Chapter 20: Chapter 15 || Manager

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Bailey-

Who fucking did that?" He growls. Chills run down my spine as I watch him glare at me in anger. "Bailey, tell me. You don't fucking fall on walls."

"Turns out I do," I lie, and manage to grin mischievously. But it's okay, she got kicked out anyway. Too bad he didn't get fired.

"Bailey..." He starts, his thumb grazing my bruise. I wince slightly and he instantly moves his thumb away. "Who hurt you?" His voice reduces to a soft murmur. His green eyes dilate as he watches me. "Please, tell me."

Fuck, I can't say no this face. But if I tell him, I don't know what he'll do. He kills people for a living! His fingers trail my jaw, and he pulls me closer to him. My heart skips a beat as I look straight into his intense green eyes. How is he capable of making me feel so many emotions at once?

"I have to work," I mumble.

"You don't have to do anything until I know who hurt you."

"I don't have to tell you anything," I growl. "It's not like you haven't hurt me. I was in bed for weeks after you shattered my ribs again." He winces, and I instantly feel bad. "I'm sorry..."

"No, you're right. I was shit to you, and I feel horrible. But you shouldn't keep things like this to yourself. Concealing hurt only hurts you more."

"I don't know how to tell you."

"I know how to listen."

"My manager..." I start. I'm happy he hasn't jumped to conclusions already. "He... well..." I mumble. "He grabbed me."

"What?" He breathes, he eyes instantly darkening.

"I was standing right there..." I point to a corner. I remember putting books away, when he came over. "I had just hung up on you. He walked over to me, and he was really close... And then he touched me."

Adrian's fists and jaws clench, and he looks terrifying. I have half a mind to stop talking, but I need to tell him. "He touched my breast, and grabbed my ass. He said he would give me a raise if I... went to bed with him. I think it was his girlfriend that came around just then. She thought he was cheating on her with me. She punched me." I keep looking down at my hands while I narrate the story to him, because quite frankly, I don't want to see his face right now.

"She was escorted out the store. He backed off. I don't want him charged... or anything. I just wanna forget about it," I tell him. I don't want unnecessary drama. It's fine, I'm fine.

"Fuck," Adrian grumbles, pulling me into a warm hug. My face presses into my chest, and I melt into the hug almost instantly. "I'm so damn sorry."

"Please don't do anything to worsen it." Fuck! What if Adrian shoots him? No. He doesn't care about me that much, there's nothing to worry about. Yeah, there's nothing to worry about. It's okay.

"I won't worsen it, I promise."

A flood of relief rushes through my body as I hug him harder. "Thank you."

"Get to work," My manager growls. Clearly the incident earlier had darkened his mood. I push away from Adrian's hug who scowls. "I ain't paying you to sleep around."

Funny. He offered me money to sleep with him. Hypocrite. I resist the urge to flip a middle finger at him and continue pushing the cart around, placing books where they belong.

Adrian trails around behind me, almost like he's protecting me.

I smile to myself at how cute he is and continue to do my job. I have a good fifteen minutes until my shift is over and then I'm free of my fucking manager. He looks like he's in his mid-thirties.

"The bracelet looks cute on you," Adrian comments and I scoff.

"You mean tracker."

"Bracelet."

"No."

"Don't."

"No."

"Goddamn."

"No."

"Fuck you."

"No."

My manager walks by once more, narrowing his eyes at me. "Why aren't the books back where they belong by now?"

I don't know. Because you fucking harassed me? "I'm putting them away, sir," I grumble in the most professional manner possible. Adrian begins to play around with my hair. "Mr. Adrian, leave my hair alone," I growl.

"Are you going to buy a book?" My manager asks Adrian.

"No."

"Then please leave."

"I'm here for her."

"Well, she'll join you when her shift is over at seven."

"You said my shift ended at six!" I exclaim.

"I extended it."

"You can't do that!"

"I can."

"You are totally right," Adrian chimes in. He's agreeing with that asshole?! What the hell? "How about you and me talk a little while Bailey continues her work?"

