Keep From Falling (Markson Grove Series Book 1) (65 page)

I put my finger to my lips to tell her to be quiet as I suppress a giggle. “Keep your voice down.”

“Sorry,” she hisses, lying back down in the bed and turning to face me. I lie down too, facing her as I hold my head up with my hand and reach out with my other hand to touch her face. “Are you attracted to guys?” I ask her curiously.

Adrienne laughs softly. “Is the girl who hates labels asking me to label myself?”

“Well, you just labeled me so I think it’s fair.”

“I’m kidding. I’ve had a lot of years to think that question over actually. I’ve slept with five guys trying to understand why being with them made me feel empty, even when they were as good to me as Evan was. I tried different kinds of guys, different kinds of sex… and it was always the same. They just didn’t make me feel… anything. I knew something was missing.”

“Have you been with girls before?” I ask, needing to pry a little further but not completely sure why. Her history shouldn’t matter to me, nor should her sexual preference.

“My-oh-my, you do have a lot of questions,” she chuckles. “Is this a criteria I have to fulfill before I get to kiss you again?”

I feel my cheeks blush profusely. She wants to kiss me again and the idea of it makes me very happy. “Are you flirting with me, Adrienne Ambrose?” I ask with a smirk.

“Maybe. Is it working?”

“Maybe it is.”

She winks at me. “I’ve been with one girl. Her name was Sabrina and she helped me… find myself. She was really good to me.”

“Are you still with her?”

“No, no. She was help, not a relationship. Spencer introduced us to one another.”

“Oh.” Spencer introduced them, likely at the mansion. I wonder how he knows this Sabrina girl. “When did your friendship with Spencer start anyway?” I ask.

“We-ell,” Adrienne begins in a long drawl. “I first approached him about six months ago but he wasn’t exactly super friendly the first time I tried to talk to him. I think it was because he was suspicious of my intentions. That happens a lot, probably because I’m so vocal and honest and some people find that offsetting. Spencer introduced me to Sabrina shortly after I told him about my struggles with my sexuality. I didn’t want to feel empty anymore, but I was scared to make a move on a girl only to find out I was completely wrong. It was such a confusing time for me. Mark loved Spencer, so I knew I could trust him.”

I can’t help but feel thankful for what I had with Skylar during my time of self-discovery. I didn’t have to learn all of these things about myself with a stranger. It was with my best friend and I was comfortable. Adrienne didn’t have that. She had to experience her true sexual self with a stranger who didn’t even know her, let alone love her. Something about that type of transaction feels incredibly sad to me. Even what I had with Evan, as unconventional as it was, had a connection to it that made me feel comforted and loved. Because there were feelings there, from both sides. I think that should matter.

“What we’re doing here isn’t fair to Evan,” I say in a whisper, feeling guilty about my behavior with Adrienne tonight. “These feelings, as undeniable as they are between us… it’s too much, and it’s too soon.”

“We aren’t doing anything,” she protests.

“We are. It’s only been a few hours since he ended things, and not because he wanted to. I mean, he’s drunk for God’s sake, he might not even remember breaking up with me at all come morning. And you’re his ex, Adrienne! Nothing about this is right,” I say in a fit of panic. What if Evan wakes up and he wants to take everything back?

“Look at me,” Adrienne nudges my face toward her with her index finger. Our eyes meet, our mouths only inches apart. I lick my lips slowly. I want to kiss her again and the instant the thought creeps into my mind I’m an emotional mess. I can’t stand all of this back and forth with my feelings. I hate caring about one person while being attracted to another! First being with Skylar and then meeting Evan. Now with Evan and then meeting Adrienne. This isn’t right! There’s something wrong for me to be this uncertain all of the time!

“I like you Bree, and right now, that’s all this is. If it turns into something later, then that’s later. Right now, I like you. Ok?”

“Ok,” I say with a breathless sigh, allowing myself to calm down slightly.

