Growing Attached To My Competition ✔️

Chapter 72 - Open Policy

"The guy will be lucky if he will survive being in the same room as you ever again! It's done Brody, I don't want you getting locked up now, do you understand me? I can't lose you because of that asshole, I need you!"

Adrian was begging Brody not to waste his life doing something that he was bound to regret. If he didn't stop Brody now, then Brody may be prosecuted for murder, and Adrian didn't want to lose him.

Brody was breathing heavily as he listened to Adrian, he used Adrian's words to ground him and bring him back to reality. He didn't want to be locked up because of all this, he just wanted Elliot gone.

Looking at Elliot, who was pulled out to safety by Adam, he was a deformed wreck. Bruises, purple patches and swelling everywhere, blood dripping from his nose and mouth, and Brody could only imagine the damage he did to his body.

"Can we get out of the water now?"

Brody nodded his head as he let Adrian guide him out of the pool. Once they were out of the water, Brody grabbed Adrian and hugged him like his life depended on it.

"Brody, I'm fin-"

"Shhh." Brody silenced Adrian as he continued to hold Adrian close to him. "I should have stopped him sooner. I should have been there for you more. I should have-"

Adrian interrupted Brody's self-blame by talking over him. "It's in the past. You're here for me now, and that's all that I want."

'Why wasn't I there before?' Was all Brody could think about. 'Why couldn't Adrian tell me about this?'

"Let's just go, I'm done with being here now." Adrian told him, wanting to be far away from Elliot and wanting to just be alone with Brody.

They had almost made it through the door without looking back, until Brody stopped and knelt down by the weak mess that was Elliot.

Grabbing him by the collar of his shirt, Brody pulled Elliot close to him so he could whisper in his ear. "If you ever see Adrian walking towards you, then you go the other way. If he's in the same room as you, then you make up an excuse to leave. If you think about harming a single hair on his head ever again, I won't be afraid to finish the job and end your life. Do you understand?"

When Elliot looked away from Brody, not responding to his threat, Brody slammed Elliot back into the ground once again. With more force, Brody tightened his grip on Elliot. "Do you understand?!"

Elliot admitted defeat when he nervously nodded his head, terrified by the fire and anger in Brody's voice.

Only time could tell if he would stick to his word, but Brody hoped he did enough so that this would be the last they ever saw of Elliot.

~~~~~~~~~~

Alone in Brody's apartment, Adrian sat down by the kitchen counter as Brody grabbed a bag of frozen food to place on his knuckles, all sore and bloodied up.

"We really should at least take you into A&E for your hand." Adrian expressed to Brody out of concern.

"It's fine." Brody assured him, trying to reduce the soreness and numbness with the cold at the same time.