142: Untouchable And Undone

142: Untouchable And Undone
ADRIAN

The gates of the Cross property loomed just ahead while Rue and I sat in the car. I should've been focusing on what awaited me inside, but Rue's fingers were in my hair, fussing over me.

"You're not nervous, are you?" She murmured, tugging at my collar as if the tiniest wrinkle mattered. She seemed to be even more nervous than I was.

"I'm alright, Rue," I said.

"Did you even take your meds today?" she demanded.

I caught her wrist, smirking. "You made me take them, remember?"

She blinked, then she huffed softly, clearly ready to argue more. But then she changed her mind. I couldn't take my eyes off her.

She was stitching me back together with the simplest gestures.

Fuck me, she didn't even know.

She had to be my soulmate. No one else could get under my skin like this. No one else could make me feel both untouchable and undone.

"Rue," I breathed, before pulling her against me. She fit perfectly, the curve of her face tucking into my neck. My arms wrapped around her, caging her in. I stroked her hair, inhaling the faint scent of roses that clung to her skin.

"I'll be safe," I murmured into her hair, though the words were as much for me as for her. "You'll see. As long as you're with me, nothing can touch me."

She shifted slightly, maybe to pull back, but I only held her tighter. I couldn't let go. Not when she was the only anchor I had left.

I pressed my lips against her temple, letting them linger. "You don't get it yet, do you?" I whispered, more to myself than her. "You're mine, Rue. My cure. My everything."

And I'd make sure nothing, not even her own doubts, took her away from me.

...

Mr. Cross didn't offer me a seat. He didn't need to. Men like him never gave comfort, they measured how long you could stand in their shadow.

Rue tugged lightly at my sleeve, a silent plea to behave. My goddess. My tether. The only reason I didn't bare my teeth at her father.

His blue eyes lingered on my hand at her back, noticing the possessive way I kept her close. "Bold," he said, almost amused. "Most men wouldn't dare to touch my daughter in front of me."

Heat surged through me. My instinct screamed at me to say she was mine. But then his gaze sharpened, and I understood. This was no ordinary comment. This was a test.

I forced myself to smile respectfully. "With respect, sir, I don't know how not to touch her. She's my everything."

Rue stiffened, her breath hitching. Her father's expression, though, didn't shift an inch.

Instead, he reached for the glass of scotch on the table beside him. He swirled it lazily, his eyes never leaving mine. "Everything, hmm? And what happens when 'everything' is threatened? Do you crumble?"

My pulse thundered in my ears. I would fight for Rue no matter what.

But this was her father. Her blood. The man who could end me with a single word.

"I don't crumble," I said at last, my voice steady, even as my hand tightened on Rue's waist. "I'll protect her. Whatever it takes."

A smile ghosted over his lips. He leaned forward with his elbows braced on his knees, his presence suffocating. "Men say those words every day, boy. The ground is full of their bones."

Rue's hand found mine then, squeezing once. I swallowed hard, calming myself down.

"Then let me prove that I'm not one of them," I said.

The silence that followed was crushing. Mr. Cross sipped his scotch, unhurried. His gaze darted to Rue, then back to me.

Finally, he leaned back in his seat. "We'll see," he stated, and I tensed.

He might have the empire, the power, and the dominance. He might be the bigger dog.

But she was mine. And I would never let her go.

"Tell me, Adrian," he said in a steady voice. "Where does your loyalty lie?"

The words slammed into me. Loyalty. The one thing I'd never been asked outright because everyone assumed it belonged to the name I carried, to the family that owned me. But no one else had ever looked through me like this man did.

Rue's hand tightened on mine, her pulse a frantic thrum I felt in her wrist. She wanted me to be careful and diplomatic. But there was no diplomacy when it came to her.

My jaw clenched. I couldn't help the truth.

"With Rue," I said hoarsely. "Always with her."

Her father didn't blink.

I forced myself to hold his stare, even as my heart started to race.

At last, he gave me a small nod. "So not with yourself. Not with your family. Not with me. Only her."

"Yes." The word ripped out of me before Rue could stop it. "Only her. She is my loyalty. My life. My end."

