***This is a flashback chapter! I know, if you're anything like me, they can be really annoying. However, this chapter is crucial to the story and expands on important relationships. This isn't a super long chapter like the others, almost 6,00 words, but there is a little bonus at the end you won't want to miss. Happy Reading!***
Keeley's POV (4 years ago)
"You sure you don't want to spend today together? We don't get that many days off of base, Sweetness," Brady's hoarse voice asked me as we walked down the boardwalk. We only get a few days off of base per month, and normally, Lexi, Alice, Brady, Dylan, and I would do something as a group. But today marked two years since my mother died in my arms, and it's also been exactly eight months since I've received my last letter from Callan. IÂ wasn't really in the mood to socialize.
"I'm sure, Brady. You four go have fun. I'm going to get some ice cream and just think for a while," I tell him reassuringly. Plus, if I really needed to, I could kick anybody's ass, even if I only am fourteen.
"Okay, Sweetness," he said while pulling me into his side and kissing the top of my head. "Have fun and meet us back at the car at 5."
"I will."
I watch him as he walks away towards the rest of the group. They burst out into a fit of laughter as soon as they hit the sand, and for a brief moment, I dare think about joining them. I quickly push the idea away and decide I just needed a day to myself.
It feels weird to be in shorts and a plain t-shirt as I walk down the boardwalk and towards my favorite ice cream place. I'm not used to being so casual, and the fact I had decided to go back to being my natural blonde made me feel vulnerable.
I had died my hair black for as long as I could remember. Anything I could do to make me look like I actually fit in with my family, I did. I had scrapped the blue contacts a while ago, but the black hair was my safety net. After weeks and months of having someone strip my hair of the die and cutting off a better portion of it, it was back to the almost white-blonde I had as a kid. It barely reached my collar bone, and although different, I kind of liked it.
I entered Bella's, which was by far the best place on the boardwalk. They were the only people it seemed in the whole state of Virginia to carry my favorite flavor, Tutti Frutti, which was basically a fruitcake in ice cream form.
The bell chimed overhead as I entered the parlor and took in a deep breath. The smell of waffle cones and chocolate fudge filled my nose. The place itself looked like a small cafe you would see in Paris with small, black tables and chairs, the pink accents, the ice cream case. I walked up to the counter and ordered two scoops in a bowl before paying.
I didn't pay much attention to the other customers or the bell chiming overhead as I grabbed my ice cream and smiled to myself. I took a spoonful in my mouth before turning around, making sure to savor the creamy, fruity goodness. But my satisfaction was cut short the moment I was facing the other direction.
"Shit!" I yelled as I ran right into a complete stranger. Tutti Frutti exploded from the cup, and my mouth, and all over me and the stranger. I couldn't even move as I stared at what was my lunch soaked into the guy's shirt in front of me. Neither of us spoke, and when it finally kicked in we were both standing here slowly becoming sticky messes, I looked up and met the stranger's face.
I was taken back at the near sight of the guy in front of me. Tutti Frutti was splattered onto his face, but it was more than that that caught me off guard: he had to be one of the most attractive people I'd ever met. Maybe not the cover of a magazine attractive, but in a way that you just can't look anywhere but him.
He was taller than me, maybe 5'11", six-foot at most. He wasn't a beanpole like Brady was, but he wasn't bulky either, caught somewhere in between. The sharp cut of his jaw came to a rounded point at the bottom of his chin and his nose was crooked. His mouth was slightly ajar as his chocolatey, brown hair fell into his face. What surprised me most, though, were his eyes. At first glance, they were just dark pits, but when you looked harder, there was much more. Different shades of chestnut and coffee swirled together to create whirlpools of brown. His dark eyebrows and sharp cheekbones outlined his face, and it was almost startling to look at him.
If danger were a person, the stranger would be the embodiment of it. He was so devilishly handsome, though, and he was staring right back at me.
When something in my brain suddenly clicked, I turned and grabbed a handful of napkins out of the dispenser. I turned back and didn't even think before attempting to wipe the ice cream from his shirt.
