Adrian's Wrath (15 page)

“I’m already here.” He hadn’t realized his hand was clenched against his thigh. He straightened out his fingers and ran his hand over his hair. “I came here a little early to work out.”
Because I have been going crazy without you and needed something to help me keep my mind from going crazy.
“I can meet you at the main floor and we can go get coffee or something?”

“I don’t know, Adrian.” She sounded forlorn.

“We can go anywhere you want, Brea. Just please talk to me.” Her exhale let him know that maybe, just maybe there was hope. He wasn’t opposed to begging. “I just want to see you. I don’t know what’s going on, but I think I deserve the chance to plead my case.”

“Okay. I’ll meet you up here. We can go to the coffee shop down the street.”

They hung up and Adrian downed the rest of his beer and stood. Heart pounding at the mere thought of seeing Brea, he couldn’t help the smile that covered his face. It had only been a day that he hadn’t seen her, but here he was, like a lovesick teenager. Of course it was so much more than that. So much more.

“Well, hey there, baby. I’ve been missing you around the club. Where you been hiding?” The sickly sweet sound of Candy’s voice had him gritting his teeth in irritation. Since he had started seeing Brea he had managed to steer clear of this clinger, but here she was now, her perfume so strong and cloying it wrapped around him and threatened to choke the life out of him.

“I don’t have time for this, Candy.” She ran a finger up his arm and he shook her off.

“No?” Her once sweet and seductive voice turned hard and cold. “You don’t have time for me but you have time for that piece of pussy that works here?”
Christ.
He did not have time for this bullshit. She sidled up to him, her shirt once again a strip of latex and sequins. She lifted her hand, ran the bloodred tips along his chest, and then moved that last inch so her breasts were pressed against him. The fake globes felt like rocks compared to the soft, natural slope of Brea’s. Just having Candy touch him had his dick shriveling in his jeans. Gripping Candy’s upper arms, he meant to push her away, but she used it to advantage and quickly stood on her toes to kiss him.

What. The. Fuck.
It took him a moment to react, but it was a moment too long.

“I can see we don’t need to have that conversation after all.” Brea’s voice sounded right behind Candy and he immediately tensed. “It looks like it just took one day for you to move on.”

He shoved Candy away and she giggled as she moved to the side. “Brea,” he said, but she lifted her hand to stop him. This looked bad, he looked bad, but what really split his heart in two was the devastated look on Brea’s face. Her eyes were puffy and red and he could tell that she had been crying.

“What’s wrong, pretty girl?” He took a step toward her and a strangled sound left her when she backed away.

“Don’t call me that.”

“Please, Brea.” He rubbed the center of his chest at the look she gave him. She feared him, hated him. “Please, baby, don’t look at me that way.” She might not fear that he would hurt her physically, but what she had just seen had hurt her emotionally.
He
had hurt her.
He
had been the one to put that fear in her eyes.

This was exactly what Brea deserved. She should have just stayed upstairs and waited for Adrian, but she had been excited to see him, and that excitement had cost her. When she had come to the underground, knowing he worked out here in his free time, she didn’t expect to see a woman wrapped around his body like they were fused together. It wasn’t just any woman, but the same one she had seen Adrian leave the bar with all those weeks ago. They had fucked, that much was clear on the woman’s face as she had pressed herself against him. She wore pretty much no clothing, but Brea supposed that was what men like Adrian liked.

She was a fucking fool for thinking Adrian felt anything for her. She was just a hole for him to pass the time. The tears were there, just waiting to fall, but she refused, fucking
refused
to give him the satisfaction of shedding them. She was so glad she hadn’t told him how she felt, told him that she did love him. It would have made this situation even worse.

“You know what, I’m glad we can just do this right here, right now.” There had been a small piece of her that knew that seeing Adrian might have changed her mind on breaking things off with him. She had decided that working those extra few days wasn’t worth it, not if Cameron had found her, and although he hadn’t made himself known, there were several factors that made her think he might be close. The biker asking her questions. The pain on the back of her thigh. The idling car that gave her an all-around bad vibe. All of those factors had alarms firing inside of her like crazy. It was better if she just left. Now.

“Listen, I just wanted to tell you that things aren’t working out, but I can see that you’ve moved on and my lack of presence won’t be a problem.”

“No, Brea, you have it all wrong.” She couldn’t let the strangled sound of his voice tell her any different. “Baby,
please
.”

Brea might have found him a little more convincing if his little girlfriend wasn’t still by his side, wearing a conniving smirk. She shook her head and took another step back. “Please,” she whispered, knowing if she didn’t leave now she would break down right in front of them. Wouldn’t that be the icing on this fucked-up piece of cake? She turned just as the tears started to fall. The sound of his calling after her, pleading with her to stay followed her all the way out to her car, but she knew they were just in her head. Adrian wasn’t coming after her and she tried to tell herself that was what she wanted. Of course it was a fucking lie.

* * * *

“Just let her go, baby. She is
so
not worth it.” Candy came up to him and wrapped her hand around his bicep. All he could think about was Brea. “Let’s go to the back and I’ll suck your cock until your top blows off.”

“Get the fuck off, Candy.” Voice like broken glass, he turned toward her, feeling satisfied when she flinched at his expression. He knew his rage was tangible. “Don’t ever come near me again. That woman that you just ran off was everything to me. She is my fucking
life
.” He shook her arm off and took off toward Brea. He had seen her tears right before she turned and ran from him. There was so much he needed to explain to her, but he needed to get to her before she got in her car, because she might not go home. She could leave the city and he would never know where she was headed.

