[ The fact is, Steve's still too valuable to waste his bonded. Sure, there's quite a few people who'd like to dump his body in a goddamn ditch, but it doesn't help them out that much if Steve's incapacitated with grief, or if he follows. So they try to keep things as "normal" as normal can be, and it leaves them with very little choice about some aspects of punishment, even when they'd like to have them.

What's worse, is that no matter what Rumlow'd done - after what he'd done to Bucky Jesus, Steve's still drawn to him. That should've been enough to break the bond, but it wasn't, and that aches like a sonuvabitch. ]

That's why you were so hesitant. Because when you were worried about STRIKE alpha, you meant they would have killed you.