Sorry

"I looked. He was already staring"

| Enzo |

"I'll be back soon" Athena smiled, kissing me quickly before she rushed out of the room
"School run?" Seth laughed as she pushed past him out of the office
"She runs herself ragged over those kids" I chuckled

"I bet she'll run herself ragged if you told her about the daughter she's been looking for" he said
I sighed
"Who told you?" I asked
"Adonis" he said

For fuck sake
"He's in too deep with that girl" I said
"He's the only support she has anymore. Sure she's a psychopath. But she's Athena's blood. She has a right to know. It makes her one of us" he argued
"No. She is not one of us. She is a stranger" I defended

A weak defence
But she was a danger to us all
It was better if she wasn't here for now
And if Athena knew, she'd insist she was here
That we protect her
And we can't afford to.

Not with Kallius and Maliah to think about.

"It'll end badly. You know it will" he said
"What do you want Seth?" I asked, cutting him off
"Alora wants everyone at the grave tomorrow. If we are allowed to leave the house" he said

Fuck. We shouldn't be leaving the house
But it was the anniversary tomorrow
Of Leon.
Of my friend.
My friend who sacrificed himself for me

"We can leave tomorrow. Talk to Adonis, find a team to escort us" I said
"Yes... boss" he said, rather bitterly as he left the office
Great. I'm public enemy number fucking one

"What?" Kian said blankly
"You finally decided to show up?" I asked, looking through the paperwork
"What do you want?" He asked
"Really? You too?" I asked

He stood stone faced. Arms crossed
"Athena deserves the truth" he said
"Yeah, that's all I'm hearing at the minute Kian, anything else?" I asked, fed up
"She deserves better" he said
"Than me?" I asked, he remained unmoving

Why was everyone suddenly against me?

| Adonis |

I rang her number for what felt like the thousandth time, except now I knew she was with Roan
And I hoped he would convince her to answer

Whether he was now in my favour or she just decided she'd had enough of hiding. She answered
"What?" She said
"You never called" I said
"Adonis" she said, somewhat surprised

"Why didn't you call me?" I asked
"Now now, you're sounding a little desperate there baby" she said
"Valencia" I warned
"What?" She asked, feigning ignorance

"Can you meet?" I asked
"Where?" She questioned
"Anywhere" I said
"Fine. I'll text you a location" she said

"Oh and Adonis?"
"What?" I asked
"Wear something nice hm? Just for me" she teased
"Whatever" I said, hanging up

| Valencia |

"You're playing with that boy too much" Roan said
"Since when did you concern yourself with my social life?" I asked
"When you decided to get one" he said

"You go awol for a week and turn up getting phone calls, arranging dates" he said
"It's not a date" I denied
"You want it to be" he said

"Oh whatever, it's a bit late for you to start the whole fatherly role model thing isn't it?" I joked
"Valencia. You need to be careful" he said
"He won't hurt me" I laughed
"Not physically" he said

"What? You think... you think he'll break my heart?" I laughed harder
"I know he will" he said
"He doesn't have my heart Roan, I don't have a heart" I dismissed

He watched me
"What?" I asked
"Just be careful" he said
"God I'm not a teenager" I joked, looking at my phone as I text Adonis

| Valencia's Outfit |

•

"This is... strange" Adonis commented, strolling up the steps to meet me
He was in black. As always. Big arms and big muscles enticing as ever as he stopped before me
Fuck.

"I like this place" I said quietly, staring up at him
I came here as a kid. A lonely kid at that
But it was a quiet place
Out here

The old ruins sat silently, patiently
Barely anyone came out here anymore

"Where have you been?" He asked
I saw it. I saw the emotion swimming in his eyes
I just couldn't understand what emotion it was
He looked different after a week
Like it had been months.

