Bound

By S.N. Garza

Inspired by the song 'Cop Car' by Keith Urban

**For mature readers due to explicit sexual content, graphic language, violence for some scenes and some parts may be particularly disturbing. **
A story of tragic pasts colliding, finding a friendship that turns into searing passion, and a love strong enough to last forever.

Courtland spent his childhood watching his mother turn tricks and bow to her abusive pimp. It taught him a lot about relationships and how never to get involved in one. When he meets sweet Adelaide, his life is forever changed. Her gentle personality has his thinking maybe his vow to never commit is misplaced. Until she disappears out of his life.

Adelaide knew the only way to escape the darkness she’s lived her life in, is to go back to the one place that’s haunted her dreams. Home. Reuniting with Courtland is the last thing on her mind until she becomes helpless to his every kiss. Hopeless to his ever touch. And no matter how far she tries to run, her heart is irrevocably bound to him.

• Language: English
• Publisher: S.N. Garza
• Release date: May 14, 2014
• ISBN: 9781311196163

S.N. Garza

I am a 37 year old wife and mother of two who lives in a small country town in southeast Texas. I work during the day at Chilis Bar and Grill. I write dark, deeply emotional stories weaved with erotic romance that leaves you wanting more. My debut novel is Love Came Back & my best selling book & series, is The Billionaire’s Baby, book one in my Nauti Billionaires of Houston series. It is all sexy passion with an alpha hero who’ll sweep you off your feet.

Book preview

BOUND

A BOUND HEARTS NOVEL, #1

Copyright © June 2014 by SNGarzaBooks

Revised July 2022

By S.N. Garza

COVER ART: SNGARZA

Photo: canstockphoto(dot)com

All Rights Reserved

Smashwords Edition

This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, duplicated, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior written consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the work of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, business establishments or locales is entirely coincidental.

BLURB

Courtland spent his childhood watching his mother turn tricks and bow to her abusive pimp. It taught him a lot about relationships and how never to get involved in one. When he meets sweet Adelaide, his life is forever changed. Her gentle personality has him thinking maybe his vow to never commit is misplaced. Until she disappears out of his life.

Adelaide knew the only way to escape the darkness she’s lived her life in, is to go back to the one place that’s haunted her dreams. Home. Reuniting with Courtland is the last thing on her mind until she becomes helpless to his every kiss. Hopeless to his every touch. And no matter how far she tries to run, her heart is irrevocably bound to him.

Playlist

Cop Car- Keith Urban

Follow Your Arrow- Kacey Musgraves

Halo- Beyoncé

I Want It That Way- Backstreet Boys

Only God Could Love You More- Jerrod Neimann

Broken- Lifehouse

Invisible- Hunter Hayes

Missing You Now- Michael Bolton

Gotta Get Away- Anthony Galloway

Til M Last Day- Justin Moore

Haunted- Evanescence

Mirror- BarlowGirl

Cowboys and Angels- Dustin Lynch

Touch- Josh Abbott Band

Losing My Religion- R.E.M.

Come Wake Me Up- Rascal Flatts

Red- Taylor Swift

Need You Now- Plumb

For You- Staind

Walk On the Water- Britt Nicole

When You Say Nothing at All- Alison Krauss

Somebody’s Hero- Jamie O’Neal

Let It Go- Idina Menzel (Frozen Soundtrack)

I Can’t Love You Back- Easton Corbin

Settle for a Slow Down- Dierks Bentley

I Wanna Love You Forever- Jessica Simpson

Truly, Madly, Deeply- Savage Garden

Table of Contents

Copyright

Blurb

Playlist

TW Page

Prologue: Courtland

1: Adelaide

2: Courtland

3: Adelaide

4: Courtland

5: Adelaide

6: Courtland

7: Adelaide

8: Courtland

9: Adelaide

10: Courtland

11: Adelaide

12: Courtland

13: Adelaide

14: Courtland

15: Courtland

16: Adelaide

17: Courtland

18: Adelaide

19: Courtland

20: Adelaide

21: Courtland

22: Adelaide

23: Courtland

Epilogue: Courtland

Taken Cover

Taken Blurb

BOBS

About the Author

TW

I’m just letting everyone know, this story’s heroine, Adelaide, has a very dark past. It’s not explicit in detail, but there is a dark theme when she flashes back to the past. Otherwise, Courtland is all that is sweet and amazing and shows her exactly how she can be loved, treasured and cherished.

