CHAPTER 13: Need of The Moment

Adrian's POV

The continuous, heavy knock pounded against the doors and it ripped me entirely out of the moment.

"Nirvana," a thick voice shouted from the hallway and I hissed.

I stepped backward immediately, putting several feet of distance between my body and the desk. I dragged a harsh hand down my face. I was incredibly annoyed with myself. I had completely lost my control in a lecture hall of all places. Shit. I was reckless.

I adjusted my dress shirt and pulled the collar straight. My jaw tightened as I forced my breathing to level out before anyone could see the state I was in.

I walked up to the door, grabbed the lock and turned it before I pulled the door open.

A young boy stood in the hallway, his fist raised and ready to knock again. He lowered his hand the second the door opened. But I did not think I'd seen him before. I stared at him.

His shirt was perfectly tailored and tucked into high-waisted, slim trousers. His fingernails were neatly manicured and covered in a clear coat of polish. I glared at him and he glared right back.He had an overly groomed appearance, and his posture was straight.

His eyes darted quickly past my shoulder. He looked directly at Nirvana, who was currently sliding off the edge of my desk and pulling her dress down to cover her thighs.

Leo’s face immediately contorted into a look of deep concern. That concern annoyed me more than the actual interruption. I did not want another man worrying about her. Not him and not anyone else.

"Are you okay?" He asked. He directed the question entirely to her, completely ignoring the fact that I was standing right in front of him. I scoffed. The audacity of the fucker.

I stepped sideways and blocked his line of sight. "Do you see her harmed?" I snapped. I glared down at him, letting my height and my heavy build intimidate him. I wanted him to back off and leave immediately.

But he proved to be surprisingly consistent. He refused to be intimidated by me. He sidestepped me, leaned his head around my shoulder, and looked right back at her.

"Nir?"

"Nirvana," I cut in before she could even open her mouth to answer him.

Hearing him use a shortened, intimate nickname grated violently on my nerves. It felt entirely unearned. Who the fuck did he think he was?

He blinked and looked up at me, genuinely confused by my interruption. "What?"

"Nirvana," I snapped again. I gritted my teeth together. "Call her Nirvana. Use her actual name."

It was then that Nirvana finally found her voice.

“Do not speak for me," Nirvana said.

She walked around the side of the heavy desk and marched straight toward the doorway. She did not look scared or intimidated by my anger. She stood directly next to the boy and looked right at me, her voice was hard and unforgiving. "He is my friend. He can call me whatever he wants."

I stared down at her. I could not understand what was making me so angry. My chest physically hurt from the intense frustration boiling inside me. She was defending him. She was choosing his side and pushing me away after begging me to touch her just a few seconds ago. I glared at her, letting the pure anger show on my face.

"Really?" I asked. My tone was incredibly cold.

Nirvana glared right back at me. She lifted her chin, completely defiant. She refused to back down or look away.

The boy stared back and forth between the two of us. He looked completely confused by the heavy tension filling the space. He did not understand the history between us, but he clearly wanted to protect her from my anger. His hand reached out and joined tightly with Nirvana's arm, pressing his side against hers.

My vision actually tinted red. I shifted my gaze away from Nirvana's face and stared directly at his hand resting on her skin.

I gave him a harsh, unforgiving glare. I let all the violence of my actual life bleed into my expression. I wanted him to know exactly how dangerous it was to touch what belonged to me.

He swallowed hard as if he read the direct threat in my eyes. He removed his hand immediately and took a quick step backward.

"I will see you later then," his words rushed out. He turned around on his heel and walked very fast down the main corridor, leaving the two of us standing by the door.

"Leo!" Nirvana shouted as she sent a heavy glare towards me.

I let out a heavy breath. I was almost relieved he was gone so I could fix the argument I had just started with her.

But she did not look at me. She did not even wait for me to speak. She just turned around and ran out of the classroom, chasing right after him down the hallway.

I stood completely alone in the doorway. I closed my eyes for a long moment. I balled my hands into tight fists at my sides and focused entirely on my breathing. I tried desperately to pull my shattered composure back together before I had to walk out into the campus.

