Chapter 12 - Adrian
Looking at the guy who held a knife against his wife's neck, Adrian couldn't help but wish he'd made his death last longer. Rhiannon had been much too close to danger for his liking.
Crouching down, he pulled the bandana off the guy's face, revealing a stranger's features that were as unrecognizable as the grim situation they found themselves in. Flicking a glance at Rhiannon, he could see she didn't recognize him either as her brow furrowed in confusion and concern. She stood just a few feet away, lips bruised and eyes hazy but slowly growing more alert as the adrenaline left her system.
"Fuck," he muttered under his breath. He couldn't shake the anger boiling beneath the surface. Someone had dared to threaten his wife, again —the thought alone sent a surge of protective instincts coursing through him. Pulling his phone from his pocket, he called Viktor and didn't even bother to greet him as he stood up and kicked the body.
"I just shot a man in the tunnels near the Pits bathrooms. Motherfucker tried to kidnap Rhiannon."
"What do you need?" Viktor asked, his voice devoid of any of his normal humor.
Sneering at the body again, Adrian answered him. "Get someone to clean the mess up, and get my wife a team to watch over her. I want at least two guards on her at all times," he ordered, his voice clipped. She should've had guards anyway; all of the other wives had them, but he'd fucking forgotten to arrange it, and that sat on his chest like a fucking weight. "I'll update Mikhail. He'll want to up the security on the rest of the women as well."
Adrian hung up the call and turned to Rhiannon, seeing the fire flickering in her gaze as she started to voice her objection, that clever mind of hers already working to persuade him not to do it. Irritation flared under his skin, but he buried it deep. She'd learn soon, he didn't let anyone fuck with what was his.
"Adrian, I didn't—" she started, her tone so fucking stubborn and irritated.
"Stop," he cut her off, his anger at the situation riding the frustration he felt at her arguing about her own fucking safety. "If you had guards with you tonight, this wouldn't have happened."
"But—"
"No," he interrupted, stepping toward her again. "This is as much an insult to my security as it is to you. Someone tried to kidnap my fucking wife. I'm not going to let that slide, Princess."
Her resolve wavered, and she let it go, disappointment shadowing her features. Relief flooded through him. He didn't want to argue with her right now. As fun as it was every other time, he refused to argue about her safety. That was one thing that he couldn't fucking do.
The reality was that her life was in danger, and he had a feeling this had something to do with that same fucking threat she'd had before they got married. As much as he enjoyed her fire and stubbornness, he wouldn't let her endanger herself because of some silly need to prove herself. He already knew she was strong and capable. She just needed to see that.
"Come on, we're leaving." Adrian took her hand firmly, the heat of his grip a grounding force, and led her toward his car.
After making sure she was comfortable, Adrian licked a finger and stroked the bloodied skin near her neck. It came away cleaner, the cut not deep enough to be a problem, but it still felt like a fucking offense to him.
He should've made that fucker suffer.
Closing the door, Adrian walked around the car and got into the front seat, feeling his wife's eyes on him the entire time. He didn't have anything to say, not when anger still flickered beneath his skin.
The fight might've helped ease the sexual tension he'd been feeling all week, but it didn't do shit for this.
Starting the car, Adrian let the powerful vibrations of his Camaro ease through him. Any other day, he'd race home, but he refused to put Rhiannon's life on the line. Things were easier when it was just him, and he could've given in to the impulses driving him.
Not now, though.
Revving again, he steered the car out of the car park and onto the highway. The drive was filled with a comfortable silence, but underneath it, an undercurrent of tension remained. It was a silent acknowledgment of what had just transpired and the need to address the elephant in the room. After a moment, he finally broke the stillness, needing something to distract himself from everything. His fingers clenched around the steering wheel, barely easing as he turned to look at Rhiannon.
She was still watching him, a strange look on her face as she took him in. He wasn't sure if he wanted to know what she was thinking right then.
"Your father called," he said, trying to keep his tone neutral.
At the mention of her father, Rhiannon's expression darkened, her annoyance palpable. Guess she was still angry about the wedding, he thought with a twist of his lips.
"What did he want?" she asked, eyebrows knitting together.
"He wants to set up a meeting," Adrian replied, keeping his attention on the road ahead.
"Great," Rhiannon huffed. "Just what I need—my father wanting to announce our ‘alliance' after what just happened tonight." Her bitterness was evident, tinged with the frustration of familial obligations weighing down on her.