"I'm so sorry, I wasn't even paying attention to where I was going. I don't know where my mind was, but it obviously wasn't here. I'm never this careless and I'm sorry you had to be on the other side of that. Oh my gosh, this shirt looks expensi-"
"Darling," he finally spoke, startling me just enough to look back up at his eyes. A devilish smirk had grown on his face as one of his hands wrapped slowly around my hand that was wiping his shirt. He slowly removed the napkins from my fingers, and with a gentleness I'd never known, he returned the favor and wiped my cheek clean of any Tutti Frutti.
"It's okay," he whispered with a distinctive Russian accent. He sounded way more proper than anyone I had ever met, and that combined with his ease had my knees slowly turning to jelly. "What's your name, Kitten?"
My mouth opened and closed like a fish until I finally remembered who I was and how I'm supposed to present myself. I stood up a bit taller and wiped the shocked look off my face, replacing it with one matching his.
"Keeley. And you are?" I asked, thanking myself that my voice came out calm and even, not nearly as high-pitched as before.
A soft smile replaced his smirk as his hand full of soggy napkins lowered from my cheek. "I'm Adrik. It is quite lovely to meet you, Keeley. Can I buy you another bowl of ice cream as an apology for running into you?"
A small laugh escaped my lips. "I would like that."
***
Adrik's POV ( same time)
She was breathtakingly beautiful.
Even as the remnants of ice cream ran down her face and soaked her shirt, she was by far the most gorgeous girl I had ever laid eyes on. Her short, almost white hair created a halo around her head and framed her angelic face. Her nose had a slight bump in the middle of it and a scattering of tiny scars covered her chin and forehead.
She was rather small in stature, her head coming only to my chest, and the way she composed herself so quickly immediately caught my attention. Keeley presented herself as strong, it was admirable. The most striking thing about her, though, was her eyes. Golden as the day is long and as captivating as the rarest of jewels. They were the color of sweet honey, and it felt like if I were to look long enough, I would lose myself in them.
After I had bought her another bowl of Tutti Frutti, which surprised me as it was my favorite as well, we both went outside and sat under one of the small, shaded tables. We talked for hours under that umbrella. I learned her name was Keeley Adams and she went to a boarding school in Northern Pennsylvania. She was on a long holiday and was heading back tonight.
She had five brothers and her father who worked in marketing for a line of restaurants on the Western coast. And although it was nice to know her background, it didn't matter to me. What mattered was the way she talked to me.
Not once did she interrupt, and not once did she look at me poorly. I told her of my family, of my father and older brother and sister. I wanted to tell her what we did, that we ran the Russian mafia, but I knew it wouldn't be safe. Hell, I didn't even tell her my real last name and I made up a fake occupation for my father.
We spent all afternoon talking, eventually rising from our table and walking together down the boardwalk. I had bought each of us a new shirt considering we were sticky from our collision earlier. We laughed and shared stories, and my heart broke when I learned of how her family treated her as if she was some prisoner in her own home. But to an extent, I understood. My family thought poorly of me as well, saying that I was too quick to act instead of thinking things through.
When she had to leave to meet up with her group, I felt a feeling I had never felt before: longing. I was longing to see her again. I was surprised when she gave me her number without me having to ask. She smiled beautifully at me before saying goodbye and walking away.
There was no doubt in my mind I would see her again. I would do everything in my power to make sure she was mine.
***
Adrik's POV (3 years ago)
"C'mon, Keeley, one more time," I encouraged from my spot outside the ring. The two of us had been training together for about four hours now, and I could see she was exhausted, but I knew the last rep was the one that always mattered most.
I still can't believe that she had been with me for just over a year now. Every chance we get, we are together. She had taught me more about loving and being myself more than anyone I had ever met. She was always there to support, love, and comfort me when I needed her, and I loved her for that and for so much more. Keeley made me better. Hell, Keeley made everyone better.
"But I'm tired," she said while hopping out of the boxing ring. Her hair had grown a little bit and was coming undone from the bun she had put it in not even an hour ago.
