Chapter 5
Moonlight was streaking in through the window, bathing the room in a mystical, silver light. Adrianna was lying on the bed, gasping, biting her lip, her knees shaking on his shoulders. His tongue felt so good, his nine o'clock shadow scraping against the insides of her thighs, the sting making her heels dig into his back. She could feel how close she was, but the man between her legs knew what he was doing, bringing her to the edge and then making her come down again just so he could take her there again. It was driving her insane, making her furious…and yet, she wanted to praise his name.
"God, Lucian," she moaned as her fingers curled into the sheets."Please."
She could feel him growl against her, his charcoal eyes looking up with a flame in them that made her shiver. No one had ever looked at her like that; with such carnal desire.
His hands tightened on her hips, glueing her against his mouth as his tongue delved deeper, moved faster, hit every spot it could possibly hit.
"God, god, gaaawwwd!" she screamed, feeling herself explode underneath his mouth, her muscles spasming as his tongue turned softer, licked slower, sweeter.
When she collapsed, spent, he let go of her hips and kissed his way up her body, his lips rough on her still sensitive skin.
Her back arched when he softly bit her neck; his warm, muscled chest grinding against her breasts.
Threading her fingers though his hair, she kissed his shoulder, wrapping her legs around his hips.
"You taste so good," he growled, brushing his lips over hers. "Warm. Sweet."
She moaned, her hands running over his back, her fingers digging into his strong, tense muscles.
"This is crazy, Lucian," she whimpered. "I don't know you. I don't even like you most of the time."
"Don't you?" he rumbled. "Then why does your heart race every time you see me? Why do you miss me when I'm not around?"
She swallowed hard, shivering as his fingers slid over her legs, legs that were still wrapped around him. "I don't miss you."
His eyes pierced hers intensely, his lips twitching. "You're lying."
"I'm not," she groaned, feeling his hand slide to her inner thigh. "You're mean. And rude. And obnoxious. And fuck." Her mind turned into mush when his finger teased her clit, making her whole body sing. She could feel her soul begging her to give him what he wanted, what she wanted, even though she knew it made no sense to want it. He was a stranger…and yet, when she was with him, she felt more comfortable than she'd ever felt around anyone. She didn't feel awkward or judged; she didn't feel like a Salvatore or The Crescător. She was just a girl…and she longed for him.
"Give yourself to me, sweetness," he growled. "Surrender. You want to. I tasted it."
She groaned, her hips arching, her bare skin rubbing against his jeans. "God, I-"
A loud bang coming from outside the room cut her off.
Cursing under his breath, Lucian peeled himself off her protesting body, slipping on his shirt again.
"Wait here," he ordered, his simmering eyes running over her once more before he stalked out of the room, still cursing.
Sighing, Adrianna tried to regain some common sense...but failed. She knew it made no sense to crave him the way she did…but knowing that didn't make the desire go away. If she was honest with herself, she would admit that she'd wanted him from the moment they'd met and the longer she stayed with him, the worse it got. Every once in a while, she saw glimpses of the man underneath the cold bastard, the caring, sweet, sometimes funny man he seemed determined to hide and it was that man who pulled her in.
Running a hand through her curls, Adrianna rolled onto her belly, biting her lip as she realized she wouldn't deny him any longer. She couldn't. It was as if some deeper, primal part of her demanded she'd give into him and she didn't want to fight that part any longer. Tonight would be the night she'd lose her virginity…to a man she barely knew.
That is, if he ever came back to her.
What is taking him so long?
Patience was not her strong suit.
Frowning, Adrianna slipped on the black, silk robe that had been abandoned on the floor and tiptoed out of the room. She wasn't sure why she'd grabbed her gun on the way out. Instinct, maybe. There was just something inside of her that was whispering silent warnings.
"Lucian?!" she called out as she walked down the impressive staircase, deactivating the safety on her gun. "Where are you?!"
The floorboards creaked underneath her bare feet as she sharpened her senses, listening…
"Lucian?!" she yelled louder. "Talk to me!"
A light flipped on in the living room and she was like a moth to a flame.
An armed moth, be warned.
Her finger already on the trigger, she walked into the illuminated room, her trained eyes immediately taking stock of every nook and cranny…but there was no one there.
Tiny alarm bells were starting to go off in her head, her stomach turning.
Who the hell turned on the light? Something isn't-
A creak behind her made her turn in a swirl…and then, her heart dropped.
Cocking the hammer, she felt sweat trickle down her neck as she took in the sight before her. Dimitri Rodchenko was standing right there…but so was Lucian, with a knife to his throat.
"Hello, detective Salvatore," the man said, his Russian accent coming through the american. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you face to face."
Adrianna tried to stay calm as those green, malicious eyes slowly slid down, to her bare legs. She used his temporary distraction to search for a clean shot…but there wasn't any. Lucian was too broad and Rodchenko used that to his advantage, hiding from her bullets behind Lucian's huge posture.
Swallowing hard, she caught Lucian's gaze, trying to communicate that everything was going to be alright…but she could tell by the darkness in his eyes that he didn't believe her.
"Rodchenko," she hissed. "You have no idea what you're doing and who you're doing it to. You really don't want to piss me off. "
"Don't I?"
"No, you don't. Let go of him right now or I'll hunt you-"
"You're already hunting me," he cut her off, smiling a vicious smile. "Did you really think I wouldn't notice, detective? Did you really think there would be no consequences?"
"Someone has to hunt you!" she snarled. "You're a fucking murdere-"
She swallowed her insult when he tightened the knife against Lucian's throat.
"He has nothing to do with this," she snapped. "This is between you and me."
"Oh, I wish it was, but you brought him into our business and now, I have to take him out of it. You did this."
Those eyes that haunted her nightmares intensified on hers, a spark in them that made her sick…and in that moment, she knew.
"No!"
Lucian's charcoal eyes widened on hers a second before the blade ran across his throat.
"Lucian!"
Rodchenko dropped him like a piece of trash and even though she had a clear shot on him now, she let go of her gun and fell to her knees, pressing her hands against Lucian's throat, trying to stop the bleeding…even though she knew she couldn't. His jugular was cut clean through, blood pumping out of his body with every passing beat of his heart.
"No! God, no!"
What have I done?
"It's going to be okay," she lied, her heart screaming out, her soul pleading with however was on the other side to spare his life. She couldn't lose him. Not him.
God, please, not him.
"It's going to be okay, Lucian," she whispered again, tears dripping from her chin as his eyes grew unfocused on hers. "Hold on. It's going to be okay, it's going to be okay, it's going to be-"
"-okay?" A familiar voice mocked. "I don't think so."
Adrianna looked up at where Rodchenko had been standing only seconds ago. He was gone now; replaced by a woman with raven hair, bright blue eyes and an amused grin on her lips. Her eyes wide, she tried to wrap her mind around what she was seeing.
