AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Iwalk out of the front entrance of the academy, and every muscle in my body turns tense.
Damien Vazquez, Adrianna’s father, is getting out of an armored SUV. I try to keep my cool, continuing my path toward the woods down by the ruins, where evidently I’d hope to bump into Adrianna.
Oak mentioned only yesterday that Adrianna was being pulled from the academy early, but I didn’t know it was going to be this early. I feel panic rise inside of me as I really thought I had longer to figure this all out. There’s no way I can let her go that easily, and yet trying to force her to stay when her father is here is suicide.
Damien Vasquez is renowned for being the most ruthless cartel boss of all time. He is insane and bloodthirsty, which means if someone gives him a reason for him to murder, he’ll take it.
The air is warm at this time of year as spring closes in on summer and it’s the perfect weather for a stroll by the stream. Adrianna needs to know that her father is coming to take her early from the academy, but she wasn’t in her room and won’t reply to my texts, which isn’t anything new since we had that argument during spring break.
When I get to her special spot, I’m thankful when I see her sitting on the stone I found her sitting on before. Her head is in her hands and I’ve never seen her look so small before as I approach.
“Am I interrupting?” I ask.
Adrianna’s dark eyes find mine, and she shakes her head. “No, have a seat.” She looks at the rather uncomfortable looking rock next to her. I’m surprised she doesn’t make any kind of smart remark.
“I’m okay standing.” I don’t really want to get too close to her, still burned by her reaction to me telling her I cared about her. “What’s up?”
“My father is here to bring me home for Spring Break, even though I told him I’m not leaving the academy early.”
“Yeah, it’s why I was looking for you. And I text you about three times this morning. Oak told me yesterday that your father intended to pull you out before graduation. Although I didn’t know he was coming today.”
Her expression turns serious. “I assumed you wanted to talk about…”
“About the kiss and then you telling me it meant nothing?”
She nods.
I shake my head. “No, you made yourself pretty clear the last time we spoke.”
“I’m sorry. I was harsh.”
Her apology is something, but it changes nothing. It doesn’t mean she feels something that she insists she doesn’t. Even after that kiss after combat training, that felt like my world was being turned upside down. It’s hard to believe that she didn’t feel the same, but I’m done trying to convince her otherwise.
“You sure you don’t want to sit?”
I swallow hard and move to sit next to her, even though it’s hard being this close to her after three weeks apart, and not touch her.
“So, what are you going to do about your father?”
Her lips purse together. “I don’t want to face him. I fear he might have learned the truth.”
“How?” I ask.
Adrianna shrugs. “I don’t know, but you found it out, so it can’t be that hard.”
I nudge her shoulder, trying to break the ice. “Are you saying I don’t have skills?”
She doesn’t seem in the mood for jokes, as she turns her attention back to the flowing stream. “I’m saying I don’t want to go to Mexico. I told him that on the phone that I can’t leave the academy early, and now he’s here.” She shakes her head. “My father has never been here, not even when I was first enrolled at ten years old.”
I clench my jaw. “And that’s why you think he knows?”
She nods.
“There’s only one way to find out, baby girl.” I forget completely that she’s not my baby girl anymore. When we’re together, it’s just so natural. Adrianna doesn’t seem to notice, too preoccupied with her father’s arrival.
“If he knows, he will kill me.” She looks vacant as she stares at the flowing water. “Family or not.”
“I don’t believe that,” I say, knowing that despite the Vasquez Cartel being one of the most ruthless, blood is blood.