“Let’s try to get some sleep. We’ll be needing to wake up really early in the morning so we can sneak back into the hotel.”

I pull the blankets up to my chin. “Adrienne?” I say after a few minutes of silence.

“Yeah?” she whispers.

“I like you too.”

I see the side of her lip curl into a tiny smile before I shut my eyes and finally allow myself to go to sleep.

Skylar

Dimitri hushes the crowd, speaking loud and boisterous like a king would address his loyal subjects, “I know you are all very excited for what’s in store tonight. It’s a very special occasion for
The Onyx
indeed because it’s not every day we get to experience an execution, is it?”

The crowd cheers loudly and I reach behind me for Spencer’s hand. I need to make sure he’s with me as much as I know that Parker is. These sick people disgust me, and I need to get out of here and back to safety as quickly as possible. Parker is almost running for the door now, his left hand squeezing mine tightly as he pushes people out of his path with his right. I feel Spencer’s hand take mine and the minute it does, I see a distinct blockade of door bouncers ahead of us.

We aren’t going anywhere. That is suddenly painfully clear.

“Ah, my beautiful
Phoenix
, I can’t very well let you walk away after planning this spectacle, can I? I have a big show planned for tonight,” Dimitri calls out to us. The entire crowd hushes in anticipation of Parker’s response.

Parker stops abruptly and turns to face Dimitri, his face is sick with realization of what’s actually happening here. Dimitri never had any intention of killing Tris himself, nor was he planning on letting someone else do it. “You said all I had to do was make the call and bring him to you. You didn’t say I had to kill him!” he yells angrily.

“A slight omission,” Dimitri returns with a wicked smirk. “My sincere apologies.”

That fucking bastard!

Parker shakes his head profusely. “I can’t! Find someone else to do it. I’m agreeing that he needs to die, I just can’t be the one to do it.”

“Oh, but you will, that I promise you,” he says, motioning toward the bouncers in front of the exit. “Collect him!” he commands.

“This is fucking bullshit!” Parker growls, unable to hide the panic in his eyes as the four men push Spencer and me away, dragging him toward the cage.

I watch in horror as one of the men kick Parker behind the knee and he falls to the ground immediately. He muffles a cry, and I can tell that he’s hurt, but he’s quick to hide it. He continues to fight them off as well as he can, but his right leg is having a hard time to support his weight now, and it’s become painfully clear to me that he won’t be escaping this fate.

I lose the capability to stand, falling to my hands and knees in devastation. This can’t be happening!

Spencer lifts me up into his arms and finds an empty seat close by to sit in. He cradles me in his lap while shushing my hysterical gasps. We watch helplessly as Parker is being forced into the cage in front of us.

All I can think is that if I hadn’t followed him here, he would have delivered Tris and possibly got away in time. But the minute he was told that I was with Dimitri, he turned back for me. This is all my fault!

“I’m not doing this!” Parker screams out the minute the cage door slams shut behind him. I watch in awe as a thick, see-through barricade lowers in the center of the cage, separating Tris’ side of the cage from Parker’s.

“You will. You
both
will, I assure you,” Dimitri replies with a hiss.

“Fuck you! This wasn’t part of the deal, Dimitri!”

“Calm yourself. Have you ever known me to be an unfair man? I won’t make you do this for nothing. The stakes are high, but I assure you that you will want to consider the prospect.”

I take in an unsteady breath, looking to Spencer for any sign of hopefulness he might have. Is there any way to stop this? Can we save Parker from having to go through with this? “We have to do something,” I say desperately. “He’s hurt, you see that, don’t you?”

“We can’t control this. It’s out of our hands,” he whisper’s softly into my ear, and the words cause my heart to break in two.

“What kind of prospect?” Parker asks Dimitri suspiciously, allowing his emotions to calm long enough to hear what it is Dimitri has to offer. There’s a question lurking in the back of his mind now. I can see it haunting his thoughts through his indecisive eyes. He needs to know if what Dimitri has to offer is worth selling his soul for.