Prologue: Courtland

Let’s go! She whispered-yelled at me.

‡

If there was one thing I knew to the depths of my soul, I knew Adelaide was the girl of my dreams. Underneath her glasses, her eyes were still rimmed red from tears she must have shed. As a preacher’s daughter, she had so many boundaries. She called, begging me to take her somewhere she could breathe. She got into another argument with her dad. She didn’t tell me what it was about, but she called me from a payphone, begging me to pick her up. Told me she couldn’t take it anymore. So, I dropped everything and went to her.

>>But first, a little background story…

I got emancipated at seventeen. My mother was a drug addict and a prostitute. My father? Who the fuck knew? Probably her pimp. He paid for everything she had and when she didn’t give him what he wanted, he beat the shit out of me, but did she give a fuck? Ha. Only in a dream world where good mothers existed. All the pent-up bitterness and frustration from my past, sent me down a spiraling path of fighting and making things harder for myself than they should be. I got out as soon as I could and traveled until I wound up in a small town, where an old man who owned the only car garage in town, decided to give me a chance, but it didn’t stop the brutal rage simmering underneath the veins.

When Joe, my boss, told me to start working it out on a punching bag, I did. It was that or be fired and be even more of a loser than I was. I’ve lived in Granville for five years now, took about three to get my rage under control. Now, after those five years, it’s just a dull blur in the back of my mind.

I met her two years ago when JR, my best friend and her cousin, invited me to dinner at his parents’ house. There she was. Pure sunshine and brilliant blue eyes. The first time I made eye contact with her, it was like seeing someone’s heart shattering. There was a pain and desperation in them that only one who understood could see. So, I didn’t make eye contact with her any more than necessary. At first, I didn’t give a shit. The girl was fifteen and one, I had no business dealing with little girls, and two, my home life sucked enough ass, that I didn’t want any more stress weighing me down. I was one of those guys, parents didn’t want to meet. Rough around the edges and a dirty mechanic that had ink covering most of his body. I was tall and built like a brick. When Joe and his wife took me in, I stated I was going to pay my way, but that didn’t stop them from helping me get my own little efficiency home on the outskirts of town. Basically, a four-room shack that wasn’t much, but it was mine.

Like I stated, JR’s my best friend and she’s five years younger than me. I never hit on her, or flirted with her, because I respected the hell out of her. Not just because she was a preacher’s daughter. She’s the sweetest girl I’ve ever met. JR always talked about how big of a dick his uncle was even though he was a pastor. How he treated his wife and daughter like property or some shit. Sometimes JR could get Addy to talk about it, but after a while, she just stopped.

Over the next two years though, she came over to JR’s parent’s more often. Sometimes she tagged along with us when we went out. She wasn’t like those annoying teenage girls who always talked your ear off or tried flirting with me like some chicks did when they wanted my attention. I was pretty sure most chicks saw me as a challenge. The bad boy who was good in bed, but not good enough to wed. Yeah, that saying was totally reversible, ladies.

She wasn’t very talkative in the beginning, but after a while in our company, her eyes began to light up with happiness and I knew I didn’t want to see her any other way. She came alive and became playful, but in an innocent, sweet, girl-next-door kind of way.

Even though there was a gap in our ages, we became close friends. She also stopped at Joe’s Garage whenever she walked home from school to hang out. Mostly, she watched me fix cars. She’s the type of girl who gave with her whole heart. She had to have made JR give her my birthdate, because for the last two years, she showed up at the back door of the small house I rented, bearing gifts.

