Chapter 51 #2
“That is your father’s fault, not mine,” her mother said, voice raising. “Those three are not good for you. The sooner you cut ties, the better.”
Adria threw her hands up. She wasn’t doing this right now.
She wasn’t doing this ever.
Her heels clicked on the floor as she opened the service door and selected a ring of keys.
“What do you think you are doing?” her mother asked.
“What does it look like?” Adria said. “I’m one of the Nine. I’m taking what I need and I’m not asking.”
Adria’s knuckles gripped the steering wheel as she drove down the gravel road at over 60 kilometers per hour. Her mother had stopped her just before she got in the car and gave her a coin with a panther on it.
It was a way to show the Sombras da Selva, Shadows of the Jungle gang that Adria was with Xander. Her mother assured her no one would harm her if she had that coin.
When Adria had asked if she had given Bryson a similar token, she admitted she hadn’t.
Her mother claimed that she had forgotten.
Except Adria saw it. If they died on this little mission, it would be one less thing for her mother to worry about.
Adria couldn’t blame her; Sophia didn’t understand what the brothers meant to her.
Like Xander had pointed out, her mother had lived in this world her entire life.
A world where people didn’t love one another and families were built on mutually beneficial arrangements.
It was a world that Adria had only recently allowed herself to step out of.
In her mother’s world, you didn’t love anyone; you only utilized them.
The diner was her first stop.
Adria didn’t even pause to check in the windows. Instead, she waltzed into the establishment like they were expecting her.
The fact that every single person in there had a gun trained on Bryson, Kaydon, or Seth didn’t falter a single one of her steps.
Adria glided into the space and took center stage. The hostility was thick in the air, and Adria knew everyone’s attention was now divided.
Hand above her head, Adria presented the coin with a red panther, his mouth open in a large yawn.
“I’ve been sent here as an envoy from Xander Tavares,” she said, in Portuguese. “Who’s in charge?”
No one spoke.
No one breathed.
It was the space where the ember smoked. Just a small breath of anything and it would burst into flames. Adria knew these were not the type of people to be trifled with.
The man holding a gun to Bryson’s head spoke; his accent was terrible and his Portuguese was even worse. “Sweetie, you are in way over your head.”
Adria recognized him instantly. He was at her auction several months ago. This must be Rolland.
Adria raised an eyebrow at the group. “Am I meant to believe this gringo is in charge?”
A few of the men shifted, and another voice was heard from the back. “I’m Gabriel and I’m at Xander’s service.”
Adria held the coin in his direction. “This coin grants whomever holds it a favor from Xander. And you can have it, once that man is tied to a chair and everyone in this establishment, save those three idiots, are out of this diner.”
She threw the coin in Gabriel’s direction, and the ember of tension exploded.
Guns pivoted from Bryson to Rolland, and Bryson shrank into his chair while Kaydon swung the butt of his gun at Rolland.
Rolland’s gun fired just as Bryson moved away from him. Seth was already launching himself at Rolland, knife in hand.
In less than three seconds, the Winters men had almost completely turned the tables.
Almost.
Rolland, gun still in hand, turned to point the gun at Kaydon. Gabriel was there and with one swift motion, knocked Rolland unconscious with his pistol, and the room fell into silence.
“Mateus, get some rope and tie him,” Gabriel said, moving to pick up the coin on the floor.
He dipped his head to Adria and left.
With Rolland secured in a chair at the center of the room, the rest of the Sombras da Selva filed out.
Seth had a busted lip from the scuffle, and Bryson and Kaydon breathed heavily across from her, but otherwise looked unharmed.
“Well,” she gestured to Rolland, “you wanted him. Now you have him.”
Kaydon gave her a grin. “You’re not mad?”
Adria thought about it. She was angry with her mother. She was angry with Eric, but these three…
“No,” she said simply, and then added, “I wish you would have clued me in, but I’m not here to change you into something different. We all know what we are signing up for. I just happen to be signing up to be with three hot heads in their twenties.”
Seth’s grin was contagious as he twirled the blade.
“I’ve waited too long for this,” he said, stalking towards Rolland.
Adria’s mind pulled forth the dream of Alexey, tied to a chair in front of her, and she flinched.
Turning, she closed her eyes, and the scene faded from the dream of Alexey to a memory.
For a second, she could almost smell the breakfast cooking. Except there was a burnt smell that singed her nose. Her kitchen wasn’t bathed in a white glow either. In her memory, it was morning, and a hazy smoke filled the kitchen.
Adria suddenly remembered being there. She could smell the smoke from the forgotten breakfast. And hear the cries coming from the pantry. These images weren’t echoes of a dream. They felt real.