She walked over to me and slid one arm around my neck as her other hand slowly ran up my chest. It didn't take much for me to drop the idea of her continuing to train as my hands gripped her waist. She had stripped down from her t-shirt and sweats to shorts and a sports bra, allowing me to see the smooth, paleness of her skin on her sides and waist.
I reached up and placed one hand on the back of her head, pulling her lips to meet mine. Her arms instinctively held me tighter as I pressed harder against her. I parted her lips with my tongue and explored every inch of her mouth with my own. I began walking forward with her still clinging to me until she was pressed up against the side of the ring.
I slid my hands down and under her thighs, lifting her just a few inches till she could sit on the edge of the ring. Her soft moans filled my ears as I moved from her mouth, down her jaw, and to her neck, sucking at the spot just below her ear that I know makes her melt. I know she approves as my name escapes her lips and her legs lock around my waist. Keeley's hands tug at the bottom of my shirt, and I pull away just long enough to remove it.
The moment it's gone, I lean back in and press my lips hungrily to her. I feel her hands tangle in the hair at the nape of my neck as mine run down her legs and back up her bare sides, my fingers slipping just under the band of her bra. I feel her bite my bottom lip and I can't help the strangled breath that leaves me. I grip her tighter and pull her closer, if that's even possible, and don't let go.
Another minute goes by until she slowly pulls away and leans her forehead against my own, both of us hotter than we were just a few minutes ago. She places a hand on my chest, her way of telling me that that's all she is comfortable with doing tonight, and it's completely fine by me. We had gone that far only a handful of times, and each time was more than enough for me. If she didn't want to, we didn't. I didn't care what we did as long as we were together.
"You, Kitten, are something else and it amazes me every day that you chose to be mine," I whisper as I lean back and out of her immediate space. Her legs unlock from my waist, but I still stand between them resting my hands on her smooth thighs.
"I wouldn't rather be anyone else's, Adrik. You know that," she said in all seriousness. She cupped my cheeks with her delicate hands and kissed me softly on the lips. She turned around and crawled under the ropes, causing me to groan at the sight of her. She gives me a smug smile over her shoulder as she collapses in the middle of the ring. Keeley pats the mat beside her, and I crawl over to her side.
I lay on my back and immediately open my arm to her. She rests her head on my bicep and snuggles in closer to me. I pull her in and immediately feel protective of her. This is always my favorite part of training. At the end of each workout, the two of us lay in the middle of the ring embracing each other, and just talk. It isn't as often as I like that we actually get to be with each other, but it's more often than it used to be.
She had been given a revised schedule at school that allowed her to come visit more often. I had never told her, but eventually, she figured out who my family was and who I am, but she didn't judge. If anything, it brought us closer together. My father, Dimitri, loved Keeley with all his heart. He was a big part of teaching her Russian and because of her involvement with our mafia, he insisted on training her. Keeley was already skilled, she told me how she took karate and martial arts, but training with the Russians was a whole other ordeal.
Plus, my older siblings loved her. Viktor and her constantly teased each other, always trying to pick a fight, most of them one by my beautiful girl. And my sister, Anya, loved her not only because of her personality and character, but because of the happiness and ease she has brought me. My family had taken her in when her own had not.
Her family, I learned, had treated her terribly. Her oldest brother, Henry, was apparently just like her father, Dominic. They both criticized and patronized her, never actually giving her a chance. Her second oldest brother was Wallace. She explained how he never actually did anything to her, but rather did nothing. He would play a board game with her from time to time, but that was as far as their relationship went.
Then came Benjamin. Out of all the brothers, he is who hurt Keeley the most. She told me about how even though none of the relationships with her brothers were strong, Benjamin was the one she was closest with. He would write to her, but it suddenly stopped eight months before she met me. It hurt her, and it still does. From what I understand, he was her protector, and now, he is nothing.
The youngest two were Tyler and Michael. Tyler was apparently an idiot who was stupid and reckless. Michael was his twin who picked up the pieces and did his best to keep them in line. Keeley told me that neither of them ever spoke a word to her, only on rare occasions.
