Chapter 7

Cold Silence and Hot Skin. 

Lena’s POV

Adrian’s hands were on me before the heavy sound of Vince’s panicked voice even faded into the dark corners of the warehouse.

His hands came up, cupping my shoulders hard enough that I could feel the individual pressure of his fingers through my jacket.

"Are you hurt? Did they do anything to you?" he asked. His voice was low, rough, and completely stripped of its usual calm tone.

I shook my head, my jaw tight as my knees continued to tremble. "No. I'm okay."

"Look at me, Lena," he ordered, his thumbs sliding up to touch the side of my neck, feeling for my pulse. His skin was warm, but his gray eyes were dark with a deep, silent anger. "Did they lay a hand on you?"

"One of them grabbed my jacket," I said, my breath hitching as the adrenaline slowly started to dump out of my system. "That’s all. I hit him and ran."

Adrian’s eyes narrowed, his hands slipping down to grab my wrists, turning them over to check my skin in the dim light. "You came here alone. To the south side docks. In the middle of the night."

"Adrian…"

"Why didn't you call me?" he cut in, his voice rising just a fraction, the sharp edge of it hitting me like a physical slap. "Why didn't you pick up the phone and dial the number I gave you?"

"I couldn't," I whispered, pulling my hands back slightly, though he didn't let go entirely. "It was my sister."

"I don't care if it was the mayor, Lena!" Adrian snapped, stepping even closer until his chest was inches from mine. "You walked straight into an industrial warehouse without a weapon, without backup, and without a single person knowing where you were!"

"I was trying to keep her safe!" I argued back, my own anger flaring up to cover the fear still settling in my belly. "She told me not to bring anyone! She was terrified!"

"And you thought you could handle three men on your own?" Adrian asked, his voice dripping with harsh disbelief. 

He let go of my wrists and rubbed a hand over his face, letting out a heavy, frustrated breath. "If I hadn't stayed outside your building, if my man hadn't seen your car pull out and followed you down here, do you have any idea what would have happened to you?"

I swallowed hard, looking down at the concrete floor. "I know."

"No, you don't know!" he said, grabbing my upper arms again and making me look at him. "You think these people play by some rule book? You think because you're a nurse who saves lives that a man like Vince gives a damn about you?" 

"I'm sorry, okay?" I yelled, tears of frustration finally pricking at the corners of my eyes. "I'm sorry I didn't call you! I panicked! She's my sister, Adrian! She's all the family I have left!"

Adrian stared at me, his chest rising and falling in quick, heavy breaths. The raw anger in his gray eyes slowly shiftef and melted into what looked like fear and pain. 

"Don't ever do that again," he said softly, his voice dropping back into that low baritone. "Do you hear me? Never again."

"Okay," I choked out, wiping my cheek with the back of my sleeve. "I won't”

He turned his head slightly, glancing over his shoulder toward Viktor, who was standing quietly near the broken metal door. "Take her to my car" Adrian ordered flatly. "I'm driving her."

Viktor nodded once without asking a single question. "Understood, boss."

Adrian took my hand, his long fingers wrapping tightly around mine and led me to his car that was parked in the middle of 2 others. 

I climbed inside, pulling my legs in and pulling my jacket tight around my chest. Adrian closed the door with a firm thud, walked around the front of the car, and slid into the driver's seat.

The silence that followed was suffocating.

He didn't turn on the radio. He didn't speak a word as he shifted the car into drive and pulled away from the rusted chain-link fence of Dock 4. 

The only sound in the dark interior was the low hum of the engine and the steady, rhythmic click of the windshield wipers pushing the thin drizzle across the glass.

I stared out the window, watching the dark, decaying buildings of the south side give way to the brighter streetlights of the city. My hands were still shaking in my lap.

"Are you going to talk to me?" I asked quietly, breaking the heavy quiet after ten long minutes.

Adrian kept his eyes fixed on the road ahead, his hands gripping the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles were pale. "No."

"Adrian, please," I said, turning in my seat to look at his sharp profile. "I said I was sorry."

"You're sorry because you got caught," he said flatly, his voice devoid of any warmth. "You aren't sorry for going."

"That's not true," I murmured. "I was terrified."

"Good," he said coldly. "Maybe fear will keep you alive next time."

I let out a bitter laugh, leaning my head back against the leather headrest. "You're unbelievable. You bring armed men to my street, you stalk my apartment, and then you lecture me about safety."

"I keep you safe because you refuse to do it yourself," he shot back, his gray eyes flicking toward me for a fast, dangerous second before returning to the street. "You think I like having my men outside your door? You think I want you wrapped up in this mess?"

"Then let me go!" I shouted, the adrenaline finally snapping inside me. "If I'm such a headache, just drive away and leave me alone!"

Adrian slammed his foot on the brake, pulling the heavy sedan over to the curb in a dark, empty alley two blocks from my building. He threw the car into park, unbuckled his seatbelt, and turned his entire body toward me.

"I can't let you go!" he growled, leaning across the center console until his face was inches from mine. "Do you think I haven't tried? Do you think I haven't spent every night trying to figure out how to push you away?"

My heart slammed against my ribs, my breath catching in my throat. "Adrian..."

"You walk into my life with… weird your warm hands and…and you make me feel things I haven't felt in years," he whispered, his hand reaching out to cup the back of my neck, pulling me closer until I could feel the intense heat radiating off his skin. 

"And then you walk into a trap and almost get yourself killed."

"I'm right here," I whispered back, my hand coming up to rest against his jaw, feeling the rough stubble under my palm. "I'm still alive."

"Prove it," he muttered, his gray eyes darkening completely.

He leaned down and caught my mouth in a kiss that blew every remaining thought out of my head. It wasn't gentle, and it wasn't slow. It was rough and heavy with the fear of what almost happened.

I groaned into his mouth, my fingers tangling in his dark hair as I pulled him deeper into me. The anger, the fear, and the crazy tension of the night dissolved into a sudden, wild need to feel him close.

Adrian shifted, his large hands slipping under my jacket to pull my waist tight against his chest. He broke the kiss for a fraction of a second, his warm breath hitting my lips as his gray eyes searched mine.

"Change of plans…," he rasped out, his thumb tracing my swollen bottom lip. "We're going to my place."