Break

Chapter Three

We were back at the compound, after the party - I needed to get out of these clothes and sleep - when I saw Sid on my way to my room.
"Hey, Akeera, you headed to bed?" He asked.
"Yeah, I've got work in the morning, and looks like I'm not gonna get as many hours as I'd like," I laughed humourlessly, running a hand down my face, beyond caring about smudging my makeup.
"Alright, well I won't keep you, just wanted to let you know that the guys dumped the Ashford boy at the city limits. No one will know it was us," he told me. I let out a breath, my eyes were drooping with sleep.
"Ok good, we'll chat tomorrow about a follow up,"
"'Kay g'night."
"Night." I drawled, dragging myself up the stairs to my room. I was barely through my door when I began to lift my t-shirt over head, throwing it somewhere in my room. I'd already discarded my shoes at the door of the house. I didn't bother turning on the light in my room, and headed towards my en suite, to wash my face and stuff, before I passed out right on the floor.

I reached to push the door open, when a pair of large cold hands slid around my waist.

I sucked in a sharp breath, my heart rate spiking, as a chill rolled down my back and arms.
"Where'd you go with that drink of mine?" It was Adrian. I could feel the heat from his chest radiating on my back now. His breath fanned over the side of my neck as he bent to trail his lips along it. My eyes fluttered closed, my heart rate not slowing.
"I'm sorry baby, I got distracted and forgot," I murmured. My hands moved to lay on top of his and my head subconsciously tilted to the side to give him more access. His voice hardened, and his grip tightened.
"Distracted by what?" He bit out slowly. I was unbothered by the underlying threat of his words and answered.
"Just had to take care of a pest - I didn't want to ruin your night with something so meaningless," Someone give me the Oscar for best actress, I've put up with Adrian's bullshit for so long.

The real reason we didn't want Adrian involved was because the two brothers had lost control. They were power hungry and The Nine was slowly losing all the ideologies that it was founded on. We were a resistance, a movement. We wanted justice and we wanted our voices to be heard. But now, we were just a gang of criminals. A body would have been dumped in the Adeline forest instead of a boy at the city limits if Adrian had gotten wind of what was going on.

A deep chuckle arose from his chest. His left hand slid down my thigh as the other went up my arm and round the other side to gather all of my hair over my right shoulder
"You always have my best interests at heart, don't you," he planted his soft lips right in the corner where my neck meets my shoulder.
A jolt ran through my chest and I threw my head back against him as I sucked in a breath. Heat pooled in my stomach and my breathing was more erratic. I opened my eyes to clear the fog that had clouded over my thoughts. I'd momentarily lost control and I needed to regain some. I could tell I was in dangerous waters with Adrian in this state. I could still smell the alcohol in his breath, and I needed to gauge how drunk he really was. He was good at playing games, but I was better.

I turned in his arms, and threaded my fingers through his dirty blonde hair. I tilted my head back to get a better look at his eyes, and noticed they were still glazed over, but not bloodshot. Drunk and incoherent, but not sloppy. I placed my hand on his cheek, and caressed it with my thumb. My heart tugged a little for him as I eyed the darkening bruise. He was only the product of what his brother made him; it's all he'd ever known. But he was his own person and he should be able to think for himself. But he's weak-minded and easily manipulated, just as Lucas likes.

Clearly I was conflicted.

"Are you ok babe?" I asked quietly. His face softened in a way I didn't think was possible, and the whiff of alcohol in his breath reminded me why. Instead of answering me, he grabbed the side of my face and kissed me hard. He pulled me closer to him, and I let him.