I got a cake, when I’ve never had a birthday cake in my entire fucking life, and a gift she made. First one was a shell necklace that beach-bums and teens wore, but since she made it and put a lot of thought into it, I only took it off when I showered. Last year, she came over to my shithole and cooked me dinner. I didn’t know what she told her parents, but she was at the house for hours. She totally made my house shine like it was brand new and cooked deep-fried chicken, cornbread, boiled potatoes and corn on the cob. Never had a meal that tasted so good. Those simple gestures counted a lot to me. There’s not anything I wouldn’t do for her. She had my complete loyalty. Even got her name inked on my chest. Because JR had done the same, I put his name on my shoulder blade along with Joe and Mildred. They were the only people I trust implicitly. I’d do anything for them.

But I’d die for her.

>><<

So, when Adelaide called me on the prepaid cell phone I had, I dropped everything and went right to her. I told her to stay on the phone, raced over to Joe and said I needed to leave for a family emergency. He knew the only family I had was JR and Adelaide. This was the first time in five years working in Joe’s Garage, that I told him I needed to leave right then and there.

He looked me square in the eye and saw I was dead serious. He nodded, told me he hoped everything was okay and I bolted. I never called in because I couldn’t afford to. He took a chance on me when I was a know-nothing, shitty fucking attitude, poor boy from the wrong side of a big city and I thanked God every day that he did. He became some sort of father figure I didn’t know I needed. He and his wife, Mildred, were good people.

I walked out of the garage and put my ear back to the phone. Addy, where are you?

"I am so sorry, Courtland. I just didn’t know who else to call. I couldn’t call Uncle Chet. He’s dad’s only brother and twin at that. But I just can’t… I feel like I can’t breathe. I wanna disappear. So bad. Please. I am at the corner—

Corner? What the fuck you doing on a corner? I couldn’t keep the building anger rising within me, but the small whimper she released had my gut clenching tight.

I walked to the front of the neighborhood. I’m inside the Stop-N-Go, on the payphone. Could you come get me? I just need to— I don’t know. I just need—, She didn’t even finish before quiet sobs started coming through the earpiece.

I’m in the truck, baby. Stay calm. I’ll be there as soon as I can. Stay in the light and where the owner is. I’ll come in and get you.

Okay. Courtland?

Yeah, babe?

Thank you. Her voice, filled with sadness and tears, cut me to the quick. A rage settled inside me like I’ve never known. No one was allowed to make Addy cry like that. Somehow, I knew it was really bad this time. No one ever knew what they argued about, but Addy just seemed to pale and grow sadder as of late. I decided right there and then that I hate Geoffrey Hunter with every fiber of my being.

Anything for you, Adelaide.

JR and Adelaide were my family. Even though I grew up not knowing a damn thing, I was loyal to the bone when it came to them. I felt protective as hell over the both of them, too. JR was a year younger than me, and although I didn’t feel like an older brother or anything, I knew he had my back, like I had his.

I made it to the Stop-N-Go in eight minutes, shortening the normal fifteen-minute drive almost by half.

I threw my old Chevy pickup that Joe helped me rebuild, into park. When I got out, I looked inside the convenient store and right into her eyes. Her face looked swollen from crying and I was making my way towards her when she disobeyed me and burst through the door, running to me at full speed, and throwing herself into my arms. I held her tight, so she knew I was here for her. Her tears were soaking up my shirt, but I didn’t give a damn. Every tear was a promise of retribution. I wasn’t letting her dad take any more of the light from her eyes. It must have been really bad. Her body evidently couldn’t take it anymore, because her knees gave out and I swooped her into my arms.

I opened the driver’s side door and lifted her into the middle of the truck. She slumped her head back and closed her eyes. I hopped in and took a drive to the only place I knew that always seemed to help me think and breathe.

There’s an empty field by a small airport on the edge of town, where I parked in front of the ‘No Trespassing’ sign.

Why are we here? She asked through her sniffles.

When I first came to this town, I didn’t know what I would do. After working at Joe’s for a few months, I stumbled on this field. So, whenever I feel like shit or had a bad day, I would come here. Hearing the airplanes take off and land calmed me. All the shit I grew up with, being in and out of juvie, hoping I’d never go to jail permanently. Anytime I ever thought about the shit-life I had before coming here; I’d come here and just watch the planes take off. The sounds often lulled me to sleep sometimes.

Shit. I ain’t ever told anyone that. Not even JR knew I came out here.

Why were you in and out of juvie?