Her hair.
Her eyes.
Her lips.
"You did this," her mirror image said, her eyes turning black. "Did you really think there would be no consequences?"
Adrianna woke, panting, her heart racing out of control. She could feel sweat trickle down her body, could feel the sheets stick to her damp skin. Closing her eyes, she tried to erase the nightmare from her mind…but in the darkness, she saw him, lying on that floor, bleeding, dying-
Sitting up, she tried to catch her breath, staring at her trembling hands. She could still feel his blood seeping through her fingers, could still smell that coppery scent in the air and for the first time, she missed the days when she couldn't remember her dreams.
Did you really think there would be no consequences?
Cursing, she got out of bed, slipping on the black robe that hung over the armchair. It was still the dead of night, but she knew she wouldn't sleep a wink anymore and if she stayed in that room, she would only drive herself crazy. So, instead, she headed downstairs, hoping Lucian's private bar was still fully stocked.
"It wasn't real," she softly reminded herself as she walked down the giant hallway, pushing back the nausea. "He's fine. Lucian's fine. It wasn't-"
She trailed off when the most beautiful music came drifting towards her. The first thing that came to mind was that Lucian's butler was a closeted virtuoso, but then she realized it was well into the night, so he'd gone home by now. She didn't even think about the possibility that it could be Lucian since he was never home when she was. After she'd confronted him about his attitude a week ago, they'd been working together again and he'd agreed not to shun the house just because she was there...but he still only came home when she was already asleep and left before she was up. She wasn't sure if he was doing it on purpose or if that's just how a club owner lived, but either way, it was strange to see him in the middle of the night, sitting behind a piano in a room packed with books, playing so beautifully it took her breath away.
Staying very quiet, she watched him through the crack in the door, his fingers dancing on the keys. The room was completely dark, the only light coming from the moonlight that was streaking in through the floor-to-ceiling window. The silver glow enveloped him, made him look even more magical than he already looked to begin with...but there was something different about him tonight, too. For the first time, Adrianna saw a softness in him, a vulnerability she hadn't seen before. As he played, she could see every emotion he felt on his chiseled face. This was him when he wasn't putting on his mask, when he wasn't trying to hide from the world...and it was heartbreaking. She saw such sadness, such pain inside of him. All she wanted to do was go to him, wrap her arms around his chest and make it go away. She didn't know why, but deep down, she had a feeling that only she could make that hurt disappear, that only she could give him peace. It made no sense, she knew that, but something inside of her was screaming to go to him, to push that door open and-
The music stopped abruptly and when her eyes slid up from the piano to his face, she realized what had disturbed him.
She had.
"I-I'm sorry," she stammered, pushing the door open completely. "I heard you play and I-"
"Did I wake you?" he asked, his voice low and rough.
She shook her head. "No, I just had a nightmare and I couldn't fall asleep after-"
After watching you die.
She swallowed hard, wrapping her arms around herself.
"What was the nightmare about?" he asked, those eyes piercing hers so intensely her mind flashed back to the good part of her dream. She could practically feel his weight on top of her, his lips on hers, his tongue in her mouth-
"I don't really want to talk about it," she whispered, praying he hadn't noticed her skin flushing.
"Are you sure?"
She just cast him a little smile as she nodded at the piano. "I didn't know you played."
He seemed to understand the subtle clue and instead of pushing the subject, he rumbled, "A little."
"A little?" she huffed, leaning against the doorframe. "That was amazing, Lucian."
He looked away from her...but she could've sworn his eyes had dropped to her bare legs for just a moment on their way back to the piano…and it only made her blush deepen. She was well aware of the fact that she was only wearing a robe and though this should've made her uncomfortable, it didn't for some reason.
"I didn't recognize the piece you were playing. Who wrote it?"
"I did."
She straightened, blinking wildly. He'd said that as if it was no big deal, but she'd never heard a song that had touched her more than his had.
"You wrote that?"
He nodded, his jaw setting for some reason.
"Lucian, it's beautiful." She frowned, watching him as he hastily gathered the sheet music...as if he wanted to hide it from her. Why was he so opposed to her seeing this new side to him. "It's also sad."
His hands stilled, his eyes hard on the piano.
She knew she was pushing her luck, but she still heard herself whisper, "Did you write it for her?"
His eyes snapped back to hers, confused. "Her?"
"The woman you needed The Gomorrah Codex for. The one you want to protect."
He sniffed, shutting the lid of the piano with a loud bang. "You shouldn't talk about things you know nothing about."
"So, enlighten me."
He froze for a moment, but then, his eyes turned hard again and he snapped, "Goodnight, detective."
He started to move towards the second door in the back of the room and she knew she should just let him leave. He was clearly not in the mood for company...but she was. Especially for his company. When he was in the room with her, she could feel the memory of that nightmare fade. He was safe, alive...not dead, on a floor, because of her.
"Wait." She'd whispered the word so softly she was sure he couldn't have heard...and yet, he stopped, his back still turned to her.
"I won't bring her up again," she promised, seeing his body tense even more. "I'm sorry. It's none of my business. But, could you stay? I know it's stupid, but I don't really want to be alone right now."
She noticed his hands balling in fists by his side, but he didn't move.
"Please."
He let out a deep sigh the moment she uttered the plea, his head dropping before he spun around and snarled, "Fine."
She smiled, entering the room. The wood beneath her feet was suddenly replaced by soft, warm carpet and before she could help herself, she started imagining being laid down on that carpet, curling into it as Lucian trailed his tongue up her back-
Stop!
What the hell was going on with her? She'd never been one to be ruled by lust. That's why she was still a virgin! While her friends had all swooned at the sight of handsome men, she'd always kept a clear head. No one had ever really effected her in a physical or even an emotional way...until Lucian. But why? She didn't even know him?
Trying to get her mind of its current path, she walked around the room, running her expert gaze over the array of books. He was an ever bigger bibliophile than she was. And he clearly felt the same way about bookcases. All of his books were stacked, too; scattered randomly.
"Are all these yours?"
"No," he said, cocking an eyebrow. "I open my house up to strangers so they can store their books here."
She laughed, surprised. "Was that a joke, Mister Nox?"
He seemed as shocked as she was, blinking wildly before looking away again.
"I see now why you lock your rooms when you're away," she said, crouching down in front of a pile of valuable book. "Put together, these are probably worth more than your house. Definitely more than my apartment. Where did you find them?"
"I have my contacts."
"Let me guess, none you want to share with a cop?" Her lips curled knowingly when he didn't answer. "You know, technically, I'm not a cop right now. I'm suspended, remember."
"But you'll be a cop again soon enough."
"True," she said, her smile dropping a little when she added, "At least for a few more months."