“For you, I offer what you’ve been asking of me for months, Colt’s freedom and safety. You have my word that if you win this fight, Colton walks away, no questions asked.”

I hear the hushed excitement through the murmurs of the people around me. They love the idea of Parker fighting for something he so desperately wants. It means that the fight will be filled with emotion, and the death will be for a reason they can use to justify watching something so barbaric.

Parker appears to contemplate the offer, but after a short moment shakes his head, “No, that’s not enough,” he says, and the entire crowd grows silent, shocked that Parker would be so bold as to demand for more from the great and powerful Dimitri.

Dimitri’s grin disappears and is replaced with a frown. “Your cockiness is losing its appeal. Don’t forget who owns whom here,” he warns.

Dimitri’s companion leans into him and whispers something in his ear that causes his sour look to soften for a moment. He kisses her cheek as Parker stubbornly continues with his request, “I walk free too. Me and Colt, that’s the deal.”

Tris begins to tremble in apparent panic, realizing that if Parker is bargaining his freedom then he must mean business. “Parker, fuck, don’t do this!” he pleads, slamming his hands on the solid barricade between them. “I’m sorry for what I did to Skylar. I’m sorry about everything. I can change. Just don’t do this, please.”

Parker grimaces and attempts to ignore Tris’ pleas for salvation but is unsuccessful. He shakes his head, “Shut up!” he growls at his once-beloved friend.

Dimitri sighs loudly and leans into his lady attempting to hear something she’s saying. After a moment, he turns to Parker once again. “What makes you think I’m willing to let you go? You’re my star.”

“I will train you another star. I give you my word that I’ll teach him everything he needs to know before walking away, and he will be the perfect fighter; the perfect leader,” Parker responds. It’s painfully clear to me that he’s been thinking about this since before tonight, he’s just been waiting for the right time to present it to Dimitri.

Dimitri contemplates his offer for a long while, unable to decide. “I can’t imagine anyone more perfect than you,” he responds eventually, unconvinced that
The Phoenix
can be replaced.

“I will train him to be,” is Parker’s determined and confident reply.

Tris’ composure deteriorates completely. He begins screaming and lashing out at the cage surrounding him, his wails of fear and desperation radiating throughout the room. My stomach churns, the anxiety I am feeling overwhelming any other emotion that might exist in me at the moment.

Dimitri stares at Parker, pensively contemplating the dismal notion of no longer having Parker serving him. His companion says something to him yet again, to which he nods and pats her hand reassuringly.

He’s made a decision.

“My darling, Lena, believes that after a year and a half of loyal service, you deserve this,” Dimitri finally announces. “And being the Greek goddess that she is, she’s always wanted to see you interact with the girl who’s name matches those Greek letters inked on your body. Seeing you two tonight, how you are with her, how she is with you, Lena is convinced that Skylar is your soul mate. She wants to see you happy, and I want to keep Lena happy, so as much as I’ll hate to see you go, you have a deal and my word. You and Colt will go free.”

Parker exhales in surprise, not expecting that response at all. I do the same, suddenly filled with an overwhelming sense of calm in spite of the events that are about to take place. Parker is going to be free of all of this. No more dangerous drug disputes, no more cage fighting, and no more
Misfit Mansion
. Just me and him, living a happy life, free of the darkness he’s been cursed to endure throughout these last few years.

Tris’ hands pound angrily on the barricade in front of Parker. “You fucking asshole!” he growls, “Is that all I am to you now? A bargaining tool?”

“You nearly killed her!” Parker returns just as emotionally. “And probably would have if I hadn’t gotten there when I did! I fucking hate you!”

Seeing Parker consumed with so much hatred is painful to watch, but the prospect of freedom masks the pain I’m feeling for him slightly. A silver lining waits at the end of this devastating road. He can walk free after this.