I walked out of the humanities building and ignored the students filling the courtyard. I walked at a fast pace until I reached the faculty parking lot. I walked past the rows of expensive cars and headed straight for my bike.

Zade was a sleek, custom-built machine, painted entirely in matte black. I had kept it in perfect condition. I swung my leg over the leather seat and grabbed the handlebars. I inserted the key and kicked the engine into life.

The exhaust produced a loud roar that vibrated through my heavy boots and traveled straight up into my chest. I kicked the kickstand up, squeezed the clutch, and rode out of the parking space.

I accelerated hard as I exited the university gates. I wanted to put as much physical distance between myself and that classroom as possible. Because I do not belong there but on the road here, racing with my bike.

I merged onto the main highway and pushed the speedometer higher. The New York wind hit my chest and tore through my hair.

I loved riding this bike. It provided an immediate, physical distraction from the chaos running through my mind. I focused entirely on the road, the shifting gears, and the cars I needed to weave around.

Out here on the open asphalt, I felt completely independent. I did not have to pretend to be a strict, academic professor. I did not have to calculate every single move to protect my motorcycle club from rival factions. I did not have to worry about Ronan finding out about his sister and me.

The heavy vibrations of the engine stripped all of those responsibilities away. I felt finally free of the suffocating shackles of my daily life whenever I was on this bike. I pushed the throttle open even further. I let the loud noise drown out the memory of Nirvana defending another man.

I rode into the industrial district on the edge of the city. I pulled down the narrow alleyway and parked Zade directly in front of the Dwayne MC clubhouse. The building was an old, reinforced warehouse we had converted into our main headquarters.

A few of the guys were standing outside the heavy metal doors. They were smoking cigarettes and talking loudly. They stopped their conversation the second I pulled up. I cut the engine and stepped off the bike. I walked up the concrete steps toward them.

Jax stepped forward first. He reached out and gave me a bro hug, slapping my back hard. Mac followed right after, gripping my hand and pulling me in for the same greeting. They respected me, and I respected them. It was a simple, uncomplicated loyalty that I desperately needed right now.

I nodded to them and pushed the heavy metal door open. The main bar area was crowded. It smelled strongly of spilled beer, leather, and stale tobacco. I walked across the room, ignoring the loud music playing from the corner speakers.

Wayne stood behind the long wooden bar. He spotted me walking in and immediately grabbed a clean glass from the rack.

"Prez," Wayne called out to get my attention. He held up a bottle of dark whiskey. "You look tense. Drink?"

I shook my head and held up my hand. "No. I am good. I will just head to my office."

I declined because I did not want to sit at the bar and make small talk. I did not want to listen to updates about the docks or rival clubs. I just wanted to crash into my private office, lock the door, and sit in silence. I needed to think.

I walked down the dim hallway that led to the restricted section of the warehouse. I reached the last door, turned the handle and pushed it open.

I stopped dead in my tracks.

Daniella sat directly on the edge of my large wooden desk. She had her legs crossed at the knees, her posture perfectly relaxed.

She wore a sheer, see-through white gown that clung tightly to her curves. The thin fabric barely covered her ass where she sat on the wood. Her dark hair cascaded over one shoulder, and she wore dark red lipstick. She smiled widely the second I walked into the room.

"I have been waiting for you," Daniella said. Her voice was incredibly sultry and deliberate. She uncrossed her legs and opened her arms wide to invite me into a hug.

I stared at her. I stood in the doorway and looked at her body. I needed a distraction.

I needed to forget the complete mess I had made at the university today. I needed to erase the intense frustration Nirvana caused me when she ran after Leo. I needed a physical release that did not involve complicated rules, the guilt or my best friend's sister.

She might just be exactly what I needed at this exact moment, I thought.

I kicked the heavy door shut behind me. I walked forward, grabbed Daniella firmly by the hips, and slammed my lips directly onto hers in a rough and demanding kiss.