Novels by stanleycherish018

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR: THE PRICE OF A BLUFFADRIAN POVThe heavy oak doors clicked shut behind me, blocking out the boardroom and the vipers inside.The second the doors closed, the strength I had been forcing myself to hold onto completely vanished. My knees gave out beneath me."Adrian!"Isla's voice was sharp with panic as I fell forward. Before I hit the floor, Kol caught me hooking his arm under my shoulder."I've got him," Kol muttered, his voice tight. "Jesus, Adrian, you're burning up."I couldn't answer I felt something warm trickle down my sides and I knew what Kai warned me about had happened.My stitches had ripped open probably from the pressure I used when I hit the board room table."Get him to the car. Now," Isla ordered. "I can walk." The words came out slurred and weak and they ignored me "I can walk.""You can't even stand," Kol said already moving.I tried to push him away and stand on my own but I was too weak."We need to look strong," I said, or tried to say."If

ADRIAN POVI watch them all.Vipers. Every single one of them. Sitting around that polished table like they own the world. Waiting for me to fall.They are praying I died and I can literally see their mouths watering at the thought of getting their hands on my estate.They're waiting for a lot of things.The fever is climbing and I can feel a dull throb that pulses.And I feel myself getting worse but I don't let any of it show.I lean back in the chair, letting the silence stretch between us.They must be wondering what comes next. I've always been good at keeping them on their toes and today wouldn't be any different.I've faced these men across this table,this would be the weakest they'll ever see me. Never again.Victor is watching me from the head of the table. His

ADRIAN POVIsla's hand pressed against my chest over the bandages. Her palm was warm. The only warm thing in this cold morning."Are you ready?" she asked.I looked up at the stone building. The steps stretched wide and steep, each one a small wall I'd have to climb. Twelve of them. Twelve walls between victor and I.My body was already screaming. The fever had my skin crawling. The wound in my shoulder pulsed with every heartbeat and stitches in my side pulled tighter each time I took a breath. And now I was supposed to walk into Victor's territory and make him afraid."No," I said."Good. Neither am I."She slid her arm around my waist, under my jacket. Her grip was the only thing keeping me upright. I hated needing it. I hated that she knew I needed it but I didn't push her away, I couldn't.Kol walked on my other side and Declan was behind us, close enough to catch me if I fell. Webb was already at the top of the steps, talking to a guard. The guard looked at me, then at Webb,

ISLA POV"Adrien." I said his name again softer this time. "You're okay. You're safe."His mouth moved but no sound came out. Kai was there with a cup of water and placed it on his lips tilting Adrien's head forward so he wouldn't choke. Adrien swallowed then coughed which made him wince and his hand went to his side where the stitches were."Don't touch it," Kai said, pushing his hand back down. "You'll rip them open again."Adrien's eyes found Kai's face. "Victor?." He asked.His voice was raspy barely there."The vote is delayed," Elena said, stepping into his line of sight. "Webb bought us two hours. Maybe less."Adrien tried to sit up making his arms shake and he winced again from pain, I pushed him back down."Stay still."" I can't." He says through grit teeth. "I have to be there.""You can't even sit up." My voice came out harsher than I meant but I didn't care. "You'll die before you reach the door."Adrien looked at me with those bloodshot gray but underneath the exhaustio

ISLA POVAdrien's hand went limp after he woke and I sat there for a long moment just staring at his face waiting for him to say something else to open his eyes again to do anything but he didn't. His eyes stayed closed and his breathing was shallow and Kai was already moving toward us with that careful look on his face that I was starting to hate."What?" I finally snapped when I couldn't take it anymore."His temperature is rising." Kai pressed the back of his hand to Adrien's forehead and his expression tightened. "The wounds are clean but his body is fighting something. Blood loss, maybe. Or it could be an Infection starting."My stomach dropped. "Can you give him something?""I already did." Kai's voice was quiet. "It's not working fast enough."I looked at Adrien's face. He was Pale,Too pale. His lips had lost what little color they had and He looked worse than when they dragged him out of that SUV."He was awake," I said, and my voice came out smaller than I wanted. "He talke

ISLA POVThe warehouse went completely still, Declan's phone screen glowed in the dark showing the message over and over Victors name at the bottom the summit time tomorrow noon."Let me see that." I grabbed the phone from his handThe text was short ‘Emergency summit called… High Board room noon tomorrow following Adrian Vale death…succession contract to be presented by Victor Reyes,,all territory heads required to attend.’My hands shook reading it"He's not dead," I said"Obviously." Elena stood up from the pillar, her face hard in the lamplight. "Victor doesn't need him to be dead, he just needs the Board to believe it."Kai was already on his feet packing "How many people on this Board?""Seven," Elena said, "including Victor now. He's been stacking it with his loyalists for years."Declan ran a hand through his hair pacing "If he gets that contract approved he controls everything the ports the money the territory. We'd be hunted like dogs.""And Adrian?" I looked at the cot wher