AllFreeNovel
Share Us
What the hell is wrong with me? He should be the last person I want to see in a crisis like this, but he’s the only person I can see that I couldn’t stand being apart from. My adrenaline begins to shake my body in powerful tremors from sitting still. I know this won’t get any better unless I can run a couple of miles in one direction— preferably as far away from this house as possible.
“Follow me.” He grabs my hand and I wipe away a tear I didn’t notice until it blurred my view of Adrik. We run down the hall past two lifeless men in pools of blood. I cover my mouth with the free hand I have as the possibilities of what horror might await us downstairs, flood through my mind.
“Don’t look.” He whispers in a very protective way, a way he hasn’t spoken to me before, not like this. He pulls me close to his chest, arm around me as we step around things he shields my eyes from, and then we’re at Vince’s office doors and gunshots pop off outside like a full-out war is transpiring. I don’t look in that direction as my entire body shakes with fear.
“Tell Vince you’re here. Quickly.” He whispers, knocking on the door and nodding to me.
“Vince? It’s Espie. Please, let me in!” I cry, body shaking as tears leak from my eyes. We wait for a moment and then the door unlocks, and he grabs my arm, subsequently pulling us both inside and slamming the door behind us. Every lock on the door repositions automatically, and he turns around, looking us both over.
“What the fuck are you doing with him?” He pulls out a .225, pointing it right at Adrik’s head, he raises his hands in surrender.
“I can explain.” He assures as Vince tilts his head for me to get out of the way. His round clicks into place with the flick of his finger, and he cocks more adamant than before. I shake, conflict brewing within me at the thought of losing Adrik all over again by Vince’s hands. But then there’s this part of me that tells me to let it be, to stop protecting him because he did the opposite to me. I can’t listen to that, though because it’s clear he’s risked his life for me to be here. That he isn’t with the Bratva outside, fighting with our boys.
He tilts his head to me, eyes steady, unwavering, that protective intent brimming behind them.
“It’s okay.” He whispers and my bottom lips quiver, fresh tears welling in my helpless eyes that he seems pained by. I don’t want him to die, definitely not. Whatever has happened between us, is nothing compared to the pain in my chest at the thought of losing him. I know Vince won’t shoot him if I’m near, so I will not move.
The clanking of Vince’s impatient gun alarms me, so I whimper, “Vince, let him explain.”, not taking my eyes from Adrik as if looking away will make him disappear.
“He can explain while I point this at him. The second he gives me a reason to pull it, though, I won’t hesitate.”
“Vince.” I cry, but Adrik takes his arm off my shoulder, grabbing my hand and squeezing it reassuringly. I shake my head for him not to do this, not to make me move away from him because I know what will happen if Vince is this angry, and we are desperate for an upper-hand. Vince watches us, his eyes flitting to our hands from his peripherals. He looks like he’s remembering something and for a second, he doesn’t seem angry, but his stance against Adrik remains the same.
“Go.” Adrik nods behind me, and my jaw shakes as a quiet sob escapes my mouth.
“No.” I cry, hot tears, frightened and fervent, just as much as my shaking voice.
“Espie.” His eyes get glassy as he whispers this, and I've never seen him with this amount of pain in his eyes, not enough to leak out of him the way mine does. So, I step back when he lets go of my hand, pressing myself against the wall as he turns back to Vince.
“Alright. What the actual fuck is going on, Adrik? And don’t fucking smart-ass me. Just shoot straight.” He looks like he’s about to make a comment, but decides against it and stands for a moment in thought, terror running across his eyes like a horrid recounting of a memory, and then he lowers his chin.
“My father wants to kill all of you, and take whatever is left of your gang after this is over.”
“My family is in the safe-room a hundred feet underground. They were all in the foyer for a discussion when this broke out. My wife and kids, my brothers and sisters— well, I thought Espie had been brought down by Mac.”
“I think Mac was killed. There was a body by her door.” I inhale sharply, covering my mouth, they both tilt their eyes to me. Adrik’s brows pull together, and his whole face contorts in a pain that looks like he’s sharing mine, and I just want to be held by him. Despite everything, I want to feel the safety of his arms that once felt like a weakness to long for.
“Don’t look at her, look at me.” Vince orders and Adrik turns his head back to him quickly.
“So, why are you here, Adrik?”
“He wouldn’t let me come with them. Said I cared too much about Espie.”
“You wanted to go with him?”
“Only to stop him, and to warn you all. I tried to call—“ he turns his eyes to me. “Tried to get in touch with you to tell you, you were in danger.”
“Adrik.” Vince warns, and he turns his eyes back to him as I try to take steady breaths.
“You conspired against us the entire time you were in Russia. What makes you think I will believe a word you say?”
He laughs indignantly, pinching the space between his brows. “Because I’m here, Vince.” Vince cocks his gun and Adrik raises his hands again. “I’m here.” He repeats softly. “I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t care about…” he pauses. “Can I please talk to Espie?”
Vince’s eyes flit between us, and I beg him with my eyes to allow it. He nods once but doesn’t lower his gun as Adrik turns to me.
“Espie, I don’t understand what happened between us.” Tears are welling in his eyes, and mine are following suit. “I’m sorry.” A tear rolls down his cheek. “Truly, truly sorry. I let my selfishness, and ego, get in the way of something seriously…” he shakes his head as another tear escapes his piercing blue eye and rolls down his pale cheek. “Inexplicable.”
“Well, explain it. Because this gun still has a bullet reserved for you.” Vince interrupts and I glare at him, but Adrik ignores him, taking a step towards me.
