CHAPTER 18: The Smoke

Adrian's POV

The bright screen of Nirvana's phone glowed harshly in the dim light of the garage. I looked down at the incoming text message and saw the live photograph of Nirvana and me standing right there by the workbench. My heart skipped a beat. And when I looked up, I saw dread washing over Nirvana's face.

All the intense desire that had completely consumed my mind just a few seconds ago vanished instantly. My blood ran cold, and the lethal survival instinct I relied on every single day took over my brain completely.

I grabbed Nirvana by the shoulders and shoved her behind me. I did not care if my hands were being rough. I needed her out of the direct line of sight from the high window.

"Stay right behind me," I ordered her. My voice was a harsh growl that left absolutely no room for arguments or questions. Now was not time for defiance.

Nirvana stood frozen against the heavy wooden workbench. She pulled her unbuttoned shirt together with shaking hands. She was visibly shaken with raw fear.

Seeing that pure terror on her face made a violent, protective rage erupt deep inside my chest. I wanted to find the person who took that photograph and snap his neck with my bare hands. I reached to the small of my back and drew my heavy handgun from the waistband of my jeans.

I heard Nirvana gasp loudly behind me. I registered the pure shock on her face when she saw the black metal weapon in my hand, but I completely ignored her reaction at that moment. I did not have the time to explain the violent reality of my life to her right now.

I walked quickly to the side door of the garage, keeping my body positioned between her and the glass windows.

I raised my weapon, kicked the door open with my heavy boot, and stepped out into the dark, narrow alleyway. I swept the outside environment with strict tactical precision.

I kept my gun raised, checking the blind corners, the dark spaces behind the large trash dumpsters, and the rooflines of the neighboring buildings.

My adrenaline pumped heavily through my veins, making my senses incredibly sharp. But the alleyway was entirely empty. The fucker was already gone.

I lowered my weapon slightly and scanned the ground directly below the high garage window. A few feet away from the brick wall, I found the physical evidence. I saw a fresh set of heavy boot prints pressed deeply into a patch of spilled grease on the concrete.

Right next to the dark prints, a discarded cigarette butt still burned on the pavement. A thin trail of grey smoke drifted up into the cool night air. It was there for me to see. To know that the intruder had been standing right there, watching us clearly while my hands were on her body. I realized exactly how dangerously close they were to us.

I turned around and walked back inside the garage. I closed the heavy metal door and secured the deadbolt loudly. The entire atmosphere between Nirvana and me was completely dead. The lingering lust was entirely replaced by my cold and brutal survival mode.

"Button your shirt," I told her. I did not look at her chest. I kept my eyes focused on the exit doors while I checked the magazine of my weapon. "We are leaving right now."

I drove her back to Ronan's manor in tense silence. Nirvana held on tightly to me, hugging her arms around her stomach. But I did not try to comfort her. I was too furious at myself.

I had let my guard down because I was too focused on getting her in my arms, and I had directly endangered her life by being so reckless.

I could not face Ronan, not yet. I dropped her off at the front gates of the manor and rode my motorcycle straight to the Dwayne MC clubhouse.

I walked through the main bar area, ignoring the loud music and the members drinking at the tables. I went directly into my private office, locked the door, and immediately summoned Wayne and Iris.

They walked into the room a minute later. But I did not offer them a seat or a drink. My mind was reeling.

"I need you both on the university campus starting tomorrow morning," I said, looking sternly between them. "You will wear plain clothes and blend in with the crowds. You will shadow Nirvana Hale everywhere she goes. You do not let her out of your sight for a single second."

Wayne and Iris exchanged a quick, confused look. I stepped forward and leaned my hands heavily on the edge of my desk, making sure they understood the absolute severity of my orders.

"If you lose sight of her, I will find you and break your legs," I told them. And I meant it. My voice was calm and flat to show them exactly how serious I was. "And if you ever look at her the wrong way, I will do much worse than that. Keep her safe at all costs."

Wayne is my cousin. He understood the heavy and lethal warning in my dark eyes. He gave me a single, firm nod of agreement and turned around to walk out of the office.

Iris did not follow Wayne out the door. He stayed behind and crossed his thick arms over his chest. I knew he wouldn't take the order like that. He looked at me with clear defiance in his posture.

"We had a rival club member sitting right inside our restaurant tonight," Iris said, looking into my eyes. "They are actively testing our borders, Adrian. They are pushing into our territory. Why the hell are you wasting valuable club resources and our best manpower to babysit Ronan's sister?"

I rose to my feel and walked around the wooden desk till stepped in front of him, right into his personal space. I used my height and my broad shoulders to assert my absolute dominance over him.

"You do not question my priorities, Iris," I warned him harshly, keeping my eyes locked onto his. "You follow my orders without hesitation. Nirvana is under my protection, and that makes her safety official club business. Do your job and do not question me again."

Iris pressed his lips together tightly. He stared right back at me for a few tense seconds, testing my resolve.

He eventually dropped his gaze and backed down, recognizing that I was fully prepared to escalate the situation into physical violence if he pushed me any further.

He reached inside his leather jacket and pulled out a thick manila folder. He dropped it heavily onto my desk.

"After the restaurant incident tonight, I told our hackers to run deep background checks on every single new transfer student at Rodrigo University," Iris explained, stepping away from me. "I wanted to see if the rival club planted a spy on your campus to watch your movements."

I dismissed him with a wave of my hand. Iris turned around, walked out of the office, and closed the door behind him.

I stood alone in the quiet office for twenty minutes. The suffocating pressure of choosing between the safety of my club and Nirvana's safety was actively tearing me apart from the inside. I wanted to drop all my responsibilities and stand outside her bedroom door to guard her myself, but I had an entire organization relying on my leadership.

The door opened again and Ronan stepped inside. I was not shocked to see him. I had called him while I was riding back from the manor, demanding he meet me at the clubhouse immediately. He looked incredibly tired and angry about the interruption, but he walked over and stood next to my desk.

"What is so urgent that I had to leave my house in the middle of the night?" Ronan asked, his voice rough with exhaustion.

"Iris ran a check on the new university students," I told him. I reached down and grabbed the thick manila folder. "That someone might be following her."

I intentionally didn't disclose the spy that followed her to the garage. Ronan would go crazy if he knew i met with his sister again tonight.

We stood together behind the desk. I opened the file, fully expecting to find a known criminal or a recognized hitman from the rival club. I flipped past the business and science students, ignoring the long lists of names, and headed straight to the art department transfers.

I turned the page and stopped cold.

My breath hitched in my throat. I stared directly at an identification photo printed on the white paper. I recognized the face instantly.

It was a blonde guy with deep green eyes and blonde heair. He had a smile on his face but I did not understand why he looked so damn familiar.I read the attached intelligence file printed beneath the photograph.

“Name: Jesse Carlisle.

Origin: Transferred from New Orleans.”

I slid the open file across the smooth wood of the desk so Ronan could see the picture clearly. Ronan looked down at the photograph, and I saw his facial expression harden immediately.

All the exhaustion vanished from his features, replaced by recognition. He knew exactly who this man was.

I looked up from the paper and met Ronan's eyes. The silence in the room was incredibly heavy and filled with unspoken words. We both understood the danger Nirvana was facing.

"Tell me I am wrong, Ronan," I said, tapping my index finger directly on the printed photograph. "Is this not Jesse Carlisle?”