More Power More Hope- Book Three In The United Series

Chapter 4

Max's POV:

I lie on Adam's lap, and I can't move.

The Mogadorian tried to drug me. Instead of fully knocking me out, it just weakened me. It would've knocked me out if Adam hadn't come and saved me.

I shift and sit up. Or I try to, but Adam pushes me back onto his lap. The same thing that Ivan did when the Mogadorians healed my bullet wound after I pushed Ivan out of the way. They only kept me alive because they wanted information out of me.

Adam starts to softly stroke my hair and the memory of Ivan playing with my hair when I was lying on his lap flashes into my head.

Ivan. I wish he were here, with me now. I don't like him as more than a friend, or love him, but he's my friend, and I'm the reason he's dead. I killed him. I wish I could go back in time and change that. I wish I could shoot anywhere but someplace that wouldn't have killed him. His hand. I should've shot his hand.

"We have to look for the others," I manage to say to Adam. It even hurts to breathe. 

"I know," Adam replies. At that moment he gets up, picks me up bridal-style, and walks us to his room.

"What-What are you doing?" I ask him, my voice hoarse. I have cuts and bruises running up my arms and legs and even my face. I'm extremely dirty and the scar on my neck doesn't exactly help. The Mog that tried to drug me didn't just want to bring me back to the other Mogs, he wanted me to be hurt while doing so.

Adam chuckles. "Do you really think I'm going to let you go scavenger hunting for the other Garde in this condition?" He asks. I'd grin but it hurts to move any part of my body.

"Yes," I reply and Adam chuckles.

When we enter his room, my Lumen is still shining dimly, flickering from time to time. On one side of the bed is Ella, safe and sound and curled up in a little ball. Adam lays me down on his bed. I try to get up so I can help him find the other Garde in the mess of what used to be the living room but Adam keeps pushing me down.

After my tenth unsuccessful attempt to get off of the bed, Adam pins me down by my shoulders.

"Do I have to tie you to this bed?" Adam asks me and I force a weak smile.

"That'd help you a lot more, but then I'd punch you in the face," I respond and Adam chuckles again.

"Stay here. Don't leave the room," Adam orders me softly.

Then he leans in close to me and gives me a soft kiss on my forehead. It's not like the kind of kiss that John would give me, it's more like a kiss Percy would give- a brotherly kiss.

Adam walks out of the room after that. I close my eyes and try to take control of my shaky breathig. I'm not sure how he's going to see. Hopefully Marina or John is awake, or maybe someone with a flashlight. 

My eyes snap open as I hear a yelp of pain coming from the living room.

Despite my muscles screaming in protest, I jump up from the bed and rush out the door. I shine my Lumen and point it down the hall, towards the living room. I run there, my legs feeling like they're about to collapse from under me.

After awhile of frantically searching around and just as I feel ready to collapse from exhaustion, Adam almost collides right into me.

He jumps up in surprise and I keep my Lumen pinned on him.

"Jeez, Max, you never follow orders, do you?" Adam asks. I purse my lips and feel a blush of embarrassment start to form on my face.

Adam places his hands on my cheeks, looking me in the eye, dead serious.

"What was the one thing I told you not to do?" He asks me.

"Leave the room," I answer, the blush creeping across my face.

"And what did you do?" He asks me.

"Leave the room..." I look away, obviously blushing. Someone can see the red on my face from a mile away.

Then Adam hugs me.

I hesitate but I hug back. His arms arm protectively wrapped around my waist and my arms are wrapped around his neck. Adam buries his face into my shoulder and I can feel tears dripping from his eyes and onto my shoulder. I squeeze him even tighter.

"I was so worried about you, Max. I went in the room and you were gone, I thought they took you. I lost you once, I can't lose you again," Adam tells me and I nod my head.

"I'm sorry," I apologize and Adam starts to softly stroke my hair again.

"It's fine. Just don't do it again, or I'll really have to tie you to a bed," Adam replies and I chuckle.

After a few moments in that position, hugging each other while Adam strokes my hair, someone next to Adam and I, a male, clears their throat. Then an all-to familiar voice asks, "Woah, what's goin' on over here?"

Six.

Adam and I jump up in surprise and face Six, Marina, and Eight, who are all staring at us. Eight looks confused, Marina looks curious, and Six looks smug.

Oh gods.

"You guys need some privacy?" Six asks Adam and I.

"No. Where are Sam and Malcolm?" I ask them, pointing my Lumen at them. Marina covers her eyes when I point it at her.

"I have night vision, remember? No need to blind me," jokes and I chuckle. Out of the corner of my eye I can tell that Adam is blushing, but he's smiling, too. It's easy to tell that Adam is blushing with his deathly pale skin. Of course, he's not as pale as Nico. No one is.

Six shakes her head but her smirk doesn't disappear.

"Let's go look for them," I reply and Six's smirk widens.

"I'll search with Marina and Eight. Max, help Adam look around," she says. I glare at her and she winks at me.

Does she even know I have a boyfriend?

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