My mother. I was the fault for everything in our lives ever since I was born. I looked right into her eyes, saw not sympathy but curiosity. My mother was a prostitute, Adelaide. I was a mistake, yada-yada.

Adelaide gasped and gripped my arms tightly. Surely, you don’t believe that? I shrugged because, hell, I didn’t ever think about it. I hated looking back into my past, now that I was making a semi-future for myself. Come on, Courtland! How could you be a mistake? You’re a miracle. My miracle.

Whoa. I knew my eyes widened and she smiled her beautiful smile and stepped out of the truck. She walked to the grill of the truck and nodded her head towards the open field.

Even though there was a ‘No Trespassing’ sign, the gate was never locked. Maybe the people thought since it was really out in the middle of nowhere, no one would pay any mind. People see it and drive by. I never went passed it though. I usually had real bad luck but looking at Addy, I didn’t care. She needed somewhere she could breathe, and this was the only place I could think of.

I opened the door, slammed it shut and just shook my head at her. Don’t you see that sign?

Let’s go! She whisper-yelled to me again.

Addy. I try to instill command in my tone, but nope. She sees right through it.

What? I wanna hear the planes. Please?

You can’t hear them from right there, girl?

She shook her head, bit her lip and even though the redness was still around her eyes, they sparkled and glowed with something I couldn’t describe. Mischief? Curiosity? Probably both because there was a spark about her now that wasn’t there before.

Chuckling, I said, Alright. Get back in the truck, law-breaker.

I can’t deny this girl anything she desires.

She giggled and pumped her hands in the air like she won something. Then she ran and jumped back in the cab. Shaking my head and saying a little prayer, I took down the sign and pushed the gates wide open.

I drove us where the grass wasn’t too high and parked the truck. I kept a blanket in the back seat when I would come out here and lay in the bed of the truck. I never went passed the sign because I knew I’d most likely get caught. Bad guys like me had shit for luck. But I didn’t want to disappoint her.

I got out, walked to the back of the truck to open the tailgate and laid the blanket down. I heard her door open and saw her in my periphery, but I went ahead and fixed our little haven before I acknowledged her. I wanted to take stock of myself. Make sure I didn’t disappoint her. My heart was racing wildly in my chest. I get to have her all to myself, even if it’s just for a little while. When I gathered my courage, I turned but didn’t see Adelaide next to me. Instead, she was about ten yards away, staring up at the sky. A plane was coming overhead, and she didn’t take her eyes off it.

I couldn’t take my eyes off her. She’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.

She spread her arms wide and twirled as the plane finally flew passed. It was low enough that the wind, whipped her hair all around her. Adelaide started laughing like I’ve never heard her laugh before. That glow seemed to wrap all around her. It was freeing and innocent. She’s so perfect. Beautiful and caring. And dammit, over the last few years, she not only became my best friend, but she was turning into my everything. My very reason for truly breathing each breath I took.

She stopped when she was facing me again, wearing the biggest smile I’ve ever seen her have and she ran towards me. I caught her and lifted her high into the air. I twirled her in circles just as she did when the plane was flying above us. I couldn’t help laughing right along with her.

Then, I brought her body down mine and her eyes changed. My body felt all of a sudden too tight. Adelaide was the most beautiful girl I knew. Her smiling eyes changed. Became full of longing and I felt at the moment, nothing could ruin this night. The soft look she was giving me, sent a new thrill down my spine. Pure, unadulterated need. Complete and brutal in a way I’ve never felt before.

I smiled and put her on the tailgate before she felt the heat of my desire. I didn’t want to frighten her, and I definitely needed to cool down. I looked towards a plane that was taking off and, in my peripherals, I could see the curiosity twinkling in her gaze as she looked over my body.

I knew what hers looked like. She was short, curvy and had beautiful hair the color of milk chocolate. She wore rectangle glasses on her face that always seemed to tilt to the side. She was adorable and sexy. All that sweetness rolled up in one tightly wrapped package.

I sat my ass on the tailgate and scooted back to lay down on the blanket. I told her to do the same.

Addy?

Yeah?

