Oleander - Bucky BarnesxOC

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO: BECAUSE YOU'RE MINE

CW: Smut, choking, spit kink, daddy kink, light bondage, drunk sex.

Any translations are always at the bottom of every chapter.

"How do you want to do this?" Steve asks as he lights a cigarette.

They're sitting in the back of the hotel bar at noon. The place is almost empty, save for a few people having business meetings near the front. Staff is minimal, and everyone is on their best behavior now that James and Steve are here. James told them not to check on them unless he or Steve signal that they need another drink. They both sip their whiskey.

James is in the middle of a text to Dahlia while Steve scrolls through Tinder.

Pick you up tomorrow night at work at 6:00. Security detail will be outside of my house all weekend. We'll be safe. Rebecca is staying with me tonight. I've given her the rundown on everything that's going on.

There's still a chance that Walker could come after them again. It's not a big chance, but it's enough for James to be concerned about leaving Dahlia on her own. When he called Sharon to let her know what was going on, she immediately sent over two of her private security people. Former CIA. They're the best of the best, and that's exactly what James needs right now.

He's been taking care of Dahlia all week, making sure that she still trusts him, that she believes him. It's very important for him to keep up this facade until he can tell her the truth. And he will. He'll tell her everything. He's working his way up to the kind of honesty that he needs to give her. James has spent most of his life lying.

But he will tell her. About his father, about how he actually started to rebuild Barnes Towers, about everything. For the first time in his life, James wants to be completely honest. He's just not sure he's ready yet, and Dahlia might not be either.

His phone buzzes.

[Dahlia 🌸]: I can't wait. I love you.

I love you too. How's your afternoon?

[Dahlia 🌸]: Not bad. Your security people are taking a walk around the shop.

Tell them to buy something or go sit in their fucking cars. If they've got a problem, they can take it up with me.

[Dahlia 🌸]: 😂 I will!

"I called Belova. Told her what we were going to do. She wants in. She's pissed about her shipment. She had to placate some Russian gangsters when she didn't show up with their coke."

"By placate, do you mean, she fucking killed them? I saw the news. It was a fucking bloodbath."

James shrugs.

"Six of one, half a dozen of the other," he says with a sigh as Steve pushes the pack of cigarettes toward him. Belova's business doesn't concern him. Whatever she needs to do to control her empire is fine by James, so long as he doesn't bring a war to his doorstep. Steve stares at him.

"You look stressed out."

He almost never smokes unless he's stressed out, but this week has pushed him to his limit.

"I am," he confesses. It's the most honest he's been in a long time. "Dahlia is... fucking freaking out and I don't know what to do."

"What did you tell her? About the accident?"

James sighs. He hates lying to her, but the lies fall out of his mouth so easily that he just goes with them. Sometimes, he almost believes his own bullshit.