"What do you mean?" he rumbled.
"My family are-" good vampires who protect humans from rogue vampires. "-private security contractors of a sort. When I turn twenty-five, I can finally join the firm."
"You don't seem thrilled about it," he said, his brows pulling together.
She shrugged. "I am, but I love being a detective, too. And I'll miss the people here."
I'll miss you.
The thought had popped in her head from some dark corner of her mind, knocking the wind right out of her. She would miss him? No. That made no sense. How could she miss him?
Why do you miss me when I'm not around? she heard Lucian whisper in her dream again, practically feeling his fingers on her legs.
Clearing her throat, she sat down at the piano, feeling his eyes on her.
"Who taught you to play?" she asked, changing the subject again.
"I taught myself," he rumbled, leaning against the wall beside the window, his arms crossed over his chest.
"With me, it was my mom," she said, opening the lid of the piano again and playing a tune of her own. "One of my first memories is with my mother, sitting beside her on a stool like this one, listening to the music she created." She smiled at the memory. "My brothers and I always say our mom playing the piano was the soundtrack to our childhood."
"Must be nice."
The way he'd said that made her heart clench in her chest. Something told her his childhood hadn't been as happy and warm as hers…
"What about you?" she asked, getting up from behind the piano and moving to the window. The world outside was quiet, peaceful, beautiful. The full moon above painted the tips of the trees, the dew on the grass. "Any brothers? Sisters? Weird cousins?"
When he didn't answer, she looked away from the postcard outside and found him watching her, his eyes running over her in a way that made her skin sizzle...but when his eyes moved up and met hers, the spell was broken and he looked away again, rumbling,
"I have more family than I care for."
"You don't get along?" She asked, trying to make her heart return to its normal pace.
"To say the least."
"So, you don't see them?"
You're pushing it again, she thought, watching him as he moved to a stack of books by the unlit fireplace, grabbing the bottle of scotch that was perched on top of it.
"Can I have some of that?" she asked, hating the loaded silence that had fallen over the room.
He didn't answer, but he did pour two glasses instead of one.
When he handed her the scotch, he held the glass at the very edge, as if afraid she'd touch him...but that made no sense. Or maybe he was a germaphobe? No, she would've noticed that before.
"It's not an option," he said when she raised the glass to her lips.
"What isn't?"
"Not seeing my family," he rumbled to her surprise. She'd been sure he was going to change the topic…or walk out. "My two brothers and I are sort of in business together, so we have to be around one another."
"Oh," she frowned. "I thought you worked alone."
"Unfortunately, no. We each have our own responsibilities. Some have nicer ones than others."
"You don't like yours?" she asked, noticing the destain in his voice.
He shrugged, drinking from his scotch before rumbling, "It doesn't matter what I like."
"It should."
She saw his lips twitch as his eyes lost that hard edge to them for just a split second.
"I get why you don't like it," she continued when he didn't speak. "You leave the house before the sun comes up and you leave your club when the night is already pitch black. You spend your days in the dark."
"I'm used to the dark," he growled.
She frowned, her heart aching for him. No one should ever be used to darkness.
"You can't talk to your brothers and find something else to do? I mean, you share the business. You have an equal say."
"You would think so, right?" he gnarled, a dangerous glint in his eyes.
She cast him a little sad smile, hating the defeat and anger she saw on his face. It didn't suit him. He was Lucian Nox. He oozed power, even danger. Why would he just make peace with his faith?
"Why don't you fight them? Demand a different position within the company?"
"It's not that easy."
"Okay," she whispered. "Then why don't you get out?"
"Get out?"
"Do something else. Sell your share of the business and move on to something you do love. Write music. Play the piano."
"It's not-"
"-that easy?" she finished for him. "Yeah, you said. But aren't the best things in life hard?"
He sniffed, taking another gulp of his drink. "You're twenty-four. Wait 'till you're my ages and then talk to me about life."
She flinched at the unexpected insult, looking away from his dark eyes. He probably didn't realize he'd hit her where it hurt, but that didn't make it hurt any less. Growing up around vampires, even around her brothers, she'd always been the sweet, naïve little human. And, apparently, Lucian saw her like that too, which stung more than it should've. Besides, who was he to talk? He couldn't be that much older than her. He was maybe thirty, but certainly not older than-
"I'm sorry," he suddenly rumbled, drawing her gaze away from her feet and back to him. She wanted to glare at him, look stern, but that damned silver light coming in through the window made him look so beautiful and sweet.
"I didn't mean to be so harsh," he said, his fingers tightening on the crystal glass. "I just... It's not good to dream."
She let out a deep sigh for him, her eyes melting on his. "Who put that in your head? You should always dream, Lucian."
"Why?" he gnarled. "What does dreaming get you except heartbreak and disappointment?"
"Happiness," she whispered, taking a step closer to him. "Something to live for. I mean, what do you want? More than anything?"
She watched his jaw set, his eyes darkening on hers.
"Come on, everyone wants something."
"It doesn't matter. I can never have it."
She frowned, casting him a little teasing smile when she sang, "You're Lucian Nox. I was under the impression you could have anything."
She saw his Adam's apple bounce…and then, his eyes dropped to her curling lips. One look and she could feel her mouth go dry as other parts of her grew wet, her mind trying to cope with what was happening...but instead just going blank. Without looking away from her lips, he took a step closer to her, making her entire body vibrate. The air between them grew even thicker, electricity crackling through the air as her mind flooding with memories of that dream, memories of his hands on her skin, his lips on her neck, that stubble on his jaw scraping against her belly and in that moment, she wanted nothing more than to feel all of that again, right there, in that room. She wanted to rub her thighs together so badly, put out the fire that was raging there, but she couldn't move. He'd never been this close to her, close enough to see that glint in his eyes, to feel his breath on her face. His jaw was locked, his broad chest pushing against the white dress shirt he wore, his charcoal eyes blazing. He looked angry, furious even; his body taunt, as if he was preparing to run... But God, she prayed he wouldn't. She was entranced by him; by everything about him. His scent, his beauty. She could feel herself drowning, falling into something greater than herself. Hearing her breathing turn into pants, she pulled her lip into her mouth-
And then, he was on the other side of the room. She'd never seen any man move that fast and that was coming from a woman who'd grown up in a house filled with vampires.
He stood with his back turned to her, his body tenser than she'd ever seen it, those big hands balled into fists again.
She got the message. Share-time was over. It had taken him longer than she'd expected, but she'd known from the start that he would have enough eventually. She practically throwing herself at him had probably been the last straw. Why had she done that? Why had she embarrassed herself like that?
He made the first move, a little hopeful voice whispered in her head.
She ignored it, emptying her scotch and putting the empty glass down on the fireplace mantel.