So when she met my family and saw how accepting and loving they were of her, I brought her around more. Having the support of a family was something she had always wanted, and I'm glad I could give that to her. It even strengthened my own relationships with my family.
"I love you, Adrik," she whispered while pressing a soft kiss to my shoulder. I leaned down and kissed the crown of her head.
"I love you too, Kitten, more than you could ever think was possible," I tell her while pressing her further into my side. I feel calm while I'm with her, like all of my problems have washed away.
"You say that every time," she chuckled while angling her face towards my own. I turn slightly onto my side to face her better.
"Because it's true. You deserve the world and more. One day I'll be able to give that to you. I promise."
"Adrik," she says doubtingly just like every time we have this very same discussion.
"I don't break promises, Keeley, and I certainly don't make promises I have no intention of keeping. You deserve everything the world has to offer. You are selfless, kind, and extremely caring of others. You always do what is best for others rather than yourself, even if it means harm to you. You are so special, Keeley, and I wish you could see that. My love for you grows stronger every day I have the pleasure of being by your side. I hope I don't, but if I did die tomorrow, the greatest pleasure of my life would be the fact that I got to experience someone as wonderful as you. We are young yet oddly mature, only fifteen and sixteen, but you deserve an undying, consuming love, Darling, and I have every intention of delivering it to you. My heart and life were in shambles when you walked right into me and spilled Tutti Frutti of all things down the front of me. But then piece by piece, you picked up the pieces and put me back together. You strengthened not only me but my family as well. I love you more than words can explain, and I plan on showing you. Trust me, Keeley, you are worth more than you give yourself credit for."
I watched as the corners of her mouth twitched and the glassiness in her eyes turned to a few lone tears rolling down her cheeks. I propped myself up onto my arm, her head slowly moving to the floor. I leaned down and kissed the tears away, afterward placing a single loving kiss to her forehead. I lingered there a second before moving to wrap my arms around her waist and resting my head on her chest.
Bump Bump. Bump Bump. Bump Bump.
I close my eyes and allow myself to relax to the sound of her beating heart. I felt her fingers run gently through my hair, the repetitive motion relaxing me more than before.
"I don't deserve you, Adrik," she whispered so quietly I don't think she meant for me to hear it. I lifted my head slightly till I could catch her eyes.
"No, my darling. It is I who doesn't deserve you."
***
Adrik's POV (present day)
"You're doing it again," I heard my older sister, Anya, say as she walked into the room. My father had called an emergency meeting with his inner and secondary circle, which in total was about 15 men. I had arrived early, and apparently, Anya had the same idea too.
"I don't know what you're talking about," I grumble as I sit up straighter in my chair. I straighten my suit jacket, and as I'm about to turn to her, a small paper bag is set in front of me.
"What is this?" I ask. She's smirking at me when I look at her. Anya shrugs her shoulders and flips her long, dark brown hair over her shoulder. I give her one more wary look before looking in the bag.
I can't help it as a sad smile makes its way to my face: Tutti Frutti, our favorite.
"Thank you," I tell her softly before standing up and moving to where the fridge is. I open the freezer and set it in there before turning back around. Anya gives me a knowing look, and I know I'm not getting out of this one.
"Spill," she states while sitting in the chair next to mine. She crosses one leg over the other and folds her arms across her chest. She doesn't even really look like she's attending an important meeting. She's wearing ripped jeans, heels, and a white sweater. I'm sure they're all designer and super expensive, but with my suit, she looks underdressed.
"It's just-" I begin while sitting down. "It's just been a hard day today. I'm missing her a little more than normal."
I stare at the table as I hold my head in my hands. Keeley ruined me the day she got out of my hold. She broke me, and ever since, I've been trying to pick up the pieces.
"And..." she urges me on. I let out a heavy sigh before letting down my walls and telling my sister everything.
