Chapter 15
Adam
"Don't have to sleep on the couch, Lara", I said giving her a blanket.
"Alma can sleep with us", Jennifer said making the pull out more comfortable.
"It's ok, I don't want to inconvenience anyone", She said.
"It's no inconvenience, Rodger can sleep on the fucking floor", I said turning off the T.V.
"I couldn't make an old man sleep on the floor", Lara said.
"Trust me, this one can", I said.
"Don't listen to him", Jennifer said finish with the pull-out bed,"There's more than enough room in our bed".
"Really, this is fine", she said.
"Okay", Jennifer said,"But first, let's clean your face. Rule number one, never sleep and makeup it'll ruin your skin", I sat on a nearby loveseat and watched Jennifer and Lara. They had an effortless bond. And looking at them now, in this moment the Jennifer I found in her office couldn't exist. Had I been missing something?
I have been thinking about what she said all day. She wasn't wrong, but I didn't want them to know she was right. The world can't be against you if you're rich. It has to cheer you on then.
Is that wrong?
"All clean, and your bruising is even going away. Two or three more weeks you'll be back to normal", Jennifer said cheery. Lara got into the pull out bed and we both tucked Lara in,"Goodnight", Jennifer said lovingly.
"Can I ask you guys something?" Lara said sitting up.
"Yes, anything", Jennifer said.
"What happened today wasn't about Adrik looking for me right?" She said with big round eyes.
"No, Adrik has no power in France", I said trying to reassure her.
"You won't have to worry about him for much longer", Jennifer said. I had a bad feeling about that. Anytime Jennifer has revenge in her heart she takes it to a whole new level. And I don't think I could ever survive another Coahuila.
" I just don't want anyone to get hurt because of me. And you guys been so nice me I don't want to mess it up", she said.
"What happens if the school had nothing to do with you and more to do with...." What to say?
"Drug trades", Jennifer said filling in the blanks for me. "Someone is trying to take control of Adam's territories. As you can imagine, we don't let go easily. So fighting happens. This is nothing new and it's a very old hat".
"Right. Nothing new, your biggest concern should be picking out a dress for Alma's concert contest", I said not wanting to leave her with that final thought of an all-out drug war.
Turn to Jennifer Lara asked," what happens if you don't win?"
"That's not an option. We will win just like we have in the past", Jennifer said firmly.
"You can tell me the worst case scenario. I wouldn't be asking if I didn't want to know", Lara said.
"You don't need to think about---"
Jennifer cut me off," the absolute worst case scenario is, someone puts a bullet in Adam and I. You, Alma, and the twins will be sold to human traffickers. And I don't need to tell you what for".
"Can I help?"
"Absolutely not", Jennifer said quicker than I could.
"Lara, you're safe here. What happens with the business doesn't affect your everyday life. Like I said, your biggest concern should be finding a dress---"
"Going to school", Jennifer said looking to me to back her up.
"Yeah, school", I said.
"I haven't been since grade six, I had to earn money to eat", Lara said.
"That's never going to be a problem again. You have a whole new set of problems. Welcome to the one percent", Jennifer said like she was trying to market something.
"No joke?" Lara asked.
"None whatsoever", I said.
"You guys want to be my parents? You guys are young and no one wants to adopt..."
"A teenager?" Jennifer said.
"We do", I said looking over to Jennifer who was beaming with pride,"You need a good home, with good people and if you can get past all the illegal stuff we can give you that. We want to give you a better life".
"And it starts with you getting some rest", Jennifer said reaching out and giving her a hug. I did the same. And tucked her back into bed. Jennifer left the room first and as sure as I was sure she was in our bedroom I pulled out my wallet and gave Lara my black card.
"Whats this for?"
"It's yours, whatever you need just put it on there. We are going to be down here for a while. This way you have something to do, and by the time we can go upstairs again your purchase should have arrived".
"Like food and stuff?"
"Like anything, anything you can buy online", I said.
"Whoa", she said gingerly putting the credit card by the table.
"Goodnight", I said standing back up.
"Goodnight", I turned off the lights and headed down to Jennifer and I's bedroom. Jennifer was typing away on her laptop.
God, I loved it went she wore my t-shirts. I have no idea why. Maybe because she was dwarfed in them? But, still sexy.