Should I apologize?
She decided against it and instead headed for the door, praying the generous serving of scotch she'd just downed would help her body relax…although she doubted it.
Her feet slowed down the closer she got to the door and then, before she could stop herself, she heard herself say, "I don't think we should work together anymore."
Hades listened as she moved behind him, his body still trying to come down from its Adrianna-induced high. She'd been so close, too close and she was so damned sweet. Never had anyone told him he deserved better than the hand he'd been dealt. Never had anyone tried to help him find a way out of his misery. Never had anyone thought it mattered what he wanted. Not until her. And as if that wasn't fucking irresistible enough, she had to look the way she did. Who looked that gorgeous just waking up? The second he'd seen her in that robe, he'd wanted to take her, right there; on the fucking floor, against the wall, anywhere he could have her… He had no idea where he'd gotten the strength to walk away just now, but if she didn't leave the room soon, he wasn't sure he would ever let her leave.
"I don't think we should work together anymore."
His body tensed even more as he pressed his eyes shut at her words. He'd finally done it. He'd scared her. He'd always known it was only a matter of time before she would come to her senses and realize she was better off staying far away from him. Him almost ravaging her right now must've been the last straw. He had no idea what he'd looked like, but if he'd looked anything like he'd felt, it was no wonder she wanted to run for the hills.
"Agreed," he said, his voice barely recognizable. He could practically hear the monster in his words. "You're still staying here, though." Where it's safe. "But I'll work on Rodchenko alone just like I wanted to do from the get-go and sleep at-"
"No."
He mentally cursed at the heavens. Nothing ever came easy with her… Taking in a deep breath, he went against his better judgement and turned to face her again.
Fuck.
Now, Hades had spent his entire existence around goddesses-literally goddesses- but their beauty didn't even come close to the way Adrianna looked that night, standing in the middle of his library, with moonlight wrapped around her body.
Trying to calm his raging lust, he gnarled, "No? You just said yourself-"
"-that we shouldn't work together anymore, yes. As in, you shouldn't work on the Rodchenko-case anymore."
He sniffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "You and I both know you have a better chance at catching this guy with me than you do without me."
She sighed and for the second time that night, he noticed a hint of fear in her eyes. He'd seen it when he'd asked her about the nightmare before and there it was again, clear as day.
So, the nightmare was about Rodchenko.
"I don't get it," he growled.
"Don't get what?"
"Why you're so afraid of Rodchenko. I know he's a monster, but I've seen the other cases you've worked on and you've dealt with your share of monsters before. What is it about him that scares you so much?"
"It's not that I'm scared of him. It's that I-" she trailed off, shaking her head. "If Rodchenko finds out I'm still on this case and that you're helping me, he'll come after you. You know that, right?"
"Wait," he gnarled, afraid to believe he'd understood her correctly. "You're worried about me?"
No, that couldn't be the case, right? No one had ever worried about him. Surely, she'd meant it as some sort of-
"Off course I'm worried," she whispered, making his heart ache for her even more. "Rodchenko isn't someone to be trifled with."
He smiled at that. True, he was mortal now, but that murdering idiot would never get the better of him, human or not. He was fucking Hades. "I can handle him."
"You say that now, but you have no idea-"
"I've read the files, remember."
"And you think that gives you an insight into his sick mind? You have no clue, Lucian," she said, her cheeks flushing with anger. "I've stood over the bodies of the women he butchered, of the witnesses he slaughtered...and I won't stand over yours. I can't."
You should leave, his common sense urged. This is getting dangerous.
No, the demon disagreed. Stay. You want to stay. You want her. Besides, she said so herself; You're Lucian Nox. You can have anything. So...have her.
"Salvatore," he gnarled. "Whatever you dreamt, it was just a dream."
"It was an example of what can happen if you stay near me, that's what it was."
"Please, stop worrying about me." Before I lose it.
Suddenly, she started walking towards him again, closing the distance he so needed. He wanted to move away, but his feet wouldn't obey his orders, so he just stood there, watching the love of his immortal life come closer and closer.
When she finally stopped within arm's length of him, the warmth and sweetness in her beautiful blue eyes almost brought him to his fucking knees.
"Please, Lucian," she whispered. "Don't make the mistake of underestimating Rodchenko. I made that mistake once and three girls are dead because of it."
"That wasn't your fault," he snarled, cursing at the guilt that had overtaken her beautiful blue eyes. "Rodchenko killed those girl. Not you."
"It was my job to stop him after he'd killed the first girl. I failed."
"You will get him."
"But at what cost?"
He frowned. "What do you mean?"
She sighed, swallowing hard. "You asked me before why I'm so afraid of him. The truth is, I'm afraid because I think the only way to stop him is by doing the one thing I swore I'd never do."
"Kill him," Hades growled, seeing that dark truth in her eyes. He could see how much she hated even considering that path...but she was considering it.
"Since I became a cop, I've gotten my man every single time," she said. "Tracked them, booked them, got them convicted. But with Rodchenko...I have nothing. Only this gut feeling that it's him. That won't hold up in court. I've been working tirelessly on this case, spend hours going over every detail, worked with both you and Gabriel on it and so far I got nothing. All the girls went to his club days-or even hours-before they died, but next to your club, his club is the most popular place in town. A judge will dismiss that as evidence before it even hits his desk and while I'm trying to find a legal way to stop him, he's out there, free to kill another girl," she paused, her eyes softening again as she whispered, "Free to kill you."
He heard that demon inside beg again as he drowned in those blue depths. "You're not a killer, detective."
"Everyone's a killer if the right buttons are pushed."
"Not you," he growled. "And you really don't have to worry about me. Like I said, I can handle him."
"But you shouldn't have to," she said. "I got you involved in this and I couldn't stand it if-"
She trailed off, shaking her head.
"If what?"
She sighed, flushing. "Nothing. Never mind."
"No," he rumbled, recklessly taking another step closer. "Finish your sentence. You couldn't stand it if...?"
She stayed silent for a long moment before whispering the words that would mean his downfall.
"I couldn't stand it if I lost you."
And then, Hades just stood there. How was he supposed to deal with that? How could he walk away, leave her, when she looked up at him with those big, blue eyes and whispered those words to him?
He couldn't.
Feeling his muscles tremble, he took another step closer to her, closing the last slither of air between them. And then, for the first time, he spoke the name that had been engraved in his heart for millennia.
"Adrianna."
Adrianna inhaled a sharp breath.
He'd said her name.
Not detective or Salvatore.