No, he had to get to her before it was too late.

Brea had already run up the stairs and turned the corner. She was quick for a little thing, but he had the determination to get to the woman he loved. Bursting through the side door and making his way quickly through the main floor of the club, he didn’t have to shove people out of his way since it was early in the evening. When he pushed the main doors open he saw Brea getting into her car and he took off at a dead run.

“Brea. Please, wait!” He stopped in front of her car and pounded on the window, pleading, begging for her to listen. Fat tears slid down her cheeks as she tried to crank her car. The fates must have been on his side tonight because the vehicle wouldn’t start.

“Brea, I’m begging you to listen to me. She doesn’t mean anything to me. Candy came on to me. I was about to push her off right before you walked in.” He dropped to his knees so they were now eye level with each other. He knew his excuse, truth that it might be, sounded like a load of shit. “You have to believe me, Brea. Please.” He didn’t bother stopping the tears from leaving him. He didn’t care if men weren’t supposed to cry. He could not let her leave if she thought he cheated on her. “I would never hurt you, Brea,” he whispered but he knew she heard him because she looked at him. “I love you.”

He heard her choked sob even through the glass. “In the end it’s me that is going to hurt you. I’m sorry, Adrian. Please, I don’t want to see you again.” Her tears came harder and she cranked the car again, this time having success. When she pulled out of the parking lot he stayed on his knees, watching the car disappear into the distance.

* * * *

Hard, wracking sobs tore from her as she drove away. It had been a mistake looking in her rearview mirror, seeing Adrian on his knees, the look of failure etched into the hard planes of his face. The pain of seeing him on his knees, hearing him plead for her to stay, ripped her body in two. She hadn’t meant for their separation to be like this, but in a way she was glad it had been. Although everything inside of her hurt over seeing him with another woman, she grabbed onto that pain until it gave her the strength to keep driving.

She pulled onto her street, deciding that she would not spend another minute in this town. Her mind had been made up before she went to the club, so everything that was crucial was packed and ready to go. After pulling into her driveway she let the car idle for a minute, trying to clear her thoughts but failing miserably. There was no getting over the turmoil she felt, and although she wished the separation with Adrian hadn’t been so harsh, in the end she knew it had ended the way it should have. When she found the strength to get out of the car, she grabbed her purse and made her way to the front door. The street was quiet at this time in the evening, but the sound of an idling car had her looking up. There it sat, a black nondescript car with fully tinted windows. The same car that had been at the shooting range. Her heart dropped into her belly and her mouth instantly went dry. No, this wasn’t a coincidence, and neither were any of the other times she had felt like she was being watched, like something was off.

Before she could take another step, the car turned off. No one exited and she didn’t wait around to see if they would. If Cameron was behind the wheel she wouldn’t have very much time to get to her gun. Sure, the pepper spray and stun gun would give her some time, but what she really needed was inside her house. Not waiting another second, she took off toward the front door. Keys in hand, she tried to unlock the door, but her hands were so shaky it made the task nearly impossible. A look over her shoulder still showed the car in the same spot. Taking a deep breath she tried opening the door again. When the key slid in and the door was shut behind her she went into action. She could have called the police, but if that really wasn’t Cameron in the car and the cops came she would have to give a statement. She really didn’t want to leave a paper trail like that, especially since that had caused Cameron to find her the last time.

Disarming the alarm and then resetting it, Brea immediately dropped to her knees and grabbed her duffle bag under the bench. Her gun should have been on the top of her clothes. That was where she put it when she came back from the shooting range.

No gun.

This is not happening. Not again.
Before she could stand, three hard raps sounded on her door. Everything stopped around her as she stared at the only thing separating her and what was most likely the very devil himself. The sound of her heart beating fast and hard filled her ears. When she was able to stand her legs felt like they were about to give out at any moment. She had to brace her hand on the wall to steady herself as she walked to the door. The taste of blood filled her mouth, and it was then that she realized she was biting her lip hard enough to break the skin.

The palms of her hands were sweaty, and when she placed them on the door she noticed they shook uncontrollably. Another pound on the door assured her that whoever was on the other side was not going away. When she mustered enough courage to lean in and peer out the peephole she realized she was holding her breath. A moment of confusion settled inside of her when she didn’t see anyone on the other side. No, this most certainly wasn’t her imagination. She might not have wanted a paper trail, but she was smart enough to know that whoever was fucking around with her wasn’t going to give up. To hell with leaving a paper trail, especially if Cameron was really on the other side.

She pushed away from the door and grabbed her purse. Panic had a hold of her now when she couldn’t find her phone right away. Dumping the entire contents of her purse out, she moved everything around until she found what she was looking for. Her fingers were sweaty and shaky as she opened the phone. The feel of perspiration sliding between her breasts was a distraction, but she didn’t have time to let her fear seize her.

Nine.

One.

Before she could enter the last number pain exploded in the back of her head and then everything went dark.

A haze of disorientation covered her like a warm blanket. Brea could feel wetness on her face and it took her a moment to realize it was tears. Had she been crying? Why was she crying? She tried to take a deep breath through her mouth but something blocked the air flow and she breathed in through her nose. Something wasn’t right. The lights seemed too bright as she opened her eyes. Pain pounded in the back of her head and she tried to lift her hand to the source, but she realized her hands were bound behind her. Everything was a blurred mass of shapes and colors, and when her vision cleared she realized she was in her living room. Why did her head hurt so much and why couldn’t she breathe out of her mouth?

“Ah, she lives.”