The Firm (on hold & getting put through some serious changes)

Chapter 9

Adriana’s P.O.V

As humiliated as I was today I couldn’t help but feel the pride in Pearson, after he – of all people – showed they were worthy to be in our group. Not that the other boys weren’t but I always held a grudge against those who tried to get in our group. This ain’t the first time someone's tried, I’ll admit. But eventually they all give up on me, though Chris and Kirk didn’t seem to mind seeing Duke was worse than me – he just doesn’t show it. I on the other hand; do.

‘Permission to speak to lieutenant father, sir,’ I ask standing in front of the main office and facing one of the scary lieutenants I did not, for sure grow up with.

He looks down at me from his nose before shaking his head – no.

‘What? Why not? I need to talk to him,’ I growl planting my feet and crossing my arms like him instead of saluting like I had before.

He shakes his head again before frowning at me, ‘he’s in a meeting and requested that no one is to go into the office.’

‘What’s the meeting about?’ I chirped instead knowing I’ll just get in some other way – he shakes his head.

‘Plleeeeaaassseeeeee,’ I drag pouting a little and looking him in the eyes.

‘No,’ he growls knowing I was going to use him.

I glare at him before turning on my heels and walking off to the right instead of the left before looking for anyone I knew. ‘Ooh, Dean!’ he jogs to me and comes to a stop as we stood under a vent thing.

‘Yo, what's up?’

‘Err, I kinda threw my earing up, could you help me get it?’ I ask sweetly and pointing up at the vent which was almost three times my size.

‘Up there?’ he asks eyes brows going up before looking at my ears, I look the other way so he doesn’t see my second earring before looking up at the vent.

‘Yeah, hurry, please?’ I ask pouting a little and turning to him slightly.

He frowns, ‘fine, but I gotta go, I can't wait around for if that’s okay?’

‘Yeah, sure, just help me up and you can leave.’

He nods and cupped his hands on top of his knees for me to stand on, when I do he counts to two and on three he jumps up properly throwing me in the air so my fingers hit the top. I grabbed the first thing I could and it turns out to be the top of the vent, I growled and pulled but it wouldn’t budge.

‘Hey, you got a-?’ I looked down only to find me, myself and I in the corridor. ‘Guess he really did have to go then,’ I mutter to myself before shoving my hands into my pocket and pulling out my little knife I always carry around with me.

‘Finally!’ I whisper-yelled to myself as I squashed inside the tiny vent that only just fit me, my knife back in my pocket safely.

I huffed before following the voices I heard somewhere in front of me before stopping as I saw and heard where it was coming from – all three lieutenants.

Coldwell, Tyson and of course Collins. Coldwell's two most favourite people when it came to gossip, punishment and missions.

‘You really think Sheeran has a plan?’ Tyson asks as they all lounged on the chairs, bodies stiff and staring at each other curiously. I shudder.

And this is what was said:

Coldwell: ‘He always has a plan.’

Collins: ‘What are we going to do if we don't know what it is yet?’

Coldwell: ‘we’ll let him do his thing, watch it unravel a little and then we’ll see where it takes us. There’s no good in jumping to conclusions and getting our people killed.’

Tyson: ‘You’re right. But what about that new kid? Who is he?’

Coldwell: ‘The one Adriana’s group will be hunting down in two days?’

Tyson nods.

Coldwell: ‘don't know much about him. But I have a feeling Sheeran brought him back from the dead, no info on him what so ever but the fact that he was born in Mississippi then suddenly he and his parents just disappeared.’

Collins: ‘Disappeared? How can you just disappear?’

Tyson: ‘Do we know who the parents are?’

Coldwell: ‘No. Apparently all the information was lost after a power outage or something and the hospital could no longer find anything out about them. The CCTV tapes on that date was gone. So it’s a lost cause. Especially seeing it was a small town. The people who were around there at the time of year are either dead, gone, or claim they no nothing.’

Collins: ‘I don't believe it. All this for him?’

Tyson: ‘I guess it’s possible. No one really knows about Adriana.’

Coldwell shoots him a dark look and then there was a silence of thinking.

Plans? Brought from the dead? Who is this guy?

Coldwell: ‘look. Whatever Sheeran has in plan Adriana and her group will take care of it. But for now. Keep your boys on look out and do your usual. Report back if you hear anything.’ But I could tell he knew more.

Tyson and Collins: ‘Yes sir,’ they said in unison before getting up, saluting and walking off.

I watched as the door closes and Coldwell stays put in the chair, when the steps were gone his shoulders dropped and he leaned forward, elbows on the table and his hands clasped as if praying, head against his hands.

He sighs and for some reason I felt sorry for this man. My father. My leader.

What is it he’s hiding that’s so worrying and making him lie to his “friends”?

I waited until he got up again after a very long and annoying few minutes before breathing normally and finally crawling back out, putting the vent thing back in place before jumping out at the same time then feeling my feet unconsciously bring me somewhere.

I need to find out three things now: who this mysterious hot guy is, what my father is hiding and why he would lie. What's there to lie about? Does he know something about Sheeran?

Sheeran. My face darkens just by the thought of his name. and I feel my nails dig into my palms, that was until I hit a wall and almost fell onto my backside. But of course the wall steadied me and turned out to be Kirk.

‘Whoa, calm down Ad. You look as if you could kill someone right now. I think one fight and knock out today is enough. What's up?’ he asks finally as we both stood face to face and he obviously knew something was bugging me.

‘Um, nothing, just… yeah, don't worry about it. I was just dozing off a little. Sleep walking?’ I suggested. Absolutely horrible at lying to my friends or brothers I should call them.

‘Nothing huh?’ he asks sarcastically obviously not fooled. And then I realise I was in the middle of the gym, no one here but us.

I frowned. ‘Look, I'm fine, it’s okay. Let’s just go. I think sleep would be good right about now.’ I say turning to walk off before feeling him pull me back and into his chest, the air slightly getting knocked out of me.

‘You sure are something you know that?’ he laughs tilting my head up to look at him.

I smiled. ‘Apparently so,’ I say cheeks flushing a little from his closeness. What's gotten into him?

His grey eyes sparkle for a second as if thinking something, but before I knew it he steps away, grabbing my hand and dragging me out the gym, ‘c'mon, I think Chris wanted to ask you something… or maybe it was Luke, I don't know.’

Of course. He forgets everything.

I laugh.