Her actual name...and never had it been spoken so raw and tender; desperate and angry. And his eyes... Those dark abysses made her drown into something she couldn't see or touch, but feel all the more. When he looked at her like he was looking at her now, she felt like the world around her disappeared until all that was left was her and him. Never had a man looked at her the way he was looking at her. She wasn't sure what that glint in his eyes was, couldn't name it. The word that came closest to describing it was hunger. Having someone look at her like that-having him look at her like that-was the strangest, most exhilarating sensation she'd ever felt in her life. Her entire being tingled. She'd never felt this out of control, this helpless...and yet, completely safe.
Suddenly feeling overdressed, she waited for him to speak again, but it remained silent, as if he'd simply said her name to hear it slip from his lips. She could see his chest rise and fall in time with hers and before she could stop herself, she reached out for him. She knew she shouldn't, but the pull towards him was just too much. She couldn't resist him…
When her fingertips brushed over his shirt, she noticed his muscles flexing even more; as if she was causing him physical pain by touching him…but she still couldn't stop herself. She wanted more. She needed more.
Swallowing hard, she pressed her palms against his chest, feeling his growl ripple underneath her hands before it slipped from his lips. Her hands lingered there for a long moment, feeling his heart thump, unsure of what would happen next. The way his eyes had darkened on hers, she was sure he would shrug off her touch at any moment.
But he didn't.
He stayed right where he was.
Knowing she was playing with fire, but unable to stop herself anyway, she slowly slid her hands up, brushing them over his broad shoulders, his thick neck, feeling every muscle she touched tense underneath her fingertips…But it still wasn't enough. She wanted his hands on her, his fingers on her skin. She wanted him, she needed him more than she needed her next breath.
"Lucian?" she whispered, her voice sounding far away.
He didn't answer, his jaw locked tight, his hands flexing beside his hips. Everything about him was screaming danger, was warning her to turn and run... but she couldn't. Whether he wanted to kill her or kiss her, she was a willing victim.
"Touch me." She had no idea where this surge of courage came from, but suddenly, there was no more filter between her heart and her mouth. Some new female part of her had taken the wheel and she could do nothing but let go and enjoy the ride.
"Please," she breathed when his expression grew even more tormented on hers. "Please."
An unmatched rage seeped into his eyes as she begged…and then, she felt his arm sneak around her waist. The second he touched the small of her back, slowly pushing her against him, she melted, holding back a moan. She could feel every hard plain of him now, every rough edge, every rise and fall off his chest. Her curves clicked into his hard edges, as if they were made for each other.
Bombarded with sensations, she drowned in his scent, his touch, the growls that slipped from his lips. Her toes curled as she slid her hands up until her fingers were embedded in his thick, raven hair. It was a soft as she'd imagined, making her body scream out for even more contact, more exposure, more… Just more. And somehow, he knew. His eyebrows pulled together tightly, he grazed his fingertips over her jaw, her cheek, tracing the curve of her ear. His angry eyes followed his exploring fingers, watching them as if he wanted to chop those bastards off for what they were doing...but he didn't stop.
"Adrianna," he groaned, his hooded gaze dropping to her lips.
He's going to kiss me.
Two voices went to war inside her mind. The prim and proper girl that warned her not to get involved with this enigma of a man and the inner primeval woman that urged her to dive into the unknown and give into him.
"God," he gnarled, his thumb skimming over her bottom lip and pulling it from between her teeth. "I should go."
"Don't," she breathed, curling closer against him, her fingers tightening on his hair. "Stay."
His eyes flared...and then, his hand cupped her cheek and he leaned forward, slowly. It was terrifying, exciting, all her senses centering on him. Her rapid heartbeat echoed in her ears, her knees trembled. For a moment, she was sure she was going to pass out, feeling lightheaded...but then, he pressed her hips closer against him, making it so she could feel the way she was affecting him and with that discovery came a strange rush of confidence. It was a new experience for her to feel pride about giving a man a hard-on, but that's exactly what she felt. Pride. Here was a handsome, smart man...and he wanted her. A lot, apparently. A hint of fear crept through the haze of lust when she realized that this kiss could lead to so much more, to things she'd never done before...She softly prayed her lustful mind was exagerating the size of what she felt pushing against her, because if it wasn't, she was in for a world of pain.
Just when she felt herself starting to panic, his nose brushed over hers, making her fears vanish. His lips were so close, close enough to feel the heat coming off them. She knew that if she leaned in just a little, she would finally taste him...but she didn't dare move. This was all new to her. She'd never wanted a man like she wanted him and she was afraid that if she moved even the tinniest bit, she would somehow break the spell they were under and screw it all up.
"Adrianna," he whispered again, his warm breath feathering her lips. "You should stop me. Please, you should-"
The sound of something shattering to pieces in the hallway broke the spell and then, it all happened so fast she didn't even realize it had all gone to hell until Lucian was storming out of the room, snarling, "Stay here" and she suddenly found herself alone...and frustrated.
Hades walked away from her, feeling his body beg to turn back around and finish what he'd started. What she'd started.
Touch me. Please.
He rubbed his eyes, trying to get rid of that soft voice, begging.
What the hell are you doing, idiot? he scolded himself. You almost kissed her! And you wouldn't have stopped there! This isn't the plan! Stick to the fucking plan!
Hades shook his head, jerking the door to the hallway open...and when he saw where the noise that had cockblocked him had come from, his demon took over.
The front door was destroyed, its wood scattered all over the floor. One of his guards was lying motionless on the front steps; another one halfway down his hall. He wasn't sure if they were dead or unconscious, but quite frankly, it didn't matter either. The only thing of importance was the woman in the room behind him. Whoever had burst into his house was clearly too strong strong to be human, so they were either there for him...or for her.
"Lock up behind me," he snarled over his shoulder, making sure not to look at her when he closed the door. He knew she would look flushed and sweet...and his heart couldn't take that right now.
Okay, he thought, forcing himself to redirect his focus from Adrianna to the situation at hand. Where are you, you fuck?
Slowly, he moved forward, listening for any sign of an intruder...and he didn't have to listen long.
"Where is she?"
Hades turned, glaring. The fact that he hadn't heard the two men sneak up on him proved they weren't men at all. No human could've taken him by surprise like that. And they didn't look very human for that matter, either. Not that they had horns or fangs, but as a god, Hades could sense power...and these two things were made of power. They were about the same height, same built, same piercing glare...but while one was dressed in a suit and clean shaved, the other wore jeans and a simple shirt, his jaw covered in a nine o'clock shadow.
"Where is who?" he snarled, acting dumb.
The two raven haired creatures widened their stance, something dangerous simmering in their brown eyes... Their familiar brown eyes. Had he met these things before? Were this two of his demons? Had Zeus gone back on their deal and send them to kill Adrianna?
"We know you're keeping her here," the one wearing jeans hissed. "We can smell her."
Definitely demons.
"Last chance," the other one gnarled.
"I will tell you this one more time. I have no idea what you're talking about." He took a step closer to them, matching their glare. "And even if I did know, there's no fucking way I would let you anywhere near her."
