Tear It Down

Chapter Nineteen

Adrien splashed water on her face as she tried to catch her breath. "Tear it down. Tear the mother fucker down." She said hoarsely. She touched her throat, skin still burning. She cursed herself for the hundredth time. She couldn't let this keep getting to her.

Adrien rubbed the back of her neck as she sighed, shaking her head at herself.  She needed to leave to meet Thomas and find out what she was to do today, she couldn't let this distract her any longer. Standing up she went to the dresser along the wall and picked up the cloth she used to bound her breasts and began to wrap it around herself. She cleared her mind as best she could, focusing on the task at hand, but a sharp knock on her door made her freeze.

No one knew where she lived, not even the landlord ever came to her room. She paid in full as early as possible to keep him from coming up here but who could it be? Could Thomas have sent someone? Could his brothers have followed her? Quickly tucking the end of the cloth out of the way she grabbed her gun off her bed and pressed it to the side of her leg, heart pounding as she thought of who it could be.

It couldn't possibly be... she began to think as her arm began to ache, it having nothing to do with the cold air in the room that seemed to drop even lower at the sudden sound. I did everything right, this couldn't be...

With a mix of panic and anger she threw the door open and aimed the gun before her, finger on the trigger only to be stopped by a familiar chuckle. "Well now lass, is that how you great a guest?" Eoin asked with an irritating smile.

"How the hell did you find me?" She hissed, yanking him into her room quickly before looking down both sides of the hall to ensure no one saw. Shutting the door quietly her hand shook and she set the gun down on the table beside her, nearly knocking the wash basin from its spot.

"You're not the only one good at what you do. Granted I haven't known long. Had you been more determined I wouldn't be here." But with that all pretense of good humor was gone. He pulled a cigarette out and offered one to her but she waved it away. He shrugged before continuing. "Word has it you've been seen with those Blinders." He said around the butt of a cigarette, pulling matches from his pocket to light it. After releasing a steady stream of smoke he spoke again. "Any reason why?"

"How would anyone know that?" She tried to keep her voice steady, her nerves shot but needing to keep calm.

"You're not the only one good at your job Adrien." He stared at her for a moment and she began to feel uncomfortable under his scrutinizing gaze. "You were hired to fuck up their business, yet you're not doing that. Did they hire you instead?"

"Have the enemy work for you it seems." She said quietly.

"Why did you accept? Better pay?"

"They won't kill me for one." She said as Eion suddenly smiled.

"Who can argue with that?" He looked her up and down, eyes settling on her breasts before asking, "Will I one day be able to see the real you?"

She sighed. "Not likely."

Reaching forward Eion ran his finger along the top of her binding but Adrien gripped his wrist to stop him, growling "What do you think you're doing?" She quickly shoved his hand away, not liking the way she felt herself reacting to touching him.

"Simply trying to see." He gave a crooked smile, Adrien ignoring how it seemed to make him look as though he were teasing her.

"Keep that up and I'll cut your hand off."

Eion made a tsking noise. "Come now Adrien, that wouldn't do anything to benefit us."

"No, but it isn't nearly as devastating as taking an eye." To her surprise he suddenly laughed. She scowled at him as he shook his head but he began to the door, Adrien being sure to not take her eyes from him.

"I do hope I'll be seeing you. After all, there is no one nearly as good as you are at what you do. It would be a shame to lose that." Without a look back he was gone.

*   *   *

Adrien stood before Tommy as he sat at the kitchen table, Arthur and John sitting on either side of him. Ada stood back against the stove, watching Adrien nervously. Tommy must have noticed Adrien staring back at Ada because he said her name with an irritated tone.

"Did you hear a thing I said?" Tommy demanded.

"No worries Thomas, I heard everything. You want me to find out what I can on Kimber. When he leaves and when he returns, where he goes and how long he stays. See who he interacts with and what their names are, all things I've done before." She said in a bored tone. Tommy frowned but said nothing as he stood.

"Tommy, a word?" Arthur said, not trying to hide his open anger with Adrien.

As Tommy and Arthur entered the office, John right behind, Ada made her way to Adrien's side. As she looked to Adrien her lips were pressed into a thin line, eyes flashing, trying to hide that she was breathing heavily. "They say you know things about us, things that it seems we should worry about. Is that true?"

Adrien looked her up and down before she crossed her arms. "You seem worried Ada. Is there anything in particular that no one should know?"

Ada slammed her hand on the table in front of them. "Don't play stupid you bitch." She hissed.

Adrien couldn't help the small laugh that escaped her lips. "Well then Ada, I should say I know that's it's not only your whiskey that you like Irish."