"I'm glad you see things my way," My manager nods. Adrian and my manager walk away together, and I raise my eyebrows in disbelief. Oh, hell no. Adrian did not just do that. I notice them disappear towards the back of the store.

I shake away my disbelief and finish my work. Around six, Adrian returns, without the manager. "The woods are really peaceful during the summer."

"You were in the woods? Where's the asshole?"

"We're playing hide and seek. He's hiding in the woods, but I left him."

"Oh... wait," My eyes widen in horror. "You murdered him! You said you wouldn't worsen things!"

"Shh! We're in the bookstore for God's sake. I didn't worsen it. I ended it." I back away from him. He fucking killed him! He ended his life! "Let's go home."

"I'm not going anywhere with you," I reply, my voice shaking. He reaches his hand towards me, but I don't let him touch me. "You... you... how could you? He was at his worst when he did that to me. But that doesn't mean you kill him!"

"Do you know who that man was?"

"He was my fucking manager."

"His name was Kyle Hartford. He was at his fucking best when he touched you."

"His name was Kevin," I correct him.

"He's running from the damn police. He's been charged with twenty trafficking cases, and three rape cases. Two of the girls he raped were ten and twelve. You think the world would have benefitted from someone like him?"

"N-no. How do you know all this?"

"I have my ways. Now, did you want him as your manager, or did you want him six feet under?"

"Six feet under..." I mumble. The real question here is, how the fuck does he have so much intel? I just thought he killed people for money, but I didn't know he could dig through their criminal records and stuff.

Wait, can he dig through mine? "I swear, I didn't mean to shoplift that keychain! It got into my pocket by accident. Good Lord, I don't want to die yet!"

"Bailey, calm the hell down. I'm not going to kill you."

"You're not? Damn right you won't. I'm too rough and tough for that."

"You hug like a teddy bear."

"And your point is?"

"I really like it."

"Does that mean you like me?" I smirk.

"What... no... yes... fuck. No, it means I like your hugs."

"Aw, you cutie pie. Bring it in," I open my arms and he closes in on me, wrapping his strong arms around my body. He's such a great hugger. "I love feeling your muscles," I blurt out. "Fuck! Someone shut me up!"

"Kiss me," I blurt out again. "Wait no, don't do that."

He chuckles, unwrapping his arms from mine. "You crackhead. Let's go home. Wait, let's not do that, Anna and Blake are getting it on in there. Let's go to Blake's mansion."

"Adrian..." I start, scared to ask, but hoping he'd say yes. "Can we go visit Mr. and Mrs. Rodriguez. I miss them."

"Yes."

"I knew you were going to say no, but I'm not taking no for an answe- Wait what?"

"Yeah. I'm not going to keep you from visiting them. They mean a lot to you. I'll drop you off."

"Aw! Thank you so fucking much, I could kiss you! But I won't because I'm not crazy," I ramble. Ugh, I really need a filter on my mouth. "Let's go," I tell him as I walk towards the front door. I'm still slightly shaken by the fact that Adrian killed my manager, but it was for a good cause right?

"Adrian, if you killed my manager for a good cause, did you kill the other man that day for a good cause too?"

"Yes."

"What did he do?"

"He burnt his wife and children after starving them for days locked inside a room." How the fuck is he so casual about it? That's horrible! What kinds of people has Adrian killed so far?

I resist asking another question, because that's enough detail for now. I'm just excited that I'll get to see Mr. Rodriguez again.

A while later, Adrian pulls up to my old neighborhood and parks in front of the store. Not even five seconds has passed since I got out and Mr. Rodriguez tackles me into a hug.

"I missed you, kid."

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a/n: damn, addy-da... baddy. look at you. 🥰 did you like reading this chapter? i hope you did, because i'm supposed to be working on a project right now, but i wrote this 😌

did you like adrian in this chapter? what about bailey? did the manager dude deserve what he got?

anyway, thanks for reading ♥️ love you!