"Here and there" I evaded
"Valencia, I was worried" he said
"About little old me?" I smiled, winding my arms around his neck
I thought he would push me off
That he would get irritated by my attitude

But he didn't
His hands grasped my waist as he spoke
"Yes" he said, surprising me
"So where were you?" He asked

"Following up on some leads" I offered, afraid to move
"And you couldn't call me?" He asked

"You sound like a neglected boyfriend" I said
"Stop distancing yourself, you told me you'd call me" he said seriously
"Adonis... I don't... I don't have anyone to call alright? You... you're not someone to me" I said

"You know that's a lie" he said
"Is it?" I asked, slowly withdrawing my arms
"You're the one that kissed me and then said it was a mis-"
He groaned in pain, cutting me off
I pulled his shirt up his upper arm curiously

Seeing a bandage wrapped around it
"What happened?" I asked
"Got shot" he said blankly
"By who?" I asked
"You'd know if you'd been here" he said, I looked up

Our eyes connecting, and... guilt? Sinking in my chest
"What do you want from me Adonis?" I asked
"I should be asking you that. You're the one that sought me out, tested my fucking patience. You're the one that wouldn't kill me" he said

"And you're the one hanging on" I said back
He said nothing, seemingly unable to explain why
I couldn't explain it either
But when he leant in and connected our lips, that made sense

It was uncomplicated
It was easy. It was effortless as he pulled me close and kissed me roughly
As I kissed him back, grabbing the back of his neck, tasting him after weeks

He was nothing to me
I was nothing to him
And yet we couldn't stop thinking of the other
Worrying about the other
Kissing each other.
Touching each other.

"Adonis" I sighed against him, as he backed me into the wall, grabbing my waist, his thumbs swiping under and across my bare skin
I kissed him just as hard as he kissed me, revelling in the feel of him.

"Miss 709! I know you're out there somewhere" someone shouted, breaking us apart, if only by inches
Adonis peered round the edge of the wall we stood against

"You have been cordially invited to speak to Mr Ciro"  this idiot shouted
Adonis looked down at me, towering over me
"You have some fans" he said
"Some?" I cocked my head
He looked again

"Yeah, about ten" he said
"Well, I couldn't possibly keep my adorning crowd waiting" I chuckled quietly, but Adonis kept me in place
"You're really going to take on ten. Against two" he said

"Two?" I questioned
He stood taller, pulling two guns out
"Yes" he said
I smiled, he was going to help

"See, I told you didn't I? I told you, you were fun" I said confidently
Before I snaked my arm around the wall, shooting three of them in the head before they realised what was happening
And a rain of gunfire flew our way.

Adonis peered out the other side of the wall and I laughed as he shot another two of them

A bullet flew past my face, before Adonis pulled me back behind the wall, pulling us face to face
"We're in the middle of a shootout, I don't think this is the time to turn me on" I said
"Can you ever be serious?" He grumbled, looking me over for injured
I shrugged

"Not when you're grabbing me like that" I said
"Not when you're touching me like that" I went on, as his hands checked my torso, skimming over my chest and down to my waist
"I'm getting bored of this 709!" The man shouted
The leader

I groaned
"I'm trying to seduce my date!" I shouted, shooting another body.
"Seduce?" Adonis questioned behind me
"Yeah, give me two minutes and I'll resume my seduction" I said sweetly, shooting a woman in the arm, before I finally got her head.

The gunfire then stopped
They had ran out

A man began to run towards us, before Adonis threw a knife into his throat
Whilst I stepped out from the wall and shot the man that had been just out of my eye line
"You were supposed to be alone" the man left shouted, standing up from his shelter

"What can I say? I attract people" I said, before I held my gun up to him
He was quite a distance away, but I think I could get him
I shot his arm, listening to the sweet sound of his pain

"Why didn't you kill him?" Adonis asked
"Go back. Tell them I'm out" I shouted
"No! You will come back and you will reap the conseque-"
I shot his face
"I gave him a chance" I said sympathetically

As sympathetic as I could.

"You alright? No cuts or scrapes?" I asked in a baby voice, grasping his face
"You suddenly care about me?" He asked
"No. If you're going to be hurt, it's going to be by me" I said instead, letting him go

"Sure" he drawled out, putting his guns away
"It's getting late Mr Demaria, we really should get you home" I smiled
"Valencia" he said, grabbing hold of my hand

"I... I'm sorry. About the kiss" he said
"Which one?" I asked
Was he seriously about to tell me it was a mistake again?

"When I told you we shouldn't have, I... you're right. I kissed you" he said
I chuckled
"A sorry. Out of the famous Adonis Demaria. aren't I a lucky girl?" I teased.

"Walk" he said, turning me around
"Make me" I said, angling my head to look up at him as I leant back into him.

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