"You're outnumber and outmatched," suit-vamp pointed out.
"Outnumbered, yes. Outmatched... I wouldn't be so sure."
"You have no idea who you're dealing with."
"Neither do you."
"Just give her to us."
"That's never going to happen."
"We will find her. Work with us and you will not be harmed."
"Leave now and you will not be harmed.
The demons exchanged an amused, shocked look. He knew why he amused them so much, off course. They though he was just a simple human, unaware of what was really going on.
"Fine," the unshaved one hissed, taking a threatening step forward. "Be an idiot. But don't say we didn't give you a way out, you stupid -"
A soft click behind him made the demon trail off…and Hades knew exactly what they were staring at.
What use do I have of soundproof rooms if she's just going to ignore my instructions and walk straight into fucking danger?!
The second the first demon moved forward, towards her, Hades growled and then slammed into the monster...quickly regretting it. Hitting that demon's chest was like hitting a ton of cement. He could feel his bones shift, screaming out, but he refused to back down. This wasn't about winning anymore, this was about distracting. If they focused on him, Adrianna had a chance to get away, to put some distance between her and those animals.
As he'd expected, the second demon came to his partner's aid, grabbing Hades' jacket and the next thing he knew, he was being propelled through the room, only stopping when his body hit an unmovable object in the form of a solid, brick wall.
So this is what pain feels like, he thought as he tried to scrambled up from the floor. As a god, he'd never experienced mortal pain…and he had to say, he didn't care for it very much. His ears were ringing, his body was screaming out and for some reason, the room was actually spinning.
But then he saw her.
Being dragged away by one of those fuckers.
And just like that, there was no more pain.
Only rage.
Fuming, Hades jumped up, running towards her, watching her eyes widen on his…but rage was a tricky emotion. While it was true that it made pain vanish, it also made common sense do the same thing. See, in the back of his mind, he remembered that the guy dragging her away wasn't alone; that there was a second guy, but he hadn't taken that into consideration before moving towards her. He was so driven by rage; so focused solely on getting that fucker's hand of her arm, that he'd forgotten all about monster number two…until he doomed up in front of him and landed a well-aimed punch to his kidneys.
Doubling over, Hades tried to catch his breath, tried to draw oxygen back into his lunges...which was made even harder by Adrianna who suddenly fell to her knees in front of him, her hands cupping his face.
What is this crazy woman doing? Why can't she just run for the fucking hills?
He wanted to tell her she should go, but before he could say anything, she looked over her shoulder at the two demons, hissing, "Are you two out of you goddamned minds? You could've killed him!"
The demons just stood there, a strange look on their faces. Why were they looking so guilty all of a sudden? And why wasn't Adrianna scared? In fact, why was Adrianna still there? If they'd wanted to take her, they'd had every opportunity to do so by now.
"We're sorry," the one in jeans said, a confusing softness to his voice. "You have to understand, when we called you on your cell, you didn't pick up-"
"It's five in the morning!"
"You always pick up, no matter the time," the other one jumped in, his voice as warm as the other one's.
"I was busy!"
"Obviously."
Hades noticed her tense for a moment as the men's eyes ran over her, making her blush. Swallowing hard, she dropped her hands from his cheeks and got up, running her palms over the short robe as she snarled, "You two come in here, behaving like bulls in a china shop, hurting the man who's been helping me and now you stand there, insinuating things you have no idea about?! Screw you, Killian! And screw you twice for letting him drag you into this, Asher!"
Killian?! Asher?! he thought, getting up from the floor, too. Oh fuck, please let that be a coincidence and don't tell me they're-
"My brothers," Adrianna confirmed his fear in a soft voice before addressing her siblings again, cursing in Italian. Now, generally everything sounds more beautiful in Italian, but Hades understood every word she was saying and there was nothing even remotely beautiful about the cusses that slipped from her lips.
That's why their eyes looked so damned familiar. They're the spitting image of Elena's.
"We thought you were in trouble," the one in jeans cut off her insults, casting her a guilty look. "We thought he was holding you here against your will-"
"And did you think to run that theory by anyone, for example Maggie, Asher? Maybe before you came storming in here like a GI-Joe on steroids?!"
"Okay, we get it," Killian said, raising his palms in a surrendering gesture. "Sorry."
"It's not me you have to apologize to!" she hissed.
"We made a mistake, man," Asher mumbled, his eyes still suspicious on Hades'.
"A mistake anyone would've made," Killian added, fixing his cufflinks. "Why didn't you just say-"
"That's not an apology!" Adrianna fumed. "I swear, you two-"
"They don't have to apologize," Hades cut her off, making her glance over her shoulder at him again.
"Like hell they don't!"
"I'm fine," he rumbled. "And I get it. They thought their sister was in danger and they acted-"
"-like idiots?" she fumed.
"-on instinct," he corrected, giving her brothers a tight nod. "We're good."
Adrianna huffed, softly mumbling men under her breath before she focused back on her siblings, asking, "What are you two doing in town, anyway?"
"It's Maggie's birthday in a few days and she invited us to her party," Asher explained. "We decided to come a little early and see what our baby sister is up, too. Apparently, she's up to a lot."
Adrianna rolled her eyes, sighing. "Okay, you know what, I can't deal with this right now. Tell me about it in the morning."
"It is morning," Killian pointed out.
"You know what I mean. I'm exhausted. Text me where you're staying and I'll stop by tomorrow-"
"We're not leaving you here," Killian cut her off, making her body tense again. "You're coming with us."
"Brother," she gnarled. "I love you, but you don't get to tell me what to do anymore. I'm a big girl."
"And I understand that," Killian said, his eyes sliding back to Hades. "But we don't know him and I'm not about to leave my baby sister, alone-"
"Hey," she cut him off, glaring. "I've been getting by just fine without you two watching my back. Now, I appreciate the concern, but I am very capable of making my own decisions and I want to stay with Luc-"
"You should go with them."
Hades hated the words that had come out of his mouth...but he wasn't going to take them back. He wanted to, he really did. He wanted her to stay...and that right there was the problem. If her brothers left and she stayed, he was sure he would pick up where he'd left off in his library. He could already feel his hands itch to touch her again, his body urging him to get rid of her brothers right now. It was the adrenaline. Seeing her being dragged away from him earlier had awoken some primal instinct in him and right now, all he wanted to do was feel her against him and know she was safe, bury himself deep inside of her... And he couldn't do that. Ever. So, instead of telling her brothers to shove off and claiming her, he said again, "Go with them."
His heart broke at the look she threw his way. Those beautiful blue eyes were so filled with confusion and, God help him, pain. She thought he was rejecting her by choice, that he didn't want her. She had no idea...