Now, came the hard part. And not the hardness growing between my legs. No, there was a reason she needed to be rescued. I wanted to know. Maybe, just maybe, she’ll finally share what’s been weighing on her pretty, delicate shoulders for so long.

Adelaide. What happened?

She’s taken aback by my words if the stiffening of her body was anything to go by. I didn’t want to ruin tonight, but I need to know. I can’t fix it if she doesn’t tell me. It’s that, or my imagination will run wild, wilder than it already was, and I’ll go straight to her father and probably take all the rage beginning to simmer beneath the surface and release it. With my fists.

I turn my head and see her eyes losing that happy glow from earlier.

She sighs heavily before asking, Do we really have to talk about that right now?

I leaned up on my elbow and stared right into her eyes. "No, not right now. But Adelaide—

Please, Courtland. Let’s just be happy right now. Be so happy right in this moment.

I guess I can hold off a little longer. Besides, when I pull her into my arms, she doesn’t shy away or hate being there. No, she snuggles more deeply into my chest, as if she can make a nest there and settle. It makes my chest tighten because I’ve never been a source of comfort for anyone.

I want to be that guy for her. I want to be whatever she wants me to be, as long as I can keep her like this.

I put the heavy on hold and start asking her those ‘get to know a person’ questions and then we just stared up into the starry sky, listening to the sounds of planes and machines and it was relaxing. It wasn’t long before Addy was sleeping soundly on my shoulder. Send me to hell if she didn’t fit perfectly in my arms. I felt it, bone deep, all the way to the marrow, that she was made to be in my embrace. I was almost asleep, and I felt my eyes drifting. when I heard the wailing sound of sirens. No fucking way. They were getting closer too.

Man, this is some fucking shit. I whisper, not wanting to disturb Addy, but the good feeling slips away as cops pulled up a few yards from the truck. I shook Adelaide awake and told her to just stay quiet and listen to them.

They started asking questions about why we were here and when I tried to speak, the officer took a good look at me and saw the tattoos. Yeah, that’s all it took. This small town was full of self-righteous sons of bitches. As if tattoos were the sign of the devil. Any niceties went flying just like the planes overhead.

They weren’t playing and threw the cuffs on our wrists quick, telling us to keep our mouths shut. But did Adelaide listen? Sweet-as-pie she tried charming her sweet little preacher’s daughter charm on the officer, but they didn’t fall for it.

But I sure as hell did. If I survived this night, I sure as hell wouldn’t change a fucking thing.

They put her on the right side and me on the left. I didn’t want to cause trouble for her or for Joe, but when she spoke, there was a spark in her gaze that had me totally mesmerized.

Do you think we could make a run for it? It would make for a really great story.

Say what? I stared wildly at her and there was a freedom and fire in her eyes that made me laugh with gusto. For a moment, I couldn’t tell if she was serious or not. The look in her eyes were wild and yet, I could see a pain in them I never thought I’d see. She was hurting. And someone was the cause of that pain. But just as I opened my mouth, a loud bang hit the top of the squad car.

Be quiet!

I whispered, I doubt it, babe. I wish you’d talk to me though. Tell me what happened.

She truly was something else. If we could make a run for it, I would take her away from all this. Go somewhere neither one of us would have to deal with our crap pasts, nor the crap in our lives now. Although mine was getting better. I was finally seeing a light at the end of a very dark tunnel. She was the silhouette waiting there for me. I just knew it.

She smiled sadly before becoming mischievous once more. Winking at me, she tells me, Someday. But for now, let’s have a good laugh.

I lifted an eyebrow and shook my head with mirth. She turned to the open door and got the officers attention.

Yes, young lady?

She put her hand up to her mouth as if she had an actual cigarette and asked, Do you have a light?

Growling, the officer slammed the door in our faces.

She didn’t smoke and I thought it was funny as fuck. I was falling in love with her. Right in the backseat of a cop car. She wouldn’t talk about the reason we came out here, but I would get it out of her eventually. So instead, we sat there talking about nothing and everything while the cops were taking their time with our ID’s. I knew with my background, it didn’t look great but right here, sitting in the back with Adelaide, I didn’t care. She made me feel more alive than anything in this world.

Right then I