Adler | The Aces of St.Sinclair BOOK 1.

Bradford | A THIRTY FIVE

A/N: This chapter is dedicated to juyeonsleftnipple and extra_tings. I'm grateful for every single vote you've given to Adler, thank you so much!

Ashton and Liam were trigger points each time I'd cross them. I'd stop and forget everything I was doing for a brief second, then recoil. I wondered if I had any effect on them but it may have been wishful thinking. They both looked perfect without me. I guessed that was why they said three was a crowd.

Then what was I when grouped with debatablely the most stuck up boys in the entire academy?

It was the scheduled appointment with Charles Bradford, who would hopefully clear the mystery on Ivanov's source.

Ben was absent, apparently busy with a homework assignment which Will translated for me meant he was with a girl. Or two. Despite this, Garren didn't care to drag him along and claimed our destination wasn't a place a monkey like Ben could be comfortable in.

That had me anxious. A place Ben would oppose to?

It only added apprehension to my own assumptions on where this supposed great techie would be lurking.

The last thing I expected was to have Garren's chauffeur direct the car into a serene, woodland residence with a Gothic landscape laid on the stretched grassy planes. There was even a bell tower with a chapel nested beneath it. I read what was painted on the large sign: HARVEY JULLIARD'S SCHOOL FOR BOYS

I'd found the building familiar and now it clicked. I'd seen it on the website, it was a nationally acclaimed Christian school that branched at the top right of elite by St. Sinclair. They normally didn't allow students to participate in any events that weren't for nonprofit organisations. They ran under a strictly giving, charitable protocol. Too pure for this twisted world to understand. I'd definitely had chosen to enroll here if I was a boy and would've undoubtedly had an undisturbed, Adler-free school life.

To imagine I would've wanted that before.

"Charles is a student here?" I guessed as I tailed the boys to walk along the entrance granite steps.

"Yes." Garren said.

"And you're sure he's a reliable option?"

"You suspect someone who attends a school like this to be involved with a shady, underhanded crook gathering people's secrets to plot against them?"

"No. I just don't see why he'd want to help you."

There was a snicker from my side before it was speedily covered. Will cracking a smile was nice to glimpse after the sour expression he'd been harbouring on his face hidden under a hoodie. Garren narrowed his eyes at my remark but he couldn't deny my query was valid.

From what I'd heard, this guy wasn't even a friend to them and if this Bradford was as good as a student as he was tech savvy, serving the Lord or not, it was downright crazy to aid a demon. And Garren was the closest thing I knew to one.

"Charles Bradford is a careful guy, maybe even more than me." stated Garren. "But he has weaknesses that blinds his sound judgement and I so luckily happen to be in custody of one of them."

"And what's that?"

"Let's just get this over with." Will cut in, quickening his pace and surpassing us. It was like he suddenly got even moodier.

Garren merely shrugged. "You'll see for yourself."

I didn't appreciate being the only one left in the dark. Nevertheless, I followed after.