"You want me to go?" she asked, her voice confused and hurt.
No. I want to throw you over my shoulder, cary you upstairs and make love to you until our bodies can't take it anymore.
"Yes."
"There," Killian said. "Problem solved. Now can we-"
"Yes?" she whispered, ignoring her brother.
"Okay," Asher jumped in when a long, tense pause fell. "Killian and I are going to wait outside. Let us know what you decide."
"What?" Killian snarled. "No, I'm not-"
"Shut up, mister Tact," Asher mumbled as he shoved Killian to the-destroyed-door. "Just go."
Adrianna's eyes hadn't left Hades' once, but she still somehow sensed when her brothers had left, because the second they were out of sight, she said, "I don't understand."
"What is it you don't understand?" Hades snapped, hating the way her voice trembled. "Wasn't it you who was suggesting just a minute ago that we shouldn't work together anymore?"
"That's not the only thing that happened a minute ago," she whispered, taking a step closer to him.
He took a step back, making her eyes grow even more sad. "Yes, it is."
"That's not the only thing that almost happened a minute ago," she tried again.
He sniffed, pulling up his nose in a disgusted gesture. "Let's just forget about what happened tonight. Or almost happened."
"Why?"
He sighed as if she bored him, barking, "Look, you were right, okay. We shouldn't work together and it's probably best if you leave, too."
"Really? 'Cause earlier you were saying that even if we didn't work together, I should still stay-"
"But now your brothers are here and they can look after you."
"I don't need anyone to look after me," she said, stubbornly. "That's not why I was even here in the first place. I came here because you threatened to tell my sergeant that I'm still working on Rodchenko and you didn't take me in to protect me, but because you knew that if Rodchenko came for me, you could catch him. I'm bait, remember. You said so yourself."
"Yes, well, Rodchenko clearly isn't taking the bait, so I really have no use for you."
She flinched as if he'd slapped her in the face and yet, he didn't apologize. He couldn't. She had to leave. He could already feel his demon scratching at the surface, crawling through his blood, trying to make him forget about this cruel plan to push her away and instead keeping her with him. Forever. He didn't know how much longer he could keep fighting that demon...or himself.
"So, that's it?" she asked, frowning."We just...go our separate ways?"
"Yes," he growled, his heart aching. "Your brothers are waiting, detective."
It was at the 'detective' that he saw the pain in her eyes morph into anger. He watched as she shook her head, those raven curls brushing her shoulders, trying his best not to remember what those black tendrils had felt like earlier, pouring through his fingers...but failing. He should've walked away the second she'd come into that library, in that robe, her rich scent overtaking his senses, her fingers brushing his chest, touching his neck...
"Yeah," she suddenly hissed, bringing him back to the harsh reality. "You're right. I should go with my brothers. Bye, Nox."
She walked away from him without another word and Hades just stood there, in the middle of his destroyed hallway, his insides twisting as he heard an engine fire up outside and then tires squeaking...
Tires that took her away from him.
Forever.
"So, you're really not speaking to us?"
Adrianna sat in the back seat of Killian's Aston Martin, staring out the window, watching the sun come up as her blood boiled. An hour ago, she'd been in heaven, holding Lucian, feeling his heart beat against hers and now, she felt like ripping that cold heart right out of his chest. How could he have gone from almost kissing her to calling her 'no use' in the space of ten minutes? It couldn't have had to do with her brothers, right? Sure, they'd behave like idiots, but that was no reason to hurt her. And that's exactly what he'd done. She hated to admit it, even to herself, but he'd actually hurt her.
"Addy-"
"Don't call me Addy, Killian," she snapped, casting her eldest brother a glare. "You know I hate that."
"Do you hate us?"
Adrianna sighed, cocking an eyebrow at Asher. "No. How could I possibly ever hate you? Either of you? I just wish you two would stop thinking of me as your fragile, little sister and trust me every once in a while."
"We do trust you, sis," he said, turning in his seat to cast her one of those warm Asher-smiles. "But we'll never stop seeing you as our fragile little sister. At least not until you're a vampire, like us. Until then, you're a human in a world of vampires and you don't seem to understand that-"
"I understand it, Asher!" she snapped.
"Good," Killian jumped in. "So, you understand that the closer you get to your twenty-fifth birthday, the more you'll attract supernaturals off all kinds, right?"
"Right," she said, frowning. "But let's say I didn't-"
"You smell, sis," Asher explained, wrinkling his nose.
"I smell?" Oh, God. Please don't tell me I stink. No wonder Lucian-
"Not to humans," Killian clarified to her relief. "But supernaturals can smell you an hour away. And you smell good."
"Okay, creepy much?" she snarled, cocking an eyebrow. "You're my brother."
"I didn't mean it like that," Killian growled. "You just smell like sunshine and warm blood, which means every vampire will be drawn to you. Other supernaturals probably smell it too, although to them, you'll smell like something appealing to their own kind. It's a Crescător-thing apparently. It will vanish once you become a vampire or once you've done the Crescător-ritual with someone, but in the meantime, supernaturals will be drawn to you and even though they might not realize you're The Crescător right away, they'll sure as hell take you somewhere to figure out what it is that makes you special and once they do-"
"How do you know all of this?" she asked, really not in the mood to hear the end of that sentence.
"We did some research," Asher answered, shooting her an apologetic look. "We're only looking out for you."
"Okay," she snapped, not really appreciating the invasion of her privacy. She suddenly felt strangely exposed. "So I smell good. So what? I haven't run into trouble yet, so the effect can't be that strong."
"Or you haven't run into supernaturals yet."
Switching her gaze back and forth between Killian's eyes staring at her in the review mirror and Asher's, she snapped, "Do mom and dad know this?"
"Do you think you'd still be here if they did?" Killian asked in that strict Killian-tone of his. "Dad would've dragged your ass back to Italy already."
"And mom would've helped," Asher said, shooting her a wink.
Her lips twitched as she shook her head. Her brothers were alike in many ways. They were both enforcers of good, tracking and hunting rogue vampires; they both had raven hair and soft brown eyes and they both valued family over anything else. But that's where their similarities ended. Whereas Asher was the casual one, the playful one, the one bringing home girl after girl; Killian was always serious, to the point, focused. In fact, she'd never once seen Killian with a woman. He was always working, always on some mission. Asher gave him a hard time about that, but Adrianna understood. She was a lot like Killian. She'd always had a one-track mind, too. She focused on work, on getting the bad guy and nothing else...until Lucian.
"So, when you said you came here a few days before Maggie's birthday just to see me, you meant-"
"-we came here to warn you, yes," Asher said. "We really want you to have your own life Adrianna, but it's only a few months until your birthday. Why can't you just come home now and be safe? Why take the risk?"
Because of Lucian.
