bed. He giggled and I pulled him on the bed while tickling him.

“Mama said to wake you for breakfast.” He was still laughing. After a while I picked him up and we left the room. In the living room Jack and Daleyza were having a stare off.

“What’s going on here?” I ask trying to figure out what this was about.

“Why don’t you tell me, Ace? why is she here? the enemy… really?”

Without a warning Daleyza released a punch toward his stomach. He groaned as he held his stomach.

“It’s too early for this nonsense.” I mutter as I walk toward the dining table. I put Aiden in his chair and call Daleyza and Jack to the table. “Can we talk after breakfast. I really don’t have the energy to get into this right now.”

Breakfast was awkwardly quiet. Daleyza and Jack kept giving each other death glares. I ignored them and focused on my son. After breakfast he got ready and I dropped him at school with Daleyza while giving Jack some time to calm himself. He’s too hot headed to deal with sometimes.

“Why is he here?” she asks after a long silence on the drive back home.

“It’s always been like that with us. He pops up from time to time or when we call him for a job.”

“I don’t trust him.”

“But I do.” I challenge her and she quiets down. I park the car and before I could even say something she sprinted out of the car. I sigh and exit the car as well. As I make a move for the elevator Jack calls me to my office so I head there.