I stripped down to my underwear, I put my phone on the charger on nightstand and joined her in bed. I looked over to the laptop screen and saw she was buying a plane ticket.
"Going somewhere?"
"Russia", She said.
"Do I want to know?" I asked.
"No, just some housekeeping", she said closing the laptop and putting it on the nightstand. I pulled her close to me so that we were spooning,"Adam?"
"Hhmmm?"
"I've been thinking. What if we send the kids to Missouri with my parents? Or to London with Nate and Josh. Just until this passes?" She said rolling over to face me.
"There's no where they can run that would be safe. It would be better to keep them here. Where we can watch them", I said.
"That's another thing, I don't know how long it would take me to find Henthorn. But, I won't be home for...I have no idea?"
"O", I didn't even think about that. "I can stay home?" I mean that makes the most sense, if she's going to be getting across the world and I'm just going to be staying in our little bubble. I could stay home, that would definitely be new. Trying to control a turf war and staying home. But, I don't really need to be on site. I could do my job from home. "When were you thinking of leaving?"
"Ummm day after tomorrow?" She said.
"Wow, running out the door", I said.
"The quicker Alejandro and I start the faster we can take care of one problem. Do you want me to stay longer?"
"Give me a week, that way I can make sure everything is in order", I said thinking I really had no time to prepare. I see a lot of sleepless nights in my near future.
"Sure", she said reaching for her phone on the nightstand,"Just let me text Alejandro that I'll meet him in Russia".
"After the concert would be better", I admitted.
"So two and a half weeks", she said.
"Please?" I said pulling her closer to kiss her sweet spot on her neck. Slowly I ran my I ran my tongue over her seeing sending a shiver down her spine.
"Okay", she said with a smile.
BBBBOOOOOOOMMMMMMMM
The shook knocking over nearby lamp, I heard the twins start to scream and immediately jumped out of bed.
"Stay here!" I yelled to Jennifer as I headed out to the main room passing by Lara,"What happened?"
"Get to the backroom, stay low, and be quiet. Take Alma with you", I shouted.
"Whats going on?" Michael and Rodger said emerging from their rooms.
"Stay put", I growled running up the stairs. Not waiting for a response I was already running through the hallways. I passed a group of soldiers running towards the front yard and follow behind them.
"What's happened?! I yelled as I pushed through a crowd converging around the front door.
Finally making it past the group of men I stared up in horror.
"O my God!" Jennifer said coming up behind me with a gun in hand. "Get them down!"
Ross and James were hanging by their necks on our front porch along with six other men. Someone set off a bomb in our front yard scorching the Earth so that nothing could ever grow again.
My men did what Jennifer said to do quickly cutting the ropes. She began doing CPR on James, but I knew they were already did. Shocked by my surroundings I stared out past the gate, and saw a black car slowly pull away.
"Adam!" Jennifer call out to me. I turned to see her standing by my side with a letter in hand.
"It was stapled to his chest", she said.
Stay in your lane.
Paris. Is. Mine.
If I see you interfering again, it'll be your neck around the rope.
I stared up at Ross's body and felt a dark, murderous rage ready to erupt out of me.
In the distance I could hear a firetruck quickly approaching. "Tonight", I said through gritted teeth squeezing my fist so hard I was sure my nails were about to cut my skin. Fury ran through my whole body, as if it were blood or oxygen.
"What?" Jennifer asked with worried eyes.
"We go to back to Paris tonight. Handle the fire department", I demanded.
"Okay. And the kids?" She said.
"Send them to London. Whoever this fucker is I want them found", I said.
She nodded,"Do you want the other houses support?" I nodded. "I'll take care of it".
She walked off heading towards the front gate pass the oil fire,"Liam! Thomas!"
"Yes, sir", they both said running up to me.
"Watch her. No guns with the fire brigade", speaking up to the crowd of bodyguards I yelled,"None of us are here. So clean the seen and disappear". The last thing I needed was police showing up here who had no business poking their nose where didn't belong.
Thomas and Liam handed their guns over to some other bodyguards. And quickly followed behind Jennifer.
I walked back into the house with pure hate in my heart. Whoever did this tonight, would pay. Even if it took the rest of my life, I would find them. Even if I had to burn down all of Europe.
I will find them.