She shook that thought away, instead saying, "I have one more case to finish here and once I do, I'm on the first plane out. I promise."
"Can we help with this case?" Killian asked.
She shook her head. "No, this is something I have to do on my own. If we use any short-cuts, a court of law won't convict him and believe me, this is one guy who needs to be put away for good."
"Well, if you decide you do need help-"
"-you two are the first people I'll call," she said, smiling...until the car stopped and she saw where they'd taken her.
To her apartment.
Her shot up apartment.
If her brothers saw the mess in there, if they knew she'd almost died, her parents wouldn't be the ones dragging her back to Italy.
"Wy don't we go to Maggie's?" she tried when Killian turned off the engine. "I'm sure she'd dying to see you guys."
"At six in the morning?" Asher pointed out. "If I remember correctly, she's not exactly a morning person."
Right. They know her.
"Okay, well, how about we go have some breakfast, then? There's this great diner a few minutes from here-"
"Great idea, sis," Asher said, opening his door. "But you should probably get dressed first."
She glanced down at the black robe she was still wearing, mumbling, "Right." And when she looked up again, her brothers were both out of the car already and inside her apartment building.
"Crap, crap, crap," she hissed, following them inside. "Hey, listen, we could go to-"
"Did you get a new door?"
Adrianna looked up from her feet, almost tripping on the last step when she glanced at the spot where her wooden door used to be. Another door had replaced the wood, an envelope sticking to it.
"Uhm, yes," she lied, confused.
"Good call," Killian said, handing her the envelope. "That piece of crap was barely a door. This thing is much safer." He knocked on the material, saying in an approving voice. "Stainless steel. Nice."
Frowning, she tore the white paper open, dropping the contents of it in the palm of her hand. A pair of strange looking keys and a business card fell out, making her confusion grow even more.
"Okay, enough standing around," Asher asked, grabbing one of the keys from her hand. "I don't feel comfortable standing here like this, out in the open."
Before Adrianna could protest, Asher had opened her door and both he and Killian had gone into her apartment. She stayed in the hallway for a moment longer, waiting for hell to break lose inside, trying to come up with some ulterior explanation for why her apartment was shot to hell... but when no reaction whatsoever came, she followed them inside to see what was going on...and then froze the second she entered.
"Still no tv, huh?" Asher said, sitting on her couch.
Her clean, fixed couch.
Nothing in her apartment gave away that it had been a crime scene only a few weeks ago. There was no blood, no glass, no damage on the floor from where the couch had scraped over it. The lights she'd shot to pieces to make it harder for the sniper to see his targets, were now lid, bathing the room in a soft light. And her windows, which had been shattered all over her floor, were now perfect. Her heart racing, she all but ran to her bedroom and found her bed back where it used to be instead of propped up against the window. There were no bloody bandages on the floor either, left over from cleaning the wound in Lucian's side. Everything was exactly the way it had been before that sniper.
For a moment, she wondered if the police had fixed it for her, but she'd dismissed that idea pretty quickly. They wouldn't go to such lengths for her...and the city didn't have nearly enough wiggle room in the budget to get this done.
Shell-shocked, she walked back into the living room to find Killian inspecting her windows.
"I see you finally took some of my advice," he said.
"What do you mean?"
"About the previously nonexistent security in this place. You've made some great improvements. The steel door, the alarm system-" she followed his eyes to the alarm that now hung beside the door. "-the windows-"
"What about the windows?" she cut Killian off, her heart doing a double take again.
"Well, they're bulletproof," he said, running his finger over the window frame. "And good quality, too. This must've cost you quite a penny. I'm impressed."
"But still," Asher said, pointing at the empty space above the fireplace. "You know what would look good up there? A plasma tv. Just saying."
Killian reacted to that, saying something about tv being a waste of time, but Adrianna had stopped paying attention, her mind racing. Who had done this? Who had the resources to make it look like her apartment hadn't been a crime scene? To get her that new door? A state of the art alarm system? Bulletproof windows? And all without asking her for a dime? It couldn't have been her parents. If they'd known what had happened here, she would've never heard the end of it. So, who?
Her eyes fell back to the business card that had been in the envelope, taking a closer look. She'd never heard of the security company before, so that wasn't a big help, but when she turned the card over and read what was written there, she got all the answers she'd been looking for;
Sir,
I hope everything is up to your specifications.
If not, please, let us know.
I hope we can work together again in the future, mister Nox.
Sincerely,
Argent Inc.
Lucian did this? she thought, her confusion reaching epic proportions. Why would he do this? I was only bait, right? So what's with the door, the windows, the alarm?
He's trying to keep you safe, that little hopeful voice whispered in her ear again. Maybe that's why he really wanted you to stay at his place, with his guards.
But he just kicked me out.
After saying that 'now your brothers can look after you'. Doesn't that imply that he was looking after you before?
"Earth to Adrianna!"
Jumping, Adrianna looked up from the card, focusing back on the two men who were now staring at her with worried eyes.
"Are you okay there?" Killian asked.
I'm not sure.
"Uhm, yeah," she whispered, making a decision. "But I'm actually going to have to skip breakfast. I totally forgot I have an early briefing back at the station, so I should really get dressed and go."
"Fine by me," Asher said, jumping to his feet. "This is my first mini-vacation in years, so I'm going back to the hotel, watch some tv, maybe spend some time with that blond receptionist who checked us in."
"TMI, brother," Adrianna said, waving her hands to shut him up. "Do whatever you want, just never tell me about it."
Asher laughed while Killian's lips only twitched. In Killian's case, that was the closest thing to a laugh, though. He wasn't the LOL-type of guy.
"Dinner later?" Killian asked, heading for the door with Asher.
"I don't know, yet," Adrianna said, not sure where this day was going to take her. "I might have a late shift. But I can definitely do breakfast. Is that okay?"
"Sure," Asher answered, winking. "We don't sleep, remember. Breakfast, dinner, lunch, it's all the same to us."
"Good," she said, heading for her bedroom. "Oh, and guys?"
They both looked at her, already halfway out of the door.
"I'm really happy to see you both. Despite your Alpha male entrances, I still love you idiots."
"We love you too, Addy," they smiled, leaving the room before she could snap not to call her Addy.
And she didn't have time to go after them.
She had a plan.
A plan that involved a bikini, a convertible and a whole lot of nerve.
Hey guys! I'm so sorry that it took me this long to update! If you follow me on Twitter ( LustAndLoveFF) you know I didn't forget! I just didn't have time to write this month, but I'll update quicker from now on! Promise!
I hope you enjoyed this chapter! It was a damned b*tch to write, I'll tell you that :-D! The emotional/hot stuff is the hardest. Please, drop a review and let me know what you think. It's what motivates me to keep the story going!
X LustAndLove
