OFF-LIMITS

12.

Chapter twelve | Adrian
I slowly pick her up, careful not to wake her, she stirs a little but doesn't open her eyes, as I take slow strides towards the door, two guards greet me, the moment I step inside, I don't bother checking anything else before laying her down, on the sofa.

I leave her for a beat as I take the stairs two at a time until I arrive at my room, grabbing the nearest clean blanket I find in front of me as I walk down again, and when I come back, I find her still sleeping, and I'm grateful for that itself, she seemed tired earlier, too tired to the point that she slept mid-sentence, I carefully throw the comforter over her.

Pushing her hair away revealing her face, so beautiful it aches, I stare at her for a while, I don't even know for how long, I just stay here, like a fucking creep, but I can't look away, I really can't, she looks...angelic, her soft simple features glistening like the sun, long lashes, full parted lips, soft cheeks, I could stare at her all day and boredom wouldn't even cross my mind, she stirs a little mumbling something under her breath, as I tuck the comforter tighter around her, the gentleness of the action causing a sharp contrast to the roar in my blood.

I stand up hesitantly, contemplating whether I should sit back down and just stay with her, or get to work until she wakes up, as much as I'd love to stay here more, there is a lot of shit I have to deal with, I take a moment until I reach the office, Ezekiel, my closest guard follows me inside, "boss." He says, I don't acknowledge his presence as I brush past him, grabbing my backup laptop, "how the fuck did you let this slip?" I ask harshly, my tone raged and full of fucking anger.

Earlier today, I got an "urgent" call from the fucker, informing me that our system was hacked, I know exactly who fucking hacked it, and why they did so, and they're also the same people who kidnapped Layla, my brother was mistaken when he said that it was the Russian mafia coming after us, they are Russian but definitely not the fucking mafia.

The bratva doesn't know our location yet, however, they're just as dangerous as the mafia, they're fucking deadly, and the only way that I could get Layla out of what happened weeks ago, was planting someone else with them, and luckily it worked, but luck won't be on our side again, it was just a coincidence, they are way smarter than Damien is giving them credit.

He's a fucking idiot, he didn't even do shit when he knew that his girlfriend, was kidnapped, even when the possibilities of what could happen to her were right in front of our eyes, it didn't bother him, but she doesn't need to know that, he hurt her enough already, and if we're being honest, the reason Is more selfish than I'd rather admit, as much as it's hard to admit that but I just...can't bear watching her cry again.

I've killed people with my bare hands, watched them sob and suffer, begging for help, I took souls of people while it wasn't my place to do so, I thought I was made of hard steel, unbreakable, but this woman proved me wrong like she always does, the moment I saw tears forming in her eyes, it was like my world was flipped upside down, and I'd have done anything, and I meant it, any fucking thing, to make those tears go away.

I begged her, and I never beg, but it seems like there's a part of me that would actually do anything for her, if not all of me, it's scary, because if she figures that out, she'll realize how easy it's for her to break me, to destroy me, kill me, and the thing is, I'd let her do whatever she wants.

✿ ✿ ✿

"She's awake, sir," Reina says, she's one of the people who work here, I don't stay at this house often for lots of reasons, the main being the fact that if I disappeared for too long, people will figure out that I'm staying somewhere else, eventually they'll find about this house, but not at the moment, so that's why there are lots of servants, guards and security here.

I nod at Reina, motioning for her to leave as I close the laptop, a hundred thoughts roaming through my mind but I push them away, as I stand up grabbing my phone, and leave my gun behind in the drawer, the last thing I want to do is scare her away from me, Ezekiel excuses himself while walking away towards the guesthouse.

I walk towards Layla who's now wide awake, rubbing her face, and the moment she notices me, her movements pause, she licks her lips and stares at me for a beat, I've always been confident about my body and looks, but for some reason I want her to like them too, fuck me.

"Hey." She says softly, heat creeping down her neck, "how are you feeling?" I ask, concern itching through my veins, she takes a moment to let my words sink in as if she's surprised by them, her eyes are swollen from crying, "I'm okay." She says, I raise a brow but don't push her, a beat passes, "I can't..I can't stay here." She says, panic slightly catching in her tone.

"It's okay Layla," I say not knowing how to comfort her, "Nash...he will worry." She says staring at me, fuck, he hasn't crossed my mind, I was too busy with work and her, "it's okay, I'll deal with him, just don't worry right now." I say softly, she relaxes a little then stares at me, her eyes narrowing, "who are you and what have you done to the real Adrian?" She asks so seriously I burst out laughing.

Her eyes widen for a moment as if she's surprised by what I just did, fuck, I'm surprised myself, then slowly a smile spreads on her face making my heart run laps in my chest, this smile lightens up the whole fucking world just like the sun, her smile.

She stays silent for a moment, her smile fading as she drowns in her thoughts, "hey." I say pulling her attention to me, "where did you go?" I ask, she smiles a little, "I'm right here." She says and I raise a brow, "your body is, but not your mind." I say and she narrows her eyes before shrugging off her shoulders, "tell me what you're thinking." I say and she sighs running a hand through her hair, "I feel like a kid who's doing something wrong." She says a frown forming on her face.

I take a moment to answer her, mainly because that's what I always do, to avoid saying some stupid shit that immediately comes to my mind, and also in this situation because I want a reply that'll actually calm down her nerves not just throwing around words, so I ask her first "why do you think that?"

She raises her brows then they furrow as if she's thinking deeply, searching for an answer, "I don't know...not everything in here has reasons you know, besides you're the one who asked, not me." She says tapping the side of her head, "I didn't complain about your answer, but it's okay if you don't have an answer." I tell her and she relaxes a little.

"First off...you're not a kid, and you're not doing something wrong." I say and she raises her chin up, a speak glistening in her brown eyes, "I'm a grown-ass woman who's supposedly 23 but I feel like a kid...wait is that stupid?" She asks frowning, then she immediately adds "don't answer that." She says, then tilts her head "wait...how old are you?" She asks

I'm not even surprised by this question, although I've told her hundred times, I repeat it again, "I'm twenty-seven, Layla." I say and she smiles, her cheeks turning crimson, and it's so fucking adorable, I can't help but stare.

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