"She ruined me, Anya. I gave her all that I had, and what do ya know? She comes knockin' down our door with a gun raised to our heads. Was our relationship a lie? I don't think it was but it just kills me that I told her everything and she still did that. I'm confused. And yes, I beat her and tortured her and I'm so angry that she did all of that, but I still want her back. I've been searching for her ever since she left. The school that she told me she went to, a lie. Her last name? A lie. Her brother's names'? I've searched through every database with those names and not one family comes up. I don't think she made who she was up, but everything else, completely false. I never even thought to question what she told me, Anya. I trusted her."
I let out a few heavy breaths as my sister waits patiently for me to regain my composure, and after a minute, she finally speaks.
"She hurt all of us, Adrik. We all trusted her. I did, Viktor did, Dad did. And when she burst into that room, we could all see the hesitancy in her eyes to shoot. She paused. She stopped. She didn't want to, but in the end, she followed the orders that were given to her by who knows who. I don't think she lied. Keeley will always do what's better for the greater good than her own well-being, even if that means hurting those she loves. It is a toxic trait, just like yours and how you follow through on all your promises, even if they hurt the ones you love. That's what you need to find her, Adrik. You will both follow through on anything even if it means getting hurt in the process. You think more alike than you realize. Keeley deserves to be punished for what she has done and for the havoc she has caused. But don't forget, Adrik, that you still love her and need her. If you kill her or lose her-"
"I would never kill her!" I shout as I stand from my seat.
"But you already have, do I need to remind you?" she shouts just as loud while standing up. Her heels make her only a couple of inches taller than me, but it was all that she needed to gain the upper hand.
"You killed her and we had to physically bring someone else in to revive her. She was gone for three minutes, you Ðозел! It is really hard to find the good in you sometimes, Adrik, and that girl? That girl always saw it inside of you, even on your worst days. She is what holds you together and if you let your anger get ahold of you as it did then, she will die for real this time! Do you not understand?" she screamed while throwing her hands up in the air.
We stared at each other for a long time before I finally caved and sat down. She followed suit and after a second, she spoke.
"You're going to find her again, Adrik, I know you will, but you have to be careful. If you truly love her like I know you do, then stop letting your anger get in the way. You need to think out a plan before you act. For once since she's been gone, think first before you act. Do you understand me?"
The weight of her words sat heavily on my shoulders. She was right in everything she said. It just killed me for her to bring up the mistake I've tried so hard to forget. I never meant to kill her, I don't even remember being that angry. But it is like a dream you can't get out of. My anger took over, and at that moment, I wanted nothing more than for her to suffer like I did. It is and always will be my greatest regret.
"I understand," I tell her just as my father and his inner and second circle walk in. Viktor is the last one in and shuts the door before taking a seat on the other side of Anya.
The room we are in is longer than it is wide. A long, oval table sits in the middle with seats only on the side we are on. The wall directly across from us holds a large TV as well as a computer for presentations. My father stands on the opposite side of the table as everyone finds their respective spots. It only takes a minute for everyone to settle down and turn their attention to him.
"Thank you all for meeting on such short notice, but I thought it was imperative that we talk today rather than later on this week," he begins while pacing back and forth in front of the table. None of us have any idea as to what is going on at the moment, but I'm rather nervous as emergency meetings are never called.
"It has come to my attention that cartel leader, Ceaser Chavez, was killed four months ago. Apparently, they had been keeping it quiet for some time, more than likely in an attempt to adjust to a new leader." He turned to the screen and pressed a button on the remote. Gruesome pictures of the Chavez residence filled the screen, and the last one was of his body. His limp corpse was splayed out in a pile of blood, his head off somewhere to the side of the photo. My stomach churns at the picture. Things like this normally don't make me queasy, but the sheer force it takes to decapitate someone, they were strong.
"Do we know what group did this?" One of my father's inner circle men asked. Rather than looking at the man when he answered, he looked right at me.
"A group raided the house, but the upper floor was taken care of by only one person. One person took down all of the guards in the hallway as well as the murder of Ceaser Chavez. Somebody with this amount of force, they have become a threat to the highest level."
My father never labeled anybody as a high-ranking threat. The Russians were tough, strong. Not many people worried us. To see my father like this, I knew it must be bad.