"It isn't the best time for an announcement, especially not after what happened with our own man," he agreed, feeling the same irritation bubbling inside him. "And not after tonight's events."
She let out a harsh laugh, a mix of disbelief and anger. "He wouldn't give a shit. To him, our family troubles are secondary to his status upgrade. Who cares if someone just tried to kill me?" There was a bit of hurt in her voice that had him reaching over the console to grab her thigh, and he squeezed it softly, hoping to convey that she wasn't alone in her frustration.
"Don't worry, Baby; you've got a Nikolai on your side now," he smirked, trying to lighten the mood just a little, but he could feel the gravity of the moment still hanging around them.
They drove in silence for a few moments, and Adrian couldn't help but feel acutely aware of Rhiannon's tension next to him. Her irritation was evident, simmering just below the surface. The darkness of their surroundings seemed to mirror the storm brewing in her head. He had no doubt his beautiful, smart little wife was plotting something, and he couldn't fucking wait to see what she had planned for her father.
"He probably wants to discuss our next move in securing this alliance," Rhiannon said, frustration coloring her voice as she turned toward him. "And we both know that means he's pushing for us to have a baby soon."
There was something in her tone that told him she wasn't ready for that yet, and Adrian nearly grimaced because he knew exactly what she meant about her father's intentions. Fuck, he should've thought a little harder when Lucien made that demand.
"Is that what you want?" he couldn't help but ask; a part of him had to confirm even though he knew the answer wouldn't help him at all.
"Doesn't matter what I want," she sighed heavily. "If that's what was agreed, then that's what's going to happen."
"Your father doesn't own me, Princess. Regardless of what he thinks, I can always find a way around it."
"I'll have to have a baby eventually," she replied smartly, and he frowned again, needing to ask even though he already had an idea of what the answer would be.
"Even if your life's at risk?"
"Like I said, it doesn't really change anything."
Adrian's brow furrowed at the implication. It sounded all too convenient for her father, another way to manipulate the situation to his advantage. "You really think he'd pull something like that right after someone tried to kill you?"
Lucien had gotten what he wanted, regardless of the baby. That was just to ensure he kept it.
"It wouldn't surprise me," she retaliated, shooting him an annoyed glare before it softened. "Look, I'm sure your family is different. Hell, what I saw of them tonight definitely was, but mine isn't like that, and Dad will just see this as an opportunity to make sure his bargain with you is fully in place before something happens to me."
Adrian's grip tightened on the steering wheel. "Remember what I said, Baby. You're mine now, and that means you've got a hell of a lot of power. If you're still planning to stay," he gave her a hard look that she returned without flinching. He knew she must've been planning it at some point. A woman like her wouldn't back down like that.
They were both simmering but in different ways. Adrian's anger stemmed from wanting to protect her and his deep-seated irritation at the threats against her life, while Rhiannon's frustration was directed inward—how her father's expectations and manipulations always seemed to overshadow her needs. He hadn't even considered how his father-in-law might react about this, but even if he had, getting her pregnant just to seal the deal wasn't something that would've crossed his mind, and it left Adrian with a slimy feeling in his chest.
Yes, the thought of fucking his wife until her body grew heavy with his child left Adrian feeling high most of the time, but not for these reasons. He wanted Rhiannon pregnant and fucking happy, not chained to him just because she was waiting to have a baby—and sure as hell not having a baby just for her to die afterward. Just the thought left him simmering.
No wonder she wanted to leave him so badly.
"I'm not going to run away," she finally answered, and relief flooded him as a smirk lit up his lips. She could've chosen to stay silent. It wouldn't have cost her a thing, but Rhiannon might've been impulsive and brash, but he could tell when she was lying, and right then, he knew she meant it when she said she wouldn't run. Maybe it made him a fool, but he believed her this time. That lit a fire in him. Rhiannon might have his name, but for the first time, it actually felt like she was fucking his.
"Good girl."
Eventually, they arrived home, and as Adrian parked the car, he felt a sense of determination settle within him. They were in this together, and they would face whatever challenges lay ahead—preferably as a united front.
Later that night, after they had both gotten ready for bed, an unspoken truce settled over them. Rhiannon climbed into bed, inching closer to him than she ever had before. It felt almost monumental, this simple act of proximity. She nestled against him, her warmth a comforting presence.
"Thanks for tonight," she murmured, looking up at him with a mix of gratitude and vulnerability that made his heartache. Instead of responding with words, Adrian leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead, soaking in the intimacy of the moment and the warmth of her body as she fell asleep against him.