Adore

𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 | 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗵 𝘀𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗼𝗼𝗱

• NATE •

The sound of laughter from Vincent and his cohorts as they retreat away from the scene, pisses me off more than I am now. I was outnumbered and rendered powerless. I don't know how she got mixed up with the likes of Vincent but that was the least of my concern as I rushed over to her heaving body sprawled on the floor.

"Simone..." I call and she faintly turns her head towards me, her eyes shut. One from the impact from the assault. It had begun to darken the color of her olive skin. I ran a thumb over the blood that gushed from her flared nostrils.

Panting, she gurgled blood out from her mouth, a slit made over her top lip. She mumbles inaudibly and lets out a groan as I place a hand around her back and behind her knees, hoisting her up in my arms. She seemed to relax in my embrace, her head resting softly against my chest.

I took brisk steps to the clinic, taking mental notes of where I'd dumped my camera equipment, my mind clouded with the need to take her to get treated immediately. Everything else would come after once she was okay. Once I was sure of it.

"T...take me," Simone muttered under her breath. "...Alexander."

Once I make out the words from her mumbling, I pause in my step at the revolving doors of the clinic. She probably wasn't conscious but I knew better than anyone that Alexander could take care of her, especially if she was placed under him like I was.

"You want me to take you to Dr. Colson ?" I ask even though I know she may not be able to answer. But her head feebly moves in response.

Running towards the apartment complex just a few blocks away, I storm into the building quickly, my heart pounding in my chest as I take the elevator to the third floor despite the looks thrown my way by other attendants as I make my way to the Dr. Colson's room.

After two persistent knocks, the door is swung open by the man who takes us both in in one glance and takes a step back to let us in.

"What the hell happened?" Alexander asks once the door is closed, his anger seeping through his usual calculated tone. "And why did you bring her here in this state?"

"Vincent attacked us on our way to the studio." At his cocked eyebrow, I add, "I was outnumbered. The little cunt brought a whole mob to face her."

"Then why didn't you take her to the clinic?" He asks again, clearly irritated at the intrusion. I was certainly not a fan of the man before me, but it seemed like the safest place at the moment—not to mention she'd personally requested I brought her here. A part of me was reluctant to mention that part. "I didn't know where else to go to. I can't have the nurses calling my aunt because they suspect I did this to her."

"That's true." He gestures for her to be placed on the couch that's situated at the far end of the living room. I hear him rush into his bedroom briskly while I idly steer a strand of hair away from her bruised face. The anger boils over my skin, the sound of her yelps and pain filled screams recalled as my eyes take in the bruises over her face.

Alexander comes back with a napkin soaked in a bowl of hot water. He places the bowl just at the ground near her head, nudging me further away from her as he expertly wipes away the dried blood over her face, the discolored parts of her skin now prominent. "Have you dealt with the problem?" Alexander questions after a while of dunking and squeezing out the napkin that had turned red from the blood.

I shake my head. "I needed to make sure she was getting treated first."

"And she is." Alexander says simply. "It's not my place to say, but what do you think she'll say when she wakes up only to find out that the nuisance is still out to get her?"