"This person was involved in a car chase two days ago. The new leader had sent eight heavily armed men along with four armored cars to take them down. But even with a civilian inside the car, they managed to escape. Only one man from the cartel made it back to report the incident, and from there, the news of this upcoming, American threat has been spreading."
"American? They don't normally cause any trouble, though. They keep to themselves and do what needs to be done," Viktor said from down the table. All of us were confused, including me.
"They normally are, but the cartel had started stealing from them and their close ally, the Italians. In retaliation, they sent in their back-up, reinforcement if you will, to stop them." My father paused in front of me and turned to look me in the eyes. I suddenly had an uneasy feeling in my stomach.
"And she did."
I swear my breathing stopped and so did my heart. I felt my sister turn to look at me slowly, but all I could do was stare at the screen.
No, it's not possible.
"During the raid on the Chavez residence, all of the cameras were hacked and or turned off, but it looks as if one was forgotten. This footage is from that camera."
I feel my heart quicken as my father pushes another button on the remote, a video popping up on the screen. Twelve men guarded the end of the hall, and it was like my biggest dream and worst nightmare came true: a small blonde girl, no taller than 5'4", was standing at the end of the hallway with a large machete in her hands.
In an instant, she was on them. My heart quickened with every move she made, part of me feeling proud while watching her work, the other part full of anger for reasons I need not explain. She killed each one of them without blinking, and even when she was hit, it didn't slow her, it only fueled her. She knocked all of them out within two minutes and then she was gone from view as she disappeared down the hallway. The longest two minutes of my life.
My father stopped the video before speaking again.
"Because of this video, we were able to cross her face with cameras from other large events the mafia has held lately. With this information, we were able to make a positive I.D. Her name?"
Part of me begged my father to stop now, not actually wanting to face the truth of what was about to happen. But the other side, the other side was coming alive with vengeance and anger.
"Keeley Harris."
Images of her filled the screen from what looked like to be the New Year's Eve gala that Axel Carter had thrown every year since coming into power. She was just as beautiful, if not more breathtaking than I remember. Pictures flashed across the screen and just nearly made my heart stop.
Her red dress hugged all of her curves beautifully, and in each picture, you could see the confidence and power she held within her. Her hair had grown long as it was put into some fancy updo, and tattoos covered where the scars I left her with had been. My heart ached as there were pictures of her smiling, laughing, eating a gigantic piece of cake, and then: the last one.
I felt my vision go red as a video played of her dancing with another man. They looked powerful together, too powerful. He guided her with ease around the dance floor, and she effortlessly followed. She was beautiful, but she was mine, not his. And at the end of the video when he dipped her and pressed his lips against hers, I slammed my hands down on the table.
Somebody screamed, it might have been me, but my hand was through the table from where I had hit it. I was breathing heavily as anger flowed through my body. That man will pay for touching what's mine.
"Her name is Keeley Harris, daughter of American mob boss, Dominic Harris. It was not known till recently that he had a daughter, and she has posed a bigger threat than we truly realize. Between her and the Italian, they are beginning to climb the ranks of the underground's Danger List. Adrik," my father said to me. I gave him my full attention and I calmed as my mind took over. I don't care if I looked crazy and I sure as hell don't care if my mind has gone off the deep end, I'm in my element.
The others looked at me fearfully, no doubt the look of hunger was clear across my face. But I do not care, really. I'd rather be feared for my mind than my actions.
"You are in charge of this. Bring her here." I know what he means: he's giving me the go-ahead and all the resources I need to get her back in my life, and she will be, right after her and that little Italian boy face the repercussions for their actions.
Your time for hiding is over, Darling. I have found you, and it is time to pay.
________________________________________________________________________________
Hey guys! What did you think of this chapter and Adrik's appearance? Please tell me, I'm desperate to know.
I had so much fun writing his character and showing the close relationship him and Keeley had. I think it is really important to know him as a person as well as an antagonist. So please, tell me what you liked and what you would like to see more of!
Happy Reading!
Final Word Count: 5750