“Adria?”
It was Bryson.
She turned. “I’m fine,” she lied.
Her mind was playing tricks on her. She needed some space.
“I want to go for a walk while you three have your fun. Text me when you are done, and I’ll have Xander deal with the mess.”
Bryson seemed like he wanted to argue, but a scream from Rolland drew his attention.
She smiled. “Go on, your brothers have already started, you’re gonna miss all the fun.”
Adria nodded to Sage as she exited the diner.
Eric must’ve called him when he realized she’d gone.
“They need a little time,” she said, walking past.
If Sage was uncomfortable by the implication, he didn’t show it. Instead, he just leaned against the truck, eyes scanning the road, smoking a cigarette.
A scream broke out from the doors behind her, and Adria’s shoulders tensed.
“I’m going for a walk,” she said.
She felt Sage’s eyes on her.
“Stay there and keep an eye on the doors,” she said.
Eric would be irritated that she left without telling him and wandered around the town alone, but Adria was beyond caring, and she wasn’t made of glass.
Besides, after hiding this little escapade from her, Eric deserved to worry a little.
In the past few days, she had met her mother, learned ‘X’s’ identity, helped plot a plan to kill Bryson’s father, and juggled her new relationship with the three hot heads behind her in the diner.
She needed room to breathe.
The green door of the church was familiar, and Adria found herself walking with ease in that direction.
Inside was quiet. No soft music of a starting service today. Instead, she found the building empty, with the faint smell of incense and candles. For some reason, the space was comforting.
The walls were painted in vibrant colors, surrounding ornate windows that she suspected were original to the building.
Adria walked along the wall, following the depiction of Christ’s crucifixion. Bryson had said the church was catholic, and if that were true, Catholics were particularly dark when depicting their lord and savior.
Framing the oil-based paintings were family crests. Most likely families that had originally founded the church.
Adria enjoyed the uniqueness of every symbol, finding it reminded her of the Nine’s cavern. It seemed that marking your family’s territory wasn’t exclusive to the Nine.
Paisley curls wrapped around an ornate R, and another had a depiction of an old tree, almost Celtic.
And then Adria froze mid step. Tilting her head to the side, she studied an ink drawing of three mountaintops, the ice caps dripping from the peaks. The bold lettering below said “Serra.”
Her hand reached out, hovering over the symbol, following the ridges. It looked so familiar.
“Can I help you?”
Adria turned to see the priest standing near the dais.
Adria’s mouth opened, but nothing came out.
“It’s okay, we’re open. Please.” He gestured for her to continue her musing.
Adria looked back at the wall.
“How long have you worked here?” she asked.
When she looked back, she saw that the priest had approached her.
“Fifteen years,” he said, looking at the mountain painting with her.
“Do you know this symbol?” Adria asked, her stomach growing cold. It felt dangerous to talk about.
“These are the founding families. The church itself is over a thousand years old. It’s gone through several renovations, but the artwork is original.”
Adria looked at the other symbols, but none gave her the same sinking sensation as the one before her.
“Do you have information about them?” she asked, turning to him. “Records.”
His mouth pressed into a line, clearly wondering why she needed to know.
“Please,” she said. “I think it’s important.”
Adria didn’t know why she said it. She wasn’t in the habit of being vulnerable with strangers, but something about the man in front of her, this place, put her at ease.
He assessed her before saying, “I can go into the old archives and see what I can find. It’ll take me a few days. And I make no guarantees.”
Adria nodded. “I can come back.”
He smiled. “I hope you do.”
“Do you like working here?” she asked, not ready to stop their little conversation.
His smile widened. “Very much. My grandfather was a priest, and I always wanted to follow in his footsteps.”
“And your father?” Adria asked.
“He wasn’t around.”
Adria frowned. “I’m sorry.”
The priest put his hand against his heart. “I’m not. The past shapes us, but it doesn’t get to say what type of person we become.”
Adria looked at the wall of history in front of her. “I couldn’t agree more.”
“Plus, it’s in the uncomfortable places that we feel God’s presence.”
Adria turned back to look at him. “Your God wants you to be in pain in order to feel him?”
“Not mine, everyone’s,” he said seriously.
“But yes and no. In pain, no, but uncomfortable, yes. It’s in the new, uncomfortable feelings that you are most aware.
That’s when you feel the things that were always there but went unnoticed.
When you’re in pain, that’s a given. But sometimes it can be unusual to feel pleasure or safety.
It’s in those new feelings that you feel his presence. ”
“God’s,” Adria stated, more like a question.
“Exactly.”
Adria nodded, understanding what it meant to feel uncomfortable in safety.