Page 28 of The Pretty Psycho

There were a million things I needed to do, and yet the only person, the only thought swirling through my head, was whether or not Vega would arrive unharmed.

I marched through the hallways of the main building, reaching the back entrance toward the tunnels underneath. This place used to bring me so much joy, so much power, but knowing that the culprit who had imprisoned Vega used these same tunnels to take her away did not sit well with me.

We had no idea how many tunnels there were or if that person would be able to slip through again without us noticing. This whole fucking area had to be sealed closed, even if it killed me to do that.

We’d built our whole organization in these tunnels, right underneath the Academy, while my father and Andries were none the wiser. I made promises in these tunnels, in these caves, and that motherfucker had managed to put a stain on all thoseamazing moments and memories by taking the one woman I loved.

My fucking woman.

The damp smell of these caves flickered through my nostrils, and as much as I hated this place now, it still felt like home. It still felt like the only place where I could drop the mask I'd been wearing for so long and just be myself. I didn't have to be the perfect son here. I didn't have to be the perfect heir.

I just had to be Adrian Zylla. Their leader, their commander.

The sound of the several voices talking at the same time reached me the moment I stepped into the tunnel leading toward The Pit. I smiled softly remembering the first night Vega came here. I took her out through these same tunnels, ignoring Yolanda's bickering and Gabriela's stern look. I should've taken her back to my cabin that same night and locked the door, so that she would never be able to get away from me.

But I was a stubborn fool whose obstinacy almost cost me the best damn thing that had ever happened to me.

"What are we going to do now?" somebody yelled out, and I could hear Jax's muffled voice, trying to talk over the cacophony of voices.

I came through the entrance into The Pit, seeing them all huddled next to each other, talking animatedly, scared for their lives. I climbed into the ring we had made for the fights and yelled out, "Now we fucking fight!"

Thirty-four pairs of eyes turned toward me, seeing me for the first time since I entered.

"We chose you for a reason," I boomed. "We chose you because we thought you'd be able to withstand the storm and fight against the current!" They needed the boost. They needed to feel powerful, to erase that fear lingering in the air. "You." I dragged my eyes over every single one of them, seeing Jax standing with his arms crossed over his chest next to themakeshift bar that was left up since the last fight. "You are the best fighters at the Academy." A murmur passed over the crowd. "Now," I smirked, "if you don't want to stay, you know where the door is. I won't stop you and neither will Jax." They looked between themselves, contemplating, weighing their options. "But if you leave, you won't ever be able to come back. That much I can promise you. I need warriors and not Mommy's and Daddy's children. I need people who would stand by me and fight, because that's what we do. We. Fucking. Fight! Until our last breaths. Until our hearts stop beating. Until every option is used. With weapons, with our bare hands, with our hearts, we fucking fight. So." I lowered my voice, breathing heavily, feeling the hope slowly bloom in my chest. "Are you with me or," I smiled, "are you cowards?"

The room erupted in cheers within seconds. Men and women jumped up, pumping their fists, yelling, celebrating, and as my eyes sought Jax's, seeing the little smile playing on his lips, I knew we'd be okay.

Because there were no other options. There was no surrender.

"No gods, no masters!" I bellowed, followed by the full crowd chanting the same.

"No gods, no masters!"

Gerard Zylla had no idea who he was fucking with.

I was nervous.My palms kept sweating while I kept dragging them over my pants. My heart was stuck in my throat as I kept pacing from left to right, waiting for Vega, Arseniy, Dimitri, andYolanda to arrive. Jax was standing not too far away from me, making fun of my current pacing and earlier yelling at Dante when he told me that Vega had been attacked.

Vega. Was. Attacked.

A-fucking-gain.

He was lucky I didn't bite his head off when he tried joking about the situation, because there was nothing funny about it. I had no idea if she was hurt, or if she needed me. Fuck, what if it was worse than the last time? And where the hell were Dimitri and Arseniy?

They said they would protect her, but it was obvious they were good for nothing if this was what would happen every single time I wasn't around.

"She's fine, Adrian," Jax said, but his words did nothing to calm down my racing heart. Until I saw her with my own eyes I wouldn't be happy. I wouldn't be able to stop.

To hell with waiting and giving her space. She was sleeping in my cabin, in my bed, wrapped in my arms even if I had to restrain her to keep her there. I wanted to take it slow, to give her time to get used to the idea of us, but no. Hell to the fucking no.

She wasn't sleeping anywhere else but with me. I would become her shadow if need be, but she wasn't leaving my side.

"Just remember." Jax laughed, obviously finding all of this amusing. "Try to speak in full sentences instead of those animalistic grunts you've been gracing me with since we came out here." I speared him with my eyes, not even a bit amused with the way he spoke of this.

"She could've died."

"But she didn't."

"I wasn't there!" I bellowed, unable to contain the rage inside my body for one second longer. "She was?—"

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