Rue gasped, whispering my name, but I barely heard her.

Mr. Cross leaned back in his chair, his expression unreadable. I could tell he'd probably heard vows like that a hundred times before and had buried every liar who couldn't keep them.

His eyes darted to Rue, then back to me, and I swear he was weighing whether to crush me right here. The pain on my side seemed to be worsening by the minute, but I didn't dare show weakness.

Rue must've noticed, she held on to me, worry etched on her face.

Finally, her father spoke: "Sit down."

The tension instantly punched out of me, my legs threatening to give out.

...

The suite was silent except for the soft rustle of fabric as Rue adjusted the bandage across my side. Her fingers were careful and gentle. I kept my eyes on her, memorizing every flicker of emotion that crossed her features.

"You... you handled yourself well today," she murmured, her thumb brushing over the tender skin near my ribs. "I thought—" she paused, swallowing hard, "I thought he'd tear you apart."

I let out a low chuckle, but it was strained. "Not today," I replied, my voice hoarse. "Not when I have you in my corner."

She tilted her head, searching my eyes with a tender expression on her face. I felt my chest tighten, the air between us thickening, charged with electricity.

Her hand lingered on my chest as she stared at me. "Adrian..." she whispered softly. “You know…he was vague. He didn’t exactly give us a go-ahead. I’m worried…”

I couldn't resist anymore. I leaned forward, closing the small distance between us, and pressed my lips to hers.

Her lips parted instinctively, and I felt her shiver against me. The kiss started slow and tentative, but the tension, the need, and the sheer desperation of being near each other made it deepen, consuming us. My hands gripped her waist, tugging her impossibly closer, ignoring the sting from my side.

Pain was nothing compared to the brush of her lips, the heat of her skin, and the way she molded perfectly to me.

She moaned softly, and I groaned in response, my fingers threading into her hair, anchoring her to me.

We were reckless, reckless in the way that only lovers on the edge could be.

Suddenly, there was a loud knock on the door.

We froze, our hearts pounding, our breathing ragged. Rue pulled back slightly, pressing a hand to her chest as if to steady herself.

"Who—?" She started, still holding me close. My hand rubbed over the wound instinctively, but I didn't care.

Cursing under my breath, I slid away from her. I hated the sudden intrusion.

"Stay," I whispered, and she smiled.

"I'm not going anywhere," she said firmly.

I swallowed, my body still humming from the intensity of the kiss, my mind torn between duty and desire. "Good," I breathed. "Because I need you with me. Always."

The knock came again, insistent this time. Reality demanded we answer it, but I stole one last look at her, memorizing her scent, her warmth, and her heartbeat against mine.

I rose slowly, ignoring the ache that stabbed through my side, and moved towards the door. My jaw tightened when I looked at the monitor and saw the figure standing just outside the door with a stony expression on his face. My father.

"I know you're in there, Adrian. Open up," he said.

“Don’t bother, old man. You’re not welcome here—”

He tsked. “How immature of you. Are you still pissed because of what happened during dinner? We didn’t know you were struggling to breathe—”

“Leave. Don’t make me call security,” I growled.

“I heard you ran to the enemy, you pathetic animal. You are no son of mine—”

"Security," I barked into the intercom. "Escort my visitor out. Now."

He didn't move. Instead, his calm, mocking voice echoed from the monitor. "You'll want to see this, Adrian. I've prepared a little... surprise for you."

I tensed. "Explain."

He smirked. “….everything you've built, everything you care about, will rot. Mr. Cross won’t let you have his daughter either.”

I felt Rue's hand on my shoulder and turned to see her watching me with a worried look on her face. My pulse steadied, but fury roared in my veins. "You underestimate me," I hissed.

He chuckled, "You'll see soon enough, Adrian. You can't control everything."

I tensed. Something was off. It sounded as though he had a wild card I was unaware of.

“Brace yourself, son. Now, you will understand that cowards like you can’t survive in the underworld,” he hissed, and I froze, the feeling of foreboding waxing stronger.

Something had gone wrong.

Very wrong.